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TheMiddleEasternBazaarTheMiddleEasternbazaartakesyoubackhundreds---eventhousands---ofyears.TheoneIamthinkingofparticularlyisenteredbyaGothic-archedgatewayofagedbrickandstone.Youpassfromtheheatandglareofabig,opensquareintoacool,darkcavernwhichextendsasfarastheeyecansee,losingitselfintheshadowydistance.Littledonkeyswithharmoniouslytinklingbellsthreadtheirwayamongthethrongsofpeopleenteringandleavingthebazaar.Theroadwayisabouttwelvefeetwide,butitisnarrowedeveryfewyardsbylittlestallswheregoodsofeveryconceivablekindaresold.Thedinofthestall-holder;cryingtheirwares,ofdonkey-boysandportersclearingawayforthemselvesbyshoutingvigorously,andofwould-bepurchasersarguingandbargainingiscontinuousandmakesyoudizzy.Thenasyoupenetratedeeperintothebazaar,thenoiseoftheentrancefadesaway,andyoucometothemutedcloth-market.Theearthenfloor,beatenhardbycountlessfeet,deadensthesoundoffootsteps,andthevaultedmud-brickwallsandroofhavehardlyanysoundstoecho.Theshop-keepersspeakinslow,measuredtones,andthebuyers,overwhelmedbythesepulchralatmosphere,followsuit.OneofthepeculiaritiesoftheEasternbazaaristhatshopkeepersdealinginthesamekindofgoodsdonotscatterthemselvesoverthebazaar,inordertoavoidcompetition,butcollectinthesamearea,sothatpurchaserscanknowwheretofindthem,andsothattheycanformacloselyknitguildagainstinjusticeorpersecution.Inthecloth-market,forinstance,allthesellersofmaterialforclothes,curtains,chaircoversandsoonlinetheroadwayonbothsides,eachopen-frontedshophavingatrestletrestletablefordisplayandshelvesforstorage.Bargainingistheorderofthecay,andveiledwomenmoveataleisurelypacefromshoptoshop,selecting,pricinganddoingalittlepreliminarybargainingbeforetheynarrowdowntheirchoiceandbeginthereallyseriousbusinessofbeatingthepricedown.Itisapointofhonourwiththecustomernottolettheshopkeeperguesswhatitisshereallylikesandwantsuntilthelastmoment.Ifhedoesguesscorrectly,hewillpricetheitemhigh,andyieldlittleinthebargaining.Theseller,ontheotherhand,makesapointofprotestingthatthepriceheischargingisdeprivinghimofallprofit,andthatheissacrificingthisbecauseofhispersonalregardforthecustomer.Bargainingcangoonthewholeday,orevenseveraldays,withthecustomercomingandgoingatintervals.Oneofthemostpicturesqueandimpressivepartsofthebazaaristhecopper-smiths'market.Asyouapproachit,atinklingandbangingandclashingbeginstoimpingeonyourear.Itgrowslouderandmoredistinct,untilyouroundacornerandseeafairylandofdancingflashes,astheburnishedcoppercatchesthelightofinnumerablelampsandbraziers.Ineachshopsittheapprentices–boysandyouths,someofthemincrediblyyoung–hammeringawayatcoppervesselsofallshapesandsizes,whiletheshop-ownerinstructs,andsometimestakesahandwithahammerhimself.Inthebackground,atinyapprenticeblowsabi-,charcoalfirewithahugeleatherbellowsworkedbyastringattachedtohisbigtoe--theredofthelivecoalsglowing,brightandthendimmingrhythmicallytothestrokesofthebellows.Hereyoucanfindbeautifulpotsandbowlsengravewithdelicateandintricatetraditionaldesigns,orthesimple,everydaykitchenwareusedinthiscountry,pleasinginform,butundecoratedandstrictlyfunctional.Elsewherethereisthecarpet-market,withitsprofusionofrichcolours,variedtexturesandregionaldesigns--someboldandsimple,othersunbelievablydetailedandyetharmonious.Thenthereisthespice-market,withitspungentandexoticsmells;andthefood-market,whereyoucanbuyeverythingyouneedforthemostsumptuousdinner,orsitinatinyrestaurantwithportersandapprenticesandeatyourhumblebreadandcheese.Thedye-market,thepottery-marketandthecarpenters'marketlieelsewhereinthemazeofvaultedstreetswhichhoneycombthisbazaar.Everyhereandthere,adoorwaygivesaglimpseofasunlitcourtyard,perhapsbeforeamosqueoracaravanserai,wherecamelsliedisdainfullychewingtheirhay,whilethegreatbalesofmerchandisetheyhavecarriedhundredsofmilesacrossthedesertliebesidethem.Perhapsthemostunforgettablethinginthebazaar,apartfromitsgeneralatmosphere,istheplacewheretheymakelinseedoil.Itisavast,sombrecavernofaroom,somethirtyfeethighandsixtyfeetsquare,andsothickwiththedustofcenturiesthatthemudbrickwallsandvaultedroofareonlydimlyvisible.Inthiscavernarethreemassivestonewheels,eachwithahugepolethroughitscentreasanaxle.Thepoleisattachedattheoneendtoanuprightpost,aroundwhichitcanrevolve,andattheothertoablind-foldedcamel,whichwalksconstantlyinacircle,providingthemotivepowertoturnthestonewheel.Thisrevolvesinacircularstonechannel,intowhichanattendantfeedslinseed.Thestonewheelcrushesittoapulp,whichisthenpressedtoextracttheoil.ThecamelsarethelargestandfinestIhaveeverseen,andinsuperbcondition–muscular,massiveandstately.Thepressingofthelinseedpulptoextracttheoilisdonebyavastramshackleapparatusofbeamsandropesandpulleyswhichtowerstothevaultedceilinganddwarfsthecamelsandtheirstonewheels.Themachineisoperatedbyoneman,whoshovelsthelinseedpulpintoastonevat,climbsupnimblytoadizzyheighttofastenropes,andthenthrowshisweightontoagreatbeammadeoutofatreetrunktosettheropesandpulleysinmotion.Ancientgirdersgirderscreakandgroan,ropestightenandthenatrickleofoiloozesoozesdownastonerunnelintoausedpetrolcan.Quicklythetricklebecomesafloodofglisteninglinseed