Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank and the second largest in Palestine after Gaza. It is located 30 kilometers south of Jerusalem at an altitude of approximately 930 meters above sea level. Hebron's population consists of about 250 thousand Palestinians and 500-800 Israeli settlers.
Under an agreement reached in 1997, the city is administratively divided into two sectors: almost 80% of the territory is under the control of the Palestinian Authority, and the remaining 20% is administered by the Hebron Jewish Community Committee. This part of the city is under constant guard by the Israeli army, and between the two sectors there are 16 checkpoints controlled by Israeli soldiers, so it is almost impossible to freely get from one part of the city to the other. However, armed clashes between Jewish settlers, Palestinians and the Israeli army are very frequent in Hebron.
Hebron: history of the city
Hebron is one of the oldest cities on the globe continuously inhabited throughout its history. Historical excavations have shown that the city was founded approximately 3 thousand years BC and was the center of Canaanite culture until the Jews conquered it in 1300 BC. Since then, the city has been known through biblical stories.
The most famous shrine of Hebron is the Cave of the Patriarchs, in which, according to legend, Adam and Eve are buried, as well as the biblical patriarchs Jacob, Isaac and Abraham with their wives. It is thanks to this cave that Hebron has very important religious significance for both Jews and Muslims. Now in its place is Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi or, as it is also called in Hebrew, the Machpelah cave.
But let's return to the history of the city. In the sixth century BC, most of the Jews living in Hebron were taken into slavery by the Babylonians, and their place was taken by the Edomites. Later, after the conquest of the Holy Land by the Persians, most of the Jews returned to Judea. 
In the second and first centuries BC, Judea, which included Hebron, became a Roman province, which was later renamed Palestine. After the division of the Roman Empire, Hebron fell into its part of Byzantium, while the Cave of the Patriarchs was turned into a church.
The history of Hebron largely repeats the fate of all of Palestine - frequent wars and subsequent changes in power. In 638 AD the city was conquered by the Muslims, who ruled for almost six centuries. For almost the entire eleventh century, Hebron was ruled by the Crusaders, who were replaced from 1187 to 1517 by the Mamluks, Muslims of Turkic and Caucasian origin. They were later replaced by the Ottoman Empire (the predecessors of modern Turks), and Ottoman rule in Hebron lasted until the First World War. 
Hebron: Recent History
After the end of the war, in 1922, Hebron, along with all of Palestine and the territory of modern Jordan, under a League of Nations mandate, came under the British Mandate - British rule in the territory of the former Ottoman Empire. Both Arabs and Jews lived in Hebron. In 1936, after clashes between these population groups and subsequent pogroms against Jews, during which many Jews died, they were evicted from the city by the British. 
In May 1948, just a few hours before the end of the British Mandate, on the basis of the UN plan for the division of Palestine, the formation of the State of Israel was proclaimed in part of the country. Hebron, which was not part of this part, along with the rest of the West Bank was annexed to Jordan after the Jericho Conference in 1949.
During the 1967 war, Hebron and several other areas of the West Bank were occupied by Israel. And in 1968, 80 Jews under the leadership of Rabbi Moshe Levinger, contrary to the ban of the Israeli authorities, came to the city of Hebron, where they settled in one of the hotels, and later organized the Israeli settlement of Kiriyat Arba near Hebron.
Several Israeli settlements were established in the very center of Hebron, including:
Beit Gadasa (since 1979) – a residential building with 10 families living in it 
Beit Romano (since 1983) – religious school with 250 students
Tel Rumeida (since 1984) – residential building (15 families)
Beit Gasson – residential building (6 families)
Beit Kastel – residential building (1 family)
Beit Schneerson – residential building (6 families + kindergarten with 30 children)
Beit HaShisha (2000) – residential building (6 families)
and some others. (This information is taken from Wikipedia in German). The settlements are located in the city center and are home to a total of 500 to 800 Jews - armed religious fanatics, constantly guarded by the Israeli army. 
The temple (Cave of the Patriarchs) is divided into two parts, so that on one side Jews pray in it, and on the other, Muslim Arabs. The entrances to the Temple have been under the control of the Israeli army since on February 25, 1994, an Israeli fanatic, Baruch Goldstein, armed with a machine gun, burst into Al-Haram Ibrahimi during Muslim prayer and shot 29 Muslims praying there.
