Bedouin wool rugs. Look for durable, striped camelhair rugs in bazaars across Egypt and in the Khan El Khalili bazaar in Cairo. Find distinctive carpets and wall hangings that depict rural scenes from the Wissa Wassef Art Centre in Cairo (tel. +20 2 385 0403).
Jewelry. The Khan El Khalili bazaar holds many of Egypt's gold and silver shops. Pass up typical hieroglyph cartouches for more original handcrafted jewelry inspired by Egyptian history at the Ain Gallery (73 El Hussein Street) in the Dokki neighborhood. For bold Bedouin jewelry decorated with bells, coins, beads, and semiprecious stones, visit Nomad (14 Saraya El Gezira Street) in the Zamalek neighborhood.
Decorative household objects. Egypt specializes in a variety of handicrafts for the home, including mashrabiya (carved woodwork), mother-of-pearl inlay, and brass and copper ware. Find these at the Khan El Khalili bazaar in Cairo, Ain Gallery, and Nomad. Textiles are available in Tentmaker Street near the Bab Zuweila neighborhood.
Israel
Yemenite filigree jewelry, modern jewelry made with Roman glass and coins. Israeli artisans produce a variety of handmade jewelry, including traditional works based on baroque designs, fashion pieces using contemporary materials and designs, and custom-made baubles that incorporate ancient glass, beads, or coins into modern settings. Find handcrafted jewelry in artisans' shops in Jerusalem, on Yoel Moshe Solomon Street, and at Chutzot Hayotzer. In Tel Aviv, browse in the shops along Sheinkin Street and in the Nahalat Binyamin crafts market.
Creative handmade household items. Jewish ritual objects such as menorahs, mezuzahs, wine cups, candlesticks, and decorated Armenian ceramics are Jerusalem specialties. Browse the Nahalat Binyamin crafts market in Tel Aviv for handmade ceramics, stained glass jewelry boxes, kaleidoscopes, and creative versions of Jewish ritual objects. Visit the Bedouin market in Be'er Sheva for Bedouin embroidery, marked by bright, bold, geometric patterns.
Jordan
Red and black Bedouin wool rugs, baskets. Traditional Bedouin rugs are woven by hand from sheep's wool and goat and camel hair into customary red and black geometric designs. Jordan is famous for its basketry. Look for woven trays, lidded laundry baskets, and decorative pieces made from split bamboo and palm leaves. The best places to buy these are all in Amman: Al Aydi, Jordan Design and Trade Center, and Jordan River Designs. The latter two shops are set up to showcase rural handicrafts and have profit-sharing arrangements with local co-ops.
Pottery. Find replicas of ancient Nabataean pottery, blue and white ceramic plates with floral designs, contemporary pieces decorated with Islamic calligraphy and petroglyph images, and ceramic tiles ornamented with abstract geometric designs throughout Jordan. Visit two of Jordan's primary pottery workshops, Silsal Pottery (tel. +962 568 0128) and Hazem Zoubi's gallery and studio (tel. +962 568 0908).
Lebanon
Handblown glass.Since Phoenician times, glass blowing in Lebanon has been a popular handicraft and artisans around the country are famous for crafting delicate glasses, decanters, and carafes. The village of Sarafand even makes colored glass from recycled materials. Visit the National Museum (Rue de Damas & Ave. Abdallah Yafi; +961 1 612 295) in Beirut for examples of excavated glass from coastal Lebanese cities, and visit its gift shop, which has glasswork and other locally made items for sale. L'Artisan du Liban (Rue Clemenceau near the Gefinor Center) and the Ministry of Tourism's Maison de l'Artisan (at the eastern end of the Corniche in Aain El-Mraisse in Beirut) offer fair prices. Both organizations protect and promote local culture and handicrafts.
Olive oil soap.Some olive oil soap is still made by local olive farmers who imprint the soap balls with the family name. The soothing soaps are said to relieve various types of skin ailments from dry skin to eczema. The soap makers in Tripoli add vegetable oils to their olive oil soaps, and are famous for their spa and massage oils. The most popular soap-making areas are Saida, and Tripoli, but soap can be purchased in suqs all around the country. See how olive oil soaps are made at the Soap Museum and Audi Soap Factory (+961 7 753 599) in Saida, and buy traditional bath products used in hammams at the gift shop.
Oman
Palm frond weaving.In a land abundant with palm trees, it's no surprise palm frond weaving is a popular Omani handicraft. Weavers strip leaves from the palm trees and dry them in the sun for a few days before making mehufs (fans), qafirs (bowls), and summats (mats). Before buying any palm frond weavings at the city's suq, stop by the Bait Al Zubair museum (Al-Saidiya Street) in Mutrah for exhibits featuring traditional Omani handicrafts.
