If you're looking to find keepsakes and gifts for your friends and family, the land of the Nile is a fantastic place to visit. There are many unique souvenirs to take home form Sharm el Sheikh and you'll find that there's much more to gift buying than generic decorative camels.
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.
A true hidden treasure from the Nile is the rich selection of exquisite fabrics. Seek out family-run enterprises and snap fabric up by the metre to take home and stitch for yourself, or keep an eye out for hand-made items such as purses and slippers. Hand appliqu work is another traditional craft that's used to adorn everything from bedspreads to tents. The choice of fabrics is incredible, from roughly finished raw silks to beautifully delicate hand-embroidered pieces from as little as ten Euros per metre.
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.
A true hidden treasure from the Nile is the rich selection of exquisite fabrics. Seek out family-run enterprises and snap fabric up by the metre to take home and stitch for yourself, or keep an eye out for hand-made items such as purses and slippers. Hand appliqu work is another traditional craft that's used to adorn everything from bedspreads to tents. The choice of fabrics is incredible, from roughly finished raw silks to beautifully delicate hand-embroidered pieces from as little as ten Euros per metre.
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 has been writing about the best holidays in Egypt. Click here for fantastic savings on all inclusive hotels in Sharm el Sheikh or find more information on Egypt at Hotels4u.
