Khan al-Khalili [antikvár]

How to Use this Book and Map Not only are its streets and public squares extremely irregular, but—with the exception of a few major arteries—the city is almost entirely composed of very short streets and twisting alleys, with innumerable dead-ends. Each of these sections is closed by a gate, which the inhabitants open when they wish; as a result, the interior of Cairo is very difficult to know as a whole. Edmé-François Jomard (surveyor and member of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt, 1798-1801) The intention of this index and map is to provide you with the means to know one small area as a whole. Once the name of a single commercial structure, Khan al-Khalili has come to mean the entire district now selling wares to both the tourist and the local citizen. For more than one thousand years, this area has been an important sector in a thriving city. As such, its architectural features offer fascinating insights into socioeconomic growth and decline. Section I of this book first traces the historical development of Khan al-Khalili, with its suqs, khans, and ivikalas. Then two walks are sketched to locate for you the various monuments and sights. Each of the walks is accompanied by an outline of the important stops along the route. Further information can be found in other guidebooks, such as Parker, Sabin, and Williams' Islamic Monuments in Cairo: A Practical Guide, and in Map I of