Khan El Khalili Bazaar

What is available at the Khan Al-Khalili Bazaar?

Khan al-Khalili is a must-see on every trip to Cairo. The bazaar is vibrant, busy, bustling, lively, and filled with a wide variety of wares and shiny balls. Although this place has some conventional tourist attractions, the excellent shopping is out of this world. Avoid being sidetracked. You can purchase a wide variety of fresh spices at the nearby spice market. There are countless essential oil mixtures used to create the scents that are sold as perfumes. Gold dealers and antique stores with a variety of interesting items are hidden deep within the market.

There are fabric stores, carpet sellers, and pretty much any other kind of vendor you could want. since the merchant is probably aware of its location. Even if you don’t intend to shop, the city’s twisting lanes will help you find what you’re looking for.

When and by whom was the Khan al-Khalili Bazaar built?

The history of the market dates back to the 14th century, when Emir DajaHarukh al-Khalili built a large market complex on the site of the Tomb of Zaafran, where Egypt’s Fatimid rulers were buried. The construction was part of a rebuilding process begun under Sultan Barkuk (r. 1382-1399) to recover the city from the damage of the Black Death in the 13th and his 14th centuries.
Today, the market has been significantly modernized, but there are still parts showing the original Mamluk architecture with its large archways and vaulted ceilings. The market has several restaurants and cafes where you can take a break from shopping.

The oldest café in Cairo, Al Fishawy, is furnished with antique furniture and big mirrors. Naguib Mahfouz, the Egyptian recipient of the Nobel Prize, had already travelled there.
A fine dining establishment on the market is also named after him. Hussein Square and the park in front of the Hussein Mosque are near to the market. Numerous cafes and low-cost restaurants are also present in the square.

you can visit Khan El Khalili during your Cairo tours with Al Sahel Travel