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Khan el Khalili, Cairo
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Khan el Khalili, Cairo

Khan el Khalili tips, reviews and photos posted by real travelers and Cairo locals.

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Khan el Khalili: Khan el-Khalili Markets
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  • sue_stone
  • Updated By sue_stone on February 13, 2005
  • Cairo Page by sue_stone
  • shoppers in Khan el-Khalili - Cairo
    shoppers in Khan el-Khalili
    by sue_stone
    Yet another amazing experience we had in Cairo was a visit Khan el-Khalili markets.

    These markets are a labyrinth of streets and lanes with shops selling everything from tacky souvenirs to gold and silver, clothing, antiques and pretty much anything else you can think of.

    I was feeling game, so browsed the markets by myself. I made many new friends as I shopped - even got a marriage proposal or two - and saw so many great things to buy that it was too hard to decide and I didn't buy anything.

    Meanwhile, Alex was sitting in the famous El-Fishawi Cafe sipping a Turkish coffee and puffing a shisha.

    The markets are crazy, busy, crowded, noisy, fabulous!

    Better bring your bargaining skills with you!!

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  • Theme: Local Craft
  • Website: http://www.touregypt.net/khan.htm
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    Khan el Khalili: Find this young vendor!
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  • saraheg77
  • Updated By saraheg77 on June 1, 2004
  • Cairo Page by saraheg77
  • Cute young vendor - excellent salesman! - Cairo
    Cute young vendor - excellent
    salesman!
    by saraheg77
    This young vendor found us as we sat outside at the main entrance of the bazaar. I would describe him as charming and persistent, not pushy or annoying as other vendors. I couldn't resist buying his little camel :) He was an excellent, intelligent little salesman that my fiance wanted to bring home and hire! After we bought his camel and we returned to the bus, he was outside waving and playing with his camels while we took his picture.

    Buy his little camel!

    Less than $5! You should be able to get pretty much any trinket you want for less than $5... more like $1 if you are good at bargaining!

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    Khan el Khalili: I'm in Heaven!!!!!!!
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  • counsel14
  • By counsel14 on March 1, 2009
  • Cairo Page by counsel14
  • shops - Cairo
    shops
    by counsel14
    Good Lord, if it's from Egypt, you can get it here. If it's got anything at all to do with this country, the pharaohs, the pyramids, glass making, gold, clothing, foods, whatever....it's here. it can be yours, too for a small fee. it costs nothing to look.... I heard them all while walking through this gigantic souk. Be aware, it's completely crammed with travelers and tourists, shop keepers and pick pockets. it's touted as the biggest Egyptian shop in the country and I don't Doubt it at all. prepare to get lost in here. Also, decide BEFORE you go in just what you want to purchase (if anything0 and how much you wish to spend.

    Silk rugs, gold, jewelry, cotton items, papyrus artwork

    bargain away.

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    Khan el Khalili: Shopping and bargaining
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  • belgrade03
  • By belgrade03 on March 1, 2004
  • Cairo Page by belgrade03
  • Khan el Khalili - Cairo
    Khan el Khalili
    by belgrade03
    Khan el Khalili is the largest shopping area in Cairo. There is everything, clothes, souvenirs, papyrus, parfumes, jewelry etc here. One thing a tourist must remember at all times in Egypt is to bargain and this is the right place for it. There is no rule but remember that they always make some profit, but the question is can you make it as least as possible. Start with a quarter or third of the price they tell and bargain. They will be very kind and tell you everything you want to hear just to sell an item. They are especially generous in making compliments to ladies but that is just with one single purpose and women shouldn't fall for their soft words. One more thing, don't compare prices of items that you buy later at other shops or with your friends because you can be dissapointed if you overpaid something.

    Souvenirs, papyrus, parfumes

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    Khan el Khalili: Pretty Perfume bottles
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  • shelnlin
  • By shelnlin on October 5, 2004
  • Cairo Page by shelnlin
  • Egyptian perfume bottles - Cairo
    Egyptian perfume bottles
    by shelnlin
    I am not too sure the name of this shop but if you walk around Khan el Khalili a big outdoor/indoor suq while visiting Cairo, you are bound to come across a few shops stocking the most beautiful and ornate little Perfume bottles.

    These little treasures are something I quite literally stumbled on while walking through the stalls. The are found in the inside of the shops and there are so many that one has to be careful that they do not feel caustrophobic amongst the beautiful sea of glass and be a Bull in a china shop (OK my starsign yes is Taurus but I managed to restrain myself hahaha!!).

