| When in Rome, do as the Romans and when in | | | | almost every shape, size and color. Visit the glass |
| Egypt? If it's shopping, there's only one place to | | | | factories in Shobra el-Khema for a feel of how |
| go for shopping 'under one roof'. The Khan el-Khalili | | | | these bottles are made. These bottles may look |
| in Cairo. Of course, if looking for alabaster, Luxor's | | | | fragile but those made of genuine Pyrex are |
| the place to visit. If you want to experience the | | | | generally quite durable. |
| full onslaught of Egyptian shopping, it must be at | | | | When in Egypt, how can we forget papyrus? |
| The Khan. | | | | Papyrus artwork comes in all forms and sizes. At |
| As in most bazaars, or souks as they're also | | | | the Khan, you will have a hard time deciding on |
| called in Egypt, you must put your bargaining skills | | | | these beautiful creations. Don't forget, the artist |
| to the test. If you do prefer to shop in the | | | | always signs on hand-painted papyrus. Visit the |
| stores, some may impose fixed prices. The | | | | street outside the Egyptian Antiquities Museum as |
| selection at The Khan is endless. | | | | you may find them costing less. |
| Tee-shirts made of Egyptian cotton can be found | | | | You may not find a wider range of Water pipes |
| at affordable prices almost everywhere. They | | | | elsewhere. Water pipes you say? They are |
| make great souvenirs, easy to pack and are light | | | | hookahs or glass water pipes used for smoking. |
| to carry. Egyptian cotton is well known for being | | | | Trust me you may have a problem with the large |
| soft and longer lasting. Browse for towels, bed | | | | selection. When packing, don't forget the bubble |
| sheets, shower robes or just cotton cloths to | | | | wraps which are best to keep your purchase in |
| turn into your fancy. The 3 main districts which | | | | one piece. |
| specialize in Egyptian cotton are Wekalet El Balah, | | | | More often than not, shopping is gut-feel. You |
| Al Azhar Street and El Sadd Street with | | | | may bargain over an item at The Khan and end |
| thousands more around the country. | | | | up with an inferior product than one bought at a |
| The Khan provides a huge variety from spices to | | | | fixed-price outlet. This is always a risk we take at |
| jewellery. One of my favorites are the famous | | | | bazaars but hey, no one says you may not end |
| glass perfume bottles. You can find bottles of | | | | up with a star-quality buy. |