Online shopping for supplies is so easy and i must admit that i love the fact that i can order whatever i wish for just with a few clicks while sitting in a comfortable chair. It is luxury. But there is another side of me that needs to go shopping in a more adventurous way. All year long i wait for this occassion and i have to travel 3000km for it but it is worth it. (ok, i'm not just travelling all those km just for shopping!) The action takes place in world's biggest shopping mall ( it stretches over 10 km ), the Souk of Aleppo in Syria. This medieval shopping heaven is packed with thousands of mini shops and devided in many sections (khans), there are streets with just gold shops, others with only fabrics, sweets, meat or leather and antiques.
The trick is to find your way in this crazy mishmash of shops,people and donkeys without getting hopelessly lost. What i like about these shops is that they always surprise you. That's why i do my shopping without a wish-list:i know it's impossible to find specific items when you really need them so i just go with the flow and keep my eyes open. Here you can actually enter one of these mini shops and spend the rest of the day in it. The shopkeepers are extremely helpful and have atleast 2 or more helpers that don't mind to show you box after box full of different buttons and ribbons. I know that i should never even try to ask a shopkeeper here in Europe to spend hours with me looking for the right sequins and charms! The horror! The patience is endless and often they will send out one of the helpers into the souk to other shops to get you the right item you've been looking for. Some shops are that old that their stock has become vintage and the example buttons on the boxes have faded and rusted as if they were 100 years old.
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Adventurous shopping takes a lot of time, energy and patience compared to online supply shopping, but to me it's so much more inspiring and fun than those few mouse clicks that bring them right to your doorstep!
31 comments:
take me there with you next time yasmin!
That sounds real excitement...
No jealousy here! That sounds amazing!!
Can I come in your bag next time, I promise to be a good girl!
I am jealous of your shopping!
so much fun!!
Awesome looking shops!!! :D
i love those types of shops. i need to visit mine so she doesnt close down
that sounds really fun and inspiring! I think 50/50 online/in person shopping is imperative and inspiring!
Nice! There's something special about seeking what we need locally!
:)
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Oh wow!! I could spend whole days in shops like that! (and spend all my money ;P)
What a wonderful shop and what great people to buy from..Just beautiful..
Wow! That is incredible shopping! I bet you are exhausted when you finish.
That sounds awesome!
Sounds like a scrumptious sensory overload. What a wonderland!
Oh wow! That first photo is so beautiful, it could actually sell as a photography print!
Girls! Stop! I don't think we'll all fit together in the shop! :) Forgot to add that they also serve you coffee and sweets :)
Wow! That sounds really amazing. I wish it wasn't so far away.
Wow! This sounds like something not to be missed!
Wow, what a trove that is--the photos alone are really great!
I totally agree, online shopping for supplies is soo much quicker.
Sounds Amazing!
ooh i love market and souk shopping!! i'm on my way to the Grand Bazaar soon in Turkey and can't wait to find some goodies there!!
That sounds amazing, but slightly overwhelming!
Hi, Yasmin! This is such a wonderful and exciting place to be! Thank you for adding me as a link!
Anna
1760 sunday house
That sounds amazing!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I've added a link to yours on mine.
I have tagged you!
http://www.dindijewellery.blogspot.com/
muy interesante tu blog, i like
muxus y biquiños
That looks wonderful! I would love going shopping there.
Great shop and fun blog!!
Looks like you could just explore for days and days without geting bored!
The customer service is so dedicated. I've never been to a store where a shop keeper will go to another store to find what i'm looking for. That's really cool. I think shops like that are so much fun too.
in my dreams...i am dying to go there. what a beautiful country.
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