Beautiful pieces of Moroccan/Arabic goods! We met the owner Zein and she was friendly, knowledgeable, and has an outgoing personality. She teaches belly dance in her store and does group tour to Morocco once a year. Her goods are authentic and affordable. So many cute items from clothing to home goods, she has you covered. I wish I live closer to Austin so that I can attend her belly class. She offers so many things, go and checkout her store. Also, if you check in on Yelp, you'll get 15% off total purchase. read more

Fantastic selection of lovely Arabic and African furnishings, clothing, Turkish towels, jewelry, home decor, belly dancing costumes and more. The prices are reasonable. The service on the day I went shopping was dry, uninformative and... unpleasant. I did not have an opportunity to interact with the owner, who also gives belly dancing lessons. read more

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I had about as bad of an experience as you can have with a merchant here. I went in to buy a hookah as a Christmas present. I ended getting upsold to a more expensive model, so I asked multiple times can I exchange or return this if my wife doesn't like the product. They assured me yes no problem. Well sure enough, my wife went in 2 weeks later and they REFUSED to honor a refund (I believe this is the store owner refusing it herself). For how expensive this place is (clearly overpriced) this is an absolutely insane way of doing business. I'm not sure if this is even legal, but at the least it was incredibly infuriating. I've disputed the transaction with my credit card and will definitely never shop here again, and am sharing this in hopes that others can be spared from getting scammed by this place. read more

Zein is an amazing teacher. I have taken 9 classes from her. She teaches technique . She encourages us to do what we can and offers before and after warm ups before and after each class. I highly recommend belly dance with Zein at Arabic bazaar. Her store is also amazing . read more

Really poor client practices. In taking Belly Dance classes, I injured my knee on store site. The orthopedist said I needed to take at least two months to heal the injured meniscus that resulted from the moves in the class. While needing to take a pause to heal, Zane said that I will lose the 5 remaining pre-paid classes unless I pay for another seven to use when I have healed. RIDICULOUS! Some people would have sued due to incurring the injury on the site. I just wanted to use my five remaining classes after I healed, but no there are no exceptions according to this business owner. read more

The Arabic Bazaar is a beautiful store. There is a wide selection of jewelry, rugs, clothing and house items. Zein's bellydance classes are low impact, very fun and she is great instructor. I am not a very active person and Zein tailor's her classes for her students and I found her classes to be appropriately challenging. She encourages her students to work at their own level. There is plenty of warms and cool downs before and after class. read more

I am so happy I discovered this place! Zein, the owner, is so kind and helpful and knows so much about her products. We chatted for almost an hour about them. She personally hand picks and designs these products in the Middle East. All of her products are authentic, beautiful, and many are even antique or vintage originals. None of the product is mass produced or Americanized copies, it's amazing and I can't wait to go back! We need more small businesses like this, it's so hard to find authentic products like this, thanks for keeping it real! And to anyone who thinks this place is "too expensive" (I read the VERY FEW negative reviews) please bear in mind this is a small business owned by one woman, not a corporation, who travels around the world to collect this inventory. You might be used to lower prices for the mass produced products we are used to buying for cheap in the USA but you can't get products like this for $9.99. You definitely get what you pay for and it is worth every penny! If you want it cheap and fake, get it on Amazon. If you want it real, go here! PS The stores refund/exchange policy is CLEARLY marked at check out and the owner was clear about it as well when I made my purchases, I have serious doubts about the one or two negative reviews that claim otherwise... ALSO please bear in mind this business is not registered on Yelp and so they can't defend themselves against some of these obviously exaggerated/inaccurate reviews (nor should they be. Yelp charges business thousands of dollars to claim their business and respond and the reviews are weighted more heavily for paying members so they are not accurate. I hate this site, it's garbage, but I love this business so I came here just for them.) read more

Zein was amazing for the belly dancing class! We went to a class for a Bachelorette trip to Austin and it was so fun and a very cool experience! Bring water! read more

Very cool little store with tons to see, but extremely overpriced for basically everything. We've traveled overseas and know the costs even to tourists to purchase some of these type things and it is way less. I understand import costs etc but I think you can order online and save. However you can see in person what you're getting. Kaftans, shoes and bags you can order for sure. I think it's a neat shop worth looking in and the owner is very kind. read more

