Secrets of the Souq continued...
Nearly every store owner will invite you to have coffee.
“We invite them to drink coffee for free even if they buy or they don’t buy. We try not to let them leave because there are many other shops. We have an eye; we feel if they want to buy or not. We bargain a little bit. But we don’t offer the coffee to push them to buy, but to make them feel at home. To be friendly. To make them feel we are human beings.”
Talhami concedes that 90 percent of the time when customers accept the coffee and drink with him, he will make a sale. So the offer of coffee is nonstop until you accept or walk out. “We don’t make millions, we live in a bad situation,” he says. “They have closed a circle on us, and no one from the West Bank can come into the city of Jerusalem. We just survive.”
Jocko, in his early 30s, sports a Nike shirt and stands tall behind a decorated pyramid of spices down the path from Talhami’s shop. He welcomes you and gladly explains his own family history as he fills bags of spices for customers. “My great grandfather worked here. My grandfather, my father. And now me.”
He tells us that most of his customers are Jerusalem residents or restaurant owners. Some tourists will buy spices like saffron and za’atar (a mixture of thyme and sesame seeds), which is an important part of breakfast for many Arabs. You dip freshly made pieces of flat Syrian bread into olive oil and then into the za’atar, which clings to the oil. It’s a very tasty morning meal for most.
Farther down as the street approaches the Christian Section, not far from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre plaza, is the embroidery store of Yasir (Ibn Diab ibn Abdul Rahman). Yasir’s grandfather came from Hebron at the turn of the twentieth century, and Yasir was born in the Jewish Quarter. Years ago, although the quarters of the Old City were identified by religion, the populations were diverse. His shop features handmade embroidery from Bedouins and the Druze, that he hunts down during trips he makes each year to Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and even the Gaza Strip.
“Hello. I can help you. I’ve been here about 20 years. Three generations,” Yasir begins before one even asks. “It’s a hard situation,” he explains. “Two, three days, sometimes, we don’t make our first customer. If you take from me, you will be my first customer.”
One of the most creative greetings I had came at the Jaffa Gate, when a store owner walked up to me with a piece of paper and pencil and asked if I would spell out “grand opening” for him in English so he could make a sign announcing his new store. Once inside his shop, I naively scribbled the words on the paper and then the sell began. The store owner was playing the odds.
Souq Tips
The first price of an item is never the real price. The store owners expect you to counter with a price and begin the haggling.
You can count on being treated politely and with respect even in response to an insulting offer.The seller will do everything to get you to up your offer. If you offer too low, the vendor will shrug with a smile, “I can’t do that. Let’s not talk about the sale and just say hello.” That’s what one of them said to me, knowing that I would probably follow with a slightly better offer. “Pretend the talk of price never came up,” he might say if my offer is still too low. “Let’s just be friends.”
You get what you pay for. For example, if you buy an antique cheap, chances are it is not an antique.
Watch the store owner as he places himself between you and the door. All of the stores are very narrow, and most Westerners are not rude enough to push themselves past the shop owner. He will move out of the way for you to leave, but you must persist.
Even when you pay, the sales people will delay you by taking their time making change, which might take longer than the initial sale. The idea is to keep you in the shop because you might see something else you want. Never go there if you are rushed for time. Plan on staying all day.
There is an honor among shopkeepers. They will do their best to encourage you to buy, but they will not steal from you. And despite the headlines about the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis, Jews and Arabs, a store owner will never speak unkindly of anyone. He will tell you things are rough, but as hard as you push, he will never tell you why. It’s bad for business.
Be aware that official tour guides will discourage you from buying in some of the shops you might want to enter. They lead you to the places that pay them commissions for bringing in tourists. The prices at these stores are usually fixed, and haggling is discouraged.
So don’t be afraid to enter the souq on your own. And by all means take some time to enjoy an offer of coffee or to stop at one of the small eateries for a falafel sandwich, hummus dip, pastries or other delicacies.
Pick up a guidebook to the Old City. My favorite is “Jerusalem & the Holy Land,” published by the London-based DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley). It’s worth the investment for navigating the souk and beyond.
About the Author
Ray Hanania is an award winning Palestinian-American columnist whose family hails from Jerusalem. Author of eight books and a standup comedian, he uses humor to address conflict. You can find more of his writings at www.hanania.com.
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