Khan el-Khalili

The site of Khan el-Khalili in Fatimid times (10th-12th centuries) Cairo was originally founded in 969 CE as a capital for the Fatimid Caliphate, an empire which by then covered much of North Africa and parts of the Levant and the Hijaz. Jawhar al-Siqilli, the general who conquered Egypt for the Fatimids, was ordered to construct a great palace complex to house the caliphs, their household, and the state's institutions. Also located here was a lesser palace known as ''al-Qasr al-Nafi'i'' (today the site of the 19th-century Wikala of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar). Under the Fatimids, Cairo was a palace-city which was closed to the common people and inhabited only by the Caliph's family, state officials, army regiments, and other people necessary to the operation of the regime and its city. The name eventually came to denote the entire district. Al-Khalili reportedly disposed of the bones of the Fatimid royal family by throwing them into the rubbish hills east of the city. Re-development by Sultan al-Ghuri (early 16th century) In the early 16th century, Sultan al-Ghuri, Egypt's last effective Mamluk sultan (r. 1501–1516), modified the layout of the whole district through a major campaign of demolition and new construction. In addition to building his own religious and funerary complex and a large Wikala named after him nearby, he demolished the original khan built by al-Khalili and rebuilt it in 1511. It became known as the Khan al-Fisqiya ("Khan of the Fountain") for centuries, until later being known as the Wikala al-Qutn ("Wikala of Cotton"). By the end of the Mamluk period in the early 16th century, there were 21 khans and wikalas in the district. Among other important re-developments was the construction of about two dozen new residential blocs with ground-level shops in the eastern sector of the souq, initiated by the princess Shawikar in the late 1930s. This eastern area is now one of the most frequented by tourists. ==Present day==

The Khan el-Khalili today is occupied by local merchants and traders and is significantly geared towards tourists. Shops typically sell souvenirs, antiques and jewelry. The adjoining goldsmiths' souq is still important for locals. Although less widespread than in earlier days, many crafts workshops continue to operate within the bazaar (usually in the courtyards or upper floors of buildings) and in the surrounding districts, manufacturing some of the products sold here or exported elsewhere. In addition to shops, there are several coffeehouses (), restaurants, and street food vendors distributed throughout the market. The coffeeshops are generally small and quite traditional, serving Arabic coffee and usually offering shisha. One of the oldest and most famous coffeehouses is El-Fishawy Café, established in 1773. , on the eastern edge of Khan el-Khalili The Khan al-Khalili proper is delimited by al-Muizz Street to the west, al-Muski Street to the south, and the Mosque/shrine of al-Hussein to the east, with its northern boundary less clear. In reality though, the bazaar area spreads beyond these limits and is closely integrated into the surrounding districts. For example, al-Muski street, which runs perpendicular to al-Muizz street and cuts across the south end of Khan al-Khalili, continues over a long distance and functions as a major souq street frequented by locals for much of its length. In addition to the important Mosque and shrine of al-Hussein, Al-Azhar University and the Al-Azhar Mosque are also nearby. The monumental area of Bayn al-Qasrayn is also just northwest of the district. Some of its historic Islamic buildings were once maintained with the help of revenues from designated shops and commercial buildings in the area. ==In literature==

Naguib Mahfouz's novel Midaq Alley (1947) is set in an alley in Khan el-Khalili. Pivotal events of Neal Stephenson's novel The Confusion (2004), which is the second book of his The Baroque Cycle series, are set in the caravanserai within Khan el-Khalili. Mohammed Avdol, one of the main characters of Stardust Crusaders, the third part of ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', owns a fortune-telling shop in Khan el-Khalili. P. Djeli Clark's short story The Angel of Khan el-Khalili takes place in this area and other parts of Cairo. ==Terrorist attacks==

The market was a target of terrorism during the spate of attacks in Cairo in April 2005. The suicide attack in the market, on April 7, killed 21 people (eleven Egyptians, two French tourists, one American, and seven foreigners of unidentified origin). It was the first attack in the series; this attack drove away tourists from Egypt in general and Khan el-Khalili in particular for some time. The market was again a target of terrorism on 22 February 2009. In this attack a 17-year-old French girl was killed and 22 people were injured. ==References==