A far cry from the touristy side of Rio, Saara is reminiscent of the cities of the Eastern Mediterranean. Syrians, Lebanese, Jews, Greeks and Turks have been living here for over a century and Koreans and Japanese have recently joined them. In this huge market you can find just about anything: plumbing fixtures, costumes, crockery, fabric etc. The Cariocas descend here en masse at carnival time to find materials to make their costumes.