for bargain shoppers or anyone who enjoys a good deal, saara market in rio de janeiro's central zone is certainly a necessary trip - encompassing a mere eleven blocks between rua uruguaiana and avenida presidente vargas, featuring over six hundred stores from monday to saturday from 9 am.      

the shopping district covers every kind of need, from jewelry, scarves, housewares, clothing for every member of the family, to carnival items and any kind of technological or electronic gadget that someone may need - the sheer variety of objects to be found are limitless.

saara is short for sociedade de amigos das adjacências da rua da alfândega, or friends society of rua da alfândega adjacencies in english - it is a lengthy name to describe the organization behind this immensely popular series of shops.

the area in which the market is located can be commonly refereced to as saara or as o bairro arabe, or the 'arab quarter', thanks to a large influx of immigration in the early 20th century.