Russian Monastery of the Holy Trinity
At the end of the nineteenth century (1868), the Russian Spiritual Mission acquired a large plot of land in Hebron with a Mamre oak tree located on it. According to legend, under this tree Abraham met God, according to another interpretation - three angels-messengers of God. The oak tree is about five thousand years old. On this land a temple was built and the Russian monastery of the Holy Trinity was founded, which is still in operation today.
Modern Palestinian city of Hebron 
Today Hebron is the largest city in Palestine. Around the Old City, many of whose streets were closed due to their proximity to Jewish settlements (resulting in the abandonment of more than a thousand Palestinian homes and the closure of almost two thousand Palestinian shops and businesses), modern neighborhoods with numerous small factories and shops have grown. The city is home to Hebron University and the Polytechnic Institute. 
The city of Hebron is also a major commercial and industrial center of the country, accounting for approximately a third of Palestine's total gross product. The main turnover comes from the sale of marble mined here in quarries. Hebron is also famous for its limestone mining, glassblowing factories, shoe manufacturing and pottery making. The most famous dairy factory in Palestine, Aljnedi, is located here. In addition, the Hebron region specializes in growing grapes and figs.
After visiting the Egyptian Museum, we went to Khan al-Khalili, the largest market in Africa. Today it is more geared towards tourists, but still, plunging into the very heart of Cairo (without the close surveillance of security guards) was incredibly interesting.
We were dropped off near the Al-Hussein Mosque
The Sayedun Al-Hussein Mosque was built in 1154. It got its name in honor of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad Hussein ibn Ali, whose head, according to legend, was transferred to a mosque in Cairo in 1153 and for whose storage this sanctuary was built.
In addition, the mosque was founded on the cemetery of the Fatimid caliphs (I talked about them while walking around Fez -), which gave it the status of one of the holiest Islamic sites in Cairo. The mausoleum of 1154 has survived to this day.
The current building was built in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style. In addition to the head of Muhammad's grandson, the mosque houses several other holy Islamic artifacts, including the first complete manuscript of the Koran (the oldest).
As we see, people are partying in large numbers. Let's take a little walk too.
Khan el-Khalili is surrounded by a huge number of mosques. Here we see two more - Abu el-Dahab and the famous Al-Azhar
Like the Sultan Hassan Mosque, Abu el-Dahab was initially built as a madrasah, and in style imitated the Sinan Mosque in Bulak (a suburb of Cairo). This is the fourth mosque in Egypt built in the Ottoman architectural style.
I especially like the Katkhuda minaret here, with some bizarre shapes a la pots on top)
Unfortunately, as we see, two of the three minarets of the Al-Azhar mosque (the double minaret of al-Ghuri, Quaytbay and Akbakkhawiyya) are under restoration, and at the moment they have a very, very sad look...
Al-Azhar is the first mosque in Cairo (since called the "City of a Thousand Minarets"), built in 970. It was built by the fourth caliph of the Fatimid dynasty, Abu Tamim Ma'add al-Mu'izz Lidinillah (after whom the central street of Cairo Mu'izz, located nearby, is also named. We, alas, only managed to walk along it very partially, and I warmly recommend this opportunity to everyone devote much more time to it). It was during his reign that Fatimid forces under the command of Jauhar a-Sakali conquered Egypt and founded the new capital of the Caliphate, al-Qahira (Cairo).
I can talk about the mosque for a long time, but I don’t want to bore the grateful reader. We go out to the Sultan al-Gkhuri complex, consisting of a madrasah, khanqah, mausoleum, mosque and sabil-kuttab, and go, in fact, to the al-Khalili market.
Domes and minarets continue to accompany us)
The first minaret and dome is the complex of Sultan al-Ashraf Quyatbey, considered one of the most beautiful and complete works of Mamluk architecture (it is also depicted on the Egyptian one pound banknote)
Photographs here stubbornly defy. This is just some kind of Egyptian curse)
Moreover, on this day it was even quite sunny and without much smog...
What amazing houses here
A kind of unique levent - art deco
There are also more “traditional” houses.
For example, we saw many of these in the Jewish quarter of El Mlah in Fez -
Traders at El Khalili Market
We were offered to eat here at the Egyptian "pancakes".
They had nothing to do with pancakes, but the puff “malavakhs” with cheese were extremely tasty. We washed it all down with traditional Arabic coffee (photo of a local handsome guy is attached)
In a nutshell about the market - in the original there was a mausoleum of Turbat az-Zafaraan (the grave of Saffron), and the Fatimid caliphs were buried here. This place was also part of the Great Eastern Palace complex. In the 14th century, Sultan Barkuk destroyed the cemetery and mausoleum, and erected a caravanserai (Khan) in its place.
