Egyptian World Heritage | Historic Cairo: The grand bazaar that has continued for 800 years of everyday life

✅ The waters of the Nile, which nurtured the ancient Egyptian civilization, also nourish Islamic culture, giving rise to the greatest city in the Arab world: Cairo. Historic Cairo, a World Cultural Heritage site since 1979, is the most beautiful Islamic ancient city in history. ✅ Today's Cairo, burdened with too much historical sediment, is being swept into modern life by the torrent of time. Its steps are inevitably faltering, revealing a sense of vicissitudes and slight exhaustion, yet it becomes even more charming. ✅ Khan El-Khalili, the heart of Historic Cairo, where people gather, is said to be the largest market in the Middle East, still retaining its original appearance. Within its centuries-old buildings, centuries-old businesses continue. ✅ Take a taxi, stop at El Azhar Street. To the south, there is a grand mosque; to the north, bustling old streets and alleys. Follow the crowd, and you can't go wrong. What hits you is the Arab flair of summer outfits mixed with headscarves and long robes, a dazzling ocean of various items, creating an overwhelming sensation. ✅ Went there for two consecutive days, Friday and Saturday, both Muslim rest days, bustling with activity, not enough time to see everything. ✅ Pleasantly strolling around. 📍 It's really big, overwhelming to the eyes. In the ancient streets and alleys, shops are lined up one after another, with jewelry, ornaments, copper plates, perfumes, cloth bags, T-shirts, carpets... etc., all placed in prominent positions, pulling your gaze forward, and before you know it, you might get lost. 📍 Saw several large stone gates. Multicolored strip stones, ornate arches, carvings of mountain flowers and lintels, stalactite decorations, Ionic capitals, Ottoman-style bay windows; time has flowed through the river of architecture for centuries, and has passed through centuries of everyday life, now pausing in front of me. 📍 Saw people coming and going, all looking very friendly. The calm youth with a large wooden frame full of 'pocket bread' on his head, riding his bicycle swiftly; The little boy who found the aunt's dropped change, chased to return it, and happily high-fived; The gatherings with people playing the guitar and singing; The merchants shouting 'one dollar' for a sale, all full of drama; The hookah uncle who poses for photos voluntarily; The helpless shrug of not being able to sell something after a long bargain; The shrewd father, sitting across the street watching his son do business; The young couple buying perfume for the wife; Every smile is met with a response, every wave is greeted with a smile. 📍 Saw the most local marketplace. Shops selling daily necessities string together alleys, filled with locals. Wandered into a street of spices, where one can smell the scent of Egypt. Wandered into a street of kitchenware, a street of artificial leather, presumably with many items from Yiwu, China, giving a sense of market research as a Chinese person. Wandered to the side of a main road filled with snack stalls, sitting on small stools eating, looking very cool. ✅ Comfortably shopping. 📍 Having been to Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, by comparison, the prices here are really cheap. Shopping here doesn't put much pressure on the wallet, and bargaining becomes a pleasure. 📍 Machine-embroidered pure cotton cloth bags for 2 dollars; small copper plates carved by machine for 3 dollars; 5 dollars can buy 20 embroidered coin purses. All are quite nice souvenirs. 📍 Large cloth bags embroidered with the Tree of Life and Egyptian lotus for 6 dollars, the work of the shop owner's mother and twin sister. 📍 Bought a large copper plate handcrafted on the spot, asking the artisan to engrave a name in Arabic. 📍 A mere 40-dollar deal, the shop owner and his son were so happy that it was contagious, leaving the buyers beaming with joy.