Tourist Shopping Advise in Egypt
The Souks, or the local markets, along with the larger bazaars are among the most remarkable attractions of Egypt. Anyone will tell you that the most famous and the largest bazaar in Egypt is the Khan El Khalili Market, in the Hussein District in Cairo.
This 500-year-old maze of streets, lanes, stores, and shops occupies the center of Islamic Cairo and forms one of the most famous tourist markets in the world.
When first stepping foot in Khan El Khan El Khalili, you will want to start looking at souvenirs to take home. But you may want to wait!
However, if guests explore the lanes and narrow streets of the bazaar they will find small workshops producing wonderful jewelry, glass, copper, and brass-ware.
Egypt has many other remarkable markets all over different cities and several regions, like the markets of Alexandria, Portsaid, and since it is a tax-free zone. Also Luxor touristic and local markets, Aswan touristic markets, and many other markets in Cairo and all over Egypt.
One of the most important tactics that tourists, or even Egyptians, must learn before shopping in one of these markets, especially the touristy ones, is how to bargain and how to negotiate in order to get the best price. Bargaining has always been a craft in itself, in many countries from all over the world, and it is the art of getting the storekeeper sell you the finest products with the best prices possible through a number of known techniques. This is in contrast to the traditional nature of the local markets, or the souks as they call them in Arabic, many larger cities in Egypt like Cairo and Alexandria have some large malls and shopping centers like City Stars, Nile Hilton Mall, Nile Mall, and Geneina Mall in Cairo, San Stefano Mall, Zahran Mall, and Grand Plaza Mall in Alexandria where globally recognized brand names can be found in a much elegant atmosphere for shopping.
Markets in Egypt
Local markets can be found in almost every district in Egypt, away from the touristic bazaars like Khan El Khalili in Cairo and the touristic bazaars of Luxor, Aswan, Sharm El Sheikh, and Hurghada. These local markets are interesting places to buy fruits, vegetables, cotton products, more at quite a cheap price.
In Cairo for example, the “Tawfikeya” Market is located downtown near the 26th of July Street. The stores and street vendors in this area open until the early morning hours and they sell almost everything. Another, even more, interesting example of these markets, is the Friday market held near the citadel on Fridays, afternoon and the Friday prayer.
The Friday market is specified for second-hand objects, animals, birds, and many other several products that are brought from all over Cairo and from all regions of Egypt.
In Alexandria, there is another example of remarkable local markets known as the “Attarine” Market that sells all sorts of antiques in a maze of narrow lanes and streets.
El Arish, located in Northern Sinai, has a wonderful weekly market that is held every Thursday when many Bedouins from all over Sinai come to present their handmade goods to the people visiting the market.
The markets and bazaars of Egypt offer the tourists a large wonderful collection and mix of products, souvenirs, and gifts to choose from. However, the quality of the products sold may vary greatly from one place to another and the prices as well. This is why the guests should be ready for a long bargain process in many cases.
The Shisha, the traditional Egyptian waterpipes, a large collection of backgammon boards, decorative boxes, and many other handicrafts made by local artisans are spread all over the touristic markets in Egypt.
The Shisha is most definitely one of the best items to buy while in Egypt. It is a fixture in every coffee house. However, a wonderful traditional Egyptian waterpipe would make a magnificent gift too. Decorated with a stainless steel or brass fittings, the Shisha a special tobacco that is packaged in a clay pot. Other great items are the chess and backgammon sets. These sets can be of varying quality with the cheaper ones being crudely made and contain little if no inlays.
The better sets of chess or backgammon, which are quite popular among the Egyptians, are made out of hardwood from the finest types and inlaid with marvelous designs of mother-of-pearl, bones, ivory, and many other substances.
Sandals, bags, and shoes are also great purchases. Purely leather made sandals and bags can be found in many touristic markets in Egypt like Khan El Khalili as well as the markets of Luxor, Aswan, and Sharm El Sheikh.
Egypt is also famous for its glass products, like the hand blown Muski, as they call it in the country, is uniquely Egyptian and they are fashioned into plates, vases, glasses, and candle holders. There are some marvelous pottery products as well with very good prices in almost all touristic markets in Egypt.
Many tourists who travel to Egypt are found with the Bedouins and their products. Among the most attractive Bedouin, handmade products in Egypt are the Bedouin jewelry which traditionally comes from the Sinai Peninsula and the Siwa Oasis and often utilizes a lot of coins in its design. Other designs include Pharaonic, Islamic, and Nubian motifs.
Copper is among the many substances that the Egyptian workers are skillful at using. There is a whole area in Cairo called the “Nahaseen” where the copper makers specialize in producing all sorts of copper products.
Moreover, a wide range of copper and brass goods are sold in many markets and stores all around Egypt. The products include Arabian coffeepots, trays, and hanging lamps.
Since the Egyptian cotton is famous worldwide for being the best type of the globe, buying any cotton made products would be a good choice in Egypt. Many shops, found in touristic and local markets and in large shopping malls sell pure cotton made shirts, trousers, and the famous traditional Galabeya, the Egyptian loose all in one robe. There are also some nice scarves, bed sheets, and bed covers sold almost everywhere in Egypt.
Belly dancing outfits and accessories are also a popular product to be bought from Egypt. With its shining and colorful clothes and a huge variety of accessories, the belly dancing outfits would make a wonderful gift for grownups and children as well. The popular touristic souvenirs in Egypt include a huge collection of reproductions of almost all shapes of Pharaonic gods as well as major kings and queens of ancient Egypt. These objects are made out of alabaster, mother of pearl, ivory, and ebony, and they are sold at almost any touristic market or any historical site in Egypt. Although these products are wonderful and would make the perfect souvenir to take back home from Egypt, bargaining is still necessary for buying such products.