one of the hot spot tourist destinations for anyone traveling here for the first time is khan al-khalili, located in islamic cairo just to the west of al-hussein mosque. this is fishawi cafe, a bustling and beautiful cafe squeezed into a narrow alley and festooned with enormous mirrors in elaborately carved frames. shisha smoke fills the air, the waiters fly past yelling orders at the top of their lungs, and women stop by every few minutes to ask if you want your hands painted with intricate, flowery designs in black henna. some claim fishawi's has been in continuous operation every day (save for ramadan) for over 200 years. i think it was mohamed who told me that naguib mafouz wrote his cairo trilogy here. he apparently lived nearby, and all his novels are set in surrounding islamic cairo. 
the cafe is set smack inside the khan, which is a market sprawled across an entire neighborhood of narrow alleys and small courtyards. part tourist trap, part legitimate copper, gold, spice and random household goods market, khan al-khalili has been in operation since the 14th century. it's jammed with tourists, locals, and men trying really hard to sell you perfumes, scarves, fezzes, gallabiyas, spices and loose teas, sequined bellydance costumes, inlaid backgammon boards, papyrus paintings and beautifully intricate copper trays. the men standing outside their shop doors try to get you to stop by guessing where you're from. for some reason, people keep trying to speak to me in spanish, which i'm sure my belizean friends would find hilarious. not surprisingly, its bustling day and night. meghan and i recently spent an evening hanging out there with shams. he got us fantastic treatment at a favorite cafe where this adorable girl selling beaded headdresses spent a good ten minutes making hysterical faces at him. oh, and i recommend the egyptian pancake restaurant just one street west of midan hussein for fitiir, delectable and horribly unhealthy concoctions - party pastry part pizza, stuffed with your choice of cheeses and meats or honey and nuts. come with your appetite intact.
3 comments:
Glad to see that you got out of your study. When does the semester end, eh?
The cafe is similar to the Thin Man with it's long, narrow shape and unusual artwork. It'a good to see you've had a few minutes of free time!
My mother , your grandmother Gardner, had my ankh made in Khan al Khalili. (She had two made, one for Lucy and one for me. They're utterly unique!) I loved the place - the smell of spices in burlap bags, perfumes, the glitter of copper and gold. I'm dying of memories!! I can't wait to visit again in your company! As Dad said, I'm glad you got out of your bed/study room.
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