I have shopped at the Arabic Bazaar, since around 2011. Not only do I appreciate the unique gifts but I also am a student of Zein's school of Bellydance. I have been a student of Bellydance since 1999 and have been a student of various instructors across the globe. Every instructor provides a unique perspective and experience and Zein is no different. Zein's student population are generally newbies so she is always focusing on the foundation of Bellydance to include music interpretation. Zein focuses on improving on what you already know - what your body will do naturally as long as you do not force or fight your own body. She repeatedly would state how doing so would invite injuries. Prior to Covid, we enjoyed the opportunity to perform what we learned. Since Covid and the various challenges Zein is building back up to those opportunities again. As I have gotten older and my body has changed, Zein's instructions have also adapted because she has also experienced age, injuries, and the natural progression of time. All ages are welcome and none should worry- the only true restriction is she doesn't teach men. Come join us for fun and socializing. read more

So I was on my way to flightpath when i was suckered in by the jewel toned hookahs in the window. Ooooh pretty colors! Don't be fooled... this place is HUGE. Well at least much bigger than it looks from the outside. Inside its a conglomeration of everything you would actually find at a bazaar - jewelry, lanterns, dishes, boxes, scarves, shoes, dance outfits, flowing garments, and of course, belly dance classes. Wait what? Yes, not only are there a million visual gems to feast on, they actually have belly dance classes that happen in the back room for ladies of all ages. After speaking with the owner, it seems like she's on a one woman crusade to honor her Arabic heritage. Not only does she put on Arabian Nights (8 years running), but also puts on big shows with a band, mini bazaar, and bites. In the end, the name "bazaar" always conjures in my mind a little of the bargain bazaar of my youth, with purse knockoffs and cheap silver. Now it will evoke in a brightly colored shop, jingling bangles, elaborate lighting, bejeweled costumes - essentially a shop full of the mystery and beauty of the Arab world. read more

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Zein was absolutely WONDERFUL for private belly dancing classes! I cannot recommend this enough.

A beautiful collection of high quality middle eastern jewelry, rugs, lamps, whatever you might want, they have it. And if not, they will order for you. The owner is extremely knowledgeable and very interesting to chat with. I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone shopping for personal gifts, home decor, etc... read more

I'm not sure why I have to leave any stars because she truly deserves 0 stars. Unfortunately, we used her "knowledge" and "guidance" for tours in Morocco for a beautiful wedding recently and we literally went absolutely broke because she pocketed all of our monies. This store is also a scam ran by the one and only scam artist herself!!!! Her products are highly over priced, you are literally putting all your money in her pocket. Do not shop here, do not entertain her, she is a S C A M !!!!!! read more

The store has some cool stuff, though the markup is considerable. For belly dance supplies, better to look online. I studied belly dance with Zein for several years. Her classes are fun and fast-paced, she's especially good for beginners who don't want to be intimidated and want a fun workout. Her classes are all "drop in" format, which means you don't have to sign up for a series. She sells class cards, much like YogaYoga. For convenience and location, she can't be beat. I also often recommend her to beginning students who want to get their feet wet and decide if belly dance is for them. On the con side, she hawks her wares (belly dance belts) to her students, and all coin belts have a tendency to shed beads and coins. So if you're dancing barefoot, you're going to step on one in her studio. Ow. She also starts late sometimes, and will spend more time than is necessary talking, sometimes disparagingly about other teachers in town. She also actively discourages her students from studying elsewhere, which is a shame, since Austin has many wonderful dance teachers. When I was studying, she did not teach zills ( finger cymbals) or veil, which are pretty standard components of American belly dance. I recommend Zein's classes for beginners, and those who want to get an authentic sense of how people dance socially in the middle east. But for the more avid belly dancer or advanced student I recommend trying several of the other teachers in town as well, particularly Z-Helene at ACC, Stacy at Tapestry, Melissa at Diva Dance, and Bahaia at Body Business. read more

I have been meaning to write about this place for some time now but did not want to rush and miss something. First of all, the owner is Brilliant! She is nice, smart, and really into culture. Just one conversation with her and you will be able to conclude the same thing. We went on a Saturday afternoon a few months ago and ended up buying some cool things for 15% off. I love the jewelry and the detail! The strong Arabic coffee and baklava were just an extra added bonus for what we were in store for that day. We watched a belly dancer and she was excellent. There was a seven year old girl that the dancer stopped her show for to dance with and that kid was so excited! It sounds cheesy but it was a really fun great time. When I used to watch "I Dream of Jeannie" I always wondered what was inside the bottle and when I walked into this incredible store, it looked like what I hoped was in that bottle! Please go to this store. Give it a chance. I know there are some not very favorable reviews going on here, but just check it out sometime! We learned things, watched a great show, and had great conversation all in this one place. read more

