04Experiences
Experience
Bazaars and crafts
Egypt's markets are not just places to shop but whole streets of craft and history. In old Cairo, Khan el-Khalili grew up in the Mamluk era around a caravanserai founded in 1382; today the name covers an entire shopping district, one of the city's main draws for Egyptians and visitors alike. Artisans and workshops there still make traditional crafts and souvenirs, and pierced metal lanterns hang in the shopfronts. Next door, al-Muizz Street has been the axis of the city's markets since Fatimid times, and its prestige drew mosques, madrasas and fountains to its sides, so shopping here means walking past monuments. In Aswan the Corniche along the east bank of the Nile has been rebuilt as a promenade with cafés, shops and bazaars, looking across to Elephantine Island and the feluccas. The Nubian villages on the west bank, such as Gharb Soheil, are colourful works of art in themselves. Haggle gently and with a smile, as that is part of the tradition, and ask about provenance before buying anything sold as an antique.
- 1382
- Khan el-Khalili caravanserai founded
Highlights
- Markets of al-Muizz StreetFor centuries the street where Cairo's markets clustered, between two gates of the city wall.
- Aswan CornicheA riverside promenade on the east bank with cafés and shops, facing Elephantine Island and the sailing boats.