 | Cairo Khan el Khalili Reviews | Tips 61 - 70 of 87 |  |
In 1087 Badr ad-Din el-Gamali, the visor of El-Mustansir, constructed fortifications for Cairo. In this plan, three main gateways were to provide access to the city. These massive gates are called the Bab el-Futuh (Gate of Conquest), Bab an-Nasr (Gate of Victory) and Bab Zuwaila.
The Bab el-Futuh consists of a huge vaulted opening carved from a massive block of stone and flanked by two rounded towers. It marks the northern boundary of the old Fatimid City. In past times, the great caravan of pilgrims that returned each year from Mecca entered this gate and made their way to the Citadel. Leave a Comment Directions: From Midan Ataba walk east straight along Sharia al-Azhar or Muski. Alternatively it's about 5 EPs for a cab from downtown. It's at the north end of Islamic Cairo.
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In ancient times a "khan" was a 2 or 3 storied building built around a courtyard. The city Khan's served as a place for foreign merchants for their residence and storage. So in a way we can say it was an early form of today's mall.
This area in Cairo was a business and meeting place for caravans from Asia to Africa, and the great Khan of Masrur is often referred to in "Thousand and one night". Later an Arab historican wrote that the large area had nearly 12000 shops. It was in 1382 Amir Jarkas El-Khalili ordered the building of a large Khan. Even if Khalili's Khan was destroyed later to be replaced by an even larger Khan, the new Khan kept the name of Khalili. Slowly the name "Khan El-Khalili" became the name used for the whole quarter.
There are lots of shopping options in today's Khan El-Khalili, but that is only one part. The area is a cultural and historical treasure chamber. The centre of Sunni Islam "Al Azhar" is in the surroundig area, and close to the standard entrance to the Khan is the famous El-Husayn Mosque.
If one has time, one should not go to Khan El-Khalili without visiting 3 houses here. This is the "House of Sitt Wasilah" built in 1664, the "House of Abd El-Ramhan El-Harrawi" built in 1731 and the "House of Zaynab Khatun" built in 1468 - in late Mameluk style. You can use an hour to a day in Khan El-Khalili, its only up to interest and time you have available. Just keep in mind, the Khan is more than shopping! Leave a Comment
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In essence, Khan el-khalili epitomizes all that is Cairo: rough, dissarray, unconventional, squalor but within the alleyways and cluster of merchant vendors is the spirit of the Egyptian. Enthusiastic, friendly, and inviting, though perhaps trying to squeeze those american dollars out of you... This bazaar is open all day and all night, and the hustle and bustle is straight from the medieval times. Youll find donkeys, carriage drawn cargos, hard working egyptians stocking up the shops, local elders smoking, old ladies selling produce and cleaning it with dirty water, camels, and every other random thing in LIFE! Khan-el-Khalili is full of life and never a dull moment.
Upon arriving in Cairo, I left the security, glamour and luxuries of my beloved Sheraton hotel and set out to see CAIRO on foot. It was hot, and immediately I was forced to adjust to the heavy traffic and noise.
Khan El-Khalili offers EVERYTHING! Upon delving deeper into the bazaar, I was quite shocked to find microwaves and appliances being sold next to shishas, necklaces, trinkets, clothing, furniture, LIVE POULTRY, SHEEP, and other animals, etc...
A must see in Khan el-Khalili is the Al-Husayn Mosque. For Shi'ite Muslims this is a venerated shrine, believed to house the head of the beloved grandson of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), Imam Husayn (radallah alyahim). Therefore, the faith is strong in these parts. When I was there, a police officer was playing a handheld drum leading a pack of woman mourners in black veils. There was recitations and prayers playing on loud speakers. The atmosphere seemed to be building, and I waited some time for an event to occur but nothing happened. It was just passionate faith of the crowd listening. Inside the mosque it seemed to be a beacon of light, and I felt it offlimits for myself to enter. It was very emotional the air.
In this 'square' is outdoor seating from cafe and restaurants, and closer nearby is the famed El-Fishawi Cafe which is a must see. They are reputed for never refusing a guest, by finding spots in any square inch of this cafe, which itself is not very big. The seating spills out onto the alleyway, and to find itself is only possible by turning a corner into an alleyway by accident. The decor is all very authentic from centuries ago, and strikes a balance between humble meekness and oriental quality decor. Everyone must smoke the water pipe here. try the mango juice. Popular to locals as well as tourists, fishawi is a fantastic way to spend the night enjoying conversation.
I wandered aimlessly through Khan el-Khalil for hours. There are no signs, entrance, exits, and your map probably only indicates the Khan with a large icon not indicating detail so be prepared to feel your way around.
You should think about getting some great souvenirs here, and if your budget is reasonable, you can get some impressive souvenirs for cheap if you bargain good. (less than half of the offered). Hot items are lotus perfumes, shishas, precious rocks (although hard to determine the purity of the materials), and rosary type beads. Leave a Comment
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It was a medieval mechant hostel, which is located less than a hundred meters away from the Sharia Al-Azhar's entrance to the Khan El-Khalili market. It is open daily (8am - 7pm) and you would pay 10LE for your visit.
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Khan El-Khalili is often dismissed as a tacky tourist trap but we really enjoyed it.
The shop keepers have to be the smoothest talkers around ("I don't know what you want but I have what you're looking for" was my favourite) and there wasn't the hassle that we'd been warned about. We managed to wander around without being annoyed too much.
It shouldn't be missed if you're looking for an experience of Cairo at its best. Leave a Comment
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Many of the shops here are touristy, but some are still 'authentic.' The endless, twisting alleyways with ancient arches are the most interesting feature. If you go down the smaller ones, you'll find the life behind the tourist shops: coppersmiths and goldsmiths preparing their wares for the shops, little local cafes, families, etc.
Fortunately, the crowds here mean that there's always another potential sale, so they don't follow you forever here. If you do decide to buy something--HAGGLE! Offer 20-25% of the asking price and refuse to budge... if they won't come down, just start walking away, and lo and behold, suddenly your price is accepted. Don't feel bad, either; even at 20% of the asking price, you're paying more than an Egyptian would. Leave a Comment
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Probably the best shopping market in Cairo. They have everything here. Leave a Comment
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Searching for a very particular shape of coffee pot I ventured into hundreds of shops and had the most fascinating afternoon and evening. I finally found my treasure, but kept wandering and talking to shopkeepers and casual diners. It was a marvelous way to exchange ideas and talk to Egyptians on such a personal basis. I encourage people to visit Egypt and discover the beauty and hospitality of the people. Leave a Comment
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Shopping / haggling in Khan el Khalil, the best shopping in the Middle East for bargains. It is a huge area of dimly lit, tight streets, most with dirt walkways. We were there after Iftar, the nightly breaking of the fast (Muslims fast daily during the month of Ramadan) so it was PACKED with people celebrating the end of Ramadan – it was incredible. A “tour guide” hooked up with us so he could practice his English. We didn’t mind as we got to practice our Arabic. With him, we saw great non-touristy sites in Islamic Cairo and Khan el Khalil. We unexpectedly saw a big basket of lamb heads for making soup – not to happy about that, but I guess the lambs were not either!!!! We came home with some beautiful boxes made of camel bone and shell and some neat coptic crosses. Leave a Comment
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