Caravanseri / Tentmaker Alley

One of the oldest areas of Islamic Cairo is along an alley affectionately referred to as The Tentmakers. This short alley is in an old caravanseri that dates back to the time when Cairo was a walled city.

At night the gates of Cairo closed to maintain security. As a merchant traveling across the desert with your trade goods, predicting arrival was difficult and you often arrived at night after the gates to the city closed. You went to this caravanseri. It was an inn of sorts. You unloaded your camel, had it fed and stabled in the stall at ground level. Then you climbed the steep narrow stairs at the end of the inn and proceeded to a small sleeping cell located over the stable. In the morning you proceeded into Cairo once the gates opened for the day.

Caravanseris were located all along the old trade routes, about a days journey apart and functioned much as a motel does today. It offered overnight accomodations for both man and beast of burden. Today this alley is know as the area of the tentmakers of Cairo. The old stable areas are now converted into stalls offering all sorts of canvas work, embroidery work , applique work , as well as other textile work like large flags, buntings and banners.......AND tents. The old sleeping areas are now workrooms for the various tentmakers atliers.

You can buy any shape, size and configuration of tent you desire. My daughter bought a small tent for her children to use indoors as a playhouse. She also bought two small wee tents to hold the stuffed camel toys she took home to her children. The tents are colorful and a wonderful memento of a trip to the tentmaker alley.

It is a fun place to visit, especially if you want a tent.

Egyptian Tourist Police

Tourism is big business here in Egypt. It accounts for a substantial portion of their GNP. Consequently they take the safety of tourists very seriously--Very Seriously. You see evidence of Police everywhere. And a special branch of the police, dubbed Tourist Police are at all major tourist sites as well as around the downtown areas of major cities, like Alexandria, Luxor and Asswan.

If you are a tourist and have any problems at all, you can go to one of these policemen and they will get help for you. If they do not speak English, there is another officer close-by who does.

Tourists often have trouble with the taxis overcharging and just the threat of the Tourist Police usually resolves the problem. Some tourists feel terribly hastled while shopping in various souks. The Tourist Police tame the vendors when they see that tourists are being troubled.

Here is one at the Pyraminds aboard his trusty camel. They usually wear blue serge in the winter, and change to white cotton when the country goes on Daylight Savings at the end of April.

This poor fellow thought it was cold outside. It was all of about 61 degrees, but you couldn't tell from looking at him. Some have shotguns and some have automatic rifles. All Tourist Police wear an armband announcing them as TOURIST POLICE different from the regular police who guard churches, banks, and other important buildings, along with traffic control among other duties.

This fellow is in his summer whites at the Fort Quimby in Alexandria. This fort is built on the ruins of the old lighthouse at Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and heavily touristed. Many of these fellows also carry sidearms as well.

They are omnipresent and I must admit that, as a tourist, I did feel safe. They usually shy away from cameras--taking pictures of police is not generally allowed. But for some baksheesh (tip) you can usually get the photo, if you are quick about it.