Next on the list — Egyptian souvenirs. The first time we left with nothing except Caleb’s pyramid-shaped ashtray. This time we were looking for something we couldn’t buy locally at the souk here. Alabaster is locally mined and candle holders, vases, and other alabaster objects are sold everywhere in Cairo.
We cut out the middle man and went straight to the source — the shop where they take the raw stone and turn it into works of art.
checking out pieces of the stone
Inside the shop — finished vases and tea lights waiting to be polished
Different shaped sconces. The cool thing about alabaster stone is it’s translucent. If you put a candle or a light inside, the entire thing glows. It’s really pretty.
Alabaster dust covered everything — lung cancer waiting to happen
Double whammy — smoke a little shisha while inhaling the alabaster dust
The most recent development is they are now mining the black onyx. Pre-revolution they weren’t allowed to do that so all the alabaster sold was the creamy yellow and white. Now they are selling pieces made of the black onyx alabaster (while supplies last).
This piece is a partially completed vase mounted on one of their machines that grinds away the unwanted parts of the stone.
the raw stone with the black onyx
up close
what it looks like when polished — amazing!
Across the street from the shop is the store where they sell the finished pieces
I love the tall “lanterns” that glow (they have a lightbulb inside). I had to settle for a small candle holder for myself since that’s all the space I had in my suitcase.
bowls, lampshades, platters, urns . . . large decorative pyramids (where would you put one of those?!)
Wrapping up my purchases
Carter chose a pyramid made out of the onyx — he finally got a souvenir from Egypt.