Khan el-Khalili bazaar Site Features

The bazaar is organized loosely by trade — separate sections historically specialized in gold and jewelry, spices, perfumes, brassware and copperware, and textiles, a structure that's still recognizable today even as tourist souvenir stalls have spread throughout. El Fishawy, one of Cairo's oldest continuously operating coffeehouses, has served customers in the bazaar since the 18th century and remains a popular stop for mint tea or Turkish coffee amid the market's activity.

The bazaar was also a favorite haunt of Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, who set scenes of his novels here and was a regular at several of its cafés — a detail that adds a literary dimension to a visit for those familiar with his work.