Day
9: Coptic Cairo, Traditional Lunch, Tea at Fishawy's, Khan Inlay Box Maker, Copper Factory, Hanging Lamps, Statue Shops, Semi-Precious Stones, Glasshouse, Cotton Street, Bab Zuwiela Tent Market Cotton Applique, Whirling Dervishes
DAY 9 - PART 1 of 2
Continued to Day 9b>>>> Semi Precious Stones, Statues and Cotton Applique
Musing: Where do Tourists Buy souvenirs?
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When On Bus Tours - at the sites, in shops chosen by guide or from guide bag (provided by tour operators)
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Travelers on their own - at sites and shops in hotels and on streets near hotels
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Travelers with Guides - sites, shops and markets (guide may choose shops for extra commission)
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On boat tours - boat souvenir shop and jewelry, stalls at docks at sites, shops chosen by guide en route to sites
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Holiday package hotel guests - concierge, shops and on guided tours.
This morning Coptic Cairo -
Coptic Hanging church - a square building built using a round tower as the foundation. The round base was part of fortification built by the Romans. There is a metro station right in front of the hanging church!
Eman at Entrance to Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo.
Hossam Inside Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo.
We had lunch at an oriental restaurant in the Khan. Dolmadies, chicken livers with rice, pidgeon, etc. tummy not good so ate little. What I did eat was very good!
Tea at Fishawy.
While waiting for our scheduled meeting for the guided tour with Sayd, Eman and I wandered back to the antique store we visited before. Then we stopped by a galss store and picked through beads.
Shopping in Egypt - Khan el Khalilli - Glass Beads |
Click to see larger picture.
Click for More Pictures of Souvenirs. |
Where: Glasshouse at 6 el Salhia Khan El Khalili. Near to Salhia Gate
Who: The Vendor is Mohamed Sayed Arafa .
Contact: Shop Phone: 2590-4550 -- Mobile Phone in Egypt - 0114049248
Vendor Story: Chief sales person: Abdo. Selling glass vases, bottle, hanging lamps, beads, drinking glasses, and table lamps of glass decorated globes.
Souvenirs: A half Kilo of Glass Beads |
Seyd Mahmoud Abd el Tawap was our guide tonight. He spent the whole evening showing us the mother of pearl inlay box maker shop, copper makers, the shaped stones factory and the needle/cotton area. The needle/cotton area is the street leading down to the Bab Zuwaila that we drove up the wrong way with our driver on our first trip in 1989.
Seyd Mahmoud Abd el Tawap is our Guide.
Seyd has two shops in the Khan el Khalili. First we visited Shahd Bazar.
Shopping in Egypt - Khan el Khalili - Pharonic Statues |
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Click for More Pictures of Souvenirs. |
Where: Shahd Bazar - Khan el Khalili
Who: The Vendor is Seyd Mahmoud Abd el Tawap.
Contact: Shahd Bazar
Vendor Story: Shahd Bazar One of three statues shops in the Khan owned by Seyd Mahmoud Abd el Tawap in the Khan. He and Ekhramy served as guides for us to visit workshops that are tucked away in the Khan in upstair rooms.
Souvenirs: Pharonic Statues in stone and resin. |
Joan sitting in Shahd Bazar
Practically everyone has seen the beautiful mother of pearl boxes that are souvenirs of Egypt. Sayd took us to the store and factory of Seyd Nabil Ahmed El Tablawy.
Made in Egypt - Mother of Pearl Inlay Boxes |
Click to see larger picture.
Click for More Pictures of Workshop. |
Where: 5 Wkalet el Cotton, Khan el Khalili
Who: The Artist is Seyd Nabil Ahmed El Tablawy.
Contact: Phone Cairo 2786-4148, Mobile 0103107903
Artist Story: Makes the beautiful mother of pearl inlad boxes, trays, picture frames, plaques, Koran reading tables and just about anything else. The work is done by first building the box or platform, then creating thousand of small pieces of mother of pearl and wooden geometic shapes which are inlaid on the surface one at a time, in hundred of intricate designs. These boxes are one of the most familiar souvenirs of the middle east and most are made here in Egypt. The process in painstaking and slow taking a day or so for many of the piece, longer for larger ones.
Souvenirs: Boxes in all sizes, and just about anything that can be made in wood and inlay. |
The Mother of Pearl inlay work is an amazing task of many hours. I bought an inlay box in a Coptic pattern of crosses.
Mother of Pearl Inlay Box by Seyd Nabil Ahmed el Tablwy
At the copper factory of the "Three Brothers" which is upstairs, we saw three types of copper, solid, variation colored copper (done with acids) and copper inlaid with brass and silver. I bought a beautiful small example of the brass and silver inlay.
Copper, Silver and Brass inlaid box from Three Brothers Copper and Brass Engraving
Shopping in Egypt - Khan el Khalili Copper Factory |
Click to see larger picture.
Click for More Pictures of Souvenirs. |
Where: Upstairs at 5 Rabeh El Selhidar Khan El Khalili.
Who: The Vendor is Essam Salah (Moshsen M. El-Arabe Sons) Three Brothers Brass and Copper Engraving .
Contact: In Cairo you can phone 2591-8774 to call the shop.
Vendor Story: Hand made to order. Copper trays , plaques, boxes, and pieces with silver and brass inlay on the copper can be orderd from the Moshen brothers. They can be found upstairs at 5 Rabeh El Selhidar Khan El Khalili. In Cairo you can phone 259 18774 to call the shop.
Souvenirs: Decorated Boxes, Trays, Plates, Table Tops. |
Engraved trays from Three Brothers Copper and Brass Engraving
Beside the Moshen Brother's shop you can find copper lamps. More Pictures of the Copper Lamp Store.
Sayed then took us by one of the biggest shop for precious and semi-precious stones in the Khan, Mine Stones owned by Essam Rashad.
Continued to Day 9b>>>> Semi Precious Stones, Statues and Cotton Applique
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