# Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, Cairo > Khan el-Khalili is Islamic Cairo’s great bazaar, trading since the late 14th century: a maze of covered lanes full of lamps, spices, silver and shisha pipes. Entry is free — you pay only for what you buy. The lanes never close; most shops open roughly 10:00–23:00, each on its own schedule. Allow about 90 minutes, ideally towards sunset. Web page: https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/khan-el-khalili - City: [Cairo](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo), Egypt - YesGo score: 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Opening hours: Lanes open 24 hours; most shops roughly 10:00–23:00, each on its own schedule; El Fishawy café open around the clock - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — these are public streets - Shops: Roughly 10:00–23:00, each sets its own hours - Fridays and Sundays: Some shops open only after midday prayers or stay shut - Payment: Cash in Egyptian pounds; few stalls take cards, sometimes with a surcharge - Metro: Bab El Shaaria (Line 3), then about 15 minutes on foot - Taxi from Tahrir: Uber, Careem or inDrive to Al-Hussein Square, 15–25 minutes - Al-Muizz Street monuments: Area ticket 220 EGP, students 110 EGP; daily 9:00–17:00 - El Fishawy café: Open 24 hours - Coordinates: 30.04750, 31.26222 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1382–1389** — Emir Jaharkas al-Khalili built the first khan, a merchants’ inn, here under Sultan Barquq (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Pyramids Land) - **1979** — listed by UNESCO as part of Historic Cairo (source: English Wikipedia; Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) - **18th century** — El Fishawy café opened — sources give 1771, 1773 or 1797 (source: English Wikipedia; Middle East Eye) - **1511** — Sultan al-Ghuri tore down the first khan and rebuilt the quarter; his stone gates still stand (source: English Wikipedia; Pyramids Land (early 16th century)) - **Bab al-Ghuri** — the bazaar’s eastern gate, originally called Bab al-Nuhhas, the Copper Gate (source: English Wikipedia) - **29** — monuments from the 10th to 19th centuries line neighbouring al-Muizz Street, Bab al-Futuh to Bab Zuwayla (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) - **969–975** — reign of Caliph al-Muizz, founder of Fatimid Egypt; the street has carried his name since 1937 (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) - **≈ 39** — khans and wikalas (merchant halls) stood in the quarter by the late 18th century (source: English Wikipedia) - **Naguib Mahfouz** — the Nobel laureate was an El Fishawy regular; a room there bears his name (source: Middle East Eye; Wikivoyage) ## Khan el-Khalili opening hours and the best time to go There is no single timetable. Khan el-Khalili is a web of public streets that never close, and every shop keeps its own hours — typically **from about 10:00 until 23:00**, with cafés staying open later and El Fishawy never shutting at all. Before 10:00 many shutters are still down. On Fridays some shops open only after the midday prayer, and a few close on Sundays. This is unofficial, but on those days it is safer to come in the afternoon. Our pick is **late afternoon into the evening**. Midday is hot and crowded; after sunset the lamps come on, families fill Al-Hussein Square and café tables free up. During Ramadan the bazaar comes alive after iftar and keeps going almost until dawn. ## How to get to Khan el-Khalili 1. **Uber, Careem or inDrive** is easiest: from Tahrir Square it is 3–4 km, 15–25 minutes depending on traffic. Set the pin to **Al-Hussein Square** — the bazaar starts right there. Unmetered street taxis usually charge more. 2. **By metro:** from Sadat under Tahrir Square take Line 2 two stops to **Attaba**, change to Line 3 and ride one stop to **Bab El Shaaria**. From there it is about 15 minutes on foot through the old streets — navigate to the Al-Hussein Mosque. 3. **Walking from Attaba:** get off at Attaba and head east along **al-Muski Street**, a crowded local market street that runs straight into the bazaar. Allow 20–25 minutes. 4. **From [Al-Azhar Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/al-azhar-mosque):** the bazaar is right across al-Azhar Street — use the pedestrian underpass to Al-Hussein Square. 5. **Heading back:** walk out to Al-Hussein Square or al-Azhar Street before booking a ride. Cars can’t get into the lanes, and drivers waiting at the entrance tend to quote high fares. > **Scams and haggling: the first price is for tourists** Prices are almost never marked, and the opening quote is padded. Haggle calmly, start at around half and never buy in the first shop you enter. Ignore friendly strangers who offer to show you a shop “owned by my brother” — they work on commission. Keep your wallet and phone in a zipped inner pocket: pickpockets work the crowded lanes. ## What is Khan el-Khalili? **Khan el-Khalili** is Cairo’s historic bazaar in the Gamaliya quarter, the heart of Islamic Cairo. Strictly speaking it is bounded by al-Muizz Street to the west, al-Muski Street to the south and the Al-Hussein Mosque to the east, but the shops spilled beyond those lines long ago. It takes its name from a building. In the 1380s Emir **Jaharkas al-Khalili**, Master of the Stables to Sultan Barquq, built a khan here — an inn where travelling merchants slept, stored and sold their goods. In 1511 Sultan **al-Ghuri** demolished it and rebuilt the quarter, and his stone