Kodak Agfa presents : A 2016-Ramadan night in Khan El-Khalili Market

First of all, due to my own personal reasons I have been away from the blog the past few days but I am back thank God to rant as usual ;)
It is never too late to share with you a couple of photos I took in the famous Khan El-Khalili market during the Holy month in 2016.
It has become an annual habit for me as well many Egyptians like me to spend to have a Ramadan Iftar "breakfast" there and hang around in the famous market's alleys.

Lanterns at Khan El-Khalili 

In 2015, I went to Khan El-Khalili market also in Ramadan and I spent a good night there.
I entered Khan El-Khalili as usual from Al-Azhar square.
In 2016, Al-Azhar Mosque was still being restored then just like in 2015.
The restoration works have not finished yet as far as I have read lately in September 2017.

Al-Azhar Mosque was still under restoration works 

I want to visit the Mohamed Abu Dahab Mosque. The 18th-century ancient Mosque looks amazing from inside already according to the photos I found online and I feel it is so underrated.

Al -Azhar Mosque and Abu Dabab Mosque

I also want to know what building is standing beside Abu Dahab Mosque and a school.

What is that old building? 

It looks ancient to me as well. You can find the word "Allah" inscribed on the top of the entrance.
Reaching Khan El-Khalili on Friday one hour before the Iftar, you would see many people in their way out while shops were closed during the sunset.

Going home before the sunset

Most shops are closed in Egypt during Ramadan before the Iftar by one hour and are open to customers half an hour or one hour after the Iftar.
As usual, I discover every year something new in Khan El-Khalili when it comes to the shops there. I discovered in 2016 the following shops.
The precious and semi precious stones jewelry shops.

Beautiful semi-precious and precious bracelets 

They are not cheap at all. I want to buy them all of those rings and necklaces.

Precious and Semi-Precious rings 

The beautiful Arabesque products from tables and boxes.

Arabesque tables and boxes 

And that very small hidden hotel in the heart of Khan El-Khalili "Nour El-Sabah".

Nour El-Sabbah hotel 

Amazingly, I found its telephone number in the Yellow Pages.
I also found that very old HMV gramophone with an illustration of King Fouad I of Egypt and Sudan on it.

Old gramophone 

I did not even dare to ask about its price.
There were familiar scenes in Khan in 2016 just like in 2015 especially when it comes to the other shops and products.
For instance, shops are still selling small clay colored figurines.

Colored clay figurines 

I think in 2016 the latest fashion in small clay colored miniature statues was the Um Kalthoum ensemble.

Om Kalthoum and her band were a common theme that year in the Khan 

Thuma again and her band one again 

My favorite colored figurine was that old man reading a magazine with El-Sisi on its cover ;)

The magazine reader figurine 

There are as well the usual beautiful clay non-colored figurines.

An Egyptian peasant clay figurine 

The beautiful accessories there are still there.

A seller and a buyer talk about Khan El-Khalili accessories 

Necklaces and bracelets of Khan El-Khalili 

The handmade copper decorative plates.

Handmade copper decorative plates 

The textile products

The textile products from galabiyas, bags and scarfs 

My favorite lanterns shops inside the Bab Ghouri gate.
The shopkeepers turned off the lanterns most of the time then because of electricity prices and Selfie photographers.

My favorite Bab Ghouri 

According to the shopkeepers, people came and took selfies and the lanterns in the background without buying anything.
I saw that first hand those selfie photographers taking photos all the time in that beautiful place.

Duck face in front of the lanterns, that gentleman on the right
was also looking into his mobile phone 

Kindly enough the shopkeepers turned the light on and the lanterns looked amazing.

The difference is obvious and clear 

Lights are on 

Lanterns and their beautiful light 

Like some alien eggs :) 

My favoirte Ramadan Photo for 2016 and 2017 as well. 

I would say that Khan El-Khalili had more visitors in 2016 than in 2015 in Ramadan at least from what I saw.

A young customer 

Needless to say, the shopkeepers are missing foreign tourists more than ever.

A shop inside Khan El-Khalili's Badistand gate

Luckily, I have seen Chinese tourists in the Khan in 2016.

Inside the Badistan gate of Khan El-Khalili

Still, the shopkeepers are missing the old times and the Egyptian buyers are not enough.

Ramadan shoppers

Khan El-Khalili at night

Khan El-Khalili at night

Interestingly, I saw more belly-dancing suits and accessories than in 2015 inside the Khan itself.

Bellydancing suits in a Khan El-Khalili shop 

Bellydancing suits and galabiyas in a Khan El-Khalili shop 

Galabiyas and belly dancing suits

Sequin canes in Khan El-Khalili

Bally dancing suits of Khan El-Khalili

And of course the original Baladi Tabla is sold there in Khan El-Khalili

Baladi Tabla sold in Khan El-Khalili

I did not find my favorite bookshop open during my visit to the Khan in 2016.
I am worried that it was shut down and sold to another shop owner who changed its activity.
I hope that it was only closed on that Friday.

A closed shop in Khan El-Khalili

After Iftar, I and my cousins went to the famous Fishaway cafe.
The cafe was buzzing and full as usual.

El-Fishawy cafe 

I got a nice Henna tattoo drawn by a very nice Sudanese young lady.

A post shared by Zeinobia (@zeinobia) on Sep 12, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

I had that Henna tattoo for a couple of weeks.
We walked out the Khan through the Badistan gate aka Badistan Way street.

The Badistan way street 

 Yes, it turned out that there is a street named after the famous Khan El-Khalili gate leading Al-Hussein Mosque and square.
The famous minaret of the mosque that was reconstructed in the 19th century.

Al-Hussein Mosque's Minaret 

Honestly, it is the first time I noticed the gothic style of the famous Al-Hussein Mosque.

Al-Hussein Mosque's Gothic look: Check the windows 

 Also, interestingly you would find old Western style residential buildings built in the famous popular square steps away from Khan El-Khalili and Al-Hussein mosque.

Neo-Classic European style buildings in Al-Hussein

Al-Hussein Mosque was buzzing with life in that Ramadan sleepless night with many worshipers inside it seeking the blessings of God and his Saint Al-Hussein bin Ali while a huge crowd outside enjoyed themselves in local cafes and restaurants.

Al-Hussein shops and cafes 

Before heading back to home, my family decided to order a yummy Egyptian Fiteer aka "pancakes" near the mosque.
They were the best pancakes, crunchy from outside and soft from inside. They are highly recommended.
During that visit, I tried something for the first time and I really liked it. I did a very short live periscope broadcast from Khan El-Khalili in English before the Iftar.

.@Zeinobia Khan el Khalili https://t.co/BjbxGZje7y

— Zeinobia (@Zeinobia) May 9, 2017

I tried Periscope again from a couple of months ago and I believe that I will do it again inshallah hopefully soon. You can subscribe to my Periscope channel here.