Souvenirs from Egypt

The souvenir industry, in one form or another, has been developing in Egypt for many times. Ancient Egyptians who visited different temples in the country, from their travels brought certain things - mummies of animals (cats, ibises, baboons, fish, crocodiles), which served as religious offerings.

Returning home from their trips, many people bought mummies in special kiosks located on the temple grounds. The production was delivered literally to the flow. Thus, the cult of the goddess Bastet, represented by a cat, was particularly well developed in Thebes and Beni-Hassan, beginning with the Ptolemaic period. In Beni-Hassan in the late nineteenth century there was such a huge number of mummified cats that these "souvenirs from Egypt" (a total of 19 tons) had to be sent to England, where they were used as fertilizer.

After the Egyptian campaign of Napoleon and during the British protectorate, many artifacts looted from temples and tombs appeared in Europe, stimulating the birth of a market focused on the sale of Egyptian antiquities, and later their counterfeits.

Today, for many Egyptians, souvenir production is the main source of income. They are proud of being able to create something new, even innovative, for each tourist season. In recent years, the revival of craft traditions. And it is necessary to admit that many tourists are wondering what souvenirs to bring from Egypt, in addition to the familiar mini-pyramids, toy camels, papyri and the like.

In Cairo, it is better to visit shops located in several remote places. Khan-el-Khalili, who is in the Islamic (medieval) part of Cairo, is by far the most famous and largest bazaar, but the sellers here are extremely skilled and too pushy, able to sell even those things that do not need anything, and at prices Discount), significantly exceeding those in other places. With the exception of some things (village utensils, perfume bottles, silks) souvenirs from Egypt are better to buy in other parts of the "medieval city", where there are fine specialized shops selling handicrafts. For modern trifles you can go to the Zamalek area. There are many elegant shops, as well as a few good shops of antiques. Fear-Trade in Zamalek - a shop selling high-quality traditional products at reasonable prices, created by local craftsmen. The main emphasis in the store is on ceramics. Dishes, pialas of different sizes, bright blossoms and original designs are able to decorate any house. In addition, in Fear-Trade you can buy leather goods, silk scarves, bedspreads.

Most of the largest historical areas are surrounded by markets. In southern Egypt, Nubian musical instruments are of some interest, similar ones are sold only in markets in East Africa. Very popular souvenirs from Egypt - accessories, imitating ancient Egyptian cartouches. The sellers translate Western names into a hieroglyphic letter and create beautiful pendants made of silver and gold. A kartush from a thin silver plate will cost about 25 dollars, whereas a large gold one costs more than $ 800. In any case, you should make some comparisons in different stores. In Egypt, it is common practice when a guide is associated with a store, receiving a commission for bringing potential buyers into it.

Wonderful souvenirs from Egypt - decorative sculptures and vases of alabaster pink, orange and purple flowers. Family workshops, in fact, alabaster factories, are found throughout the region of Luxor. Visitors in these workshops can follow the process of creating from the material of beautiful things. A small alabaster vase made by hand costs about 20-30 dollars, a vase made on a machine will cost 5-10 dollars.

Favorite by many Egyptian gifts are souvenirs made of wood and stone, carved figurines of gods, pharaohs, sacred animals. Many tourists really like Bedouin jewelry. An excellent choice will be Egyptian cotton, which is considered the best in the world. In the markets, in shops, large shopping centers, cotton shirts, trousers, traditional dzhelabiya, bed-clothes, bedspreads are sold everywhere in Egypt.