gates, Bab al-Ghuri among them, survive. Under the Ottomans this was the base of Cairo’s Turkish merchants; by the late 18th century around 39 khans and wikalas stood here. Today it is a tangle of narrow, partly covered lanes packed with brass lamps, shisha pipes, spices, textiles and silver. The goldsmiths’ souk next door still serves Cairenes buying wedding jewellery. The bazaar is part of the Historic Cairo UNESCO World Heritage Site. ## What to buy in Khan el-Khalili - **Brass and copper lamps** with coloured glass — the bazaar’s signature souvenir; ask whether it comes apart for packing. - **Spices and dried hibiscus** (karkadeh) — buy where they weigh it in front of you rather than in sealed bags. - **Silver and gold cartouches** with your name in hieroglyphs — usually ready in a day or two; check the hallmark. - **Shisha pipes**, sold dismantled with a carry case. - **Scarves, embroidered cushion covers** and cotton galabiyas. - **Inlaid boxes and backgammon boards** with mother-of-pearl — much is mass-produced, and real handwork costs noticeably more. - **Perfume oils** in blown-glass bottles — the bottles are lovely; the contents are anyone’s guess. ## How to haggle and how to pay Haggling is part of the deal, not an insult. Ask two or three sellers about the same item first. Counter at roughly half the opening price and meet in the middle slowly. Decide your ceiling before you start, and if the price doesn’t move, thank them and walk off — you will often be called back with a better offer. **Bring cash in Egyptian pounds**, including small notes: “no change” is a favourite tactic. Card machines are rare in the stalls and may come with a surcharge. US dollars and euros are accepted here and there, at a poor rate. ATMs and exchange offices are around Al-Hussein Square and on al-Azhar Street, so withdraw before you start browsing. ## Is Khan el-Khalili worth visiting? Yes, especially on a first trip to Cairo: it is the liveliest corner of the old city and costs nothing to walk. Even if you buy nothing, the lanes, the 16th-century gates, the mosques next door and a glass of tea in an old café make the trip worthwhile. The honest downsides: a lot of stock is mass-made, sellers are persistent and the main lanes get very crowded in the evening. If you dislike crowds and bargaining, an hour is plenty — walk a stretch of al-Muizz, pass through Bab al-Ghuri and sit down for tea. Kids usually love the lamps and noise; just hold hands in the crush. ## Al-Muizz Street and Bab al-Ghuri The bazaar’s western edge is **al-Muizz Street**, the main artery of Fatimid Cairo. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities calls it the largest open-air museum of Islamic monuments in the world: 29 monuments from the 10th to the 19th centuries between Bab al-Futuh in the north and Bab Zuwayla in the south. Walking the street is free. One **area ticket — 220 EGP, students 110 EGP** — gets you into the Qalawun complex, the mosque of Sultan Barquq, the madrasa of al-Nasir Muhammad, Amir Bashtak’s palace and several more, daily from 9:00 to 17:00. Bayt al-Suhaymi is not included and has its own ticket. **Bab al-Ghuri** is the bazaar’s 16th-century eastern gate, facing al-Ghuri’s old merchant hall, the Wikala al-Qutn. A few evenings a week, Sufi-style tanoura dancers perform at the Wikala al-Ghuri on al-Azhar Street — check the schedule locally. ## El Fishawy café **El Fishawy** is the bazaar’s most famous coffeehouse, in a lane just off Al-Hussein Square. It has been serving since the 18th century — sources give 1771, 1773 or 1797 — and it never closes. Expect carved mirrors, tables squeezed into the alley, mint tea, Turkish coffee and shisha. Nobel laureate **Naguib Mahfouz** was a regular, and a room is named after him. It costs more than the cafés around it and evening tables can mean a wait, but half an hour here is part of the visit. ## Khan el-Khalili vs al-Muizz Street vs the Citadel | | Khan el-Khalili | Al-Muizz Street | Cairo Citadel | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Bazaar in covered lanes | Street of Fatimid and Mamluk monuments | Fortress with the Muhammad Ali Mosque | | Entry | Free | Street free, monuments 220 EGP | 550 EGP | | Hours | Lanes always open, shops roughly 10:00–23:00 | Monuments 9:00–17:00 | From 8:00 (9:00 in summer), last entry 16:00 | | In the evening | Best time | Street open, monuments closed | Closed | Only the bazaar is at its best after dark. Do the Citadel and the al-Muizz monuments by day, and keep Khan el-Khalili for sunset and dinner. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Cash in Egyptian pounds, including small notes - [ ] Wallet and phone in an inner pocket - [ ] Comfortable shoes — uneven paving and steps - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered — working mosques next door - [ ] A price ceiling for my main purchase - [ ] Uber or Careem installed - [ ] Pick-up point: Al-Hussein Square ## Historic Cairo compared Every historic place in Cairo rated by YesGo. - [Memphis](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/ancient-memphis) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · EGP 200, students EGP 100 - [Egyptian Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/egyptian-museum) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · EGP 550, students EGP 275 - [Al-Azhar Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/al-azhar-mosque) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/cairo-citadel) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 