Yemen shopping
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 Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 6:28 am Post subject: YEMEN SHOPPING : Go Shopping in Yemen Guide |
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Yemen Shopping:Go Shopping in Yemen Guide
Daily shopping
Supermarkets:
Most of the groceries you need you will find in Sana’a except for the things forbidden by religion like alcohol and pork or pork containing products. Some things you will need to stock up a bit as they tend to come into the market by waves. Today you find them in abundance, tomorrow they are nowhere to be found and after half a year they are available again.
In Sana’a every street has a load of small shops and supermarkets. Some items are offered everywhere but for some things you may need to visit a few different shops. The most frequently used supermarkets are:
Al Hamadi: A small overloaded supermarket on the Medina a few hundred meter from the 14 October street. You will find most things you need here. The vegetables in this supermarket are usually of good quality but not cheap. No fresh meat, only a small choice from the freezer.
Al Huda: Frequented by many foreigners. (In case of political turbulence bomb threads will mostly include this supermarket but never anything happened). Two shops of the same name and owner exist. One in Zubairy street, after half a kilometer on your right when turning right from Hadda Road. The other one is in the Sana’a Trade Centre on the entrance floor in one of the corners. Both large supermarkets with almost everything you need. They have a fresh meat corner, some fresh fish, small household items etc. Their choice of fruit and vegetables is very limited.
Shammr: This supermarket is on Hadda road, a few hundred meters before the Medina when going up to Hadda. They claim to be open 24 hours per day. This is almost true, except at iftar times during Ramadan. They offer a good variety of products and have separate spaces for cleaning and cosmetic stuff, for electronics and some clothing. Their fruits and vegetables are generally not very fresh but they offer some good choice for home-baking. Many people do get irritated here by the eternally gazing boys hanging around between the shelves.
Shumaila Hari: They have a large building of mainly glass just off Hadda Road, between Djibouti street and 60 meter road. The supermarket on the ground floor is spacious and well stocked. Meat here looks good. Upstairs they sell clothes, make-up etc.
Al Jandol: Further up Hadda Road on the corner with Iran Street (before called 24th Street). A fairly spacious shop that also offers clothing, perfumes, stationary and of course groceries. There is a deep freezer with meat and fresh meat and poultry as well as vegetables. They have their own parking lot in front of the building
City end: Another sizeable supermarket on Hadda road, a kilometre further than the Medina, on the left side of the street, opposite to the Hadda complex and the Sheraton Annex.
Fruits and vegetables: Along Hadda road you will find many fruit stalls. In some of them you might sometimes find nice things like avocado, mulberries, strawberries, cherries etc. They all are fairly expensive so try to bargain well. (Although we have never been able to get prices down a lot.) Keep an eye on the quality they put in the bag.
On the Medina small roadside vendors offer a variety of vegetables and they sometimes sell “new” things like leek or red paprika. Check them out if you need something special but keep in mind that some vegetables are seasonal.
Other fresh choice of vegetables you will find at Al Hamadi supermarket on the Medina. Other larger supermarkets also offer vegetables but check on their freshness. If your family is large enough or you have a good consumption of fruit and vegetables it is worth to try the whole sale market for vegetables (called Matbah). Their building is on the left side of the road to Wadi Dhar, just at the place where you find all the roadside market stalls. Here you buy all the spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits in big quantities at very low rates. If possible take somebody who talks Arabic to ease the bargaining.
Another vegetable market is the Suq al Qaa in the old Jewish quarter. Here you will also find fish and meat. Another small vegetable market can be found on the street from Tahrir to the old city, the Bab as Saba. Inside you will also find a meat market.
Bakeries: In Sana’a you can find a lot of different breads. The most traditional ones are the kudaam. These are small round breads made of fine ground whole-wheat baked on the oven floor. Their taste is good if you eat them fresh otherwise they get very dry and tough. Another type is the small French bread. The small sticks are available from almost any supermarket and from bakeries. These breads are all made of white flour. For the kudaam as well as the French goes that you can freeze them when fresh and put them a few minutes in a hot oven when still frosted. The crust becomes crunchy again. This allows you to stock up some bread and always have crunchy bread available.
