Shoppping at Boulaq, Attaba and Roxy

For expats living in Cairo, most of the shopping is usually done “back home”- a major portion of the time holidaying in the home country is spent shopping, leaving little time for anything else. High prices and limited range are the reasons cited for not venturing out for shopping in Cairo. The favourite shopping haunts of the expats-the mega malls like Dandy Mall, Hyper One, Maadi City Centre and of course, the City Stars-are synonymous with “big” brands; nothing "local" abouth the stuff here.

When my parents visited us last month, my mom was adamant that she wanted to take back some “local” stuff. This pushed me to scour the local markets and I was pleasantly surprised for what one can find here and at great prices too…So here goes….

BOULAQ MARKET

Welcome to the world of fabrics!-this line best describes the Boulaq market. The sun is getting stronger and I needed heavy curtains for my windows. When I mentioned this to an Egyptian friend of mine, she volunteered to “escort” me to the “Wikalet-al-Balah” which translated means “market of dates”. But it is not dates that I want to buy-my friend then explained to me that the market was originally used as a souk for trading in dates and though over the years, the market has gained a reputation for selling materials and clothes at affordable prices, the original name still holds.

The array of fabric available here is quite impressive-you can buy material for your curtains, upholstery for your sofas, tablecloths, towels as well as lovely cotton fabrics for skirts and dresses. One of the shops there is like a one-stop kind of store where you can find everything from scarves to materials for your wedding dress. Bargaining is essential-to give you an idea, I bought scarves for LE 23, which had been quoted at LE 35. For curtains, we were able to bring down the price from LE 25 to LE 17. I also bought an expensive curtain material for LE 30, down from LE 35.

The boulaq market as it is more popularly known among the expatriate crowd is just a few minutes’ walk from the World Trade Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shops line both sides of the street whereas the space in the middle is taken up by vendors displaying their merchandise on carts and tables. Ladies’ undergarments in all colours and sizes, fluttering in the air on these carts, is an enduring memory that I have carried with me from my visit to the Boulaq!

ATTABA MARKET

For cotton bed sheets, head to Attaba market- Double bed-sheets in cotton can be found for LE 50. They come with four big pillow covers- you will have to get them re-sized according to your requirements. If you want to “dress” up the armrests and back rests of your sofas, you can find just the right covers here too-and at great prices!

ROXY

For ready-made clothes, the line of shops in front of the Roxy Cinema, Masr Gidid (Heliopolis) offer a “shoppers’ delight”. For those who are inveterate shoppers at the Linking Road in Mumbai, this is the place for you. Long skirts, tops, scarves, short skirts-in denim, cotton, linen for casual wear, day wear, party wear-you can find all here and at great bargains. If you are brand conscious, there are some “big” shops here too. Shoes and bags are available aplenty and in some great designs. Of course, some stuff is “made in China”, but there is also lot sold here that is locally made.

Downtown is another area where the shopping is never-ending…..will be soon giving you an update on shopping around the Talaat Harb Square. Till then, remember-“When in Rome, do as the Romans do, when in Egypt shop where the Egyptians shop”.