Khan al-Khalili

Bazaar: Khan el-Khalili (خان الخليلي‎) is a major market (suq) in the Islamic quarter of Cairo. It's notorious for its aggressive merchants; but I hazarded forth. My time is running short in Egypt; and I wanted a few souvenirs. It's a mistake to confront their hyperactive vendors when you actually want to buy something; but that's the stage I was in. I walked around awhile, getting lost in its outer perimeters which are not touristic and are where Egyptians actually buy items at a lower price. There, sweet potatoes are baked in an oven on a cart and sold on the street, tea vendors sell the drink from large aluminum or glass urns carried at their sides, boys pedal through the lanes on bicycles balancing pallets of 'aysh (Arabic bread) on their heads, men hoist heavy sacks of goods on their backs, while others wear the traditional galabiyya–a long cotton robe that comes down to the ankles, bear turbans on their heads, and have scarves wrapped around their necks due to the cold. Many of these scenes look like souvenir photos out of an old album–a main difference being that many of the products in the shops cater to modern needs and styles.

I finally settled into my task and sat down in a café in the sun for some ta'miyya, 'aysh, hummus, and hot qarqaday (hibiscus tea). A scarf seller was directly across the lane. If you want an easy Arabic to learn, here's one: "shal" means shawl. I could decide which of his wares I wanted while an assistant brought me various dolls to choose from. I looked in the area for some cartouche necklaces but couldn't find what I wanted. By this time, the selling was getting very pushy; and I decided I'd better escape while I retained a bit of equanimity. Several men came up to me with brushes wanted to shine my shoes, the last one saying: "Please, there are no tourists, for only one pound ($.16)."

Smart Move: In a smart move and probably deft political maneuver, Muhammad Morsi, Egypt’s Islamist president, has scrapped tax increases hours after they were announced in a noticeable bid to persuade the electorate ahead of Saturday’s controversial referendum on a new constitution. The ordinary people of Egypt are desperate for political stability and an upturn in their nation's economy. New taxes were certain to be unpopular in a country where poverty has increased over the past two years of political turmoil. The tax increases aimed at reducing the deficit and increasing government revenues in line with Egypt’s commitments to secure a loan from the IMF. The imposition of taxes and their quick revocation point to the difficulties the Islamist authorities are likely to encounter implementing an economic programme negotiated with the International Monetary Fund during the political transition.Wind The wind is especially strong today, howling around my towering building and rattling the windows. Temperature is 70°. Writing a Constitution: While the current constitutional draft doesn't directly impose any more Islamic restrictions than Egypt's last constitution, opponents think it leaves the way for later amendment and change that could do so. It is evident that a country's constitutional process reflects its political culture; and western constitutional values will only take or be adopted as far as these have taken root in the culture. An exquisite balance of powers might be present on paper but become a farce in actual practice. Egypt's constitutional assembly did not take a long time and attempt to establish consensus (minority members withdrew) and did not examine the examples and experience of other countries. Egypt’s constitution-writing assembly, rushed by President Morsi’s Islamist majority, has generated a mess of boycotts, street clashes and confusion where consensus and legitimacy are desperately needed. Egypt has a strong sense of geographic coherence but a weak concept of nationhood, no common sense of purpose or responsibility. Instead of Egyptians, people see themselves as Sunnis, Shiites, and Copts compounded by secularism versus Islamism.

Sweet Potato Street Vendor. Interesting comments from the International Crisis Group: "Morsi’s decision (constitutional declaration which has since been rescinded [my clarification]) arguably enjoys broad support from a citizenry yearning for stability. Opposition calls to rally in Tahrir Square belong more to the realm of nostalgia than to that of effective politics: the revolutionary zeal of 2011 has long exhausted itself, and any violence likely would rally a majority to the president’s side. Without meaningful grassroots popular backing, the non-Islamist opposition typically has resorted to obstructionist politics rather than formulate a positive agenda. Its demand for a complete rescinding of the declaration is unrealistic, as Morsi has staked much of his political capital on this move." "Efforts in the coming days should focus on remedying the fundamental flaws that have plagued the transition from the day President Mubarak was ousted: the absence of an agreed-upon set of principles and a political roadmap that sets the final destination and a safe pathway for getting there. The onus lies not on the president alone, but equally on an opposition that must prove itself a serious and responsible political actor (www.crisisgroup.org, 11/26/12)."

Islamic Cairo.

Old Cairo.

An old lock leading to a caravanserai like the one founding the market, built in 1382 by the Emir Djaharks al-Khalili in the heart of the Fatimid City. A caravanserai is a resthouse built of storage rooms for trade goods around a courtyard to stable animals; it includes bedrooms on the upper floors for merchants.

In the khan.