Hyderabad: Traditional Arab dresses remain atop in Barkas

Hyderabad: After Iftar, visit any street in Barkas area in city outskirts and discover a whole new world laced with Arabian theme, a fragrance of Bakhoor and Oudh, men wearing thobe or jhubba relaxing on chairs and sipping Arabian Ghawa, while women in full hijab walking around the traditional market and the shops selling the Arabian dresses, footwears, and other products. The Barkas describes the Arab living in the city.

Barkas is famously known as Mini Arabia among the people of Hyderabad, because of the many mini Dubai and Saudi shopping centres and existence of Yemen Culture and its traditions. Several shops sell products from Yemen, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. The area has become famous for milk products, Arabian dishes, Abhaya, Arab chappals, perfumes from Dubai, dates and lungis from Saudi Arabia.

In Hyderabad, the Muslim women are busy in shopping for Eid, and preferring to wear the much-hyped Pakistani dresses, while in city outskirts, Barkas market, it was totally a different world as one can find the authentic Arabian and Turkish dresses are sold, where the girl and woman are thronging the market to purchase the dresses, this Eid.

"Tired of wearing ethnic wear and Pakistani suits, visit Barkas to have Arabian dresses like Saudi long gowns and Turkish Magribi dresses," said MariyaKulsum, a teen at the market who came from Tolichowki to purchase traditional Turkey Maghribi dress.

It is said that the Barkas traditional market is popular for its 'Arab dresses', 'Arab chappal', 'lungis' imported from West Asian countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen. This Eid, the Barkas are busy selling the Maghribi dresses which is a Turkey traditional dress.

A youngster wearing a shirt and lungi at a shopping centre said that here in Barkas every girl and woman wears an Arab dress like maxis, fustans, gowns, etc. and the male wears thobe or jhubba during Eid festivities. "There are over dozens of varieties in women's wear, from readymade to materials. This season, there is a trend of wearing fustans and maghribi dresses which are the traditional dress of Saudi and Turkey," said Mohammed Bin Bamasood, an owner of a women's store in Barkas.

He said even the elderly women here wear the maxi by purchasing maxi material and get stitches. "The clothes and dresses in Barkas which were available can't be found in the city. The clothes like Indonesian print, tissue fabric, Omani cotton, Misri cotton, Jelebia, Mukhawar, Farasha, satin, silk, baby silk among others are the clothes which were preferred by the Arab women," added Bamasood.

We import the dresses and other Arab products directly from West Asian countries, over 80 per cent of the product imports from Dubai. "The range of the dress and materials starts from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000, and these dresses are authentic traditional dresses," said another trader at Barkas.

While, for the men, the thobe or jhubba of Saudi, Dubai, and Omani style are sold. This Arab traditional men's wear is usually made of different cloth which is made in middle east countries. "The men residing here prefer to have these outfits on Eid. Also, they purchase the lungi, and Yemen Taiban which range from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 and sometimes above from local shops," said Saber Bin Mahmood Basravi.

Also, Barkas is famous for the Arab Chappal. In this season, over a dozen temporary stalls sold these chappals like Arba, Faraz, Mandooz, marwaz, mutarash, Royal tiger which range from Rs 900 to Rs 5,000, says Fahad Bin Bashadi.

'Barkas Meethi Harees'

Moreover, the Barkas is most famous for Yemani dishes like Harees, a sweet mouthwatering version of Haleem and the mint peppered Suleimani Chai and Arabian Ghawa.

In the City, though there are several famous hotels serving Irani Haleem, the Barkas is famous for a typical sweet Haleem, 'MeethiHarees'. The 'Sweet Haleem' or 'MeethiHarees' has been served in Barkas area for the last several decades and does not have any competition unlike in the city. People from far away came here to have this lip-smacking dish. The Hadrami restaurant is a popular destination for its unique variety of Arabic harees - sweet and salty. "It is like a symbol of Barkas. No visit to Barkas will be complete without tasting our dish," says Hadrami.

Barkas, the mini Arabia of Hyderabad

A whole new world with Arabian themes

Fragrance of Bakhoor and Oudh

Men in thobe or jhubba, sipping Arabian Ghawa

Women in full hijab shopping at traditional markets

Shopping in Barkas

Mini Dubai and Saudi shopping centres

Products from Yemen, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia

Famous for milk products, Arabian dishes, Abhaya, Arab chappals, perfumes from Dubai, dates and lungis from Saudi Arabia

Authentic Arabian and Turkish dresses

Barkas traditional market

Popular for Arab dresses, chappals, and lungis

Maghribi dresses from Turkey are a trend this Eid

Clothes and dresses in Barkas

Imported from West Asian countries

Over dozens of varieties in women's wear

Traditional dresses like Indonesian print, tissue fabric, Omani cotton, Misri cotton, Jelebia, Mukhawar, Farasha, satin, silk, baby silk

Men's wear in Barkas

Thobe or jhubba of Saudi, Dubai, and Omani style are sold

Arab traditional men's wear usually made of different cloth made in the Middle East

Barkas Meethi Harees

Most famous for Yemeni dishes like Harees

Sweet mouthwatering version of Haleem

Mint peppered Suleimani Chai and Arabian Ghawa

The Barkas is famous for a typical sweet Haleem, 'MeethiHarees'

The Hadrami restaurant is a popular destination for its unique variety of Arabic harees - sweet and salty