Rose water.Between March and May, the hills of Al Jabal al Akhdar (the Green Mountain) are overflowing with rose pickers who are making rose water. The roses are sent to local distilleries, where the rose water is kept in clay urns for ninety days until the distillation process is complete. Rose water is used as a home fragrance and is also known for its medicinal properties. Omanis dab a drop on a forehead to relieve a headache, or even drink the floral liquid to cure a stomachache.
Silver.Silversmithing is one of Oman's most important trades, and silversmiths around the country make everything from jewelry to coffeepots. Visit the suq in Nizwa (the silversmithing center of Oman) to buy a silver khanjar, the traditional dagger of Oman. The ornate daggers and sheathes were once made by Marie Theresa silver coins. Oman is so central to the silver trade in the Middle East that today apprentices are often trained by skilled Omani silversmiths to ensure the craft's authenticity.
Syria
Embroidery and textiles.Damascene embroidery is some of the finest in the world. Bold fabric made from cotton and adorned with silk is embroidered with paisley and geometric designs. Azem Ecole (+963 11 221 3208) in the Damascus suq claims to have the last working silk loom in the city. The suq's Sharia Medhat Pasha (Straight Street) is lined with textile shops, so be sure to shop around for a merchant who will offer the best price. Musical instruments.Those with musical talent shouldn't miss trying traditional Arab instruments. Across from the People's Assembly Building in central Damascus is a musical instrument shop selling ouds, traditional Arabic lutes. Or, try playing a darbukkas, a Middle Eastern-style drum. At the Suq Saroujah on Sharia Bahsa, watch an oud maker put the finishing touches on his instruments before selling them to local musicians.
Pipes.Known as hookahs in the Western world, in Syria merchants sell narghiles, traditional Middle Eastern water pipes. The "hubble-bubble" pipe's name comes from the Arab word for coconut, the original material used to make the base of the pipe. Today narghiles are commonly made from glass, porcelain, or silver, and the more expensive pipes even have gold details. The Suq Al-Aragheel section in the Damascus suq is known for its nargile merchants selling hundreds of varieties of these popular water pipes.
Woodwork.Dating back some 5,000 years to Mesopotamia and Egypt, backgammon is said to be the oldest known recorded board game. The two-player game, along with chess, is still popular in Syria today, and men can be seen in teahouses and carpet stores testing out new strategies on the ancient game. Between the Christian and Jewish quarters of Damascus's Old City, Khalil Haddad (115 Sharia Bab Sharqi) sells wooden inlaid boxes and backgammon boards.
United Arab Emirates
Gold.In the City of Gold, it's impossible to avoid a visit to the Gold Suq (between Al-Khor Street and Sikkat al-Khail Road) to gawk at the region's largest congregation of gold merchants and craftsmen. Peruse the glittering stalls for jewelry (necklaces, rings, pendants—you name it). Foreigners might find the metal's bright yellow color a bit gaudy, but local craftsmen subdue the gold and create hues of green, white, and pink by altering the mineral's composition. Many shopping areas in Dubai are free trade zones (duty free), making the precious metal valuable and affordable for foreign shoppers. When shopping, look for the member sticker of the Dubai Gold and Jewelery Group, a trade association that ensures authenticity.
Perfume and incense. Arouse your senses at the Perfume Suq (at Sikkat al-Khail Road and Suq Deira Street directly east of the Gold Suq) in Dubai. Arabic perfumes (attar) are spicy and strong, much different than the flowery Western variety, so have a shopkeeper help you find a scent that isn't overpowering. Arabic perfumes are also oil based, so be sure not to get any on your clothing. The suq also sells incense in the form of wood, crystal, rock and compressed powder. Try frankincense (luban), a common incense, or wooden incense (somok), a valuable, pleasant incense made from agarwood oil.
Yemen Decorative stoneware. Qamariah lanterns (inspired by the qamariah stained-glass window designs displayed in most Yemeni homes), made from gypsum and a small colored glass plate, make for festive decorations when a tea light is lit inside. Oil lamps and incense burners are also made from gypsum or alabaster, a lightly tinted form of gypsum.
Honey. The Prophet Mohammed once said, "Seek cure from honey and Qur'an." Thus, beekeeping and honey making are ancient Yemeni traditions. The two main types of honey (flower honey and stone honey) are found in different regions of the country. Honey is harvested year-round, but the type of honey available will depend on the season. The Tariq Honey Shop (just south of the Sheba Art Gallery in Sana'a) has a good (but pricy) selection.
Textiles. Yemeni women weave colorful mawa'az (wrap skirts), purses, cushions, and tablecloths, which are often embroidered with silver thread. In Old Sana'a, visit Hope in their Hands or the National Women's Center for Development Handicrafts on the second floor of the National Handicrafts Training Center (Samsarat al-Halaqah; +967 281 415), a former resting house for merchants on the incense trading routes. Both nonprofits train impoverished women how to make traditional handicrafts, and items are sold in shops on the main floor.
