Khan El-Khalili

An onetime chandeliers store at Khan el-Khalili

Khan el-Khalili (Arabic: خان الخليلي‎) is a major souk inwards the Islamic district of Cairo. The bazaar district is 1 of Cairo's master copy attractions for tourists together with Egyptians alike.

History

The souk dates dorsum to 1382, when Emir Djaharks el-Khalili built a large caravanserai (خان khan inwards Arabic) inwards Cairo nether the Burji Mamluk Sultan Barquq; the eponymous khan is notwithstanding extant. By the fourth dimension of Barquq, the start Circassian Mamluk Sultan (1382–1399) much reconstruction needed to move done inside the walls of the metropolis inwards lodge to repair the harm incurred equally a effect of the Black Death. When Barquq started his madrassa inwards Bayn el-Qasrayn, markets were rebuilt, together with Khan el-Khalili was established. It was besides known Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman Empire.

Today

In add-on to shops, at that topographic point are several coffeehouses (مقهى maqha ), restaurants, together with street nutrient vendors distributed throughout the market. The coffeeshops are to a greater extent than oft than non small-scale together with quite traditional, serving Standard Arabic java together with normally offering shisha. The al-Hussein Mosque is besides inwards Khan el-Khalili; Al-Azhar University together with its mosque are non far away.

Naguib Mahfouz's new Midaq Alley (1947) is laid upwards inwards an alley inwards Khan el-Khalili.

Terrorist attacksMain articles: Apr 2005 terrorist attacks inwards Cairo together with 2009 Khan el-Khalili explosion

The marketplace was a target of terrorism during the spate of attacks inwards Cairo inwards Apr 2005. The suicide assault inwards the market, on Apr 7, killed 21 people (eleven Egyptians, 2 French tourists, 1 American, together with 7 foreigners of unidentified origin). It was the start assault inwards the series; this assault drove away tourists from Arab Republic of Egypt inwards full general together with Khan el-Khalili inwards detail for around time.

The marketplace was 1 time to a greater extent than a target of terrorism on 22 Feb 2009. In this assault a 17-year onetime French daughter was killed together with 22 people were injured.