El-Khalili is often described in literature. One of the books by Naguib Mahfouz, the most famous Egyptian writer and the only one to receive a Nobel Prize, takes place here. Khan is also the center of the second book of Neal Stephenson's Baroque series.
Now here, as already mentioned, is the main tourist magnet of Cairo.
They even allow tourists to walk freely here. Which is a little strange, considering that in places much less “popular” and crowded, we walked with guards who did not allow us to even take a step to the right or left.
Finally - some photos of locals
As you can see, they sit calmly right on the sidewalks, and some even have picnics right on the spot)
The children are curiously colored)
People, by the way, are quite modern, despite “Islam”. Girls taking selfies
And they pose for the camera with great pleasure)
At first I was a little anxious - after all, you never know how people will react to trying to photograph them, especially in a country with conservative laws. But I showed them on camera, and the girls were so happy that I was even surprised.
In general, everything is as always. They say one thing, but in reality it is completely different. All the people are friendly and pleasant. What also struck me was that it was like being at the market, but no one was shouting, no nerves. They lure you into stores quietly and politely. It’s not even like an oriental bazaar. I hope they will restore this area (and generally raise the whole of Cairo a little) and it will be even more pleasant and interesting to come here to visit.
When leaving, we drove past the Egyptian Museum again -
This Saturday morning, despite a stormy night spent (at a housewarming party with friends), Katya and I woke up early. They woke up the Uritsky-Stav comrades who were sleeping in the next room, took comrade Zautner from the mountainous region of Haifa and moved south. For a hundred kilometers we were delighted with the Mediterranean Sea flashing here and there from behind the rocks, glistening in the morning sunlight. Less than an hour had passed before we met our friends Sasha and Slava near their house and moved into their roomy jeep. So the seven of us set off to the southwest, towards Mount Hebron. Soon the coastal lowland outside the window was replaced by a landscape of pine-covered Judean Mountains. Turning even further south, we were able to see, as we passed, the ruins of ancient settlements from the Canaanite, Greek and Roman periods, as well as picturesque meadows dotted with bright red anemones. It was as if some giant had splashed thousands of liters of blood on the grassy slopes... After the next turn, a building awaited us that did not fit into the flowery Levantine landscape - a huge concrete structure of the Tarcumia checkpoint, consisting of several barriers and army and border police posts.
The checkpoint marks the border between Israel and the occupied West Bank, where Israeli law applies only to Jews, and the indigenous Palestinian population is under the rule of a military commandant's office and has self-government in only a few major cities in the form of the Palestinian Authority. We were heading to one of these cities. To one of the most ancient cities of Palestine, the Levant and the entire planet, to El Khalil - Hebron. After passing the checkpoint, Vitaly noticed that at first glance, Palestine is no different from the state of Israel. But, driving closer to the suburbs of El Khalil, one could see a huge difference. On the left we noticed several dozen houses with tiled roofs, surrounded by a high fence with barbed wire. The entire complex was decorated with a concrete military post. This was the Jewish settlement of Telem, in which just over fifty families live.
After driving a little more, we turned right and entered the city of El Khalil. At the entrance, our attention was drawn to a concrete pillar on which hung a huge red sign, literally reading the following in Hebrew, Arabic and English: “Before you is the entrance to Palestinian Territory A, Israelis are prohibited from entering this territory. Entering there is against the law."
Al Khalil is the largest city under Palestinian Authority (PA) control and is very different from the main agricultural Palestinian area. It concentrated production and trade. While Ramallah is considered the political and cultural center of the West Bank, Al Khalil is recognized as the industrial center. Traditional crafts, such as ceramics, glassmaking, and the production of national keffiyeh scarves, as well as the textile and footwear industries, plastic and polyethylene production, are concentrated here.
From the moment you enter, the city strikes you with its bustle. When you see four-color Palestinian flags around, security forces dressed in smart uniforms, you immediately understand that you are in another state. One after another, there are restaurants in which barbecues are installed on the sidewalk (to attract passers-by with the smells of fresh barbecue), clothing stores, furniture stores, vegetable and butcher shops. In the latter you can see goods that are exotic to the Russian eye, such as, for example, camel neck.
Everyone has a different attitude towards such Middle Eastern bustle and hustle and bustle, but sometimes I really like to walk along such noisy, shopping market streets, look at the goods, buy something, chat with people.
