Shopping for Beads in Egypt

In December, I went on a shopping trip for beads at the Khan el Kalili Bazaar in Cairo. My mom makes jewelry and I thought that it would be a nice gift if I got her some beads from Egypt.

I'd recently been to a jewelry store and purchased a necklace and I asked if there was a place to buy beads in Cairo. After some phone calls, they gave me the name of a place in the Khan. I was a bit reluctant to take the trip alone, but I took the address w/the hope going before I departed for the States for the holidays. Eventually, one of the young ladies from the jewelry store offered to be my guide on the trip.

Good thing that she came along too. She's Egyptian. The store owners pounced on me like I was a fresh tourist from the airport. But my newfound friend refused to let them overcharge me. She negotiated for me in Arabic and insisted that they charge me the same price that they would charge her.

I came away with lots of beads for my mom and the price was decent. I gave the beads to my mom for her birthday and she was ecstatic. She's already made several necklaces and earrings. I'm hoping that she gives (or sales) me at least two of the necklaces. They all look so nice. Pics of my Mom's jewelry are forthcoming.