Return to the Street of the Tentmakers

Since we had visited the Street of the Tentmakers last Sunday and found most of the shops closed, we returned today for another look during daylight hours.  We started out with a late breakfast at Khan El-Khalili.  Once again, we didn't see many tourists but the ones who were there were very happy and taking lots of pictures.  I always enjoy photographing other photographers.


Part of the charm of the Khan is the narrow streets.  I wouldn't have believed that a large bus could fit down this street, much less make the tight turn onto the street.  But it happened.  Always watch for what's coming behind you and in front of you in Cairo.


We crossed over Al-Azhar street to stop by the "pickle factory" during daylight hours.  Yes, those were pickled bananas that we had seen the last time we were there.  I had a pickled lemon at dinner yesterday but don't know if I want to try a banana.


When we reached Bab Zuwayla,  I got a couple more pictures of the gate/mosque minarets.





The Street of the Tentmakers was much more lively than before.  The shops were all open, although there were few tourists.


The colors inside the shops were bright and cheery.


And I always seem to get my best pictures of bread in motion here.

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.

On the Street of the Tentmakers

We hadn't gotten very far away from Mohammad (see the "box factory" two post down) when we were joined by another "catcher," Alex.  Alex has probably simplified his name from Ali for westerners.  He would have loved to take us to the famous papyrus painting shop along the way, but Linda was only in the mood for pillow covers.

Pillow covers?  How fortunate.  Alex just happens to be in the business of applying appliques to pillows and quilts.  He will lead us.

It's not hard to find the Street of the Tentmakers if you are heading in the right general direction.  It is located near Bab Zuwayla which can be seen from quite a distance.


There is lots to see  and photograph along the route.  The Bab has an interesting and bloody part in the history of Cairo during the Thirteenth Century.  The Wikipedia entry tells the story adequately:

... Qutuz responded by killing the six envoys, "halving them at the waist," and displaying their heads on Bab Zuweila.

Some day I will spend more time in the area and get better pictures.  Sunlight was fading fast as we passed the Bab.  Not only was it late in the day, but it was Sunday so very few shops were open.  I'll post this picture from a busier day in the past to give you the flavor of the area.


Linda spent the next hour or so choosing fabric and negotiating a good price with Alex.  I had the opportunity to sit in the shop doorway and watch life pass by along the street.  Life doesn't get much better than this.  People-watching in Cairo beats television or the movies by a mile.


I thought about an "ideal" picture of the Bab, considering the artistic rendition on the sign, my own picture and the carpet version hanging nearby.


Finally, the owner of the last shop to close on the other side of the street came out and cleaned off his motor-scooter with a feather duster and prepared to turn out the light.  Friends/relatives of our shop's owner were standing outside his door.


Linda (and Alex) reached a final price.  We were free to go.


    

Ramadan Is Coming Soon

If the astronomers should prove correct again this year, Ramadan will arrive on Wednesday, March 23rd.  But the possibilities are complicated according to ahramonline.  That was the report from a week ago.  Just yesterday, ahramonline announced:

The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawky Allam, is expected to make a statement on Tuesday, 21 March, regarding the start date of the fasting month.

But this much is certain:  this past weekend was the final weekend before Ramadan and shoppers were out in force to make last minute purchases.  One can almost always find a crowd at the entrance to the busy commercial street leading to the Alley of the Tentmakers where shoppers pour out onto El-Azhar Street.  Saturday was exceptionally busy as we walked in to purchase some fabric before returning across El-Azhar to Khan el Kalili for some shopping.

 

Of course, there was an abundance of dates and other sweets for sale.  This gentleman had both fresh and pickled lemons on his cart.

There is always Ramadan merchandise on display near the Bab Zuweyla gate.

 

We flowed with the crowd moving through the alley of the tentmakers and Linda found a couple of shops with the type of fabric she was seeking.  

 

 

She also paused to examine the Ramadan specials and pick out a special wall hanging for a friend.

  

 

Crossing the road between the Tentmaker's alley and Bab Zuella is always difficult, but on Saturday it was nearly impossible with scarcely enough space between vehicles for even a child's leg.  This young man was trying hard to get his two-wheeler through the fray with a load of Ramadan fabric, probably from the family business.

A long line of Tuk-Tuks and other vehicles was at a complete stop at the crossroads.  You might think no one would add their car or minibus to this chaos, but you would be wrong in Cairo.

Linda's purchases were placed in a free Ramadan Kareem fabric bag and she has received numerous compliments on the bag.

 

I blogged about the Fanoos, or Ramadan lanterns last year.  Sometime in the nine months before we returned this winter, our building acquired its own Fanoos.  

 

Just a few days ago, someone then added these streamers to the front of the building.

 

 

We were on a street a couple of days ago at a small furniture shop and that street had a multitude of streamers up and down the entire block.

 

Ramadan is becoming quite commercialized, much like Christmas.  The lantern display down the street near our vegetable market is brightly lit at night.

Note the sheep, which you may also want to purchase for the final Ramadan celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

 

 

Women Have Come a Long Way in Cairo

Today we headed downtown to a pillow store in the Bab Zuella district of Cairo.  Parking is at a premium in this area and we encountered a first - a woman operating as a "sayes," or parking attendant.  You frequently hear the terms thief, thug or mafia associated with these self-appointed "parking attendants", so seeing a woman in the position was a startling event. Every area of town has one or several parking attendants. To find a parking place you merely slow your car near the spot you want to park and they will typically find you. The attendant will direct you to an open space and voila, you're parked.

Now, in this case, the sayes said, "Before you get out of the car , I need thirty pounds." (about two dollars).  This was for a spot where we double parked near the street of the tentmakers.  Driver, Roshdy, said to us later, "She is a tough lady."


But everything in Egypt is negotiable.  We got by for twenty pounds instead, saving us 60 cents.

I have long wondered how these "parking attendants" acquired their authority over a particular stretch of street.  Is this "family" territory?  It appears that, in fact, they do operate a bit like a mafia organization.  If an interloper appears, the surrounding soyas (plural of sayes is soyas) appear and move him out.  Articles here, here and here.

The sayes is just another of Cairo's peculiarities with regard to driving and traffic.

Shopping for Pillows

We were on a specific shopping mission yesterday.  We need nine pillows of a very specific size for our chairs on the porch back home in Bloomington.  There is a "pillow shop" close to the Street of the Tentmakers along the shopping road from Bab Zuwayla to El Azhar.  It is right next to what I call the "cotton shop."

You just proceed a couple of blocks down this street until you see the cotton bales.


Yes, that's it.


While there are plenty of sizes, shapes and colors in stock,


We wanted a custom size, laid out just so on the right fabric.  The owner was happy to oblige.


While Linda attended to the particulars, I browsed the shop looking for interesting things besides the pillows.  Among the things hanging on the wall, I found an old photo.
 

And the landline telephone will make an interesting addition to my photo collection of old phones.


We paid for one pillow and will return in a couple of days to see if it is made correctly.  Then we can order eight more.  I hope the measurements are right!

I found a lovely pillow sitting in the shop that I thought  might make a great addition somewhere at home or here.  I still have to convince Linda that we need it.



I think if we buy it fully stuffed, we can get it with the special "supper soft" filling.