On Hadda Road you will find a number of bakeries. The Lebanese bakery has an outlet on Hadda Road at the corner opposite to the large mosque (before reaching up to the Medina). They offer some nice things like croissant, soup sticks, pita bread etc.
Further down to the city centre on Hadda road in the direction of Zubairy Street you will find the Mokha and Paris bakery. They are situated in the block just after Mujahid/Khartoum Street. The shops are close to each other and they offer (birthday) cakes, toast-bread, cinnamon rolls, croissants, small pizza’s, eclairs etc. Check them out and see what you like best.
Al Jamool bakery shop you will find next to the Al Huda supermarket at Zubairy street. They offer a wide range of sweets, cookies and some bread.
The Taj Sheba Hotel sells all kinds of birthday cakes in every shape, size and colour. Their choice of bread however is very limited.
Butchers: Besides the well stocked butchers in the Al Huda and Shumaila Hari supermarkets, a number of butchers have their shops on the Medina. They will offer beef or lamb. Sometimes they have a slaughtered animal hanging from which you can buy a piece, but often you can just point out one living animal and they will slaughter it on the spot for you. As this is the freshest possible you will need to keep the meat in the fridge for a few days otherwise it remains tough (unless boiled for hours). For these butchers every piece of meat boils, fries or bakes so do not expect cutlets or steaks. You’ll just get chunks. Remember that meat prices may double in the month of Ramadan.
Fishmarkets: In Sana’a a few fishmarkets are existing where you can buy different kinds of fresh fish. Although the fish has to come from the coastal areas it is generally fresh and non-frozen and prices are very low. Take care: A number of these markets are only open in the morning.
One of the fish-markets is situated behind the Italian Embassy. To reach there take the Old Airport Road in front of the parade stadium, turn right just after the Italian Embassy (their flag will guide you). Then take a left turn and another right. There you should find the fish market.
The other one is near Al Qaa, which is the continuation of Hadda Road across Zubairy. When coming onto the square, the market is on your left-hand side. They are only open in the morning.
Another fishmarket you will find in the street next to Gumhuriyya Hospital on Zubairy Street. Here you can ask to have the fish cleaned and fried for you.
Opposite to Hamadi supermarket (on the Medina) in the small side street you will find a fish shop that sells good quality fresh fish although the choice is limited.
Spice shops: Sana’a can boast of a load of spice shops with good quality at low prices. In most of the spice shops you will also get fresh ground coffee and nuts or dates. In the Hadda area Dallas spices on Hadda Road is a good choice. They can be found on the right side of Hadda Road between the 60 Mtr Road and the Medina. Other ones can be found on the Medina, close to Hamadi supermarket. More towards the city centre you will find them on Hadda Road, just before Zubairy Street.
Yasseem’s , next to Al Huda on Zubairy street has fresh ground Yemeni coffee and spices, and Indian and Japanese snacks.
Asian food: If you’re hooked on Indonesian or Thai food you will find most of the spices in any of the spice shops around the city.
For more specific ingredients like shrimp paste, tofu or tempe go to the Asian Food Shop on Mojahid or Khartoum street. Coming from Hadda via Hadda Road take the first big street (with traffic light on a T-crossing) on your right after the UN road. Close to the Samsung shop (at the left side) you will find the Asian Food Shop. Their choice is not very big but maybe they offer what you’re looking for (like the yummy sticky rice).
General Shopping
Toys: Best decision is to take plenty of toys and presents from your own country as the toys offered in Yemen are generally of low quality, non-educational but still expensive.
Although you find plenty of toyshops in Sana’a, the quality of the toys is generally inferior and good educational toys are difficult to find. You may have to visit a nice number of shops to find something for boys and girls of the different age groups.
The most visited and most expensive toyshop is Happy Land. Situated on UN Road (opposite to Al Rowaishan), a hundred meters from Hadda Road when going in the direction of the city. They offer a good variety of toys but at high prices. Their selection for boys is pretty violent and aggressive. Attached to the shop is also a shop for baby necessities and a small playground to keep the children busy.
Yemen Happy Toys: A toyshop on the left of Hadda Road, before the 60 meter road, when going in direction of the city. They offer a variety of toys for all ages, including game-boys. Good for girls’ dress-up dolls and small toys for party bags. Here you also find the big drive-yourself battery operated cars and other big things.
