Shopping

Address: Algeria Street Phone: +967 1 448369/7/70 Fax: +967 1 448471

Address: Algeria Street, opposite Yemen Mall Phone: + 967 1 44 2000 Fax: + 967 1 44 79 09 Email: [email protected] Website: happyland-ye.com

Address: Da'iry Street (Ring Road), near the Hadda Street intersection Phone: +967 144 8364

Address: Hadda Street Shumaila Hari is a convenient departmental store that has everything from electronics to eatables, to very traditional handicrafts. It is modern and stylish, spread onto two floors, with shops categorized according to the products they sell. The topmost floor has a variety of boutiques and garment outlets, including children’s clothing, along with stores selling shoes and fashion accessories, bed sheets and blankets, and interior décor and home furniture. The first floor is a family-oriented shopping experience, where you can find clothes and other items of everyday domestic use. A special mention is a tailor’s shop that specializes in women’s apparel, hijab, abayahs and veils.

Address: Zuberi Street Al-Huda is a relatively small but well-stocked supermarket, very popular amongst the locals, and almost always crowded. You can buy electronic household appliances, including refrigerators, ovens, stoves, hair dryers, and the like. Eatables like cheese, confectionery, cereals, nuts and canned/tinned food are also available here. Many of the goods in the eatables section are packaged under the Supermarket’s own brand name, which gives an assurance of quality.

Address: Bab al-Shariah A moderately priced shopping mall that specializes in women’s garments – scarves, shawls, pashminas (traditional muffler scarves, great as gifts to take back home), and a variety of abayahs and burqahs. Women can shop at ease here as the shopkeepers themselves are mostly women.

Address: Hadda Street, up from Shumaila Hari This is the place to stack up on bakery supplies. Managed by the owners of the Jundool Bakery on Zuberi Street, the supermarket offers a charming variety of local breads, cheese and butter. Also present are a café and a kiosk selling local juices/shakes.

Address: Old Sana'a According to the locals, this place is the oldest actual “mall” that was erected in Sana'a. Very simple, with basic amenities, kind of like a large inexpensive supermarket. Popular among the locals because of its low prices. Offers a somewhat limited range of garments, but is quite well-stocked on groceries and bakery supplies.

Address: Old City, Sana'a A large open-air flea market, the Souq is offers not only a genuinely Middle Eastern shopping extravaganza, but also a peek into what Yemeni culture is all about. Early morning haggling, groups of children running wild, women in burqahs exclaiming at pricey items, and smiling vendors offering cups of tea to every customer (do grab a cup or two, as you will hardly find any actual tea stalls in all the market).

Address: Bir al-Azab Disrtict, entrance of Old City, Sana'a Another open-air market, much smaller than the main Souq, but with almost the same atmosphere. Come here for really cheap meat and poultry products, green groceries, and spices. Bargaining can be ridiculously unbelievable, especially if you bring along a local friend. Do carry cash, preferably in YER, as most stalls do not accept foreign currency.

A jambiya is a curved dagger that is carried around by most local men. It is usually for display only and not normally used as a weapon or even a tool. Intricately carved, splendidly designed varieties are available at major souvenir stalls spread around the locals Souqs. Or you could head to Azal City, an exclusive souvenir shop close to the Dawud Mosque in old Sana'a. Azal City also offers local postcards, jewelry, ceramics, and homemade handicrafts at quite modest prices. Jambiyas come with a sheath and an attached belt to tie to the waist. You can get them either with your jambiya, or separately from any other stall around town.

A long robe-like piece of cloth that is worn by local men, rather like a skirt, over a pair of trousers. It comes in a variety of decent colors and patterns. This can easily be picked up at any Souq around Sana'a.

Within the the Souq al-Milh you can find a variety of traditional items of everyday use. These range from brass and copper trays and pots to clay and ceramic objects. Head to the Samsrat al-Nahas area inside the Souq, close to the road at Bab al-Yemen, and strike up a bargain!

You just HAVE to purchase a miniature model or two of the skyscrapers of Old City Sana'a. They are no less enchanting than the real World Heritage Site. The models can be found in the numerous souvenir stalls lined along the Bab al-Yemen side of the Souq al-Milh. Made of plastic, ceramic, wood, and various metals, painted by hand, with attention to the minutest of details, these models will be prove to be a priceless, everlasting memory once you leave Sana'a.

You just have to take home a scarf or two from Yemen. Usually hand embroidered, and very finely knitted, these local delights are sure to make you all warm and fuzzy through the winter months back at home. A good place to pick these up is the Souq al-Milh and the Yemen Mall, but keep an observant eye and you might just catch an interesting one dangling from a random street stall.

One item that you MUST try is the honey in Yemen. It is readily available at major retail stores, as well as the open air markets dotted all around town. The most popular honey comes from the Hadramaut area, and shopkeepers will automatically understand what you mean when you ask for the “best honey”. A small bottle costs around a dollar.

A large fish market is situated next to the Italian Embassy. You can find an amazing variety of Red Sea creatures lined up ready for sale, fresh every morning. And at extremely low prices too, compared to other markets around town. This is, quite obviously, not one of the most fragrant of localities within Sana'a.