Khan el-Khalili

The great bazaar of medieval Cairo

Le Caire

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The vibe

Lanterns, spices, copperware and perfumes: Khan el-Khalili is the beating heart of historic Cairo. Around the bazaar, al-Muizz Street is lined with Mamluk mosques, madrasas and palaces, and cafés serve mint tea late into the night.

Good to know

Climb to the top of Bab Zuweila gate: its minarets offer a rare view over the rooftops and domes of old Cairo.

When to go

Late afternoon, then in the evening when al-Muizz Street is lit up.

Getting there

Taxi or Uber to al-Hussein Mosque; Bab El Shaaria metro station (Line 3) is nearby.

The story

How the neighbourhood came to be

The bazaar was founded in 1382 by Emir Jaharkas al-Khalili on the site of a former Fatimid palace. Al-Muizz Street, the main axis of the city founded in 969, is now an open-air museum of Islamic architecture and a World Heritage Site.

Did you know?

1El Fishawy café, in the bazaar, has been serving tea since the 18th century.
2Novelist Naguib Mahfouz, Nobel laureate in 1988, set several of his novels in these lanes.

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