Jewelry, Antiques and Crafts

We returned to Khan El-Khalili a couple of days ago.  We needed to have our shoes shined, to buy a few more things - and besides, it is fun to visit some of the merchants there.  We had interesting conversations with two shop owners.

I realized that I really needed an Um Kulthoum serving tray and had passed up the opportunity to buy it earlier.  We clarified that it is not just Egyptians buying the "Um" merchandise - visitors from the wealthy Gulf nations and north African countries love her too.


On the western edge of the Khan there are plenty of opportunities to buy gold.  It was good to see large crowds in this area as the shops were quite deserted over the past few years.  But maybe gold demand is up because of various market fears?




Linda's jewelry tastes run more toward the semi-precious stones - and they can be found here too.  We stopped in a shop making a wide variety of pretty necklaces and other adornments.








I left her to find just the right combinations and headed down the narrow passageway to find other things of interest.  This craftsman was creating beautiful camels from boards.  He was quite an artist with the saw, file and rasp.




There are a few antique shops to be found in the Khan too.  This one caught my attention with its display of old cameras so we walked in to browse.  The shop must be about 6 feet wide and 50 feet long with a single meandering aisle.  The locomotives and railroad track stood out to me.






Later, I noticed the collection of old photos displayed out front which caught the attention of a small group of Japanese tourists.




In a separate area, I saw this group of antiques displayed rather haphazardly near a shop I always check.  After wandering the alleyways of the Khan it was time to find some refreshments.