Souq al-Zal

Souq al-Zal takes its name from the carpets, zal, that were its original trade, and it is the oldest market still working in Riyadh, a covered and open set of lanes in the Deira district near the Masmak fort. Carpets are still sold, along with Bedouin weaving, coffee pots and dallahs, incense burners, old rifles, jewellery, watches, and a considerable amount of second-hand and imported bric-a-brac. An afternoon auction of carpets and goods runs on some days, with lots carried through the crowd by porters. Prices are negotiated hard and much of what is presented as antique is not. It is one of the few places in the city with a pre-modern commercial character.

What you actually see

• The carpet trade - the rugs and Bedouin weaving the souq is named for.
• Coffee pots and dallahs - the brass and copper ware on the stalls.
• The auction - the afternoon sale of carpets and goods on some days.
• The old lanes - the covered market alleys near the fort.

When to go

November to March for the weather. The souq works in the morning and again after the afternoon prayer, closing during the middle of the day. The auction runs on particular afternoons; ask locally.

Honest expectations

Much of what is sold as antique is reproduction or recent. Prices open high for visitors and require hard bargaining. The souq closes for prayer times and through the midday hours. Photography of traders should be asked first.

Nearby

Masmak fortress is a short walk; the Deira district surrounds it.