Khan el-Khalili isn't just a bazaar — it's an entire world. A labyrinth of narrow lanes, thousands of shops, smells of spices and leather, cries of merchants, clinking copper vessels — here Cairo is as it was centuries ago. The bazaar has existed since the 14th century and remains the heart of the old city.

Bazaar History

Khan el-Khalili was founded in 1382 by Emir Djaharks el-Khalili as a caravanserai — a place where merchants could stay, store goods, and conduct trade. Gradually shops, workshops, and coffee houses grew around it, and the caravanserai became Cairo's largest market.

During ...