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Hatshepsut's temple on the West Bank across the river from Luxor. |
Tourists visiting Egypt have always left with souvenirs of their
visits,
whether they were full-size obelisks in Roman times, mummies and other
antiquities during the 19th century, modern fake antiquities, or simply
souvenirs made for today's mass tourist market. As is the case anywhere
in the world, the quality of souvenirs varies - as does the price.
However,
Egypt offers something for everyone to take back home to a loved one, a
friend or to serve as a personal memento.
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Hatshepsut's temple on the West Bank across the river from Luxor. |
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to Philae Temple located on an island south of Aswan. |
Of course, half the fun of buying is the bargaining side of the
adventure.
It is true that some Egyptians can pester to the extreme, but no one
can
really force you to buy. It is more a test of your will-power. If you
pay
the initial asking price in a market, you have usually paid too much -
so do bargain. On the other hand, remember that usually even the asking
price is still probably less than you would pay for such an item in the
West. Win-win should really be the name of the game. Treat it as
fun, rather than a hassle and you will enjoy the experience much more.
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Of course, if you are approached and told that items are genuine ancient artefacts for sale, keep in mind that they are almost certainly modern. The manufacture of fake antiquities has been established for a long time and some are very well done. While travellers in the 19th century often took home genuine antiquities which now reside in Western museums or private collections, the legal position for antiquities leaving Egypt is now different. If the items you are offered do happen to be genuine, you are not permitted to take them out of the country - there are very heavy penalties (jail) if you are caught smuggling antiquities.
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Copyright © 2000-2007 Mark T. Rigby