About two kilometers after entering the city, Comrade Fahed was waiting for us, with whom we were planning a working meeting on, and in general getting to know each other - most of the comrades from our office had not yet met him then. Fahed speaks Russian very well, as he studied political technology for six years at VSU, in Voronezh. He kindly agreed to provide KTV with articles in Russian and is ready to help with translations of our materials. Fahed began working together so quickly that many, even before the trip, were familiar with him through common work on publications on the Internet.
Fahed jumped into the car as the eighth passenger and we immediately went looking for parking. After passing the Khalil Stadium, a beautiful university building and a couple of administrative buildings, we were able to find a place for a jeep and continued towards the old city on foot. While still in the car, during a long journey, some comrades expressed a desire to have a snack immediately upon arrival - due to the strong feeling of hunger, encouraged by the mind-blowing, mouth-watering Khalil smells. It was decided to stop at a small cafe on the second floor and order falafel, hummus and ful, traditional for the first half of the day in Palestine. For comrades not familiar with Arabic cuisine: falafel— crushed chickpea balls fried in oil with spices; hummus— boiled chickpea paste with the addition of sesame tehina, served with chickpea grains; ful- paste with grains from boiled Egyptian beans. Now, sitting at one large table, it was possible to get to know each other better. Everyone told a little about themselves, and we moved on to discussing projects and collaboration.
Having satisfied our hunger and chatted, we continued our journey to the old city. At some point, we noticed a large detachment of Palestinian police on duty in a wide area - this was the border of the territory under the control of the Palestinian security forces, and then the old city began, the so-called territory B, where administrative control of Palestinian citizens is exercised by the PA and military control by the Israeli army. In this part of the city, settler houses sit side by side with Palestinian houses, separated only by barbed wire and concrete barriers, and free passage of Palestinians is prohibited along the main street of the area, Shuhada.
Walking through the narrow streets of the old city, we immediately saw a metal mesh covering the streets from above. On it you can see everything that settlers throw at Arab passers-by: stones, bottles and all kinds of garbage, including used baby diapers, are buried there. The further we went into the old city, the more we saw closed shop doors and the more empty ancient buildings and deserted alleys accompanied us on our way. Many people left these places due to constant settler aggression, military presence, violence and danger. El Khalil City Hall is trying to encourage daredevils by deciding to stay, no matter what, in their homes and conduct trade. Residents of the old town are exempt from city and municipal taxes, and traders are supported by subsidies, allowing them to maintain fixed prices for goods, thereby attracting buyers from throughout the district.
So, while examining one of the border buildings, covered with barbed wire, we got into a conversation with a young man named Shadi, who said that he lived in this house and invited us for a cup of tea, to which we happily agreed. We climbed to the roof of the house where, about a year ago, a story was captured on camera: a settler climbed onto Shadi’s roof in order to tear down the Palestinian flag, but got entangled in the barbed wire and was left hanging in such a “suspended” state. To the logical question “what is he doing on Shadi’s roof?” the young religious Jew replied in broken Hebrew that, they say, all the roofs of him and the entire Jewish people are here.
Shadi described the attacks he and his family were subjected to. He showed us the scars on the face of his four-year-old daughter Zainab, whom the settlers threw a stone at, after which she lost consciousness and ended up in the hospital. He told about the incident with another daughter, who was sitting on the windowsill and a piece of paper accidentally fell on the settlers’ playground - and this caused an invasion of Shadi’s house by several armed soldiers, who promised that if anything else fell on the settlers’ territory, then his window will be filled with concrete. Shadi told us that he had repeatedly tried to have good neighborly relations with Jews, but every time in response to his polite greetings, curses and sometimes blows were rained down on him. It was hard for all of us to hear about such blatant injustice, and some could not hold back their tears.
One of the strongest impressions on me was the openness and good-natured attitude of the Shadi children. Despite all the hell they have gone through, they greet strangers with a sincere smile and cordiality.
After drinking a cup of tea, talking with Shadi and his family, and watching his videos, we continued our journey through El Khalil. After walking through a labyrinth of ancient narrow streets and alleys, we found ourselves in a place called the “mouse hole.” Indeed, we climbed into a dark, narrow hole in the wall, about one and a half meters high, then climbed a system of narrow spiral staircases and passages and finally found ourselves... on the roof of Mr. Al Masri, who also told us his story - how the settlers are trying to push him out of his house and how determined he is to defend his home. From its roof one could clearly see the part of the city that was occupied and cut off from the main part by settlers. Right under the roof, Fahed recognized a store he knew from childhood, which once belonged to his family - but now found itself on the territory of the settlement.
