Hello everyone, I’m here for Part 3. In addition to that spiritual peace that comes to mind when Mecca is mentioned, there is one more thing that must be done to truly experience the city: Shopping tour. It would not be possible to return without seeing those lively streets of the city, its markets and glittering shops, each of which offers a different world. I, with my bandmates, set aside two full days for shopping as part of this sacred visit. During these two days, we did not only buy items; in fact, we also witnessed the daily life culture of Mecca closely.
Bin Dawood Markets and Surprising Discoveries
One of the first and most important stops of our shopping adventure was Bin Dawood, the most famous grocery chain in the region. I had heard his name a lot before I went, but the view I came across when I went in was really impressive. It's a very different world from our market habits here. Everything from the shelf arrangement to the size of the products makes you say "this is another place".
While walking between the shelves with my bandmates, what caught our attention the most was the consumption habits of the local people. Especially the chips aisles amazed us. There is a variety of chips three, maybe four times the size of what we are used to seeing in Turkey. From cheese to spicy, to spice mixtures that we had never heard of before, everywhere was full of packs of chips. As I understand it, chips here are not just a snack, they have become a very important part of everyday life. We succumbed to our curiosity and bought it from different packages and tasted it. Some of them were really delicious.
Not only the chips, but also the biscuit and beverage aisles were very interesting. Huge packages, shelves arranged for bulk purchases were in the mood of a full "shopping festival". We examined the prices one by one and made comparisons with our money. We were surprised to see that some imported products are very affordable. That crowd in the market, people of different nationalities shopping between the same shelves, was like a reflection of that unifying spirit of Mecca in the market corridors.
The Magical World of Souvenirs: Rosaries, Scents and Golds
After completing our market tour, we focused on our main goal, that is, those beautiful memories that we will take to our loved ones. Choosing a souvenir in Mecca is both very enjoyable and so difficult; because there are so many options that one wonders which one to buy. We made a strategic plan as a group: First, we would compare prices, find the best quality and the one specific to Mecca.
Especially the rosaries were like a complete work of art. We got lost among the aisles, colorful, various rosaries. There was something suitable for every budget and every taste, from the amber ones to those processed with special stones. That colorful image of thousands of rosaries lined up side by side was also beautifully reflected in our photos. We tried to choose the most elegant ones to bring a piece of this sacred land to our loved ones.
Soon after, we found ourselves in those famous gold and jewelry bazaars. The showcases were so bright that we couldn't take our eyes off. Giant necklace sets, gold belts and bracelets decorated with traditional motifs were almost like a museum exhibition. Although they are a little more flashy and bigger than our style, it was a great pleasure to even watch that craftsmanship. I'm not sure if there's another place where gold is so dense. Of course, we didn't just look at it, we also started a sweet bargain with the shopkeepers for small but meaningful jewelry.
The most mystical part of our shopping tour was perfume and essence shops. Those heavy but peaceful od and rose scents that greet you as soon as you step into the store relax the human soul. We bought those heavily oily perfumes sold in small bottles. The permanence of special scents here is truly incredible.
This sweet fatigue that lasted for two days came to an end with the beautiful photos we took and the gifts we filled our herb. Shopping in Mecca wasn't just buying things; acting as a group in that crowd, studying the products of different cultures and breathing that air was an experience in itself. On the way back, we all had both the peace of visiting these holy lands and the happiness of having bought beautiful things for our loved ones.