Egypt's Factory Stores: Rip-Off or Real?

The cynical visitor eyes souvenirs in Egypt

I have no delusions that the acres of small reproduction pyramids, sphinxes, Nefertiti heads, cats, lions and assorted other examples of Egyptiana peddled aggressively at every tourist attraction in the country actually were made in Egypt -- and I suspect that all but the most naive tourist knows that this souvenir schlock is made elsewhere. "Elsewhere" is most likely China.

The "factories" and "demonstrations" that end virtually every motorcoach tour day are presented as if all fine handicrafts are made right there. Because tour guides get a commission on sales whenever they deliver a busload of tourists, we were forced to visit the papyrus demonstration in a modern shopping center in Alexandria, a carpet school in Saqqara and an alabaster factory near the Valley of the Kings. Mercifully, we dodged the perfume-factory bullet.

The carpet weaving school is billed as a place where young girls are taught weaving. We saw men sitting at a handful of looms in the basement of the carpet factory in Saqqara without a girl or woman in sight. Upstairs was a room filled with carpets. It was not the only carpet factory in Saqqara either. In the so-called alabaster factory near Luxor, three barefoot men sat outdoors on mats and chipped away at alabaster, demonstrating various stages in the process of crafting something out of the raw stone. Inside was a large sales room whose walls were lined with objets d'alabastre. I saw chess sets shamlessly labeled "Made in Pakistan." I bought a little alabaster cat anyway, just as a souvenir of the day.

Souvenir Stand Near the Pyramids and Sphinx (Giza)

Stall in the Khan al-Khalili Market (Cairo)

Souvenir Stand at The Citadel (Alexandria)

Papyrus Making (Alexandria)

Owner or manager stopped me from taking any more photos

Carpet Weaving School (Saqqara)

Alabaster Factory Near the Valley of Kings (Luxor)