SOUK AL HUSN

Even if it is less frequented than in the past, even if it sometimes seems disused, even if there is talk of it closing (when?) to be replaced by a "new incense souk that would respect a traditional spirit in terms of architecture and layout", it is to this day and in our eyes one of the most typical souks in the sultanate: a place carrying the mix, the historical routes, the trading traditions.... perhaps because the women (originally the only owners of the place, which is no longer the case today) have faces here where distant Africa mingles with Arabia, colorful outfits, poses that turn each stall into a painting à la Brueghel version orientale. It's not a big place, you can walk around it quickly enough and yet, each time, you turn around and go back as if this was the magic of the place: in its small size, the welcome of the shoppers, the ambient kindness, the authenticity of the scents and of that bygone era.

This is where you'll find the greatest number of varieties of incense and perfumes in the country. The stalls, all alike, are set close together. White incense is called hujari. It's the most expensive, but also the purest, compared with the more colorful and much less expensive varieties. Known the world over, it is used in the composition of many great perfumes, including Amouage, the sultanate's olfactory label. You'll also find perfume burners and a few souvenirs (stoles, pashminas, wooden canes, etc.). Take the time to negotiate.