Sunday, August 26, 2007

Rugs, drums and bird cages for sale next door to Kairouan's Great Mosque.

Whereas Jesus famously chased the money lenders out of the church, mosques here are surrounded by and rise up out of souks and markets and stalls. They are surrounded by commerce. Both feed off the same crowds and this makes for colorful and spirited center cities. But this can be a test for tourists. I found the experience in Kairouan with a Tunisian guide along much different than in Tunis where I wandered into the souks around the mosque alone. Here's what happens.

You are lost. Of course, there are miles of winding, twisty narrow little roads filled with shops. A friendly persons says You are looking for the mosque? Yes, you say, grateful for help. Here, I'll show you. And you follow.

Mistake.

He takes you into carpet store where the clerks tell you helpfully that the terrace overlooking the mosque is open for free and very beautiful.

And it is. Take pictures, encourages the helpful man. And you snap away framing domes and tiles and plants and sunlight and you do not think that in order to get back to the street you must GO BACK INTO THE CARPET STORE.

And there they are waiting for you, sometimes with a lovely glass of mint tea and before you can stutter a word of protest you are watching "a short presentation," which is two salesman flinging rolls of carpets out in front of you, one after another, in a spray of color and patterns and they are urging you to touch to feel them and asking which one you like and what currency are you spending.

Wait, I finally say. I have 20 dinars with me, which is true, because I do not trust myself with hard sells. If you want to sell me something for that OK, if not, I want to go.

In Kairouan we went up to the terrace and got back down again with no presentation.


picture snapped atop the terrace of the carpet store in Kairouan overlooking the souk and Great Mosque.






Kairouan is a big carpet making center. This store bedecked in colorful Tunisian rugs appears in every photo album of every tourist to this city I believe.

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