Caravanserai Southern Nile Valley

The best-preserved of the caravanserais in Esna, the beautiful Wikalat Al Gidawi was named after the merchant Shahbandar Al Tuggar Al Sayed Hasan Al Gedawi. Merchants from Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Central Africa and elsewhere stayed on the 2nd floor here, and a market was held regularly in the courtyard, with elephant tusks, ostrich feathers, Arabic gum and other exotica for sale.