Souq Al Fustat

Cairo


It's a shame more travellers don't venture to this modern market-complex after their Coptic Cairo visit as there are some interesting boutiques here – nearly all focused on modern Egyptian handicrafts. There are funky interpretations of Bedouin embroidery at Bidouin Handmade, embroideries and recycled crafts at the Association for the Protection of the Environment shop and a branch of Abd El Zaher.

Prices are marked (though occasionally negotiable), and sales pressure is pleasantly low.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cairo attractions

1. Mosque of Amr Ibn Al As

0.14 MILES

The first mosque built in Egypt, this structure was established in AD 642 by the general who conquered Egypt for Islam. Built on the site where Ibn Al As…

2. Church of St Sergius & Bacchus

0.17 MILES

This is the oldest church inside Coptic Cairo's walls, built in the 11th century with 4th-century pillars. It honours the Roman soldiers Sergius and…

3. Church of St Barbara

0.17 MILES

At the corner past Abu Sarga, the Church of St Barbara is dedicated to a martyr who was beaten to death by her father for trying to convert him to…

5. Ben Ezra Synagogue

0.2 MILES

Just outside the walls of the Coptic enclave, the 9th-century Ben Ezra Synagogue occupies the shell of a 4th-century Christian church. Tradition marks…

6. Coptic Museum

0.2 MILES

This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…

7. Roman Towers

0.21 MILES

In AD 98 the Roman emperor Trajan enlarged an existing fortress here, called Babylon, likely a corruption of Per-hapi-en-on (Estate of the Nile God at On)…

8. Hanging Church

0.24 MILES

Just south of the Coptic Museum on Sharia Mar Girgis (the main road parallel with the metro), a stone facade inscribed with Coptic and Arabic marks the…