page_title: Khan el-Khalili
section_title: Re-development by Sultan al-Ghuri (early 16th century)
hierarchical_section_title: Khan el-Khalili / History / Re-development by Sultan al-Ghuri (early 16th century)
caption_attribution_description: English: The gate and remains of the Wikala al-Qutn, built by Sultan al-Ghuri in 1511, in Khan al-Khalili.
context_page_description: Khan el-Khalili is a famous bazaar and souq in the historic center of Cairo, Egypt. Established as a center of trade in the Mamluk era and named for one of its several historic caravanserais, the bazaar district has since become one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike. It is also home to many Egyptian artisans and workshops involved in the production of traditional crafts and souvenirs.
context_section_description: In the early 16th century, Sultan al-Ghuri, Egypt's last effective Mamluk sultan (ruled 1501-1516), modified the layout of the whole district through a major campaign of demolition and new construction. In addition to building his own religious and funerary complex and a large Wikala by his own name nearby, he demolished the original khan built by al-Khalili and rebuilt it in 1511. It became known as the Khan al-Fisqiya ("Khan of the Fountain") for centuries, until later being known as the Wikala al-Qutn ("Wikala of Cotton"). Al-Ghuri also reconfigured the adjacent area into a souq with monumental gates known as the Suq al-Nabulsi. He also tried to impose a more regular grid-like plan on the wider surrounding district. Along with the stone gates, this sort of complex resembled what in Ottoman cities was known as a bedestan: a central bazaar where the most precious goods were sold, which often had roofed streets and was protected by locked gates at night (and which was also equivalent in some ways to a qaysariyya). It's possible that this was done in imitation of similar commercial complexes in major Ottoman cities, at a time when the Ottoman Empire was the major rival of the Egyptian Mamluk state and when Turkish merchants were probably increasingly prominent in Cairo.
  From al-Ghuri's time, what remains today is the Suq al-Nabulsi and its two ornate stone gates, as well as the entrance facade and gate of the Wikala al-Qutn which replaced the original Khan al-Khalili. All are located along the street known as Sikkat al-Badistan. The monumental gate to the west was originally known as Bab al-Silsila, but is known today as Bab al-Badistan, while the eastern gate, across from the Wikala al-Qutn's entrance, was originally known as Bab al-Nuhhas but is also known now as Bab al-Ghuri.
  By the end of the Mamluk period in the early 16th century, there were 21 khans/wikalas in the district.
caption: The gate and remains of the Wikala al-Qutn (or Khan al-Fisqiya), built by Sultan al-Ghuri in 1511 on the site of the original Khan al-Khalili. Some of the old upper floors are still visible on the upper right.
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