Ali Dayan, shoemaker at Jeddah's Al-Alawi traditional market displays different kinds of Sharqi (slippers) at his shop. — SG photo by Mohammad Mazhar Siddiqi Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Are you getting bored of wearing modern shoes? Do you want to get back to the old traditional shoes of people in the Arabian peninsula? It's time to make it true this Eid. To make it real, you will find most of traditional clothes at the traditional markets of Al-Balad downtown like Al-Alawi, Qabel Street and Bab Makkah. Several shops in these markets still sell pure leather Sharqi or slippers (local name of traditional shoes made with pure natural leather). People around the Kingdom used to wear this for two main reasons: First, it is made of natural material from environment. Second, it is considered one of the most important symbols of the traditional Arab style since time immemorial. The Saudi Gazette team met with Ali Berk Dayan, a 37-year-old shoemaker who claims to be in making and selling Sharqi shoes for three decades. He said the Sharqi is still surviving although no interest in them is found in the young generation. “Sharqi is one of the important parts of Saudi traditional clothes. Once people wear it, they feel that they are wearing something different,” Dayan said. There are many kinds of Sharqi, but the most popular one is Qasimi and Makkawi. These two types are said to use high quality of leather making it comfortable. “I buy leather from a special factory in Makkah. The quality of leather determines its price,” Dayan told the Saudi Gazette. Qasimi Sharqi costs between SR40 to 50 while the Makkawi one costs the customers SR30. Dayan said that colors of leather some times play a role in determining the Sharqi prices. “If the customer wants certain kind of leather and a special color as well he has to pay extra money which is usually SR50,” Dayan said. __
