Cairo - Shopping

Shopping in Cairo can be great fun, veering from tourist souvenirs of alabaster pyramids and toy camels to traditional crafts of hand-blown glass, jewellery and traditional perfume oils. Haggling is a way of life, especially in the bazaars.

Markets
King of souks is Khan el-Khalili in Islamic Cairo, a world-famous attraction. Labyrinthine alleyways cram tiny shops with goodies including silks, spices, jewellery, hand-made leather shoes and perfumes. On its outskirts, Sharia Muski packs in household essentials like towels, toys and crockery. Stallholders will try to grab your attention, but its easy to politely decline and walk on by.

Shopping centres
Malls arent a huge part of Cairos shopping scene, but The First Mall, 35 Sharia Giza, houses over 60 designer boutiques, including brands such as Prada, Dior and Yves St Laurent. Catering for middle-class Cairenes, mega mall Citystars, Aly Rashad St, Heliopolis, houses international names such as Miss Sixty.

Key areas
Khan el-Khalili has streets dedicated to specific trades, for example the Street of Coppersmiths for engraved brass trays, and Souq as-Sagha. The sidestreet behind Al Azhar Moque is filled with bookbinders, where hand-bound leather notebooks or photo albums can be customised at Abdel-Zaher Bookshop, 31 El-Sheikh Mohamed Abdou St. Zamalek is where the smart locals head for stylish fashions and top jewellery. A little further out, spacious Dokki, easily accessed by the underground, has smart boutiques.

Shopping hours
Normal opening hours are Monday to Saturday 0900-2000, closing in summer between roughly 1230-1600. Tourist shops often stay open later. During Ramadan, stores may close for Iftar (breaking the fast) and stay open later in the evening.