سوق مطرح, Traditional market in Muscat, Oman.
The Souk de Matrah is a market in Muscat with narrow alleys roofed with wood that house numerous shops selling traditional goods, textiles, spices, and handcrafted items. The layout creates a maze-like structure where visitors move between stalls and covered passages.
The market arose about 200 years ago as a central trading hub along shipping routes connecting India and China. These old trade links shaped what goods are sold there and give the place its character today.
Merchants here sell handcrafted silver items, traditional dishdaschas, and embroidered kumahs that reflect how Omani artisans have kept their skills alive across generations. Visitors can observe daily how these crafts remain part of how locals shop and gather.
The place fills with crowds, especially in afternoons and evenings, so coming in the morning makes walking easier when fewer people are around. Wear comfortable shoes since you will walk a lot and the paths are narrow and uneven.
Locals call this place Al Dhalam, meaning darkness, because the densely packed stalls block so much light that the alleys stay noticeably dim during the day. This name shows how people themselves describe the place's character in their daily speech.
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