Markets

El Souq is the first section of the market street, and is also known as the ‘Tourist Souq’ due to its high number of visits from tourists. The objects on sale centre around tourism, such as silver and gold jewellery, alabaster, spices, leather goods, Bedouin accessories, and carpets. The market knows their touristic audience and sell items based on their wants, which brings a great deal of income into the local economy. The stalls are neat, clean, and colourful to appeal to these tourists, and vendors all speak English which makes the Tourist Souq accessible.

The Tourist Souq has been a busy and vibrant place for purchase and haggling with vendors; however, it had become run down with poor drainage which was impacting the nearby housing. Therefore, this section of the Souq has recently been renovated to improve this drainage, but has in some ways taken the authenticity out of the market. The renovations have commercialised El Souq, resulting in a less authentic Egyptian market experience which threatens the intangible wisdom and practices the market represents to local people. Similarly, the renovations have had negative effects on the Local Market. The new wooden gateway to the Souq prevents callaches full of tourists from driving down the Tourist Souq. Instead, this has simply moved the problem to the Egyptian Souq, which has since become blocked by these vehicles which creates a chaotic atmosphere and increases risk of injury. Furthermore, the Local Market has not been renovated, despite being in worse condition than El Souq, which speaks to the wider issue of choosing to invest in touristic aspects to boost the economy without similarly financing authentic local practices to protect intangible heritage. In doing so, there is a focus on built heritage due to tourist interest rather than the intangible local layers of heritage which is also a part of this history.

The hundreds of stalls in El Souq are noticeably tailored to touristic needs, mainly selling physical objects for souvenirs. Unlike the local market where vendors tend to produce and sell their own local products, many of the items in El Souq are imported. Visitors who reviewed the market street on TripAdvisor mentioned that many of the stalls sell similar items; this speaks to the general items tourists collect as memory or proof of their travel (Wilkins, 2011, 239). There are also traditionally minded stalls in El Souq, such as Habiba Gallery which sells Egyptian handcraft and cotton; despite being owned by an Australian woman, the stall travelled to various locations in Egypt to learn of their techniques of making in both old and new styles of production, choosing more authentic items. Near the entrance of El Souq is also the Fair Trade Centre, which is a non-profit store selling handicrafts from all over Egypt whilst also supporting local producers.

Among the many stalls in El Souq are Aldy Jewellery Store, Al Mutawkil Spices Shop, Lotus Bazar which sells fashion accessories, and Adel Estafanous which sells handmade scarves. There are also stalls to meet touristic needs, such as the various cafes visitors can take a break from the busy street in which refer to the Ancient Egyptian heritage tourists are attracted to Luxor by, including the Valley of the Kings Café and the Nubian National Café, as well as Pharmacies, currency exchange shops, and supermarkets.

The Local Market is also known as the ‘Egyptian Market’ as the local Luxor people shop here, rather than the busier and more commercialised El Souq. The Local Market is more authentically Egyptian, in the typical style of a Souq, whilst still attracting some tourists who seek this authenticity. However, the Local Market is not as accessible for tourists as El Souq as most vendors speak Egyptian Arabic rather than English, which makes bartering difficult for non-locals. The Local Market has better quality items for lower prices, which are often produced locally in Egypt rather than shipped internationally such as items in El Souq. The Egyptian Market is a narrow street which sells products such as groceries, clothes, spices, and household items. The Local Market is important for nurturing local traditional practices and productions, as well as being a location for socialisation for Luxor residents. Renovations to El Souk has pushed vehicles transporting tourists from the entrance to the Tourist area to the Local Market area, which has created a more chaotic atmosphere for the local residents. The Local Market has become an afterthought, threatening the intangible heritage which thrives here.

Luxor Local Market, Attribution: Gerhard Huber © https://www.gerhardhuber.at 

Vendors at the Local Market serve everyday life for the local people, who shop for their groceries among the stalls selling fruits and vegetables, and locally produced clothing. Often, prices at the Local Market will be lower than El Souq. The Egyptian Market is a more authentic representation of practical Egyptian life than the touristic El Souq, as around the are mosques and official government buildings.