Having descended from the roof, we continued our journey towards the Ibrahim Mosque (cave of the forefathers). Having crossed the Israeli army checkpoint, which consisted of a booth with soldiers, a metal fence and a turntable, we found ourselves in the square in front of the mosque, but decided not to go inside - at the entrance we had to go through another military check, and we didn’t want to violate the sanctity of this place with our atheistic presence. 🙂 I’ll just add that, according to biblical legend, the family of Ibrahim (Abraham) lived in this place and this place is sacred to both Islam and Judaism. In this mosque on February 25, 1994, terrorist settler Goldstein shot Muslims praying, killing 29 of them...
Turning around and walking back into the labyrinth of the old city, we encountered a very strange phenomenon. A large group of apparently religious settlers, surrounded by an equal number of armed soldiers and police, paraded through a Palestinian market. The explosiveness of this situation was felt in the air, which in a matter of seconds could provoke a conflict with local residents, and it could escalate into violence and aggression. We would have happily bypassed this procession, but there was no other way. We decided to wait until everyone had passed and calmly continue on our way.
This time there was no escalation, and we calmly reached the city center. Despite the fact that the sun was setting to rest, and we were quite tired, we could not refuse Fahed’s invitation and went to his house for a cup of coffee. The Maharmeh family has a shoe factory on the ground floor, and the family's main activities are concentrated there. The whole family is involved in shoe production, except for Fahed, who works in the Palestinian Ministry of Information, and his brother, who is a doctor. After drinking coffee, we met Fahed's father, as well as his brothers and nephews. We also got acquainted with the details and nuances of the production of leather shoes, and Katya and Alisa liked some models so much that Fahed’s brother, Firas, had to unpack the batch ready for shipment in order to sell us two pairs of beautiful and high-quality leather boots. 🙂
Having finally tasted the delicious Palestinian equivalent of our cabbage rolls, produced by the Maharmeh family, under the strict guidance of Fahed (by phone), we set out on the long journey back, full of mixed impressions and ready to work together with a new comrade!
from Dima Zarkha.
Cairo is a dirty, poor, noisy, smelly, overpopulated city... you can list the disadvantages of the Egyptian capital as much as you like, but they all lose their meaning when you get to the Khan El Khalili bazaar.
I have already written that some places in Cairo evoke an irresistible desire to return here again and again. And even among these places, Khan El Khalili occupies a special position. You don’t just want to come back here, you can’t leave here!
Who is Khan El Khalili?
This is a classic Arabian east, a medieval city, exotic, a fairy tale that has become reality. This is the most colorful, most authentic bazaar, occupying several blocks in the center of old Cairo.
Khan El Khalili is one of the main attractions of the Egyptian capital. But what do the sights usually look like? A beautiful ancient building (park, complex, excavations), restored from the foundation to the spire on the roof, stuffed with hidden cameras and signs “do not touch”, “do not take photographs”, “do not enter”, through which tourists with headphones in their ears move in organized groups and iPhones on selfie sticks.
What does Khan El Khalili look like? Several blocks of ancient buildings that have not seen renovation for the last 200 years, in which people live. Between the buildings is a labyrinth of cramped streets crammed with shops, stalls and stalls. Women in burqas and carrying baskets of fruit on their heads move silently along the cobbled alleys. Men in holobeys and turbans sit in their shops on camel hair rugs, and children run barefoot through the streets.
The shops sell spices in bags, handmade tin products, gold jewelry, fabrics and perfumes by the glass. Buyers bargain for every piastre, and sellers smoke hookahs and drink strong black tea from small glasses.
And this is how Khan El Khalili has looked for the last 700 years! Can you imagine this? This is a real time machine. The shoe shine profession is still alive here!
Story
Khan El Khalili was founded at the end of the 13th century. At that time, it was one caravanserai where traders traveling between East and West stayed. Gradually, the caravanserai became overgrown with shops and shopping arcades until it turned into one of the largest markets in the Middle East.
The name Khan El Khalili appeared during the reign of Sultan El Khalili, who built a large warehouse here at the end of the 14th century. In those days, caravans of camels loaded with various goods came to Khan El Khalili every day, traders shared news, made deals, rested with women, traded slaves here and started conspiracies against the government.
