True to its origins, Kuwait City has retained the old souq in all of its complex, bustling and convoluted glory in the city centre. Albeit partly housed now in a smart, modern building, complete with cubby-holes of lockable wooden shutters, it nonetheless exudes antique practices, from the sharp haggling over ribands of offal and tails of ox, to the quick-witted trading of olives and dates in the extensive food halls of Souq Marbarakia.

It's a wonderful place to idle a few hours, and indeed an entire lunch time could be spent sampling delicacies without ever setting foot in one of the numerous snack shops that line the outer rim of the souq. The souq also comprises the small, covered Souq al-Hareem, where Bedouin women sit cross-legged on cushions of velvet selling kohl (black eyeliner), pumice stones, and gold-spangled dresses (around KD1) in the red, white and green livery of the Kuwaiti flag. Beyond the covered alleyway, the souq opens out into alleyways stocked with woollen vests and Korean blankets. The close-by Souq ad-Dahab al-Markazi is the city's central gold market.