Arabic learning: A Walk through Cairo's Khan El Khalili Market

On this live, virtual walking tour, students will explore the famed Khan-El-Khalili market in Cairo along with a local expert. With a heady mix of history and culture, and the vibrant colours of the bazaar, Khan-El-Khalili market takes one back in time into medieval Egypt, while also giving an insight into the local culture.

This is an interactive session where students will be able to use the Arabic they are learning , in context. With help from our local guide, children will read the signboards that state the name and year of establishment of each monument..

This ancient bazaar, originally a caravanserai, was a part of one of the palaces that housed the royals of Cairo, which was a fortified city back in the 10th century, when it was built by the Fatimid dynasty. By the 12th century the wall was brought down, and Cairo slowly began expanding. Khan-El-Khalili grew as a place for all kinds of trade and commodity exchanges, with many merchants and artisans setting up shop in the district. Although several of them eventually moved out, the coppersmiths, goldsmiths and spice sellers are still known to be the best in the city, among its locals.

The area is filled with houses, mosques and other prominent trading complexes from the medieval ages. Here’s your chance to show off your Arabic skills by reading the signboards that state the name and year of establishment of each monument. As we walk along Muizz Street, you’re bound to see plenty of shops on either side selling souvenirs of Egypt, including statuettes of Egyptian cats, alabaster pyramids and shiny belly dancing costumes. The slender shiny hookahs, silver and gold-plated chandeliers, crescents and domes, and the antiques and jewellery shops are also hard to miss.

Khan-El-Khalili has a strong café culture where you can see men sipping their Arabic coffee while challenging each other to a game of backgammon. The aroma of fresh round loaves of bread will pull you towards bakeries that also offer bakes similar to baguettes and pretzels (the Egyptians say the French took them from here, but you probably wouldn’t want to argue with either!). You would also see falafels – the fried chickpea snack – a local favourite, liked by many a tourist. Students will be able to strike up conversations with the locals under the guidance of our local teams.

With a heady mix of history and culture, and the vibrant colours of the bazaar, Khan-El-Khalili market is perfect for students to practise their language.

This tour has been designed specially for school children. This is a group tour that accommodates up to 50 children at a time. Once you book this experience, we will send you a confirmation email with a link to join the session. Children and teachers can log in from their individual classes or congregate in one single class/hall and access the tour via the link provided.