Khan el-Khalili bazaar Historical Timeline

Khan el-Khalili takes its name from a caravanserai (a trading depot for traveling merchants) built on the site in 1382 by Emir Djaharks el-Khalili, during the Mamluk era, replacing an earlier Fatimid-era mausoleum complex. Over the following centuries, the market grew and was rebuilt and expanded multiple times, particularly under Ottoman rule from the 16th century onward, evolving into the sprawling commercial district visitors encounter today.

The bazaar has functioned as one of Cairo's principal trading hubs for the better part of 700 years, historically connecting Egypt to trade routes across the Islamic world, and remains a working, living market today rather than a preserved historical relic — a rare case of genuine continuity between the site's original purpose and its present-day use.