A few hundred meters further in the direction of Hadda is another small toyshop that offers fairly good quality toys. Also good for a selection of kids bicycles.
A specialised Lego shop you will find in the Sana’a Trade Centre on the first floor. Their variety is not big but at least you find renowned quality albeit at high price. Check for their opening hours as we seldom found the shop open.
Chicco: They have their shop on the right side of Mujahid or Karthoum street when coming from Hadda Road and offer all kinds of baby stuff and toys of their own brand.
Right on Hadda Road in the direction of the city you will find a few toy shops just before the UN Road. The shops are overloaded with toys of all sorts, usually not the best quality. They also sell game-boys and are known for overcharging so bargain hard.
Handicraft: Yemen does offer some handicraft but not in a vast choice or a particularly good quality. Some choice you will find in the suq, (behind the Bab al Yemen entering from Tahrir Square) e.g. the small samples of Yemeni houses, stone cooking pots, incense and incense burners, Yemeni silver work, shawls, djambia’s etc. Always bargain on the price as they usually overcharge and many shops offer the same quality of products.
Another place to find some handicraft produced by a development project (although fairly expensive and not of good quality) is the Tihama Caravan. They offer a choice of glass and silverware, some jewellery, some badly stitched bags, hand-woven cloth from Tihama etc. Check out their shop regularly to find some new items. Their shop is towards the end of Iran street when driving in from Hadda Road.
Another option is the Women’s Handicraft Center in the old city. They are close to Wadi Saila. Ask around for the right directions if you are in that area.
Clothing: Best advice is to stock up your clothing in your home country as many things will not be available in Yemen or will be of a low quality. If you happen to run out of things or your kids are growing fast, visit Shumaila Hari. Shumaila Hari is just off Hadda Road between Djibouti street and the 60 meter Road when going in the direction of Hadda. Their upper floor above the supermarket is all clothes for men, women and children. Some expats appreciate their collection and some don’t, so check them out if you need something.
Benneton: They have a shop towards the end of Mujahid (Khatoum) street when driving in from Hadda Road. Here you will find their usual offer and prices.
Shoes: Most shops that offer shoes in Sana’a are not well equipped. You will not easily find some real leather shoes but mostly plastic ones or other bad imitations. There are a number of shops on Jamal street with a wide choice of sandals. Best is to stock up what you need at home. For fast growing children it is best to buy a few consecutive sizes and regularly try if they fit (sandals will be fine most of the year). One of the few western shoe shops that can help you out on shoes are Bally and Ecco situated in the Sana’a Trade Center on the first floor. Be ready to expect European prices though!
Flowers: Flowers are available in Sana’a but they are generally expensive and do not last long. In front of the Yemen German hospital on Hadda Road you will find a small pink boot from where flowers are sold.
Other places to find flowers are: on Hadda Road over the Sixty Meter Road in the direction of the city you will find Al Sfeer flowers center (tel:504810 or 73506540) on your right side, behind a high gate. They sell big plants to cheer up your house but their prices are high. They also sell flowers. Another one is to be found on Algiers Street and is called Jabriela Flowers (tel: 203031).
Videos, cd’s, dvd’s, mc’s: Plenty of possibilities are available to buy arabic music cassettes. They will be offered to you at a number of traffic lights throughout the city. Western style music is more likely to be sold in music shops but in most cases the cassette will be an illegal copy. They will copy any cassette on the spot, as they will do with cd’s and dvd’s. The quality is generally acceptable. Shops for music you will find in the suq (mainly cassettes) and along Hadda Road. Opposite to the large mosque at Hadda Road (between 60 mtr road and the Medina) different cd’s and dvd’s are available. Copies are being made in 5 minutes. Buying videos in Sana’a is generally not recommendable. Most videos will be illegal copies of a very bad quality or they are taped from television. Don’t be surprised if half way your film the news starts or advertisements are recorded with the film. A relatively good quality of CDs, video’s and DVDs can be found in the Sana’a Trade Center on the first floor.
Shopping hours
Sun-Thurs 0800-1300 and 1600-2100.
Source by : Rosan Aalbers |
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