Almost famous

Posted Thursday, August 02, 2007, 5:51 PM by Lonely Planet

I never listen to the touts in Khan al-Khalili, but I did turn around when someone said, 'Looking for something? I can show you - I was in the Lonely Planet guide.'

Fatih Abd al-Zahir - who didn't realise he was introducing himself to a Lonely Planet writer - had his photo in the 2nd edition of Lonely Planet Egypt & the Sudan, published in 1990, and he has been befriending tourists ever since. A literal hole in the wall, what he calls his 'museum' holds a few dusty objects; more numerous are the photos and business cards from everyone who's squeezed in to chat and sip tea. Any visit requires a look at his dog-eared copy of the guidebook.

Unlike younger, pushier touts, Fatih, born in 1940, seems genuinely interested in 'helping people as friends,' as he puts it. In good English learned purely from TV, he dispenses stories and shopping tips (he used to do inlay work, before his eyes got bad).

Before I left, I added my card to the collection and took his photo. Here he is, 'in Lonely Planet' again, but in a different format:



If you see Fatih, say hello, and tell him you saw his picture here.

- Zora O'Neill is updating Lonely Planet Egypt, and meeting some very interesting people while she's at it.

Labels: Africa, Egypt

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