Al Seeb Market or (Seeb Bazar) can be considered one of the historical and old markets in the Sultanate. Once you enter the market, the first shops on the right and left sides are jewelry shops. This market is always busy in the evening. Ladies come from far a way to buy jewelry.
The traditional market can be found opposite to the Sultan Qaboos Mosque. What can be found in this market? Vegetables Bazar, which has its own compound looked like a beautiful fort. All kind of vegetables are available, like carrot, potato, onion, celery, green paper, cabbage, and turnip. Of course, in the same Bazar, fruits can be purchased, like, lemon, grape, mango, banana, and orange. Foreigners and locals enthusiastically buy stuff, here.
Perfumes and fragrances have their well-designed shops with different brands. Burj, Khashkha, Sandal, Munthana, and Silver,are the most popular types of fragrances. Some of these retail traders have their stools on the road sides and visible to pedestrians. It is known that, most of the fragrances come from Salalah region and this is called as the “Gold of Desert”. The Bukhoorwhich comes from Salalah region is well appreciated and it is being exported to most of the countries, especially to GCC countries and it has many varieties with different prices.
A very few of us may say that he has not tasted Omani Halwa (Sweet). It’s very famous and everyone loves to eat Omani Halwa. In the middle of bazar you will find many Omani Halwa shops with different types like, Saffron halwa, diwani halwa and rosewater. “Can you write me in a paper sheet more varieties of Omani Halwa?” I asked the young Omani. “Do you want them with the price?” he asked me. “No, without price, I just want the names”, I said. He gave me the list with the following names, (Honey Halwa, Golden Halwa, and Sheikh Al Diwaniya Halwa). “What is your name?” I asked the young guy. “My name is Anas”, he replied politely. The way he was serving customers, it indicated that he really loves his job. He was so energetic and smiley.
“I am selling Halwa since 1992 and I am happy with the work that I do”, said Ali Juma, the Omani shop keeper, who was around sixty three years old.
All the gents’ tailors were found busy. “I am in this field for last twenty years. I live with my family now. He is my son supporting me in the shop”, said one of the Indian tailors, who looked very happy by doing business in Oman.
“These watches are obsolete, we can’t buy them”, said the man who was selling and repairing watches. My wife and I actually wanted to sell these watches which were lying idle at home and we wanted to make some money.
The beach of Seeb has its own beauty and climate. “How many mushkakwould you like to order?” an Omani boy asked us while we were inside the car. “Bring us six”, I replied. “By the way, how much do you earn per day?” I asked him. “I work from 6PM till 11PM. I earn around 10 to 12 Omani Rial (OMR), every day”, he answered.
“This was a taxi station in 80’s what you can see it now a Seeb Mall. Pick up cars, like Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and Dunstan, with single door and double doors had been used for transportation as Taxi on those days”, I said to my spouse when I parked the car.
“The business is fine and we are selling good number of fragrances on daily basis. The expenses are covered and at the same time we are making good income”, said Moawiya, a fragrances shop keeper, inside the Seeb Mall.
We found a good restaurant at Seeb Mall. Since we felt hungry, we entered to the restaurant namely “QIBARA”. I doubted with the name and sought for the meaning in Google. It gave one of the meanings like, “soulful”. I didn’t become satisfy with the meaning. I asked the waiter about the meaning of this name. “Read the name from right to left. Spell it backward”, said the waiter. I tried, it was read as “ARABIQ”. “Frankly speaking it has no meaning. It is just ARABIQ and it has been created as QIBARA to attract customers” said the waiter.