Arabic Bazaar- It's fun to spend a half hour or so looking through the beautiful things in the shop. It's so cramped in there and everything is so pricey that I'm scared to break something and have to buy it. So, no bulky clothes or purses/bags for me in here. I also love spending some time trying on the really expensive belly dance components in the little back storage room they have. I could never justify spending any money here, but they do sell Roman shisha which is my favorite. This portion of the shop gets 2 stars from me. & Beyond- I took a few of her belly dance classes and it's so high energy, so fun, and so welcoming. There are ladies of many ages and sizes... my only huge qualm is that they really should limit the class to a sign up. When I pay $13-15/class and arrive early I don't think it's fair to all her students to cramp us in there where we barely have room to fully enjoy the class. I would come back if I was assured that there would be ample room to stretch out your arms. I love the class (5 star) hate that there is no limit (-1star) so that's a 4 star. Average of 2 star + 4 star= 3 star read more

I found the perfect necklace for someone here, so it has a special place in my heart. There was low to no pressure from the friendly staff. Huge range in price and style of jewelry. My favorites use antique beads. The clothing is unique; like Logan says, it is fun to browse. read more

I decided to buy a gift hookah locally instead of going online where there is a better selection for half the price. The owner "helped" me find a hookah as I explained to her how I wanted to make sure all the seals were good and that the piece was of quality. She "threw in for free" some old dried out shisha, a pair of used tongs, as I told her how much I loved the store and that I was happy to see she was still in business. Got it home and tried it out and none of the seals matched and noticed the hose was falling apart. Went back for replacement seals the next day, but the ones her clerk gave me were also incorrect. Third time they closed early and nobody was there to exchange them, so there goes an hour and half of my day in traffic. On the fourth try I decided I simply wanted to return it and buy online, but when the owner asked if it had been used I decided not to lie and said, yes, we tried it once, and she refused to take it back or give store credit. Spent 15 angry minutes with her while she dug through boxes of parts and pieced together a working hookah for me, while explaining that she wished she could blame her clerk for the mistake. Wish she would have just been strait with me the first time around. Really shady. Hate to write a bad review, but I would have been happy with store credit, and my own honesty got me absolutely nowhere. Guess I should have lied. read more

I love this place! Such a great variety of goods from Egypt, Syria, and Morocco. BEAUTIFUL jewelry, art, furniture, home goods, and belly dancing skirts, costumes, shoes, etc. Yes, things are a little pricey, but the owner, Zein, has frequent sales and specials. Zein is an incredible woman--immensely talented as a singer, belly dancer, and belly dance instructor...and she makes fabulous coffee! =) Her classes are so much fun! She teaches isolated muscle movements and helps you integrate them fluidly with the music. There's no pressure on beginners either. She teaches proper posture and to develop an ear for the beat--as long as you maintain those principles you won't feel/look like a total spaz as you try to shimmy. =) The mood is class is always fun, relaxed, but intense enough that you break a sweat. I HIGHLY recommend checking out this place if you've never been. It's a gem in this great city! read more

I love this place! I enjoy taking classes and learning from this lovely woman about her culture and the feminine art of belly dance. It enhances my life in a spiritual, physical, as well as emotional way. The fact that she is a strict with the drills and exercise really enable me to internalize the movements. I am a huge fan and encourage anyone considering belly dance to check her out! read more

I purchased a musical instrument (oud) from this store with the expectation that it's playable. The instrument was sold as defect-free and I drove two hours to pick it up. The next day, when I tried to play the instrument, I noticed it had a crack on its underside pegbox that was not mentioned to me (a very expensive fix for a rare instrument like this). As an instrument, and not a decoration, it needed to be playable. So I informed the owner Zein of this defect the next day to try and return the instrument. The owner was not responsive and I had to keep messaging for a week to get a response from the owner. Upon finally getting a hold of the owner, I was refused any refund at all and received a markedly different attitude from the owner compared to when purchasing the product. The store does not have a refund policy and I would advise anyone to not purchase anything from here (especially musical instruments). read more

The Arabic Bazaar - Oud pegbox crack - Jewelry Near Me - Austin, Texas

Really cute shop! Filled with tons of high quality goods and the owner is friendly and prepared to help you find exactly what your looking for! Sales are going on all the time too! read more

In a word, disappointing. With such a wonderful selection of jewelry, furniture, music, etc., how can this be you ask? Your staff member is the reason. She casually shows up at 11:45am today, and walks past me to open up (opening time is 11:30am). No greeting, no apology. Once inside she immediately got on her phone. It wasn't until I took out my phone to snap a pic of her that she quickly put it down and began to "work" (and I use that word loosely as she was merely looking under display tables to give the appearance of doing something). As soon a I bade her good day and opened the door to leave, guess what? She got right back on her phone. Zein, you should know that your employee is not at all representing your business in a good light. The result is that you have just lost my business. read more

