How to Buy Beads in Egypt
As an ancient cradle of civilization, Egypt is a hot spot for tourism - for those who want to gaze upon the Great Pyramids and float along the Nile River - and offers unique treasure-hunting opportunities for international shoppers. Among various Egyptian goods - cotton, spices, jewelry, alabaster statues, carvings and ornaments - a variety of beads and bead-buying opportunities abound for shoppers. Among glass, stone and precious metal varieties, Egyptian beads made from faience (a mixture of powdered clays and lime, soda and silica sand) are one of the most traditional and regionally-unique items.
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Instructions
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How to Buy Beads in Egypt
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How to find bead-selling shops and markets:
Utilize regionally-specific guidebooks such as Lonely Planet's book "Egypt" for trusted reviews of sellers in the Egyptian cities you will be visiting. Once in Egypt, use local resources (i.e. people) to find hidden treasures and less well-known shopping venues. If you are staying in a hotel or hostel, ask for advice from an employee or fellow traveler.
The biggest and most well-known bazaar (also known in Egypt as a "souk") is the Khan el-Khalili, located in the capital city of Cairo. Although Khan el-Khalili (i.e. The Khan) is a mecca for tourist shopping, Cairo is heavily-peppered with shops -- especially ones that sell a variety of items, including jewelry -- and offers an abundance of bead-finding opportunities.
Outside Cairo, beads can also be found in Egypt's many cities, including Luxor, Alexandria, Aswan, Giza and Al Arish.
In the city of Al Arish, located in the Sinai Peninsula, the Bedouin Market is particularly good for bead shopping. The Bedouin people are traditionally nomadic desert-dwellers who travel to the market to sell their goods, and beadwork is one of their specialties.
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Who to take with you shopping:
Shoppers are wise to go with a local Egyptian, or an Arabic speaker, when bead hunting in order to get the best price. Shop around when searching for beads, and inspect beads thoroughly before buying in order to tell legitimate stones from fakes made from glass and plastics. If you are travelling alone, it is smart to befriend locals and fellow travelers -- shopping alone can be intimidating for some first timers.
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What types of beads can be found:
Throughout Egypt, shoppers can find stone, glass, faience, gold and silver beads, which are strung -- often with fishing line or thread -- in a multitude of fashions, utilizing one type of bead or a mix. The type of stones used for beads are various, but lapis (blue), turquoise (blue-green), amethyst (purple) and carnelian (red) are readily used.
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What to expect to pay for beads:
Haggling -- bargaining -- with shop vendors is common place; however, there are a number of fixed-price shops throughout Egypt's big cities that offer beads at set, inflexible, prices. If you are comfortable haggling with vendors, then big markets (i.e. bazaars, souks) are the best option. Smaller shops are better if you want to pay a set price. Faience beads will be less expensive then stone and precious metal beads but range in price greatly; Bedouin products are often inexpensive. Gold/silver beads are most-often sold by weight.
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References
- Photo Credit beads image by Florence from Fotolia.com
