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KHAN AL-KHALILI
he Kahn Al-Kalili, or the “Khan” as the locals We headed there on a free day – one without
call it, is a giant medieval-looking marketplace guides or drivers, one with plenty of opportunity for
Tin the historic heart of Islamic Cairo. Once serendipity and misadventure. Our taxi dropped us
called the Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman occupa- in front of the Al-Hussein mosque near the gateway
tion, the Khan is said to be the oldest open-air market to the 600-year-old market. We were a bit confused
in the Middle East. For us, it represented the Cairo of as to where the market started. A young man ap-
our mind’s eye. The one we thrilled to as we watch old proached and pointed across the street, saying, “Don’t
cliff-hanger adventure movies. In our imaginations, go there. That’s the Chinese souk.” Gesturing in an-
we already knew how would look, smell and sound. other direction he counseled, “Go there, much better.”
46 WDT MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018
