Khan el-Khalili

Market Cairo, Egypt

The Chan el-Chalili (Arabic خان الخليلي Chan al-Chalili, DMG Ḫān al-Ḫalīlī, often in English Khan el Khalili) is a souk / bazaar in the old city of Cairo. The market, located west of the Saiyidna el-Husain mosque, is considered the largest in Africa and was founded in the 14th century as a caravanserai and trading post on the site of a former Mamluk cemetery. The name goes back to its builder Emir Dscharkas al-Chalili, who came from Hebron and hence the name al-Chalili (Hebrew for Arabic).