I don’t know about you, but when a friend invites me to come stay in her flat in Zamalek while she travels in Europe for the summer, I don’t ask too many questions. I just get on the next plane.
That’s how I found myself in Egypt the summer of 2004, living my best life and finding adventure around every corner. And that’s why, one day in early June, I jumped on a minibus headed to the famous Attaba marketplace. I was equipped with a few Egyptian pounds and a pocket dictionary. What I lacked in Arabic speaking skills (read: I knew nothing), I made up for in a fierce desire to learn. I’ll never forget how I navigated the public transportation system that day by virtue of my own will and that little pocket dictionary. I’m chuckling as I remember it.
If you have lived in Cairo for a while, you have probably heard of Attaba. Need a replacement part for your blender? Go to Attaba. Need a dressform? Go to Attaba. Need a ridiculously specific fluorescent bulb for your kitchen? Go to Attaba. Attaba, it turns out, has a “minisouq” for literally everything. It is the marketplace to end all marketplaces. Believe it or not, I have been to Attaba for all of the above-mentioned items and more, much more.
Of the many different and incredibly useful minisouqs within Attaba, my favorite is the book souq. Shocker, right? Located on the perimeter of the neighborhood known historically as Azbakeya, the old book souq is rich with history and ripe with books. Read up on it here.
Transportation: The area is too congested to park a personal car, but you can certainly take an Uber. Have the driver drop you off at the closest point to the “Books Bazar” on Google maps. I encourage you, however, to consider taking the metro. It will take you directly to the entrance of the book souq.
You will want to get off at the Attaba metro station. Exit the turnstiles on the metro platform and follow the signs to Azbakeya Garden. As you exit the station, prepare yourself. I’m just going to warn you – it’s noisy. All your senses will be bombarded as you emerge into the souq. There’s a lot to see, touch, smell…you get the picture. Just keep going straight out of the metro until you reach a dead end in the path. Turn right and then right again. Do you see any books? If you do, you’ve arrived at the book market. If not, plug this location into your GPS. It will take you to one of our favorite book stalls.
That’s where you’ll find us–in the English book section. You can also find French, German, Japanese and, of course, Arabic.
A note about the quality of the English books: most of these books are the equivalent of a Gucchi knockoff in New York City. The print quality isn’t perfect and you’ll want to flip through the book first to make sure half of the pages aren’t missing. But you’ll just love the prices (50-80LE for the latest bestsellers) and, well, it’s a book market! What’s not to love?
