JEDDAH: A new handicrafts market has been opened in Jeddah’s historical downtown Balad area to add a taste of the past to the city’s heart during this year’s summer festival.
The market was set up last week at the Bab Jadeed area in front of Al-Bai’ah roundabout, said Sami Nawwar, head of Jeddah Municipality’s Tourism and Culture Department.
Nawwar said that stalls have been set up to sell local handicrafts and that a number of traditional games are being held in an area close by.
“The market also includes a section for traditional goods and foods to reincarnate the spirit of the old city,” he said.
Owners of rare and traditional items have participated in the market to show their items to visitors, Nawwar said, adding that exhibits include old books, rifles and handicrafts.
A number of women have also participated in the market to exhibit a variety of traditional clothes and jewelry from different parts of the Kingdom, he said. The market, which comes to life in the evening, also includes on the weekends traditional clothes shows, cultural music and dances, and contests for visitors.
Nawwar said the Tourism and Culture Department is offering a free stall for anyone interested in exhibiting and selling their traditional Saudi handicrafts and cultural items. “The idea behind the market is to promote traditional handicrafts, which are diminishing under the pressure of modernization,” he said.
“The market, which has attracted many visitors, would remain until the beginning of Ramadan,” he said.