550 EGP, students 275 EGP - [Khan el-Khalili](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/khan-el-khalili) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Giza Pyramids](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/giza-pyramids) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · EGP 700, Great Pyramid inside extra - [Hanging Church](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/hanging-church) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry - [Grand Egyptian Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/grand-egyptian-museum) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ EGP 1,830, online only - [Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/saqqara) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · EGP 600, pyramid interior +280 - [National Museum of Egyptian Civilization](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/egyptian-civilization-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · EGP 550, mummies included ## Islamic Cairo in a day The Citadel in the morning, Al-Azhar after lunch, the bazaar at sunset. 1. [Cairo Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/cairo-citadel) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 550 EGP, students 275 EGP 2. [Al-Azhar Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/al-azhar-mosque) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 3. [Khan el-Khalili](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/khan-el-khalili) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free ## Good to know You will see it spelled Khan el-Khalili, Khan al-Khalili or simply “the Khan” — all the same place. The Al-Hussein Mosque on its edge is one of Cairo’s holiest shrines and is generally closed to non-Muslims (unofficial). For a mosque visit, cross the road to Al-Azhar. ## Tips - Arrive an hour before sunset to see the lanes in daylight and then watch the lamps come on. - Price the same item in two or three shops before you buy — quotes can differ several times over. - Keep small notes separate from big ones so you never flash a full wad when paying. - Pair the bazaar with Al-Azhar Mosque across the road — it is one walk. - Spend the morning at the [Cairo Citadel](https://yesgo.io/egypt/cairo/cairo-citadel), 10–15 minutes away by car. - Short on time or nervous about haggling? A guided walk covers the bazaar and al-Muizz Street and handles the bargaining. ## Questions ### What are Khan el-Khalili’s opening hours? The lanes never close. Most shops open roughly 10:00–23:00, each on its own schedule; some open only after midday prayers on Friday. ### How do I get to Khan el-Khalili from Tahrir Square? Uber, Careem or inDrive to Al-Hussein Square takes 15–25 minutes. By metro, ride to Bab El Shaaria (Line 3, change at Attaba) and walk about 15 minutes. ### Is Khan el-Khalili free to enter? Yes. It is a network of public streets. You only pay for shopping, tea and, if you want, the al-Muizz Street monuments (220 EGP area ticket). ### Is Khan el-Khalili worth visiting? Yes, for the atmosphere, the medieval gates and al-Muizz Street next door. If you dislike crowds and haggling, an hour is enough. ### What should I buy in Khan el-Khalili? Brass lamps, spices and hibiscus, silver name cartouches, shisha pipes, scarves and inlaid boxes. Many “antiques” are new, so pay for what you like, not for age. ### How much should I haggle? Start at about half the first price, compare two or three shops and walk away if it doesn’t move. Polite bargaining is expected. ### Can I pay by card at Khan el-Khalili? Rarely. Bring Egyptian pounds in small notes. Some stalls take cards with a surcharge; dollars are accepted at a poor rate. ### Is Khan el-Khalili safe for tourists? It is busy and well policed. The real risks are pickpockets in the crowds and pushy touts — keep valuables zipped and decline unsolicited guides. ### What is the best time to visit Khan el-Khalili? Late afternoon into evening: cooler, lamps lit and cafés buzzing. Mornings are quiet because many shops open around 10:00. ## How we checked The bazaar has no official hours: guides give 9:00–22:00, 10:00–23:00 or “sunrise to sunset”, so we show 10:00–23:00 as a guide and mark it as unverified. Friday and Sunday closures, cash-only stalls and card surcharges, and walking times from the metro are unofficial. The al-Muizz area ticket price and monument hours come from the official Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities page. El Fishawy’s founding year differs between sources (1771, 1773, 1797), so we say 18th century. The 1511 date for al-Ghuri’s rebuild appears only in English Wikipedia; our second source says early 16th century. Wikivoyage puts Bab El Shaaria on Line 2; Wikipedia’s line list puts it on Line 3, which we follow. The tanoura show’s schedule and price are not officially published, so we give no figures. ## Sources - English and Russian Wikipedia: Khan el-Khalili; Wikidata Q1061621 - Pyramids Land: Everything You Need to Know About Cairo’s Khan el-Khalili Bazaar — founder, 16th-century rebuild - Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities: Al-Mu'izz Street — area ticket, hours, monuments, history (egymonuments.gov.eg) - English Wikipedia: El-Fishawy Café; Middle East Eye — El Fishawy - English Wikipedia: Cairo Metro Line 3 — Bab El Shaaria and Attaba stations - Wikivoyage: Cairo/Islamic Cairo — haggling, pickpockets, Al-Hussein Mosque, taxis --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.