Islamic Cairo: Khan al-Khalili

For my last full day in Cairo, I returned to my favorite part of Cairo, the section known as Islamic Cairo. Interestingly, the Egyptian government refuses to refer to it as such, but instead calls it Fatimid Cairo. Perhaps this might be an attempt to increase tourism from the Western part of the world.

Khan al-Khalili was my destination in Islamic Cairo. Khan is a marketplace (known as sooq in Arabic) that has existed within the confines of stone walls since the late Medieval period. It is a major tourist attraction, though I have heard opinions that say it is overly touristy. In my opinion, this is not the case. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. While some shops certainly cater towards tourists exclusively, there are so many unique and authentic items that can be purchased here.

Gates to Khan al-Khalili.



The market consists of hundreds of shops, each divided into smaller districts based on their wares. There are sections devoted entirely to clothing, spices, gold and silver, antiques, metalware, and even minaret tops. If you venture outside the main area (as I generally tend to do) there are districts selling more obscure goods like tires, rubber products, kitchenware, shoe repair services, and cloth.

Inside Khan al-Khalili.





At one point I somehow ventured out of the marketplace but within the sooq walls, and I came upon a residential area populated by Coptic Christians. It was easy to tell since all of the shops and apartments here had religious icons hanging on the walls, and the women were not veiled. Despite these differences, the Coptic enclave did not really seem out of place in Islamic Cairo.

Gateway to a Coptic enclave.


Generally speaking, the prices are not fixed, except in the gold and silver shops. This means that to get a good price, you will have to bargain. There are some shopowners who will haggle you to look at their products, but generally speaking Khan makes for a unique and fun shopping experience. I was able to get a few things for my family. I also bought a ibriki, which a device for making Turkish coffee, so I can enjoy one of my favorite parts of Egypt back at home in the US.

Not far from Khan al-Khalili is al-Azhar, which is considered one of the oldest universities in the world, if not the oldest.

al-Azhar.


al-Azhar Park.




Along the edge of Khan al-Khalili is al-Hussein Mosque, which is considered one of the holiest sites of Islam in Egypt. It was in front of this mosque that a French girl was killed in a blast only a couple months earlier. The security around the major sections of Khan and al-Hussein was stepped up. The major thing I watched out for were the motorcycles that passed along the narrow roads, since the February bombing was said to have come from a motorcycle.