At the Souk

Souk (noun) in my terms it is a one leveled marketplace with many thin aisles that twist and turn.  Objects for sale hang from the walls and the ceiling and most items can be bartered for.

A Souk is shown in the first scene of Disney's Aladin, where the shopkeepers yell "Fresh Fish" and "Dates, Nuts and Pistachios!"   A Souk is a marketplace townspeople gather to shop, eat, wander and socialize for the day.  They are especially located in Middle Eastern and African countries.
Here are Souk photos I took in Oman, Morocco, Tunisia and India.

Muscat, Oman

Taroudant, Morocco

La Goulette, Tunisia

 Goa, India

For a while, I didn't know what a "souk" really was.  I was excited to go and find out and many days of my travels took me on excursions to visit the "souk."  I wasn't disappointed when I found out -it was just a marketplace, it was an "ah-ha" moment and I was actually blown away by the size!  When I say twists and turns, i mean-there is a LOT of turning going on, it would take you all day to cover the surface of a souk-they are very expansive!  There are so many aisles and shops and so many people!  The aisles are thin-like one way streets, but it's the best way to cram that much STUFF into such a small amount of SPACE.  People with clausterphobia beware, but shopaholics come near!

Flower Markets are also really popular.  I visited one in Mumbai-a souk-like Flower market, and one here in Cadiz, Spain.

Fish Markets are similar in Europe- crammed, loud, smelly and full of customers coming for some weekly gossip.  Here is some fish from a food market in Marsala, Sicily.

 

Although they are too crowded and I admit to feeling like my backpack is going to get stolen the entire time, a souk is worth a shopping trip.  

M