Khan El Khalili Bazaar

Khan El Khalili Bazaar

Khan El Khalili Bazaar

Is a huge medieval-style shopping mall where you will find everything you can imagine, and what you can’t imagine as well. This Khan El Khalili Bazaar, full of stalls and stores will take your breath away. Lose yourself in its narrow streets and enjoy the sounds, smells and fantastic treasures that you will find in this Cairo bazaar.

How is khan el khalili today?

Currently, there are about 900 stalls and several restaurants and cafes. Some stalls are located by sectors: you will find the spice alley, the gold alley, and the silver street.
You will also find fabrics, traditional costumes, pottery, papyrus scrolls, carpets, and all kinds of souvenirs (reproductions of camels and pyramids, Fatima hands, scarabs and eyes of God are a must) and more.
Most stalls are open from morning until dusk, but many stay open all night. As usual in these markets, bargaining is mandatory. We recommend you be careful with your purchases.

What’s not to be missed?

In addition to the usual shopping that all tourists love to do in Khan el Khalili, there are two special places that deserve a stop: the traditional El-Fishawy café and the Naguib Mahfouz café-restaurant. If you get a chance to enjoy the moment when evening comes, wander over to Al Ghoury for a phenomenal Tanoura (whirling dervishes) performance.

The Al Fishawy Café or the Café of Mirrors

It is the most famous cafe in Khan el Khalili and the oldest in Cairo (it was founded in 1773) and a must-see when touring the Khan el Khalili bazarde.

It is said to have been open day and night for the past 200 years. The writer Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006), winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988, spent many hours at its tables, and in addition to refueling with the typical Egyptian coffee (short and strong) you can try the shisha or narghile of flavored tobacco.

How to get to and from the Grand Bazaar in Cairo
Khan El Khalili is in the heart of old Islamic Cairo, and can be easily reached by cab or Uber (although there is a lot of traffic in this area).

Another way to get there is to take the metro and get off at the Ataba stop, but then you have to walk another 20 minutes or so from there and it is not the most pleasant, especially for women.

finally

The culture of bargaining is common in the market, always negotiate prices for what you want to buy. If touring during the summer, the best time is after 4 pm when the weather is milder.