Old vs. new in Damascus souq
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The Daily Star 9 January 2004
Shopping malls are commonly thought to originate from the West;
however, large, covered markets have existed in the Middle East for thousands of years. In February 2001, East met West in Syria with the opening of the first, and so far only, mall in a country deeply attached to its traditional souqs.
The City Mall has so far experienced a fair amount of success, although Syrians and tourists seeking an authentic Middle Eastern shopping experience tend to prefer the souq.
“What gift can I offer you from my shop today?” Abu Fahad asks all first-time visitors to his shop. He waves his hands around a room filled with assorted oriental products, in a seductive bid to gain loyalty from his new customers.
Western tourists are taken aback by such offers from a stranger, but locals, as well as visiting Arabs, expect this kind of personal attention. In fact, this is part of the experience of shopping in a traditional souq.
“We want you to return to our shop, if not today, then 40 years from now,” says Fahad, who has been in business for over 40 years and owns 10 other shops in the souq.
His hospitality goes beyond mere friendliness to those entering his stores: customers are not allowed to leave until he has served them a cup of tea, followed at times by a free guided tour of the Old City.
A couple from the Gulf looking for tablecloths enter Fahad’s shop as he speaks, and soon he is engrossed in an explanation about the designs of his products and the origin of his textiles, as well as their embroidery.
This scene is typical of a Syrian souq, though perhaps unique for the region. Elsewhere in the Middle East, many souqs have fallen into disrepair because customers have abandoned them for local malls, such as in Cairo, where visitors complain they have become unbearably dirty and smelly. In other cities, such as Istanbul and Fez, the souqs’ main shops almost exclusively cater to foreigners, becoming souvenir shops devoid of much authenticity.
Beirut, which had a number of traditional souqs before the civil war, has mostly demolished what remains of them to make room for Western-style shopping malls. Solideire, a modern shopping area in central Beirut, was build over the remains of the ancient pre-war souq. Lebanon is now building ten new malls on 423,800 square meters of land.
Syria on the other hand, has chosen to embark on a different path of development for its shopping centers. Two years ago, the government had Souq al-Hamidieh in Damascus thoroughly cleaned, followed by the construction of a pedestrian underpass to the souq last year, and a recently finished cobblestone path connecting the souq to the Omayyad Mosque.
When the capital’s City Mall opened two years ago, many people were surprised that a modern shopping mall could open in Syria.
Reviews were mixed, with some people appreciating the comfort of acclimatized locales, easily accessible cash machines and shops that all accepted the credit cards.
Others couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. Most of the Western-style chains that the City Mall houses can also be found in the upscale semi-commercial areas of Hamra Street, Abu Roumaneh and Kassaa. And the mall only has one shop that carries oriental products.
According to Abdullah Wasiti, the general manager of City Mall, they get approximately 2,000 visitors per day. Syria’s Tourism Ministry estimates that there are probably that many per hour (both foreign and local) at Souq al-Hamidieh.
Still, Wasiti says City Mall is gradually enjoying more success. “The first year was difficult,” he recalls. “Companies were reluctant to open shops in the mall. They were afraid that customers wouldn’t come because Syrians are used to open markets. It was difficult at first to get people to come inside.”
Now, City Mall has a steady clientele. The air-conditioned building draws the most shoppers during the summer, many of whom are from the Gulf who go there because they are used to the same style of shopping centers back home.
Lebanese and Jordanians shoppers often come for the weekend, to buy Syrian products at a third of the price they would normally pay in their own countries.
Despite these bargains, Wasiti says that some locals have complained about high prices. The average monthly income of a Syrian employee is $100.
Mohammed Muhassan, whose family owns a shop in the souq, lives across the street from the City Mall. He thinks that regular middle-class Syrians cannot afford to shop at the mall. Also, he points out that most of what you can find at City Mall can be found at Souq al-Hamidieh at lower prices.
Rasha Omer, a local resident, says she likes to shop at the souq because of the traditional atmosphere. She also likes the low prices. When she buys baby pyjamas for her daughter, she pays between 200 ($4) and 350 Syrian pounds.
City Mall advertises by passing out brochures at border crossings and at Damascus’ international airport. Souq al-Hamidieh, on the other hand, doesn’t need advertising. It is already widely known for its low prices, which can go even lower when customers haggle.
Though Souq al-Hamidieh may not have all of the modern conveniences of the mall, many challenges can easily be overcome through traditional methods. Some shops for instance, do not take credit cards, but store owners will often let their customers buy on credit.
“This is the quickest kind of credit check,” says Fouad Lahham, a Damascus-based business consultant who has visited souqs all over the Middle East and North Africa.
“The shopowners talk to each other every day, and they know which customers have good and bad credit. They know about the inventory of their neighbors. If they’re out of an item, then they’ll get it from a nearby shop … There’s competition, but it’s brotherly,” he adds.
Fahad thinks that Souq al-Hamidieh is like one big family. His children work with him in his shops, and there is a well-entrenched loyalty between him, his customers and fellow merchants.
“In the souq, you’re buying from the owner of the shop, whereas at a mall, it’s just impersonal chain stores. Try buying a Persian rug at a department store, and the guy will invent things on the spot,” said Lahham.
Despite a tendency among some Syrians to be skeptical of modern shopping centers that could replace old traditions they are proud of, others welcome the mall as a place that gives more variety to Damascus.
Luna Rajab, an active member of the Friends of Damascus, an organization that primarily preserves old Damascene monuments, likes the mall, despite her passion for old buildings and traditions. She says that the City Mall’s only drawback is that its parking lot is too small (approximately thirty parking places).
Yet certain rituals prevail, be in old settings or more modern ones. At City Mall, sellers can be seen sitting at tables drinking tea with their customers, a sign that Syria’s deep-rooted tradition of hospitality still survives in a Western-style setting, and adolescent boys and girls go to both the mall and the souq to meet.
“Malls and souqs are both places of entertainment and social interaction,” Lahham said. “Talking and people-watching are still the most popular pasttimes.”
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