This is the famed Jeddah Fish Market, where an incredible amount of fish from the Red Sea is sold every day. I had read beforehand that photography was prohibited due to some security installation nearby, and sure enough there were signs here and there indicating that that was indeed the case, although I really doubt the reason was the neighboring building (since you couldn’t see it from inside). My personal feeling is that the vendors just don’t like being “trapped” into being photographed.

It’s such a pity that I couldn’t take any pictures, though, because this place was just fascinating. The amount and variety of fish on display was mind-boggling, from crabs and squid to sharks, and everything else in between. There were even some aqua fish reminiscent of the colorful fish I used to photograph in Okinawa. The sales hall was enormous and filled with buyers and sellers, who all had to hike up their skirts (women, too!) because of all the water on the floor. After you buy your fish, you take it to another huge hall which was lined with long tables of men who de-scaled the fish with some kind of rough brush and then hacked it into pieces with a large, scimitar-shaped cleaver. I couldn’t help but worry about their fingers staying attached, but they seemed to know what they were doing and prepared the purchases with flair.