It's hard to believe, but today almost nothing has changed. Except that traders began to use cars in addition to camels.
Nowadays
The bazaar is open around the clock. During the day, trading is active here, and, as expected in any eastern market, different quarters of the bazaar belong to different craftsmen. On one street there are tanners, on another there are minters, on a third there are sellers of Egyptian glass, on the fourth there are antique shops, and so on. Part of the market has been attacked by lovers of Chinese consumer goods, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself on the street filled with plastic slippers and cheap T-shirts.
Not all stores close at night, because buyers come here even in the dark. In addition, many people come to Khan El Khalili to sit in one of the local cafes. They are unusually colorful and often consist of chairs lined up right next to the wall of one of the narrow alleys. The menu here includes only soft drinks, oriental sweets and hookahs. Men selling small trinkets and women offering henna designs on their hands make their way among the visitors.
I admit honestly, I am re-reading what I have already written, and I understand that no words can convey the incredible atmosphere, the fantastic energy of this place, where for centuries people from all over the world have been flocking to trade, relax and hit the road again.
If one day you are in Cairo and you only have the opportunity to visit one attraction in this city, I advise you to choose Khan El Khalili without hesitation. You will not see such an east anywhere else.
Well, if you don’t have the opportunity to visit the Khan El Khalili bazaar, but you want to plunge into the atmosphere of the ancient Arab world, then I recommend reading the books of the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz (they are in Russian), in particular “The Cairo Trilogy”. Naguib Mahfouz describes Khan el Khalili and the life of its inhabitants much better than me!:)
Write in the comments if you have been to Khan El Khalili and what impressions did you have?
There are markets in every country in the world, but only a few of them are a special place for both local residents and tourists. Such places include Khan el-Khalili - the most important trading place not only in Cairo, but throughout Egypt. Here you can buy everything you want and even more.
Description and history
Cairo's Khan El Khalili Market was founded in the Middle Ages by Emir Karkas El Khalili. At the moment, this place is the largest street trading platform in Egypt and the entire Middle East - its area is about 5 thousand square meters. m. The market is located in the area of old Cairo, not far from it is the Al-Hussein Mosque.
The first mention of this bazaar is found in sources in 1292. At that time, Khan el-Khalili was essentially a caravanserai - a trading place where shopkeepers could have lunch and relax after a hard day. Historians associate the modern name of the bazaar with the name of the warehouse built here in 1382. At the beginning of the 16th century, the market was rebuilt, and since then there have been narrow winding streets of tanners, furniture makers, minters, coppersmiths, silversmiths, and spice sellers.
Today Khan el-Khalili is a place revered not only by tourists, but also by Egyptians. People come here not so much to shop, but to fully immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of an oriental bazaar with its exoticism, noise, smells and variety of goods on offer. Whenever you come to this place, it will always attract you with the brightness of colors and the noise of a medieval Arab city.
What to buy in Khan al-Khalili
The Khan el-Khalili market, despite its relatively small size, is distinguished by its enormous trade saturation. The numerous rows of this oriental bazaar are located at a very short distance from each other and, in addition, are located one above the other. The top row forms a kind of second floor.
Egypt's largest market, Khan el-Khalili, combines an amazing atmosphere and the opportunity to buy a variety of oriental goods. This bazaar is famous for its decorative handicrafts. Here you can buy national Egyptian clothing, fabrics, jewelry, as well as dishes, rugs, camel pillows and home textiles of excellent quality. At the market they buy spices, hookahs, Cairo lamps, perfumes with subtle aromas, and various souvenirs - from alabaster figurines to papyrus scrolls.
Among the huge number of alleys of Khan el-Khalili there are small cafes where you can try unusual Egyptian cuisine, as well as drink traditional drinks and smoke hookah. For example, the Fishawi Coffee cafe was opened back in 1773, but it has not closed its doors to this day.
Most shops in Khan el-Khalili have a fixed price for goods. Of course, you can bargain here, but you shouldn’t count on a significant discount - you’re unlikely to be able to reduce the price by more than 10%.
Note to tourists
The Khan el-Khalili market is open late and closes only around 2 am, and some cafes, shops and stalls do not close at all. On major holidays (for example, New Year or Ramadan), the bazaar is fully open until dawn.
While vacationing in Egypt, be sure to visit this amazing place. Only on Khan el-Khalili there is a chance to feel the unique spirit of the ancient Arab city, get a lot of positive emotions and make a lot of useful and pleasant purchases.
