Tuesday, 22 September 2009

The old city of Tripoli: A world of tales and anecdotes that do not end

Libya 24 - fayha alakeb: the city of love at first sight, it was reported that night, a promise of morning, the city makes you inhale the fragrance last, every stone where your travels take you through history, to navigate in her memory that will not forget, a world of tales and a mix of stories that do not end. And stood idly by bending the head in front of her beauty as it did when King Hassan said he was intrigued by the slain, and choose from among the ruins of countless gold market and precious metals.

I knew the old city in Tripoli, a large number of popular markets, and perhaps most important of this market, renowned for both internal and external, as a mecca for the Libyans and tourists alike, and has a wide area, including the number of old markets, as well as new areas.

Market is a gathering of shops compact, which dates to the establishment of some Alqurmnelli the Covenant, the most important places on the "Hotel Benzekri," a two-storey building boutique lined up in the form of a circle, these stores are small, closed circular shape made of green iron, mediates building a small fountain. At this gathering is the process of casting and the formulation of gold and silver for a long time, and this applies to Venzq Mizran well.

Included gold shops Perfumery market "earlier", which is an open market in the form of a corridor as usual in the old markets, and shops on both sides regrouped in a regular sequence, and it seems that the built form part of the Covenant has been created in Italy, and use this market in the past for sale aromatic substances of all kinds, and medicinal herbs, weeding and now it included language to the market, where I have been moved to another location inside the Old City is known as "al-Dabbagh Rue", and became the last place to sell gold and silver.

There is also the domestic market, which was established in the seventies of the last century, where he was to begin an open arena for the sale of wool, and then turning to sell gold, silver, copper, ivory, engraving, and the market for traditional industries has been called "the House of gunpowder, which had been launched from above DF Declaration of Eid and Ramadan is "the usual practice in most Muslim countries for the alert on the dates in the month of Ramadan breakfast."

Then, use the center for the police and in 1935 ordered the governor of Tripoli powder house demolition and the establishment of the market it, and then brought by the School of Ceramics, pottery, and other education gold and silver and copper hammering and engraving metals, is associated with this market through one of the entrances market Marshal, as it relates to the domestic market, the entrance of another , and three other entries for the market of perfumery and as a gateway to another entry by the hotel Benzekri, as there overlooking the entrance to the secretariat of the interior door of freedom which is now closed, and finally the entrance to the meeting but the area overlooking the scene. Once the intervention to that place until you feel you are moving inside a maze of easy to get to but difficult to get out.

Sold in this market, traditional things that appeal to tourists from the extension of Sofia, belts, bags, shoes and Crafts heritage.

Adopted in the past the market on silver more than gold, because of the high cost at the time, where it was not possible for the public to buy, and the most important silver jewelery, which was widely used Allbp anklets, ornaments are used by women for decoration, especially at weddings, and there are also immoral Belts "The dissolute old naming of silver," where authorities were imported from Italy, silver, and was then more sophisticated in their formulation of gold, which began after the appearance of people bought oil and Maravgah improvement in standard of living, are brought raw gold from Italy, Switzerland, France and London, while gold ore mixed tin and copper Vijelb from Africa and sent to Italy in order to refine and re-exported to Libya again, which is usually 22 carat, and the end of the twentieth century began with the Libyans for export to Tunisia and Egypt.

It is worth mentioning that the formulation of silver is now taken with collapse, while in the formulation of gold are constantly growing.

On the other hand, we find that the market for Aiklo of the trade in gold used, which of course was at lower prices, which allows for low income people the opportunity to acquire them, and states that there are control measures in the trade of goldsmith used most often relate to quality, the faulty sold at a lower price, where Spkha and re-formed again, and often added to other precious metals to come out with a new faddish prevailing in the market,
Where swept the market in recent fashion fads different, and the most important gold Gulf, and we mean that gold has been imported from the Gulf, but what makes it locally, but was drafted formations in the Gulf and Libyan women are using these ornaments with abayas Gulf, which has become widespread in Libya, largely , keep up with them for the latest fashion.

In the past, gold prices much higher in the summer because of the many weddings and events today no longer limited solely to the rise this season, as weddings are held throughout the year, and this is what we understand through our conversation with vendors who are in the market.

In addition to the existing shops to sell gold there may be a new phenomenon, there are women sitting on the side of the road, they also sell gold and buy it, and often Osarhn to sell less than high street stores, they have provided a tax shop, taxi and electricity, and other expenses that the shop owners paid, and they are striking Ilakin high demand in terms of buying and selling but some prefer to buy from the shop Viattabrh more secure as the price difference is not the Chief.

Asttalaana the views of some vendors and shop owners with whom we met during our travels in the maze of the market and we had an interview with Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Alcarme -67 years old - who lived in the market since 1955, owns a shop on the "Hotel Ben anniversary of the" 48-year-old, not working in Alhaji Ahmed any craft other than drafting, has been accompanied by the period in which the manufacture of silver reached a peak and then enter the gold that took the lead, and the marketplace in the past, something special to the Haj Alcarme and finds that the case was better than it is now in the abundance of raw materials, is pleased to living , and through working in the market over this period has gained considerable experience and is able to formulate cultural artifacts and pieces of modern perfectly seriously, he bequeath his craft to his sons, and we've talked with his son Yahya -21 years - that the opinion of the gold, like clothes for fashion is lasting change and renewal.

The Tunisian Abd al-Hakim is not a shopkeeper in the market as the place belonging to the Old City Project "market of traditional industries" and has affirmed that the evolution of the formulation of silver, while retaining the status of ancient goldsmiths as part of the heritage, the bride, for example, Vvdp folklore ( It means the ornaments that decorate the bride), which is indispensable, one of the ornaments that are requested frequently to the present, is characterized by high food prices, while white gold, added that this type of gold is agreeable by the Libyans, and that because of his color is most likely color silver, where the Libyan women prefer to buy yellow gold to show off the front of the women in Majalshn.
We also met with Abdul Razzaq al-Hajj, who works enough gold in the formulation of Pakistan's designs and used during the drafting Kalrobin some gems, emeralds, and the prices of these jewelery less, since they are produced domestically, as they provide the buyer the cost of importing from abroad.

Finally, we can say that the visit of the gold market, precious metals, the old city in Tripoli should re-visit to walk around in the corridors expensive, and can see the beauty of Tripoli in the brightness of those outstanding in the nobility of jewelry that market

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