TOURING EGYPT: Khan el-Khalili
Dear Foodie Fam,
This is actually outside the Bazaar- Mu'izz Ladin al-Fatimi, one of the oldest Cairo streets.
The Khan el-Khalili Bazaar (خان الخليلي) dates back to the 14th century. It was where the Fatimid caliph was buried. Now it is the most chaotic place I have ever been!
It's touristy but still has lots of beautiful fine goods. It also has everyday goods locals shop for. Every stall seems to sell every thing you could need- pajamas for your children, a case for your phone, lingerie and a strainer for your vegetables at the same place… a supermarket in stalls, not aisles... open until the early morning.
There’s a million things happening and million people getting it done. Every person walks every route imaginable and yet, everyone seems to have memorized that infinitely intwined dance down to a millisecond. No one bumps into each other- not a child playing tag, not a huffing puffing vendor pulling an oversized dolly of goods, not two huffing puffing vendors pulling oversized dollies of goods past each other in a 6 foot wide walking space!
I don't care where you say you were Christmas Eve or Black Friday: You never A) braved shopping crowds until you've been here B) met any persistent salespeople until you've walking the winding aisles or C) haggled until you've bought something, here.
I got a Sekhmet miniature statue for my sister-in-law from this very persistent and friendly salesman. I haggled at 4 other stalls before I was happy with a price! It's common to be given a free little scarab bead to sweeten deals. Here's mine!
Oh, haggling!
Here's our tips:
Know the exchange rate, ahead of time.
Know what you want before you shop. Research beforehand to find what sorts of goods Egypt has that you want. Then, research the prices you can expect to pay for that good in the US and in Egypt.
Know your numbers in Arabic. I cannot stress how helpful this is! It's more enjoyable for vendors and for you when you haggle in Arabic. Vendors will treat you more favorably because of your respect. It will also be harder for the crooked ones to scheme in front of you (but in all fairness, we didn't meet many of these). Sometimes, you may find a vendor who does not speak great English. Knowing Arabic numbers assures you aren't limited in what you want to buy!
Start high. Think three steps higher than your dream price. Do not offer less than three price tiers.
When you reach a stall: walk away. If you've done your job, the vendor will offer you another and usually much better price as you walk away!
You may be offered tea if you are expecting to really haggle a bit. It's a cultural sign of friendship- not a bribe. Don't feel obligated to buy if a vendor offers tea.
Know most of the same souvenir-y objects are sold at other stalls in the bazaar.
Bring cash AND separate it into wads of money in your pockets beforehand. Keep them within reach to avoid pulling out all your cash and counting what you have in front of the vendor! What a dead giveaway!
There's edible stuff, too! If you're on the go like us, there's food walking past you all the time. Sometimes it's rushing past in droves. There's also cafes and what's hailed as Cairo's finest coffee, here (Al Fishawy- oldest café in Cairo). There's also a lot of shisha, if you're into that.
No shopping experience can ever set me off after this. I have ran the gauntlet.
At one exit of the Bazaar. Hey, good luck finding your UBER!
