Dan Jackson/Manifest Photography -Haggadah Project

When I put my camera down for a moment they came over and ushered me inside. They really wanted me to meet and photograph the potter. He was elderly and seemingly beloved by the others. He had a slim weathered face and the telltale dark bruise on his forehead indicative of especially pious Muslims. He suffered from terrible cataracts. The shop went from a sedentary to a hub of activity, everyone excitedly talking at once in Arabic. One of the young men proudly held up a clay sculpture of a dog. I smiled and gave it a thumbs up. I didn’t know what was going on. Mohammed was having trouble translating for all of them at once. They wanted to give me the sculpture but I explained it was too heavy for me to take home. I saw a rustic looking heavily glazed oil lamp and asked how much. Again they offered to give it to me but I pulled out a few pound notes. They shrugged their shoulders. I handed one of them a 5E£ note and said “okay?” they accepted it handed it to the potter. It’s a somewhat vulgar but interesting souvenir. We said goodbye and headed back toward the centre of the city.