Egypt: souvenirs
Egypt has been selling souvenirs since travellers wore togas - papyrus, alabaster, cotton and gold cartouches. Here is what travellers bring home from Egypt, where the good versions live, and the export questions worth a look - alongside our 204 written places.
The classic buys
Papyrus, real
Painted papyrus from institutes that show the making - banana-leaf fakes crack when rolled; the real sheet is translucent against light.
A gold cartouche
Your name in hieroglyphs from Khan el-Khalili's jewellers - hallmarked gold, made in a day.
Egyptian cotton
The famous long-staple in sheets and shirts from reputable shops - thread-count fantasies live in tourist strips.
Alabaster from Luxor
Vases and scarabs from the west-bank workshops - hand-turned pieces glow when a light is held inside.
Spices and hibiscus
Karkade flowers, dukkah and cumin from spice merchants - the red tea of Nile cafes, packable.
Perfume oils and glass
The attar tradition and hand-blown perfume bottles - buy the oils you actually smelled, not the '5 for 10' rush.
Check before you buy
- Antiquities law is famous and fierce - nothing genuinely ancient may leave, and 'authentic' scarabs from touts are either crimes or (almost always) fakes.
- Gold and silver want hallmarks and receipts - Khan's established shops provide both.
- Coral and shells from Red Sea stalls are protected - reef souvenirs stay in the sea.
✗ Better left behind
- 'Genuine ancient' anything from pyramid-adjacent salesmen - the museum shop's replicas are better and legal.
- Stuffed crocodiles and cobra items - wildlife rules at every border.
Markets shift, workshops close and open, and the best souvenir is still the one with a story you were there for. Buy from makers where you can, keep receipts for anything substantial, and when a deal feels too good, it usually is.