Author
Hussein, Suleiman Muhammad
Type
Book
Language
Arabic
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Royal Danish Library
Library Asset ID
ISSN: 2536-9504
Record ID
cdi_almandumah_primary_912202
Library Location
DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
Notes
This research deals with the history of Khan al-Khalili in the Ottoman era, since its establishment by Prince Jaharkes al-Khalili in the era of Sultan Klawun and its rebuilding during the reign of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri with the aim of revitalizing trade in Cairo. This khan is located in the middle of the important commercial areas in Cairo, such as Al-Ghoriyah, and between Al-Kasserine, which is the goldsmiths, Khan Al-Hamzawi, and other commercial districts along Al-Mu'izz Lidin Allah Al-Fatimi Street. The demographic composition of Khan Al-Khalili included various elements of merchants, the most prominent of which were Turkish merchants, followed by Egyptian merchants. This is in contrast to merchants who belong to other countries, such as Shawam, Moroccans, and Hijazis. Khan Al-Khalili did not deviate from the financial and administrative systems established by the Ottoman Empire to manage the markets in terms of submission to the authority of the muhtasib and sheikhs of the markets, adherence to the prevailing customs among merchants, bearing tax burdens, and other obligations assigned to merchants. As for the commercial activities inside the khan, the most famous of these goods are fabrics, coffee, spices, copper, rugs, burlap, henna, and many foodstuffs, as well as the slave trade, which added a special character to Khan Al-Khalili, and contributed effectively to revitalizing the commercial movement inside the khan, which also included other types of rare goods brought from Europe, Asia, and Africa, such as gold, silver, pearls, precious stones, and various types of animals and birds that are unparalleled in Egypt. Khan al-Khalili is unique among the rest of the khans and commercial districts in Cairo with a certain peculiarity derived from its historical and archaeological status, which made it a tourist destination and an archaeological and cultural landmark that reflects, along with other archaeological sites, the commercial and cultural value of the city of Cairo. Despite this status that Khan al-Khalili enjoyed, it did not receive clear attention from researchers, with the exception of the archaeological study supervised by the French Institute in Cairo, while the historical aspects of the khan remained in terms of its origin, Demographics, commercial activities, and traveler perceptions need to be uncovered. Hence, this research aims primarily to draw the attention of researchers specialized in the fields of history and archeology to the importance of studying this khan on the one hand, and to consolidate popular awareness of its historical and cultural status on the other hand.
Görüntüle
Majallat buḥūth al-Sharq al-Awsaṭ fī al-ʻulūm al-insānīyah wa-al-adabīyah, 2018 (45), p.26-60
