Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ally crafted locally into necklaces, earrings and bracelets, often by the shop owners themselves. If a piece is not
'Made in Jordan', the vendor is usually quick to tell you so.
You can ask the bead-shop owner to make a piece from your own design. Think 'Bedouin', and add a few silver
beads among the stones, or think 'ethnic' and rope the stones onto leather or camel-hair cord. The price of beads de-
pends on the quality of the stones used and the intricacy of the work, but a simple strand starts at around JD5, while
a multiple strand of good stones can cost JD100 or more. Men not fond of wearing jewellery needn't feel left out:
misbah
(prayer beads - usually in sets of 33, 66 or 99 in honour of the 99 names and attributes of Allah) make a
handy introduction into Arab society across the Middle East. Or you could buy an ever-popular agate ring. Note that
the stones are almost invariably clasped in silver as it is considered
haram
(forbidden) for Muslim men to wear
gold.
Jewellery may seem like mere decoration, but beware that this may not be the way the locals see it. Choose a
necklace with a central medallion inscribed with Allah's name, for example, and you may be exhorted to remove the
necklace before using the bathroom; if you admire someone else's jewellery, they may feel obliged to give it to you;
ubiquitous eye-ball beads are accorded almost mystic powers in fending off the 'evil eye'. If the bead vendor is par-
ticularly pleased with the way a piece hangs about your neck, he or she may well say 'ma sha'Allah' to protect you
from the envy of onlookers. In fact, enter a bead shop in Jordan and you quickly realise that jewellery is less about
decorating the body than making a statement of the soul.
Eating
Aqaba has a large range of places to eat to suit all budgets. The seafood is particularly de-
licious: try Aqaba's signature dish of
sayadieh
(fish layered onto rice with a tomato, onion
and pepper sauce). For shwarma (meat sliced off a spit and stuffed in a pocket of pita-type
bread with chopped tomatoes and garnish), grills and snacks, the dusty array of stalls and
restaurants along King Hussein St spill onto the pavement and are popular with locals. For
a wider choice of budget meals, have a prowl along Raghadan St - the eateries range from
little more than a collection of open-air tables serving tea, hummus,
fuul
(fava-bean paste)
and felafel, to the larger restaurants listed here.
There are plenty of modern and sophisticated restaurants in the newer part of town, es-
pecially along either side of As-Sadah St, and in the Aqaba Gateway complex. The ones
included in the recommendations below all serve excellent seafood, together with interna-
tional meat and vegetarian dishes. Note that many restaurants do not have a license to sell
alcohol.
Ali Baba Restaurant$$
JORDANIAN
( 2013901; Raghadan St; mains JD5-12 8am-midnight; )
With its wooden
awning, leafy cannas and potted palm trees, this favourite still draws the crowds. It has a
