The land of the Nile is a fantastic place to find keepsakes and gifts for your friends and family, and there's much more to gift buying than generic decorative camels. Read on to find unique souvenirs to take home form Sharm el Sheikh.
The country is home to a burgeoning contemporary arts scene that proves there's much more to art than hieroglyphics, and away from the main tourist trail you'll find intriguing galleries in many larger cities. Vintage movie posters are a great buy and can make for a great retro souvenir while paintings and photos of modern Egypt make unusual and inspiring gifts.
One of the Nile's hidden treasures is the huge selection of fabrics. Snap fabric up by the metre at family-run enterprises to take home and stitch for yourself or keep your eyes peeled for hand-made items such as purses and slippers. Another traditional craft that's used to adorn everything from bedspreads to tents is hand appliqu work. From roughly finished raw silks to beautifully delicate hand-embroidered pieces from as little as ten Euros per metre, there is an incredible choice of fabrics.
You'll find tonnes of Bedouin-based boho-chic leather goods and accessories. Amazing quality bags, purses, belts and shoes all make excellent gifts. Or for something a little different, keep your eyes peeled for leather-bound books, journals and diaries. Egypt has a long historic tradition of book-binding, and you can sometimes even get your own manuscripts hand-bound with just a few days notice. You can usually add a gold monogram free of charge too.
You won't find better quality carpets and rugs anywhere on the planet even though they may be an obvious Middle-Eastern souvenir. Visit one of the carpet-making schools in Saqqara, 30 kilometres south of Cairo and home to the oldest stone-built complex known in history to ensure you're getting something truly authentic.
The country is home to a burgeoning contemporary arts scene that proves there's much more to art than hieroglyphics, and away from the main tourist trail you'll find intriguing galleries in many larger cities. Vintage movie posters are a great buy and can make for a great retro souvenir while paintings and photos of modern Egypt make unusual and inspiring gifts.
One of the Nile's hidden treasures is the huge selection of fabrics. Snap fabric up by the metre at family-run enterprises to take home and stitch for yourself or keep your eyes peeled for hand-made items such as purses and slippers. Another traditional craft that's used to adorn everything from bedspreads to tents is hand appliqu work. From roughly finished raw silks to beautifully delicate hand-embroidered pieces from as little as ten Euros per metre, there is an incredible choice of fabrics.
You'll find tonnes of Bedouin-based boho-chic leather goods and accessories. Amazing quality bags, purses, belts and shoes all make excellent gifts. Or for something a little different, keep your eyes peeled for leather-bound books, journals and diaries. Egypt has a long historic tradition of book-binding, and you can sometimes even get your own manuscripts hand-bound with just a few days notice. You can usually add a gold monogram free of charge too.
You won't find better quality carpets and rugs anywhere on the planet even though they may be an obvious Middle-Eastern souvenir. Visit one of the carpet-making schools in Saqqara, 30 kilometres south of Cairo and home to the oldest stone-built complex known in history to ensure you're getting something truly authentic.
About the Author:
Steve Alexander is a London-based travel journalist with a good knowledge of Egypt. Click this link for deals on all inclusive hotels in Egypt or visit Hotels4u for more hotel information in Egypt.
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