What sayings relate to the souk and bargaining?

The souk has its own theatre, and learning a few phrases makes you a player rather than a target. Sellers will call out warmly — "Come, just look, looking is free!" — and the dance begins. The unwritten rule, almost a proverb among shoppers, is that the first price is never the real price; it is an opening line in a friendly negotiation, not an insult or a fixed tag.

Your toolkit is small but powerful. "Bzzaf!" — too much! — said with a smile and a hand to the heart, signals you know the game. "Akher taman?" — your last price? — asks for the real number. "Ghali" means expensive; "rkhes shwiya" means make it a little cheaper. And the classic move is to begin walking away — often the better price will follow you down the alley, called out over the seller's shoulder.

Tea is woven into souk culture too. "Stay, have a tea" is both genuine hospitality and part of the rhythm of a serious deal — sharing mint tea while you haggle over a carpet is not a trap, it is how trust and a fair price are built together. I always tell guests: keep it light and good-humoured. A laugh, a "bzzaf!", a counter-offer at roughly half, and patience will usually meet somewhere fair for both sides.

The value behind it is relationship — bargaining is a social exchange, not a battle. A seller respects a buyer who haggles with warmth and walks away politely if the number is wrong; both of you are meant to feel you won. Smile, never get angry, decide your top price in advance, and if it feels right, close with "wakha, safi" (okay, done). You will leave with a story as well as a souvenir.