Wednesday, May 22, 2013

My 'New' Antique Doors

 
This week Joe and I celebrated our 29th anniversary.  Anniversaries are not always a gift-giving occasion at our house, but this year we got ourselves some doors!  Doors are a big deal in Oman and the Middle East.  Doors are usually highly decorated and old carved doors are very popular.  We actually started looking for some back in December, and that is when the first few pictures were taken.  We found the best selection of doors at the Muttrah Souk, in Muscat. 
 


Just to the right of the Ali Baba Gift store, you see these steps.  It is a narrow staircase to an amazing array of doors!
 





These doors come from all sorts of old buildings, and from several countries.  Omani doors are usually more rectangular in shape and much shorter than other doors.
 

 
 These are the doors that I liked the most in December and my favorite still.  Depending on which salesman you talk to, these may or may not actually originate in Oman.  I tend to think not.  They are pretty tall.
 

Here is Joe haggling for the best deal.  Not sure what he was doing with that finger!  :)  I wish I would have had my friend, Theresa, with us.  She would have gotten us a better deal, I am sure.  That woman was born to bargain!  But, I was happy enough with the deal we got.  Look at all the jewelry in that room!  It was hard to walk upright.  Really felt like a treasure cave.
 

 
And here are my 'new' antique doors in their new home!

3 comments:

  1. Beautiful. Will you install them in a house when you get back to the US or just use them as decore as you are here? Love the turquoise. -Sherry

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    1. Sherry, we plan on installing them when we build our retirement home. Not exactly sure where!

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  2. I LOVE your doors! Can't wait to see them up close and personal! I'm counting on you showing me how to find that aisle in the souk when I get back home!

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