EGYPT: Egyptians and tourists flock to Cairo's historic al-Hussein district to get an authentic taste of Ramadan

Record ID: 514099

  • Title: EGYPT: Egyptians and tourists flock to Cairo's historic al-Hussein district to get an authentic taste of Ramadan
  • Date: 15th August 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF TOURIST SMOKING WATER PIPE
  • Embargoed: 30th August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt, Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA8524G2A8LAK23BGYDR01TIORF
  • Story Text: Instability after Egypt's revolution has exacted a price from the shopkeepers of Cairo's famous Khan al-Khalili bazaar.
    Since then, the economy has taken a knock, and many tourists are still spooked by the legacy of violence on the streets.
    But with the coming of the holy month of Ramadan, relief may finally be at hand.
    Here in the square beneath the al-Hussein mosque, people traditionally gather to pray, fast, and stay up late into the night listening to music, drinking tea and shopping.
    The al-Hussein district, which was built during the Mamluk period over half a millennium ago, is an open air museum of historic mosques and houses that shelter the warren of shop-filled alleys that make up the Khan al-Khalili bazaar.
    "If anyone in the world wants to really experience Ramadan, they have to come to Al-Hussein, because it is different here to anywhere else in Cairo. Here, religious ties are stronger, it's a site of historical interest and it is distinguished by its Islamic character," jeweller Hussein Sobhi Amin said.
    Among the main attractions in al-Hussein is the famous al-Fishawy coffee shop, built in 1798, and once frequented by luminaries like King Farouk and nobel prize winning author Naguib Mahfouz.
    "It's a tradition that goes back to the 1920's, 30's and 40's. People are accustomed to coming to El-Fishawy (his cafe) and Al-Hussein for the day. They can either break their fast or have their morning meals (Suhoor), and then finish their night off by coming here to El-Fishawy. So it is an old tradition. The difference is that people have started to love it more, they forget their troubles and problems when they come here and they reminisce about the old days. Whether they're a group of youths spending time together, or a group of adults who think of how they used to come here, these are times that Egyptians are attached to," he said.
    Mariel, who is French but lives in Egypt, said she likes coming to Khan al-Khalili during Ramadan because it is more authentically Egyptian than at other times of the year.
    "It's a little bit different, I mean there are more Egyptian, much more Egyptian people in Ramadan than when it's not Ramadan, you know, when it's not Ramadan it's full of tourists and stuff like that so I mean yeah the atmosphere is different, more Egyptian," she said.
    And with Egyptians troubled by ongoing political turmoil, this year's holy month of Ramadan could not have come sooner for the troubled shopkeepers of the Khan al-Khalili bazaar.
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