Ladies Market in Sofia, Bulgaria: A Bustling Bazaar

The Week, By Neeta Lal - Exploring local markets is the best way to immerse yourself in a country's culture. From the atmospheric food markets of London, Toronto and Israel to the souks of Oman, Bahrain and Dubai to the fabled Khan-Al-Khalili in Egypt and Chatuchak Market of Bangkok, I've savoured each and every one of my outings to these buzzy venues, meeting local people, sampling local food and wines and shopping for local wares.

A recent visit to the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia took me to its largest and busiest market—Zhenski Pazar or 'Ladies Market'. Existing from the Ottoman times, the sprawling marketplace, located adjacent to the Synagogue and Banya Bashi Mosque, radiates enough kinetic energy to power a ship. It brims with fresh local produce—vibrant seasonal fruits and vegetables, cheese, cured meat, spices, dried fruit, nuts, Bulgarian pottery, homemade honey, wine, plumbing equipment, clothes and more. Cheap socks and underwear, anyone? Or touristy tat? Perhaps contraband cigarettes? The explosion of colours (green, red, yellow, purple, blue), smells and the surround sound of vendors and shoppers here put all my senses in turmoil.

In a nod to Sofia's inclusive ethos (the city hosts migrants from countries as diverse as Russia, Egypt, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Australia, UK, China), the Ladies Market resembles a mini United Nations! Products are on sale from all corners of the globe. Authentic Arabic products (including Halal meat) jostle for space with Chinese bric a brac, Iraqi bakeries with Syrian grocery stores and Kurdish restaurants. There's homemade halwa from Turkey, as well as traditional Turkish sweets like kunafa and the unctuous, pistachio-anointed baklava. Buzzy cafes sell refreshments for shoppers—mostly savoury...

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