    These little bottles are handblown into shapes that almost reasonable little mosques or in one of my bottles case's a camel. Some are more ornate than others and have the most amazing designs on them, others are simple yet still beautiful nevertheless. Another beautiful thing to purchase are the perfume oils that would go nicely inside your bottle. I choose the Lotus flower for it's subtle scent which wasn't overpowering but still retained a lovely scent, I didn't want to add it to the perfume bottles because I was afraid of breaking them. They are very fragile and fortunately they are still all intact even after I left Egypt. Make sure that the seller wraps them securely in something like cotton wool.

    Rather than bargaining for one bottle try bargaining for three or more. If you try to bargain for one, you can sometimes get a rude vendor who is not interested in you. It is even best to bargain with a few friends as the more you buy the more discount you will get.

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    Khan el Khalili: Decide what to buy before you go
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  • jaqs
  • By jaqs on December 22, 2007
  • Cairo Page by jaqs
  • a dear little girl in one of the little streets - Cairo
    a dear little girl in one of
    the little streets
    by jaqs
    The Bazaar is one of the most ancient trading routes of all time. You can feel the atmosphere and the memories of 1000s of years just walking through. The streets are tiny and densely populated with merchandise. My tip is to make a list of what you would like to buy before going and even ask a local or tourguide to escort you through. Otherwise you will be enchanted by everything and anything and spend all your funds before you get to where you want to go. Dont forget to barter as there is plenty of competition!

    Decorative plates, statues, shisha pipes, jewellery, egyptian perfumed oils (extraordinary)! Carpets, rugs, belly dancing paraphernalia!

    I found dependent on the item, that anywhere from half to two thirds of the asking price was fair.

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  • Theme: Local Craft
  • Directions: Try the Turkish Restaurant on the far side or the original coffee house right in the middle
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    Khan el Khalili: PRACTICE HAGGLING
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  • trotador
  • By trotador on December 27, 2003
  • Cairo Page by trotador
  • Khan El Khalili - Cairo
    Khan El Khalili
    by trotador
    There are lot of differents things, be aware of fake stuff. Fake papirus for friends (he,he)... 25 for 5Eur, Egyptian music CD, instruments, jewelry... and much, much more for a nice price...
    Jewelry go by weith and are fixed prices in some places... I used my credit card to pay and it is safe, just for jewels.

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    Khan el Khalili: Have a shop!
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  • schlumpf
  • By schlumpf on May 16, 2005
  • Cairo Page by schlumpf
  • Khan el Khalili - Cairo
    by schlumpf
    This ist he most famous and the oldest market in Cairo. Is full of athmosphere and fulfilled of every kind of stuff you would need.
    Actually ,as a touristic place, you will see only touristic stuff, but some items are really appreciable, like the water pipe, the most common item.
    As always, remember that the price called is simply thousand time higher then the real one, so simply bargain or check other places…

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    Khan el Khalili: Bargain but be wise
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  • Saladinos
  • By Saladinos on October 24, 2004
  • Cairo Page by Saladinos
  • Khan Al Khalili is a set of Bazars in the old city of Cairo which was once the center where merchants gather to relax and make their deals and sell the goods.

    The many shops that is filling the streets and allys are full of different goods that you will also find the same in Luxor, Aswan, Sharm and hurghada. It is among the gold, silver, papyrus (not originals), status, carpets and rugs, shishas, and other kind of gifts.

    Just bargain. Ask in couple of shops and you will get to know the price range but start with the half of what the salesman is saying.

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  • Directions: Beside Al Hussien mosgues
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    Khan el Khalili: Khan el Khalili
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  • CandS
  • By CandS on November 8, 2005
  • Cairo Page by CandS
  • Khan el Khalili Bazaar - Cairo
    Khan el Khalili Bazaar
    by CandS, 3 more photos
    We visited Khan el Khalili twice while in Cairo... The first time we were so tired and hot that we really didn't buy anything, we got a little lost amongst the windy streets and we hardly took notice of what was in the shops...

    The second time we were much more refreshed and we were about to leave Egypt so we spent a few hours wandering around looking for some things to bring back home and we ate at one of the cafes at the entrance to the bazaar.

    You can buy all sorts of things at the bazaar...clothes, sheesha pipes, toy camels, souvineers, jewellery, t-shirts, hats, spices, antiques, cushion covers/sheet sets, musical instruments, belly dancing outfits, local foods, scarves/pashminas etc.

    Always haggle and never pay the first price they ask...you can usually get them down to 20- 40% of the original price!!! Sometimes it's really not worth the bother (for the few cents extra it might cost) but if you're in the mood then give it a go.

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