It will be life-time experience for any foreign visitor to see the whole range of antiques in Riyadh's Souk Al-Thumairi. One can enjoy a weekend afternoon at the souq, which offers antiques that can be a decoration piece for your living room. The antiques featured and sold in Souk Al-Thumairi provide a huge reflection of tradition and contemporary lifestyle. They also portray the history and the heritage of the great Arab nation called "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
In fact, Souk Al Thumairy, also known as Al Zall market, is one such place in the Kingdom’s capital city that transcends to a similar description of magical carpets and Alladdin’s lamps in mystical settings. A step into this antiques and souvenirs market around the Dirah square, rolls out a bustling cornucopia of traditional art forms and intricate goodies, that focus on the past and the medieval history of Saudi Arabia in particular and the Arabian peninsula in general.
With winter vacations round the corner, the souk stretches its arms to welcome its visitors, especially foreign guests, who like to peep into the past heritage of this country. Included in the map for domestic tourism, this ancient market is considered a favoured destination for many tourists and residents, being one of the most important historical monuments and archaeological sites.
An economically vibrant Al-Zall market, located behind Al – Masmak Fort in ‘Dirah’, is indeed one of the Riyadh’s leading tourist landmarks mostly visited for antiques, artefacts and Saudi souvenirs. Symbols of Saudi Arabia in the likes of date palm trees , dallah (Coffee Pots ) and the mabkhara ( incense burners), tents, desertoasis, camels and falcons including the two symbolic towers of Riyadh, appear painted all over the souks.
Truly, a pedestrian market, it offers shopping at one’s own ease, a place to soak the atmosphere and smell the Oud and Arabian fragrances and enjoy the sight and sound of ‘Real Riyadh.’ Tourism here, distinguishes between modern malls and traditional souks. The shops in the small lanes offer everything from carpets to coffee pots and silver daggers to silver jewellery. Gifting ideas, ancient exhibits and relics range from cheap to expensive and authentic to fake.
The ancient market offers a wide array of traditional fair. From handicrafts, Arabian carpets, perfumes, Saudi jewellery and costumes, copper plates and pots, incense burners, ancient armours, guns and swords and decorative pieces in wood carvings. An exotic collection of Turkish and Iranian carpets, porcelain with Asian and Islamic art patterns, copper and brass ewers and chimes with incised decorations, mantles or ”Mashail” manufactured in the city as well as from the city of Al-Ahsa, Madinah and Jeddah and even Syrian cities are abundant.
Even the replicas of the famous Alladin’s lamp in various sizes and colour offer ample memorabilia. “Little museums” on display, these shops also contain classic old books, coins, stamps, maps, medieval paintings, old master drawings, photographs and even gems and jewellery.
Freshly introduced ‘New Elements’ as trendy Saudi souvenirs represents Saudi Arabia and Riyadh in a modern persona of sculpted art. From ceramic tissue holders, picture frames, ceramic clocks, display plates and coffee mugs that projects Symbols of Riyadh- the Kingdom Tower, Faisaliah Tower, Water tank, camels and flying pigeons score on the capital’s vibrant tourism outreach. An amalgamation of the ancient history and culture motifs into modern ideas and concepts is the new thing to go. The vendors say new forms of souvenirs are selling fast among today’s youth.
Also, “motifs of Saudi man and woman and the symbolic camel with a slight bent on humour printed on porcelain mugs and magnet stickers and miniatures of artistic camels in key chains are all ‘quick buy’ souvenirs” informs Amanat Ali , a shop vendor. These ‘New Elements’ have added life to the staple collection of regular antiques, shifting the stagnation from the usual assortment.
Recently, Riyadh has shown a dynamic increase in the number of tourists and the extent of tourist spending. The ancient souks offer a great treat for souvenir shopping for tourists especially during the annual and seasonal holidays including Ramadan and the Eid holidays, during the weekends and also during summer and winter breaks. The winter vacation in Saudi and expatriate schools and institutions in Saudi Arabia normally starts from the end of November or beginning of December every year.
Today, apart from the local population,Riyadh is home to many foreigners belonging to various nationalities --- from Americas, followed by Canadians, the British and the French and also a huge number of expatriates from the Asian sub continent, who appreciate the reflection of Saudi culture through these ancient ‘bazaars’. Sarah Zeller, a US national and faculty for English at PNU- Princess Noura University, says, “We frequent this place as we know around this area. It’s a historic and tourist friendly centre presenting convenient shopping and offers a variety of souvenirs that highlights the Saudi culture.”
She further adds “With vacations round the corner, we want to carry some pieces to call a reflection and memories of our stay in the Kingdom back home.” “This is exceptional,” says Nancy another foreign visitor from PNU. “An extraordinary trading center providing exceptional collectables to reflect on memories of KSA back home…I want to buy some antique pieces from this Riyadh souk”, Nancy added.
For Centuries, Haj and Umrah visitors have carried back prayer mats, carpets, Saudi perfumes, prayer strings among others souvenirs as a remembrance of their memorable visit to the two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Medinah respectively. Though, Saudi Arabia opens its doors to some five million religious pilgrims annually, Riyadh loses a major market share in the ‘religious souvenir’ products category. But, now one can find most of the religious antiques in Riyadh also.
Today, Riyadh is the main market for tourism and its related products. According to Najla Al Turki, a business developer “Though there is quiet a wide range of artefacts…with the vast creative local resources available, there is potential for more original ideas to be called as ‘saudi souvenirs’ that connects the country’s tradition and culture should be produced in the local market.”
The Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities (SCTA) considers these markets a tourist attraction and is working to raise the level of the urban market, while maintaining its grandeur, its quest for the past and the existing business. Though, goods are supplied from all over the Kingdom, it is the Bedouins; who support the market with their products of local heritage antiques, thereby keeping the past alive and giving chance to every visitor to relish.
At a recent workshop conducted under the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiques (SCTA) estimated that “the country has 20,000 registered Saudi artisans including women, who represent 75 percent of the artisan population, working to promote traditional handicrafts and culture." This figure shows the potential to create the strong base for domestic handicrafts, it noted.
A highlight of the workshop was to “further utilize the potential towards uplifting ‘handicrafts export’ instead of confining it to the domestic market. A number of experts and specialists are currently working to further improve and promote the Kingdom’s rich heritage and to blend it in right perspective for foreign visitors.
Al Zall Market and similar antiques selling markets in Riyadh or elsewhere in the Kingdom serve as witnesses for the lifestyle that was better than the modern life. The antiques provide tantalizing glimpses of the country’s cultural heritage. But, the range of the Kingdom's antiques, their quality and their historical values also prompt the call to further study them. Who knows, they might shed new light on the history of Saudi Arabia or even on the history and heritage of the Arabian peninsula.

Main Page	Page Up
عربي