Salalah is always considered a mix of old and new. There are many historic aspects of the city that still stand, along with its pristine beauty. At the same time, it is evolving at a steady pace with the rest of the world.
The traditional souq located in one corner of the sprawling Salalah Gardens Mall attracts everyone’s attention. It mesmerizes imagination as what is this traditional thing doing in the middle of all these modernities.
This section of the mall appeals to the city’s classical side. If one enters from the food court entrance and walks towards the mall’s centre, he would notice a huge sign, golden in colour, that reads Aswaq Salalah.
The souq isn’t very large. It consists of three narrow halls giving the structure a ‘U’ shape and a small corridor between the two parallel halls.
Each hall is lined with shops selling various indigenous products. Some shops sell garments such as mussar (headscarf) and kumma (the Omani cap) and dishdasha (ankle-length dress for men). There are shops that sell frankincense, which is what Oman, especially Salalah, is famous for. Other than indigenous products, there are a couple of stores that sell branded perfumes both local and imported.
The products’ price range here is between RO 6 and RO 60, varying as per the quality of the product. Most of these shops have higher demand during occasions like Eid and Khareef, when tourists are more.
“Usually, however, business isn’t always booming. On a good day, the revenue usually averages around RO 200-300. One possible reason for the low demand is the relatively small size of the souq . And when people usually visit the mall, it’s not to visit the Souq,” said one of the shop owners casually.
However, the souq is a place that one must visit in case they wish to see some indigenous products and experience an old-meets-new experience.
Nikhil Anil
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