You have crossed half of Cairo along al-Muski Street and plunged into the maze. Listen: haggling, hammers on copper, tea sellers balancing their trays. Khan el-Khalili has sounded like this for more than six centuries.

1A bazaar on a tomb

A khan was a building for merchants, with storerooms below and lodgings above. This one was founded between 1382 and 1389 by Jaharkas al-Khalili, master of the horse to Sultan Barquq. To make room for it he demolished the mausoleum of the Fatimid caliphs and, according to al-Maqrizi, had their bones thrown onto the rubbish mounds east of the city.

Around 1511 Sultan al-Ghuri rebuilt the complex. Bab al-Badistan, the great stone gate that still leads into one of the lanes, dates from that time.

2Coffee and novels

In a narrow passage you will find El Fishawy, a café of mirrors and brass tables that, according to the family that owns it, opened in the late 18th century. The Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, who grew up in this district, was a regular for years and set his novels ‘Khan al-Khalili’ and ‘Midaq Alley’ (1947) in the area.

Next to the bazaar rises the al-Hussein Mosque. According to tradition, it holds the head of al-Husayn, the Prophet's grandson, brought from Ascalon in 1153.

Take your time here: the best part of the bazaar is getting a little lost.

3What to look for

  • Bab al-Badistan, with its Mamluk inscription.
  • The mirrors of El Fishawy café.
  • The workshops where brass is chased in full view.

Documented

Jaharkas al-Khalili founded the khan between 1382 and 1389 on the site of the Fatimid mausoleum, and al-Ghuri rebuilt it around 1511.

Oral tradition

That the al-Hussein Mosque holds the head of the Prophet's grandson is a traditional belief; the transfer of the relic from Ascalon in 1153 is documented.

Sources and credits

Al-Maqrizi, ‘Khitat’ (15th century); André Raymond, ‘Le Caire’ (1993); Naguib Mahfouz, ‘Midaq Alley’ (1947).

Photos:

Spotted a mistake? Drop us a line and we’ll look into it.