Merchants stand in the doorways of their shops, eyeing potential customers. A brief stop by a passer-by puts them on red alert within seconds. But, unlike vendors of other goods in the bazaar who besiege tourists with their relentless harangue, gold merchants never push clients to the point of anger. The rule is never to accept the first price offered. Bargaining, the very soul of the place, is a journey back in time.
Hospitality reigns, coffee or tea is served and all forms of politeness exchanged.
It might last for hours. Some ponder overnight and come back the next day. When the slightest sign of interest is detected, every piece of jewellery is presented with gestures and phrases crafted and refined during centuries of bargaining tradition. Profit comes mostly from the margins of manufacturing costs. Prices are, more or less, quite similar in these shops.