A Visit to the Box Factory

The Players:  Mohammed, Abdul-Aziz and Mohammed's uncle.


After finishing our lunch at the Khan last week, we headed across al-Azhar street via the subway tunnel and plunged into the streets lined with bookstores that surround al-Azhar Mosque.  We were on our way to the Street of the Tentmakers.

We didn't get very far.  The various merchants with shops in this area are at a real disadvantage when it comes to tourist traffic so they employ what we call, "catchers."  One athletic looking fan of the WWE soon matched our pace and struck up a conversation.  "Would you like to see the box factory?"


Of course, we're always willing to follow a complete stranger down some winding alleys in Cairo so Mohammed soon had us back in this area.  Note the "handicrafts" sign spray-painted on the wall.


Mohammed introduced us to this Michael Jackson look-alike and tea was ordered.  Mohammed's uncle showed up in the background a bit later.  I visited a bit and we compared ages.


It takes a good half-hour to learn the finer points of box-making and how to tell the good quality merchandise from cheap and/or Chinese imitations.  Now that we were experts, we could get down to choices and start negotiating prices.  I liked this box made of Olive wood with the very tiniest of brass pieces precisely inlayed.


Mohammed took us back to the main route and pointed us toward the Street of the Tentmakers.