Tom and Nigel and I met Lauren at the EgyptAir office and we caught a taxi to a section of Cairo called Khan al-Khalili. It's a huge labrynthine shopping area -- a bazaar -- with concentrations of specialized types of booths and stores and shops for the most part, but also having scattered vendors of all types throughout.

There are two major sections to the Khan: one for natives and one for tourists. In reality the differences fade and one finds a large mix of mundane things and touristy things in each part.

By far the most noticeable thing for sale right now, however, are the Ramadan lamps. These are baudy things ranging in size from keychain to three-foot tall. They are mostly brass with brightly colored panels, and some have flashing lights or play music. Apparently every house, apartment, and store in Egypt will hang at least one during the whole time of Ramadan, which starts on the 4th.


I'd estimate that half the places in the khan had the lamps for sale. Here's one street that had only Ramadan lamp booths as far as visible down it.

What did we see and buy at the khan? Ah. Many things. Wonderful things. Tom and Nigel each bought a hooka system. They also haggled for hand-stitched cloth hangings or pillowcases. Nigel also got an inlaid wooden box. And a fez. (I practically had to beat that guy off me -- he was persistent in sticking a hat on my head and telling me its price and quality every time.) I bought a statue of Sobek and some various gifts.

If I ever go back to Cairo, I will make it a point to spend another good chunk of time exploring the khan's shops. One has to be in a mood to haggle and put up with sometimes very annoying people trying to get you into their shops. Or being even worse and following you for some distance with something they want you to buy.

The worst example of this happened when Lauren expressed interest in a wooden hippo in one small shop. It wasn't quite what she wanted, but a few minutes after we left a kid of about age 14 showed up with a slightly different model. He followed us for blocks and blocks trying to get her to buy.

At one point Tom and I blocked him into a corner and told him to beat it, but he didn't. He did not give up for a few more blocks, and might never have if we hadn't stepped into a taxi at that point because we were done shopping.

Some of the streets of the khan look medieval (probably because they are) with 2nd and 3rd floors of buildings stepping out over the narrow alleys until they almost touch. Some of these alleys had wooden roofs. One of them opened out at a huge stone gatehouse that had towering minnerets rising from its towers, clearly medieval.

Shopping the khan at night no doubt added to the mystique of the place -- indeed, it was a happy substitute for Halloween this year -- so doing it by day might not be as much fun. Depending on what you want to buy, however, it might be better to shop by day when the light's better. In any case, if you get to Cairo, visit the khan and see what you can find.