Souvenirs from Yemen

Some things to buy before leaving Yemen:
  1. Jambiyya
  2. Mafraj
  3. Silver jewelry
  4. Yemeni art
  5. Yemeni honey
  6. Yemeni coffee
  7. Qamariya
  8. Woven baskets
  9. Incense and incense burner
  10. Shisha
  11. Persian carpets
  12. Turkish/Saudi/Malaysian carpets
  13. Brass decorative items
  14. Egyptian/Syrian cotton jalabiyya
  15. Cocktail dress

Jambiyya. Buy a collection of different kinds: the "judge", bedouin, Sana'ani, Saada, etc. With rhino or cow horn handle. Silver or metal. Old jewish silver or new silver.

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Mafraj. No need to get a whole set. Just one "block" to put in a cosy corner, next to a window?

(Left: the mafraj at the Imam Yahya Palace near Wadi Dhar)







Silver jewelry. Apart from "old Jewish silver", the rest are mostly from India and Nepal. Perhaps not as refined or good quality as silver jewelry sold in Europe but it's cheaper in Yemen and okay for casual dress. Depending on weight, a non-Jewish silver pendant with a stone is around USD 12 and around USD 60 for a heavier bracelet.
Qamariya. S wants to get one as a hanging ornament. As pretty as they are, they are fragile and once they break, who's going to fix it? I'm not so keen on this one.



Woven schtuff. Mostly from the Saada region. We ordered a big one (like a laundry basket) that cost about USD 90.
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Incense and burners. Uniquely Yemen: Socotri frankincense. The burners here tend to be at two extremes: basic (like something my kid nephew would make) and ultra-kitcsh. The electric ones (from China) - although saving the hassle of dealing with charcoal, don't last very long. Advise buying one from the Gulf or other Arab countries if you're looking for a more classy or understated look. Same for shishas. Only seen simples ones here.

Brass ornaments. The ones at Bab Al-Yemen are mostly from India, but they are pretty and cheaper than if we were to buy it in Malaysia. Can buy with wooden or brass legs to turn into low table.

Yemeni price: YER 4,000 (~USD 20) for a round one about half a metre wide. Tourist price: USD 50-80 for slightly bigger ones!!!

Hence, we are buying through a Yemeni "frontman"...

Persian carpets. Half the price in Europe, I'm told. Be ready to fork a few grand though (USD).

Turkish/Saudi/Malaysian carpets. Around USD 200 for a 2m x 3m machine-made carpet. Some designs have matching runners. Although much cheaper than Persian carpets, these carpets are also nice and value for money. I don't think you could get them for this price in most places.

Egyptian/Syrian cotton jalabiyya. I love these. Good gifts for people - light to carry and hard to go wrong with the sizes (alterable) and "ethnic". Not very expensive either. For a simple cotton one, around YER 1,500 (USD 7). Good for hot summer days or I-feel-so-fat days. Can also wear for special days (Eid) and the more elaborate ones are nice for weddings and evening dinners.

Cocktail dress. Because Yemeni women go all out for weddings, there are many shops selling beautiful gowns - the kind you see at the Oscars red carpet. Don't know how much these cost (good reason to go to City Max - research!)

Comments

Anonymous said…
You forgot to mention, "Buy some qat!!"
24 August 2010 at 15:34
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