A Visit to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

We look forward to at least one or two trips to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar each winter in Cairo.  Yes, the Khan is a "tourist trap" - but I buy my watches there; get a great shoeshine from Ali, the best bootblack in Cairo and the photographic opportunities are exceptional.  It's just plain fun for us.

It was a clear day as we Ubered to the east side of town and we had a clear view of the Citadel and Mohamed Ali mosque before turning back in toward el-Azhar mosque and the Khan.


We found Ali - or perhaps he found us at the usual spot on the square.  We get a good cleaning and polishing every year - usually twice.  Ali's son is now working the crowd too when he should be in school - but life here is not what the fortunate few enjoy in the wealthy part of our planet.


Ali bought us tea from this tea vendor, we gave him a heavy tip, and moved into the merchandise area.


If you were looking for tchotchke to take home from Egypt, this is the place to find it.  The sales pitches are finely tuned - in whatever your language.  "Sir, how can I take your money?" is direct - others are more subtle.





Much of the merchandise is actually made in Egypt, not China.  "Not plastic!  See - won't burn!" says the salesman as he applies a lighter to the leather, silver or stone pieces.



Linda was browsing for art to complement some existing pieces at home and in the Cairo condo.  She found a large selection.






Linda left this shop with Ahmed, the sales manager, to go find an artist at work who might help with what she was seeking.  I kept an eye on the shop while they meandered into the depths of the Khan.


I could sit for hours taking pictures in the Khan.  The colors - the patterns - the symmetries, the people, all lead to photographic nirvana.






With business from foreign tourists still off from its pre-revolution peak, the merchants of the Khan are making more direct appeals to the local population. This appears to be at least part of the rationale behind the upsurge in Um Kulthum themed items.  Um Kulthum was a popular actress and singer from the 1920s through the 1970s.  She had energy and stamina:

A typical Umm Kulthum concert consisted of the performance of two or three songs over a period of three to four hours.

I suppose her audience had to have a high level of stamina too!  With that style and Egypt's heat, she is characteristically portrayed with a sweat rag in hand.  We visited her museum in 2014 and mentioned it briefly here.