The Suq al-Milh ("Salt Market") is the collective name for the great covered market inside the walls of the old city — a labyrinth of more than forty specialised souks, each devoted to a particular trade: copper-smiths, silver-smiths, spice-sellers, raisin merchants, cloth dealers, gunsmiths, makers of the curved janbiya daggers, and many more. The salt that gives the market its name is sold near the central crossroads.
Walking it is the essential Sana'a experience. Each trade is grouped together, so the silver-workers occupy one lane, the copper-beaters another, and the noise tells you where you are before you turn the corner. Prices for tourists are negotiable but generally fair by Middle Eastern standards. The market shuts in the late afternoon for prayers and the all-important qat-chewing session.