CAIRO'S COLORFUL SPICE BAZAAR

Souq in Arabic simply means bazaar or market center. Today however, the term is normally used to refer exclusively to traditional Middle Eastern markets. 

Souq Khan al Khalili, locally known as’ the Khan’, is located on one of Cairo’s oldest roads in the heart of the Islamic city; al khalili, one of the greatest Middle Eastern bazaars -- active since the Middle Ages -- provides a unique trading experience.

Labyrinths of consecutive alleys can still be found, and rarities of every sort make their appearance.  Khan al Khalili has somehow managed to retain the atmosphere of olden times in the midst of new construction, and shopping possibilities.

A diverse mix of haggling locals and tourists are frequent visitors, browsing in its fascinating passageways and verifying the traditional concept of a thoroughly Middle Eastern marketplace. In the early peak hours, I enjoy the obvious good cheer, the smells, the sounds, and also the loud verses of the Qur’an on a CD -- coming from a player somewhere in the surrounding area -- welcoming shoppers; I relish in the visual confusion of the tiny shops crammed with merchandise, and the procession of buyers from close by and afar.  Weathered awnings and chipped tiles cover up the top overhead, keeping interiors and stands somewhat cooler in the warmer months. 

Clearly divided areas boasting colorful piece goods, perfume shops, money changing alleys, shoes, the tent-makers street, camel hair items, jewelers, and spice vendors -unmistakably lead the visitor to the merchandise they are aiming for.

Most outlets house tiny workshops where an assortment of artisans produce traditional objects of brass, inlaid boxes, shisha (hookah) water pipes and carpets by means of time-honored techniques, while ‘al fresco’ stands lure costumers with samples to the treasures inside.

The absorbing maze of slender and meandering streets; soaring noise levels and the odor of aromatic tobaccos and smoldering frankincense -- both odd and stimulating -- can effortlessly baffle neophytes into loosing their sense of direction.  The spice alley is one of the most fascinating areas for me. 

Spices in the Khan are sold in bulk.  In this section every shop displays colorful blends on their open-air stands: there are small and large mounds of finely-ground powders, pleasantly fragrant seeds, pods, colorfully arranged ‘ pyramids’ of spices, and booths of large, dried tobacco leaves to be used for shisha smoking; many kinds of nut meats -shelled and unshelled also make an appearance.  Suffice it to say that virtually any herb or spice known in the world can be found at the Khan.

This is a crisp autumn day in Cairo; people are in a festive mood, anticipating the Eid al fitr celebrations of Ramadan’s end, and the spice souq is abundantly supplied for the local demand of Egyptian, and Indian spices. There’s hustle and bustle as tradesmen go about their commercial deals. I love to stand in a corner, in the background -just witnessing, learning how to haggle, how to ask and how to approach.  Somehow a few things seem to be done in different ways than I am used to.

Because of its culturally diverse background, extensive trading connections with India, and the Far East -coupled with Roman, Greek, French and British influences- Egypt has developed a taste for an array of spices that merge local and foreign traditions.

At the spice souq, vendors are friendly and willing to let you get a pinch of this, a taste of that, and a free smell, dispensing as many or as few grams of whatever spice you need.  Many delicious and interesting smells come up from the dust produced as spices are measured, some ground in front of your eyes.  It is a fragrant pleasure to be able to see and smell the varieties. I find it interesting that a spice transaction seems to be of such importance, taken seriously, in many cases husbands and wives negotiating the deal.

The spice souq positively revels in its sensuous and aromatic splendour – an ancient traditional trading place, it has none of the mysteries of a bazaar in Marrakesh or Ulan Bator; it’s neither as crowded, nor as colourful. However, the magic still exists in the execution of business in an old-fashioned manner as well as in the enticing olfactory trip, prompting people to crowd the spice area more densely than other parts of the souq.

Saturated in an atmosphere of enticing smells, I wander up and down the narrow lanes breathing in the scents of.bark and stick cinnamon, star cloves, and anise seed, cardamom pods, camomile flowers, cumin, dried coriander leaves, nutmegs, dried hibiscus, spicy ginger, multi-coloured pepper corns, small red chillies, turmeric and strongly scented fenugreek; vendors beckoning, loudly promoting their products. I enjoy the sequence of spice shops, the affable people, and the flavoured loose teas, the stacks of seed pods and nuts, with hanging herbs overhead: a feast for the eyes.  There’s also dukka, an Egyptian spice blend and containers of bright blue indigo and green henna powders.

Imported from all over the Middle East and beyond, these spices are sold from mounds neatly arranged on the stands or straight out of open bags and bins surrounding the inside and outside of the dark tiny shops. This is a special place, with its own pulse, its own heart-beat of centuries past; it possesses an exotic street life that even if somehow has lost its former lustre, it still remains a visual feast.

In its beginnings the Khan’s spice alley provided the most unique and colorful seasonings; today however, spices no longer dominate the scene; incense and perfumes of every possible scent have taken over larger areas of the souq.

Don’t leave the Khan though,  without purchasing at least some grams of dukka (Egyptian spice), a blend of sesame seeds, roasted chick peas, coriander and cumin seeds, peppercorns, salt, and dry thyme or mint ground up to form a homogeneous mix of flavors used in Egypt as a table condiment as well as a dip. Dipping bread in olive oil and then into the dukka mix will certainly inspire visions of legendary pharaohs.