Khan el-Khalili (also often written as Khan el-Khalili) is a real tourist attraction in Cairo. tourist attraction in CairoJan el-Khalili market: for its size, for its atmosphere but also, logically, for what you can buy there. In this post we give you some tips on what to buy in the Cairo market, Khan el-Khalili, both to enjoy at the time and to bring it back home.
5 items to buy in the Cairo market, Khan el-Khalili
In the Jan el-Jalili bazaar it is possible to buy all kinds of products, in many cases mere souvenirs mass-produced for sale to tourists. But there are also local handicrafts, of different qualities, and if you have to choose 5 characteristic items, this could be the list of priorities:
#1. Objetos hechos en cobre
It is perhaps the most present metal in the bazaar. It is not a precious metal, but its versatility and its accessible price are accessible price has favored its wide use, since centuries ago. In fact, one of the most interesting areas of the market is El Najaseen, the area where the artisans of this metal are located. Kitchen utensils but also household items and decorative pieces such as lamps are made with copper, alone or in combination with other materials.
#2. Instrumentos musicales
The great musicians may not come here to buy their professional instruments, but the variety and, above all, the exoticism of these gadgets in the eyes of a Western traveler will make buying them worthwhile. From simple percussion instruments, such as the derbake or the riqq (a kind of tambourine) to wind instruments, such as the ney or the mizmar (similar to flutes), to more sophisticated stringed instruments, such as the qanun or the oud.
#3. Amuletos
The Egyptian population is very believer in supernatural powers, collected in one way or another in their sacred scriptures or in the popular tradition. And one of the most famous is related to Fatima, daughter of Mohammed, whose descendants founded the local Fatimid dynasty. This amulet is the hand of Fatima, a kind of inverted hand with an eye in the center that serves to protect the wearer against the evil eye.
#4. Antigüedades
Although this is a fairly generic section, lovers of antiques in general will find here a lot of genre. That is, objects of all kinds coming, in many cases, from private collections, homes that have been renovated or other avatars. Furniture, mirrors, frames… and an endless number of options.
#5. Alimentación… o simplemente probarla
Finally, we cannot fail to mention the food and gastronomic products that you can find here. Some are sold ready-made, with special mention to the spices. Others can be eaten on the spot, such as basboussa and other Egyptian sweets or pastries. But if what you want is to sit and enjoy, the preferred option is the coffee, especially if you are lucky enough to find a place in the most famous: the Fishawi or Café de los Espejos, founded in 1769.
Market data of interest
The Khan el-Khalili market is located in a key area of Cairo: in its Islamic quarter, which is part of the Unesco World Heritage site, known as Historic Cairo. That is, the oldest area of the city, which emerged from the ninth century, as an evolution of the previous settlement of Fustat.
From here ruled the Fatimid and Mamluk dynasties, until the early sixteenth century, and left important monumental buildings, which today are tourist attractions of the city. And one of them is, indeed, the Jan el-Jalili market, with origins in the late fourteenth century, at the time of the Mamluk Sultan Djaharks el-Jalili, hence its name.
At first, it was a place of stay and rest for traders (caravanserai), built on a previous cemetery, but later acquired its current commercial use. According to some estimates, the number of stalls inside the market is around a thousand.
