A Night at Khan el-Khalili

We always enjoy an outing to visit Khan el-Khalili, the bazaar downtown near Al Azhar in the heart of the retail district of Cairo.  Yesterday we decided to go visit the Khan and have dinner there.

We called an Uber and were quickly on our way.  We had chosen to start this expedition around 4:00 p.m. and traffic was very heavy.  The driver's Uber app routed him through downtown past the Islamic Art museum and through some very narrow streets in the furniture district, an interesting ride for us but frustrating for the driver.  We were at a dead stop several times.  At one point we had just started to move when we hit a traffic cop, busily writing tickets.  Well, actually, he walked back into us.  This provoked a loud discussion between our driver and the cop, but all turned out OK - except for the honking drivers behind us that just wanted to get on with it.

It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to navigate the full route, and Uber suggested 90 E.G.P.  (about three dollars.)  I tipped an extra 60.

There is a lot of remodeling underway around the main entrance to Khan el-Khalili.  We started at our usual spot near the Al-Hussain Mosque which is also getting a major facelift.

 

The Khan was crowded with shoppers, in marked contrast to the past three Covid years.

 

Even the gold shops on the edge of the market which were pretty much shuttered during Covid had plenty of traffic moving up and down Al Moez street.

 

We visited a couple of stores selling porcelain cups and plates to see if there were any new designs in the Fathy Mahmoud world. If you're interested in a mug, be sure to get one marked with the "FM" manufacturer.

 

Soon we wandered into a tiny spot called the Bedouin Shop which had a fascinating hand-crafted collection of various metal objects.  Bedouin shops carry items made in the oases. These items are typically made for the bedouins themselves but more recently have become collector's items.  Linda browsed the second floor excitedly while I explored the lower level.  Like many shops in the Khan, the place is only about ten feet square.

  

  

 

Shop owners were not paying a lot of attention to the customers inside since everyone had the football match on and Egypt vs. Brazil were knotted up at 1-1."How to choose, how to choose?"  Linda found a particular pleasing piece but a couple of the dangly bits were missing. One word with the owner and he disappeared for a couple minutes, returning with a totally intact piece. Pleased with our purchase, we moved on to dinner.  

We had previously enjoyed a couple of visits to the unlikely named restaurant called Mahony's but it had ceased operations the last time we were here.  It is now back in business with what appears to be the same staff and menu but operates with new decor as Khan Restaurant and Cafe.

 

 

We find it a very comfortable quiet place to relax away from the bustle of the shopping area and recharge for more shopping and looking. The food is great, the presentations are spectacular and we give it five stars! Highly recommend the appetizer tray.