The Journal

From Beirut, to Baku and Cairo through Esfahan, Fes and Dubai to Jaipur, Delhi and Yerevan and to any and all beautiful countries of the Orient, join us on a journey of discovery to the world's greatest bazaars and markets.

[habatiq]

A wish on a wishing tree. Happy 2014 from Habatiq. #wishingtree#Urgup#Turkey#enjoytravel#travelpassion#explore#discover#habatiq#wish#newyear#2014

[habatiq]

From our Tribal Collection, an original piece of clothing from Uzbekistan. This little girl's dress is decorated with several earrings, tassels, amulets and coins. If hung on a wall, will give it instant character. #tribal#ethnic#collections# Uzbekistan#Walldeco#interiors#homeaccessories#decorations#walls#dress#ethnicdecoration#traditionaldress

[habatiq]

Bejeweled Beauties From The India Collection at Habatiq.

[cultureofarmenia]

By Shushanna Azarian

"Ancient Mesopotamia"

Photo by Marianna Zakarian

[habatiq]

Melons from Delhi masquerading as pumpkins for Halloween:) #fruits#streetfood#delhi#pumpkins#halloween#forfunonly#lazysunday (at Delhi, India)

[cultureofarmenia]

[habatiq]

Beautifully accessorized women of Armenia in black and white as featured on the blog Culture Of Armenia. An excellent source of information about Armenian culture.

[habatiq]

40 Shades of Pink

If you are reading the title and groaning, "Not again!", you're right.  But this is not a title trying to ride the 50 shades wagon, it's just a statement from a guide explaining the color of the buildings in Yerevan.

As per the guide,Yerevan used to be called the Pink City because it was built using the 'Tuff' stone, a stone from Armenia that comes in 40 shades of pink. Somewhere else on the internet, they say the Pink City name comes from the 'flamboyant characters of Yerevan's young population'. More interesting!

Nowadays though, tuff is not used as much in the buildings and a little grey is creeping in. The guide does not say how many shades of grey are used though:)

But pink or grey, Yerevan is still a very nice city to walk around, especially this time of year before the winter turns it into all shades of white.

And until our Yerevan collection is ready, you can shop for everything pink at Habatiq here.

[habatiq]

Love this beautiful Kilim displayed on a balcony in Yerevan. #kilim#beautiful#display#yerevan#armenia#love#rugs#interior#streetscenes#travel

[habatiq]

Dancing in Yerevan

It’s one thing when you see folk dance from any country on TV and quickly change the station, and completely another when you see an unplanned live performance on your first visit to its capital city.

Outside the Matenadaran museum in Yerevan, a group of young men and women dressed in the national colors and beautiful costumes, perform traditional folk dance from Armenia in celebration of Yerevan’s 2795th anniversary.

Happy Anniversary Yerevan.

[mote-historie]

Ornamented old door in Yerevan, Armenia

[habatiq]

Opening the door to Yerevan tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing the beauty of Armenia, the country in the heart of many Lebanese.

[habatiq]

If Khan Al Khalili in Cairo is a good place to experience Egyptian humor. And the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, the place to see historic great bazaars, And Dilli Haat in Delhi, a good place to discover different artisans from all over India.

What would the Vernissage Market in Yerevan be like?

[habatiq]

What is Blue?

The deep blue of the Nile in Cairo.

The beautiful blue of the Mediterranean Sea in Lebanon.

The grand beauty of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

The dazzling blue of the Majorelle Garden in Marakech.

The clear blue of the sky on a day out with loved ones.

Our collection of blue from all these beautiful and amazing places. 

[habatiq]

When you need a break from trying to find some treasures in the small alleys of Khan Al Khalili bazaar, step outside into Al Muizz street and you'll find this beautiful antique shop full of its own old treasures. Busts of Egyptian leaders, old movie posters, lanterns, brass and copper trinkets and of course a vintage Coca Cola plate, all beautifully displayed to the full height of the old building facade. N.B. If you're not traveling to Egypt soon, you can check our own selection from Cairo here.

[habatiq]

Kundan: The Word to Add to Your Jewelry Thesaurus

You will probably know the word Kundan if you are from India, you work with jewelry or are a jewelry enthusiast curious about different jewelry styles and making. If you are not any of the above and still know the word, good for you, because you belong to a very select group.

Now, let’s assume you are reading this, you have never heard of the word Kundan and are wondering why you should be interested.

For one, it’s always good to learn something new. You never know where it takes you.

For another, there are about several pieces in our Silver & Glass Collection

 carrying the word Kundan and it will come in useful to know what they are.

So what is Kundan?

Well, now that you have asked, Kundan actually means pure sparkling gold but it has become a word to describe a technique used in India for setting gems with gold foil in a metal base.

The technique results in a distinctive shape resembling a mosaic or paved setting. While started in the palaces of Rajasthan using gold and diamonds, there are now different gems used as well as different material such as silver and glass Kundans.

So, here it is. Kundan, your word for the day.

N.B. Please use this link here as visual aids reinforce your learning.

[habatiq]

When You Need a Break From the Bustle of the Bazaar

There’s nothing like going out into the fresh air outside the Kapali Çarsi of Istanbul when you have been there for more than two hours. As its name in Turkish implies, it’s a covered market and a huge covered market at that. Although the air inside is smoke free, after a couple of hours in the bazaar, a breath of fresh air is always welcome, and the small streets and alleyways around the Nurosmaniye gate provide just the break needed.

N.B.f you've never been to the Kapali Çarci and don't have plans to visit soon, have a look at our Turkey collection for our picks from there.

[habatiq]

Fresh bread outside a mosque in #Cairo. #streetscenes (at Cairo,Egypt)

[habatiq]

Is it a Souq, a Bazaar, or a Khan?

Well, they are all about shopping so if this is the only thing you need to know, you might want to skip reading this part and start shopping right-away at Habatiq.

But if you’re interested in knowing the difference, read on…

A Souq is long; a Khan is square; a Bazaar is a maze of lines, squares and rectangles, and in all, you feel as if you’re going around in circles. You leave one shop selling ceramics, to the neighboring selling ceramics to a third shop selling ceramics. Then to the leather, green slippers in one shop, the best slippers in the other, pointed slippers in a third, again and again until your eyes get hazy with the sights, your nose gets enough of all the ‘natural’ leather smells and your ears have their fill of Please Come In’.

Other than that:

Souq is the Arabic word for the open air markets common in the old cities of the Middle East and North Africa (Unless you’re somewhere like Dubai where it is now more open air-conditioned than open air ).

Bazaar is the Persian word for a covered, enclosed market with a rich collection of goods. ( This has nothing to do with the other bazaar, the word used for charitable sales events and fairs)

Khan is an Arabic word meaning inn or hotel. The khan was a rest house, one for traveling merchants to rest along their journey on the trade trails. Khans then grew into permanent places for some merchants and travelers, hence the Soap Khan, the Tailors Khan etc…

Khan el Khalili is a different story though. It’s a khan, a souk, and a bazaar, but its story will wait for another post. For now, click here to see our finds from Khan Al Khalili.

N.B.The picture above, taken in Turkey, is neither of a Souq nor of a Khan but you can call it an all-in-one bazaar.