An interesting little specialty shop in the middle of an interesting little shopping center. It's filled with all sorts of Arabic items ranging from incense to clothing to hookahs. They also teach belly dancing classes several times a week. I don't purchase much here aside from sheesha for my hookah, but it is a lot of fun to wander around and browse. If you are looking for a unique gift or want to learn belly dancing, this is definitely a place to check out. read more

I came to this store for a Christmas bazaar and to look for a necklace as a present. The Arabic Bazaar has alot of interesting ( but pricey) jewelry, belly dancing clothing and perfumey oils. Everything is on the pricey end. We stayed to see the show ( they had a free belly dance show for the Xmas bazaar event.) I was annoyed because the show was supposed to start at 2, but we waited and waited and waaaaited. After asking like 4 times when the show was going to start it finally did ( after 2:30) and it was OK, but I wasn't too impressed. All in all, this place is all right for specialty items, but I prolly wont go back again. read more

So I have this thing for Belly Dancing....or belly dancers, whatever it may be. I just love it. I recently took a Belly Dancing class at the Arabic Bazaar and loved it. It was a beginners class and it kicked my hiney! I thought I had the whole shimmy thing down but I was WRONG! The class was awesome and I cant wait to go again. The store is also great...tons of cool stuff and it's pretty affordable too. read more

I'm in love with the Arabic Bazaar! Everywhere I look there is something I must have! Belly dancing costumes, gorgeous dresses & tops, furniture, light fixtures galore! Zein is fabulous and so is her store! read more

Wow, I walked in, sort of knew what I wanted, but not really, and the owner was so helpful in figuring out good costume options for me. I'm plus-size, and she was so nice and helpful in telling me what would work best. I picked out a skirt, jingly bra top that you wear over a top or tank, a gorgeous hip wrap and a pice of foot jewelry. I'm so happy. I really wasn't sure if she would have things in my size. I will go here first next time I need costuming. She also has beautiful items for the home, but I was focused on what I came there for. read more

If you're looking for excellent gifts or beautiful things for your home, this is the place!

Austin's must-go-to place for all things middle-eastern! Hand-crafted jewelry makes up much of the store's front, where you'll also find Zein--the store's owner, and talented singer/songwriter and dancer. Authentic costumes rich in colors and textures can also be found in the front room, as well as in the larger, back room where belly dancing classes are often held. Beautifully intricate glassware, dishes, and furniture round out the store's merchandise. If nothing else, somedays I'll drop by to talk with Zein and enjoy her stories of the middle-east while she offers me a fresh cookie and cup of coffee. This place is amazing! read more

I stumbled upon the this store and Zein while grabbing coffee next door, and was so thankful! I have lived in the GCC and saw so many authentic things that reminded me of my home and friends there. I was thrilled to be able to describe everything to my friends accompanying me. I purchased a lovely lamp and was happy with the price (as I've wanted one forever and always worried it would break in my suitcase returning). The owner was fantastic, and I will surely return here. It was obvious that the contents of the store were hand selected the item's great quality and unique nature. As a side note, I read through the reviews less than 5 stars and was disheartened by the superficial and petty complaints people had. Zein politely told me where she was from in Syria, as I was inquiring if it was close to my friend's home. The world has failed Syria, and its people, in what will be appalled at later in text books. The least we can do is not to fail Zein, all of her hard work, and her very kind and accepting nature. read more

What a gem of a place! I was looking to buy espresso cups for my mother as a Christmas gift and was at a loss until I stopped here. They had the most beautiful hand-painted (tiny) Turkish coffee cups that she was so delighted to receive. The only downside was that I was told I had to buy them as a set of 6 when I really only needed 2, so it turned into a pricey gift. The shop owner is lovely though, and the items here are stunningly beautiful and unique. So glad I was able to stop by here. read more

We showed up after closing while a class was going on. We had come from down south and needed to grab a dancing hip scarf. The person teaching the class let us in and helped us find the perfect purchase. It was a great experience! read more

I was blown away by the selection of imports here from some of my favorite parts of the world. All beautifully displayed and curated by owner Zein Al-Jundi. I thought it could not get better until I learned that bellydance instruction is on offer from Zein herself in the intimate/safe/nurturing and rather womb-like back room, where I will be officially taking my first classes sooner that later! It's fascinating nooks like these in Austin that keep us toe-to-toe with some of the most cosmopolitan cities in the US. I hope you will support it to keep this diversity and authenticity alive in our community. I know I will! read more