Amman, the joyful (Jordan, Amman)

On the streets of Amman, street vendors continue a trading tradition that dates back to the Ottoman era: mobile souks. These small, makeshift stalls, set up at dusk on major thoroughfares like Rainbow Street or Wasat Al-Balad , offer a mix of roasted dried fruits, colorful sweets, cumin-laced chickpeas, and salted seeds—all popular snacks throughout the Levant.

But beyond food, these stalls embody a way of life: the informal economy, social connections, the art of adapting to the street . Here, conversation is as important as sales. The city tells its story in its accents, its gestures, its silent complicity.

In Jordan, these merchants are sometimes called bay'a al-fard (individual vendors), and play a key role in the local economy. Their presence is a visual and audible marker of a city that rejects standardization.