2 Best Shopping in Cairo, Egypt

It's hard not to be impressed by the colorful, floor-to-ceiling displays of carpets at this store, which was founded in 1870 by a young Syrian immigrant who originally set up shop in Cairo's famous market, Khan el-Khalili. Run by the fifth generation of the same family, it's now one of the city's oldest carpet manufacturers, with a wide collection of silk, Persian Heriz, Azerbaijani Shirvan, and modern designs, as well as custom-made carpets, kilims, and tapestries. If you have the time, book the shop's two-hour tour (pick-up and drop-off service from/to anywhere in Cairo can be arranged), which walks you through the history of carpets and enables you to see craftsmen expertly weaving carpets by hand.

Heritage and craftsmanship are the founding pillars of Caravanserai, a store that celebrates both local artistry and cultural fusion in merchandise that ranges from small, minimalistic decorative items to large, elaborate pieces of furniture.