The Traditional Market Of Al Dhafra Festival, A Mirror Of The Arab Household Of Days Gone By
The souk - or the traditional market - remains one of the most popular stop overs for visitors of Al Dhafra Festival, and this year the souk seems busier than ever.
There are 180 small shops set up in the Emirati market, all run by Emirati ladies, mostly coming from the more remote villages of the Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate.
For them, the souk is a great opportunity to boast the household income, but also an encouragement to keep Emirati traditions alive and pass them on to the next generation.
"I'm here with my grandmother. She is the one who make all these beautiful decorations for camels, and she also makes dresses and other textiles," said Mariam Al Mazrouei.
She is only 16 years old, but she already takes an interest in handmade crafts.
"We are from Liwa, but I live with my parents in Abu Dhabi most of the year. On holidays and sometimes in weekends we come to Liwa and I spend a lot of time with my grandmother, learning how to make these traditional decorations. At first I thought it is boring, but then my grandmother started telling me stories from when she was young, how her life was then, and I became more and more interested in the old traditions," added Mariam.
Most of the shops in the traditional market sell either hand made crafts or ready made garments and traditional Emirati objects or souvenirs. There are dresses with beautiful silver embroidery, there are home mixes Arabic oil perfumes, there are small furniture items made of palm tree fronds and wood, there are traditional Emirati spices, and there are even old photographs and paintings of UAE landscapes or UAE leaders.
The majlis, where visitors used to take a rest over a cup of Arabic coffee last year, is no longer in the square of the market, being moved outside, next to the cafes. Instead, an opened art "salon" has been set up in the middle of the souk, where Abu Dhabi based artists create paintings on the spot, much to the delight of passing visitors.
Right next to the market, there is the eating area, with several cafes serving Emirati dishes, some made on the spot, as well as Arabic coffee and tea.
As in the previous years, the traditional market was created to reflect the spirit of the desert and the Arab culture. In many way, it is a mirror of the Arab household of days gone by, where women stay home, making food, clothes and objects needed in the house, while men are out, tending to camels, trading and bringing home food.
