Khan El Khalili Bazaar is one of the most popular tourist markets in the world. This bazaar is visited by tourists worldwide, who can buy Egyptian souvenirs and gifts there. It is also an excellent opportunity to have tea or smoke shisha in one of the most emblematic cafeterias.
Where to find Khan El-Khalili?
Khan El Khalili Bazaar is situated in the heart of Islamic Cairo, surrounded by several remarkable Islamic monuments like El Azhar Mosque, El Hussein Mosque, the Complex of Qalaun, and Al Aqmar Mosque. The Khan El Khalili tourist market is almost open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Sundays, when most shops close, to serve tourists from all over the world to visit Egypt.
A traveler during his tour in Cairo can easily reach Khan El Khalili by taxi from anywhere in Cairo or using the Uber application for private cars. The traveler would leave the cab near El Hussein Mosque and start his market tour by walking, exploring different shops, and resting in one of the oriental cafes spread all over the market.
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Things to buy from Khan El-Khalili Bazaar
Things to buy from Khan El Khalili BazarThere isn’t a single type of gift and souvenir sold in Khan El Khalili. Anything a tourist dreams of buying can be found in the Khan, from simple items like small bracelets to the most precious goods like gold and silver.
You can find the following:
- Replicas of Pharaonic statues and artifacts, plates, jewelry, and different items made out of copper in a section called El Nahaseen, or the copper makers.
- Many leather products include bags, wallets, jackets, and different outfits.
- Traditional Egyptian handcrafts like handmade carpets, glass, crystal, and papyrus paper, simple jewelry, and golden and silver items. These handcrafts can hardly be found anywhere else in Egypt with this variety of products, tastes, and prices.
- Traditional outfits and dresses for tourists are fond of the conventional Egyptian galabeya.
- Musical instruments, including the famous Oud, oriental drums or tabla, and belly dancing outfits, attract many tourists, especially young children’s extraordinary oriental perfumes like amber, jasmine, and flower. These perfumes are put into colorful bottles with different attractive shapes that make a wonderful gift for tourists to take back home.
- The finest spices and herbs. The herbal tradesmen claim that they have a remedy for all diseases one can think of.
- There are a lot of different combinations of essences and essential oils in the perfume business. As you move toward the middle, you’ll find the most variety of goods and booths, from gold sellers to fabric sellers to carpet sellers and almost anything else you could want.
The History and the Establishment of Khan El Khalili
Khan El Khalili was established by the Mamluk Sultan Jahrkas El Khalili at the end of the 14th century, precisely in 1382, on the ruins of a Fatimid graveyard called “El Za’afran tombs” that Sultan Qalaun around 100 years relocated before the establishment of the market.
Some historians claim that this famous touristic market derived its name from the fact that many residents of El Khalil city in Palestine immigrated to the Khan when it was first established. This was why it was called Khan El Khalili or the market of the people coming from El Khalil. At the same time, most scholars assert that the name was derived from the establisher of the market, Jahrkas El Khalili.
When Al-Maqrizi, the famous Arabian historian, visited Egypt at the end of the 14th century, he described Khan El Khalili as a common Wikala or market in its outline. He said it consisted of a square-shaped building with an open courtyard. The building consisted of two floors; the first was specified for the shops, while the second floor was for storing the goods and the residence of the tradespeople.
However, the market of Khan El Khalili we see today was constructed by Sultan El Ghory, who destroyed the Wikala established by Jahrkas El Khalili in 1511 and built many stores and shops instead of three gates connecting the market altogether.
The Description of Khan El Khalili
Khan El Khalili is featured with its large number of small shops attached with narrow lanes connecting the different parts of the market where all the gifts and souvenirs that might interest the tourists who travel to Egypt are sold.
Khan El Khalili Bazar fact, there isn’t a single type of gift and souvenir sold in Khan El Khalili. Anything a tourist dreams of buying can be found in the Khan, from simple items like small bracelets to the most precious goods like gold and silver.
The goods sold in Khan El Khalili include replicas of Pharaonic statues and artifacts, plates, jewelry, and different items made out of copper, as a section of Khan El Khalili was called El Nahaseen, or the copper makers.
Many shops sell leather products like bags, wallets, jackets, and outfits. Not only tourists who spend their vacation in Egypt visit Khan El Khalili, but also many Egyptians visit the market to shop or spend a wonderful time with family or friends.
Khan El Khalili also houses traditional Egyptian handcrafts and antiques like handmade carpets, glass, crystal, papyrus paper, simple jewelry, and golden and silver items. These handcrafts can hardly be found anywhere else in Egypt with this variety of products, tastes, and prices.
Khan El Khalili Bazar goods and handicraftsKhan El Khalili is like a carnival of goods and beautiful tints of different colorful outfits and dresses sold all over the Khan for the tourists who are fond of the traditional Egyptian galabeya. Several shops sell musical instruments, including the famous Oud, oriental drums, or tabla. Many stores specify belly dancing outfits, which are considered among the goods that attract many tourists, especially young children aged.
It’s not only the incredible scenery that welcomes the tourists spending their vacation in Egypt when they visit Khan El Khalili, but the market is also famous for its magnificent odor. This is because the market sells the most beautiful oriental perfumes like amber, jasmine, and flower. These perfumes are put into colorful bottles with different attractive shapes that make a wonderful gift for tourists to take back home.
The finest spices and herbs are also sold in the Khan El Khalili market. The herbal tradesmen claim that they have a remedy for all diseases besides herbs that have magical effects.
Tips while visiting Khan El-Khalili
To get the best out of your experience at Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, you have to check these tips:
- This is an open market with lots of visitors, so it is preferred not to take any valuable things with you to avoid crowd problems.
Hang your camera on your neck if you want to take pictures at anytime - A 2 hours tour of the bazaar will be enough to do your shopping; make sure to save half an hour to spend it in one of the traditional cafes in the area.
- Make sure to take cash with you, as most stores don’t accept cards. You don’t have to take Egyptian pounds as all currencies are acceptable there.
- Make sure to bargain with the sellers as the prices there are not that high, so whatever price they offer, you better negotiate to get the best price.
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