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.