There’s a scene in a James Bond movie
where he is being pursued by some nasty looking guys who are after him.
James Bond is running through the Souks of Old Cairo - narrow alleys filled with clutter, impeding his chances of a smooth getaway, but he is James Bond, and we know he always will get away.
I always figured this was a set - certainly not real, until I came to this part of Cairo today and experienced for myself, the labyrinth that is the Khan el-Khalili.
I did not come to buy; I came to look, to soak in the colour, the sounds, the people and the architecture of this part of the city.
Reminiscent of Thamel in Kathmandu, (except more claustrophobic!), the souk has been running since the 14th century, and is a maze of small narrow streets, some no wider than an arms width.
Some streets are cluttered with all kinds of paraphernalia - from brassware to jewellery to textiles to leather goods, spices, and food.
A banquet for the senses; and absolute gluttony for my camera, I did not know which way to begin as the area is vast and is separated by a highway, under which a tunnel allows access between the two main parts to the Souk.
I expected to see more tourists here - a small group of what looked to be Japanese or Korean people wandered around - bags clutched close to their chests, with a tour guide speaking in English; a tall fair-haired young woman walked past me, clearly ‘not from around here’, making eye contact with me as she went by.
We were ‘they’; we were ‘them’ - those tourists. We knew we were targets; we knew we were different. I started to wonder if donning a head scarf around these parts would make life easier.
I was approached at every store - “please madam, you come inside here”; “Look please madam - very best in here”.
This was a never-ceasing chorus of best offers, the best of something everywhere until the next best of something. I walked steadily on by, avoiding eye-contact and wondering if I should take my leather back-pack off my back and put it across my chest. I was warned of thieves here. I clutched my camera and my bag together as the throngs of people started to make contact with my body.
I felt claustrophobic and trapped. I could see how easy it would be to have your things stolen here by someone who had lots of practice on unwitting tourists. And knowing my luck so far, I wasn’t taking my chances. I walked quickly, turning corners, stopping in shop entrances every now and then to let people go by me, feeling the unrelentling pressure of close bodies as people were seemingly oblivious to personal space.
I hurried through the classic James Bond alleyways, with golden hues of light glancing through arched passages; lanterns and other hanging wares creating a mystical atmosphere as the daylight began to dim towards evening.
I had left it late in the day to visit the souk, mostly because I suddenly felt a lot better in the mid-afternoon after being ill for several days, and I was desperate to get out of my immediate area, as in typical Egypt fashion, the electrician and internet was being delayed yet another day - something to do with some national holiday - fair enough - but would have been nice to know yesterday rather than after enquiries as to when these people were coming!
The bazaars in this part of Old Cairo are open well into the night and some also put on a light show. I could see many people walking around with cameras and then some interesting light furniture was put out on display. I figured this was what it was all about but also realised being a national holiday, perhaps there was a more festive vibe in the air.
Mingled in with the shapes and walkers, were dogs, cats, motorbikes and cars. Cars attempted to squeeze themselves through the tightest of spots, sometimes mere millimetres between a car and a rack of freshly baked bread, or a shop-owners jewellery display. In one street, two cars were stuck whilst trying to pass each other in a road no wider than 1.5 car widths, and several motorbikes were attempting to squeeze by as well. People lined the sidewalk watching the unfolding verbal tirade as the two drivers waved their arms at each other main an effort to make the other submit. No one moved. Eventually one driver decided to reverse and back out to a side alley to let the other go past.
‘Crazy!” I said to a guy watching. “Normal!” He replied.
This was Egypt after all - where 20 Million people think nothing twice about living, moving, breathing quite literally on top of one another.
I continued walking and rounded a corner into an alleyway that was like stepping into a deep breath. It was quiet, not crowded, the shop owners were going about their evening and keeping to themselves - I exhaled and started to relax. I wandered slowly through this part, pausing to look in shop windows - not one vendor hassled me - it seemed it was a pastime in the more touristy parts of the souk. After wandering like this through quiet streets I soon realised the vibe had changed and I was now seeing more engineering tools, lathes, motorbikes being pulled apart, people making pots and larger items. Tiny spaces were packed with tools and welding equipment - no health and safety in this place; no masks to be seen for eye protection, as I rounded a corner taking the full brunt of a welder crackling away in the evening light.
Artisans worked in the subdued light of the approaching evening.
Tiny kittens wobbled across my path; kids walked with their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders ahead of me (I was so tempted to photograph this); and men carried large trays of tea to some destination where it was needed.
Tea. Lots of tea.
Tea fixes everything.
I could have spent hours in the souk - as it was I had spent two hours and I do not think I walked the same street twice. There is so much to see and take in. I will go again. I will be more prepared this time - less nervous and more wiling to stop and really marinate in the atmosphere. I have read reviews on Tripadvisor where people give scathing reports on it being a waste of time as it is filled with vendors just trying to hawk their wares. Well yes, they’re in business, I expected that I would get hassled, BUT, a strong “NO!” Does the trick, or simply ignoring people. To focus purely on this is to loose the entire ambience of the area, it is like nothing else - similar as I said earlier to Thamel in Kathmandu, but it has its own special vibe.
Popping out of the confines onto a main road I was able to call for an uber. I sat and relaxed in the back seat while the fading light of day brought with it another whole new world outside the car window.
We drove past the Citadel, where I had been a couple of days earlier - only now it was lit up with different coloured lights.
The fortifications looked massive from the road underneath it.
How amazing, I thought, to be in this wonderful city that dates back thousands of years - where a fortress still stands today, and where an ancient market, once an important central trading point during the Mamluk era, is still a vibrant centre for artisans today.