Fodor's Expert Review Textile Souk

A series of stores runs from the Old Souk abra station, through to the Al Fahidi district. It's loosely termed the Textile Souk, though it's also full of tacky souvenirs, touts, and eateries. Meandering from the wooden arch at the old souk end will take you past pashminas, table linen, and cushion covers. Farther out, past the wooden roofing framework, the stores sprawl into neighboring lanes and are filled with the raw materials. Most of the fabric comes from India and China, and includes quality cottons for the Emirati dishdasha, exotic silks, and sheer bejeweled fabrics and saris. You can order a full skein of cloth to take home, or have one of the tailors in the area construct something from your chosen fabric within a couple of days. Even if you're not buying, it's a worthwhile place to wander, a thriving marketplace full of photogenic aging architecture and colorful characters.