Khan El-Khalili is a well-known market in Egypt. It is situated in El-Hussin district near the center of Cairo, south of the Al-Azhar Mosque. Originally, this site was dedicated to a mausoleum known as Az-zafran Tomb. In 970 AD, Gawhar Al-Siqilli founded the burial site of the Fatimid caliphs in Cairo. Gawhar Al-Siqilli was the general who conquered Egypt for the Fatimid dynasty. 

History of Khan El Khalili

Egypt suffered from the Black Death (plague) during the reign of Barquq. However, during the first Burji Mamluk Sultan in the late 14th century, people constructed many commercial and religious buildings at the Khan El Khalili. The prince El Sharif Jaharkas Al-Khalili, was the largest trader in the era of Sultan Barquq in 1400 AD. El Sharif Jaharkas Al-Khalili destroyed the Fatimid cemetery. He also removed the bones of the Fatimid royal family into the rubbish hills east of the city. Then, he built a large caravansary (خان – khan) at the same place. Khan El Khalili is a building for the rest and stay for merchants and their goods.

Mameluke built many monumental religious complexes. Then, it became the major center of foreign trade. It included the sale of slaves and precious stones in the 15th century. We know that Sultan Al-Ghori, the last Mamluk sultan in Egypt, demolished the old khan built by Jaharkas Al-Khalili. Afterwards, he reconstructed it as a commercial complex with monumental gates, a grid of regular parallel and perpendicular streets. People used it for selling the most precious goods.

Today, Khan El-Khalili is full of merchants and shops for tourists specifically for handicrafts and souvenirs. You will find everything you need. As they sell statuettes, antiques, spices, souvenirs, silver jewelry, t-shirts, jalabiyas, belly dancing costumes, toy camels and alabaster pyramids. Usually, most shops and markets open from around 9:00 AM to around 8:00 PM. However, on Friday, they start working after Friday prayer. Plenty of the souvenir vendors and gift shops close on Sunday.

That is all about Khan El Khalili bazaar