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Located in the center of old Hofuf, a city in the eastern province of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, most reports indicate that Qaisariah Souq is approximately two centuries old.

By Sekka Team

Located in the center of old Hofuf, a city in the eastern province of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, most reports indicate that Qaisariah Souq is approximately two centuries old (although some state that it is six centuries old).  Image by Nasser Ali Al Nasser.

This month, award-winning Saudi photographer Nasser Ali Al Nasser takes us inside Qaisariah Souq, one of the oldest markets in the Arabian Gulf Region. Located in the center of old Hofuf, a city in the eastern province of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, most reports indicate that Qaisariah Souq is approximately two centuries old (although some state that it is six centuries old).  

The souq is famous for its craftsmanship of traditional items such as swords, daggers, tea and coffee flasks, bishts (traditional cloaks worn by Arab men), as well as handwoven baskets and pottery.  

Image by Nasser Ali Al Nasser.

Date shops neighbor textile and clothing shops, making the souq an especially popular shopping destination for Ramadan and Eid preparations. 

Image by Nasser Ali Al Nasser.

Historically, Qaisariah Souq was frequented by Khaleejis and Indian traders, given Al-Ahsa oasis’s place at the heart of the date trade. Today, it is visited by tourists from the Arabian Gulf Region and beyond for its history and Ottoman-inspired style of architecture.

Image by Nasser Ali Al Nasser.

To view more of Nasser Ali Al Nasser’s photography or to contact him, visit his account page on Instagram, @nasser_01.

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