Soak up the Glory of Dubai Souks (Part-I)

The Arabian word ‘Souk’ stands for the market place where items are bought or exchanged. Even though the souks appear to be only a shadow of their former wonder in this modern era, they are nevertheless wonderful areas to shop around. Dubai boasts numerous souks that are scattered all over the city, of which the most popular ones have been compiled for you.

Gold Souk

This is the perfect place to shop around if you are fond of gold. You can spend hours wandering around the narrow streets lined with sparkling windows, having 22-24 carat gold on display. As the entire market place is jam-packed with dazzling gold shops, you might get confused where to start with.

Here, you would find every single window adorned with gold artifacts and ornaments, be it ear rings, gold brooches, bangles, necklaces or rings. The prices offered are much less as compared to other gold markets of the world.

Spice Souk

Toss up into the wide range of spices and aroma, from the frankincense and shisha to the divergent herbs inside the market, housing a rich collection of spices. Apart from the spices, textiles, incense, rugs and several other artifacts are also displayed for sale.

The market is located right next to the gold souk and here; you will find nearly all the variety of spices including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, saffron and many others. As you keep moving from one shop to the next, you would surely be enveloped by all these sensory delights.

Perfume Souk

Fling yourself into the fragrance of international and local perfumes available here at the various shops. Oily scents and incense sticks are also available in abundance. The souk is located a little to the east of the gold souk, on the Sikkat Al Khail Road in Deira.

Here, the aromas range from the latest perfumes to the traditional Arabic Ittars, all under the same roof. The perfumes are reasonably priced and you could buy yourself a good deal if you know how to haggle.

Textile Souk

Stroll through the troves of textiles, textures, shades and dyes inside the market adorned with gleaming velvets, silks and threads. The prices here are negotiable and the choices seem to be endless. Located in Bur Dubai over the Creek, the souk consists of a lengthy line of sand coloured stone buildings, topped with catchy wind towers.

The multitude of shops offers an extensive range of garments, fabrics, and other souvenirs. You can reach the souk easily from Deira, by crossing the Creek with a water taxi.

The souks in the city are all colorful, bright, fascinating and noisy, just like any other market place. Here, you would get excellent value for your money besides a fantastic shopping experience. That’s all for now, but we will be back with some more interesting souks in Dubai.