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13 May 2010
2232 (GMT +3)
Giza, Egypt
So last night a few students decided it would be fun to check out the
Khan al-Khalili. Having nothing else really to do with my time, I decided to join them. If you ever get the chance to go....pass.
Well, maybe not so fast there.
For those who may not be aware, the
Khan al-Khalili - or simply the
Khan - is one of the oldest and largest bazaars in the Middle East. According to my guidebook, the original
Khan was built in 1328. Since then, it has vastly outgrown its original boundaries, incorporating many of the nearby markets and
souqs, and taking up several city blocks. Located on the Cairo side of the river in Islamic Cairo, the
Khan is a major tourist attraction, and a popular place for people to come pick up souvenirs. One can find just about anything and everything there, and all prices are, of course, negotiable. Thankfully, I went with no intention to buy anything, but rather to make a good reconnoiter in case of a future trip.
As it was my first time visiting the
Khan, I had no real idea where
we were going or how to get around. Thankfully, my companions had all been there before, so they knew exactly where to go. Almost. The taxi dropped us off at the edge of the market, next to what seemed to be a very busy street, and we gradually made our way into the labyrinth that is the
Khan al-Khalili.
I've heard that walking through the
Khan at any time of day is quite an adventure at no extra charge, and walking at night did not disappoint. From the moment that we projected the slightest inclination that we would be entering the market, we were solicited - dare I say, hustled - by everyone we met. Everyone invited us into their shops, and every shop advertised better product and cheaper prices than the rest. Some of the solicitations were quite interesting, and I can only think that this must be somewhat akin to what a pretty woman sitting alone in a bar must put up with - the various pickup lines, each of increasing absurdity.
"Hello, welcome. I am so happy to see you. Please, come in and take a look. I have everything you need."
"No, no,
Stella
A fine domestic beer. don't go in there. I have much better prices over here."
"Welcome back, you thought I wouldn't recognize you!"
Sorry. You must have me confused with someone else.
"You were here yesterday."
I assure you I wasn't. Trust me, I would remember.
As we walked by, people would ask where we were from. No matter what the answer, that person either had traveled there, or had family there.
One that was particularly intriguing was when someone called out, "My friend, how can I take your money? Please, tell me how I can take your money." Upon reflecting on it later, one of my companions admitted, in jest, that he had contemplated replying "You can pry it from my cold, dead hand." And this is the guy from New Zealand.
An Arabic phrases that is most useful in these situations is
laa, shukran - no, thank you. This phrase must be printed in all the tourist books, because it seemed as though people at the
Khan hear it a lot, for they always seem to have something to say after.
As we wound our way through the streets and alleys - which are quite narrow and tend to clog easily when you add a few busloads of people, stopping on their way to the pyramids - we somehow went off course. I admit that I may have had a hand in this, as eventually I became less interested in the
sheesha pipes and plastic obelisks, and instead became interested in this 13th Century mosque around which much of the market is built. I thought it would be great fun to find our way around to the front of this mosque, to get a better look at it. We were unsuccessful in this endeavor, and eventually found ourselves not where we wanted to be. We took a turn that we felt would lead us back in the correct direction, but this was only a dark alley. A young boy of about ten pulled up on a bike and said "No go. No go," pointing in the opposite direction. Roger that, kid. So, the tip of the day is when a kid on a bike tells you not to go in a certain direction, it's probably best to just turn around and retrace your steps. I was never quite so happy to see fake papyrus and plastic obelisks again.
Deciding it was time for a sit down, we went to an area in which about a dozen cafes are stacked, one after the other. I was surprised to see that the level of competition was the same here as it was inside the
Khan itself. Again, the moment you look as though you could be keen on a cup of coffee, a dozen people rush you and try to lead you over to their shop which, of course, has the best coffee around. Tables are frantically set and arranged, and customers are seated. I was also surprised to see that the bargaining did not stop here either. They brought us out a menu, and I was shocked to see a cup of tea at 20 EGP, plus a 15%!s(MISSING)ervice charge. The tea they serve is nothing exotic either, it is Lipton tea. In fact, every cup of tea that I've had thus far in Egypt has been Lipton. The average cup of Lipton tea normally goes for about 5-10 EGP. So, after some discussion, we were able to agree on 10 EGP for drinks, and no service charge.
Having had just about enough adventure for one night, we decided to catch a taxi to downtown, just north of the
Midan Tahrir where there is a very pleasant cafe/bar. We sat for a while and enjoyed some Stella - not Artois - a domestic Egyptian beer that is actually quite good. The best part is that a 500ml bottle cost us 13 EGP. At a current exchange rate of about 5.49 EGP/USD, I'll let you do the math for yourselves. In any event, it was much better than our 10 EGP cup of Lipton tea, and I didn't even have to haggle with the guy.
All joking aside, the
Khan is definately an interesting and historical place, and amidst all the fake papyrus and plastic obelisks, there is actually some good stuff to be found. There is some amazingly beautiful gold and silver jewelry, and a few shops where the metals are shaped and crafted right there. There are some very handsome chess sets made out of various types of materials, some beautiful inlaid boxes. And it should go without saying that there is some good Egyptian cotton as well.
So, I suppose a trip to the
Khan al-Khalili is worth taking....once....perhaps in the daytime next time.
-MG
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