Old Market (Sharm El Maya)

The Old Market, locally known as Souq Sharm El Maya, occupies the Sharm El Maya district of Sharm El Sheikh on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. Before the 1980s the area was a modest cluster of Bedouin and fishing settlements around a sheltered bay, and the Old Market grew as the town's first commercial centre as Israeli administration, then Egyptian development after 1982, drew workers and visitors. The market is a pedestrian-oriented complex of arcaded lanes, built in a stylised Egyptian and Arabesque idiom with decorative arches, lanterns and low stone-and-plaster buildings. Its character is that of a modern recreation of a traditional souq rather than an ancient monument, which makes it an example of resort-era heritage tourism. Shops sell spices, perfumes, papyrus paintings, cotton clothing, leather goods, shisha pipes, alabaster and silver jewellery, while cafes and restaurants serve Egyptian dishes such as koshari and grilled fish. Shisha cafes and bazaar stalls stay open into the evening, typically about 10:00 to 23:00, and the busiest hours come after sunset when temperatures fall. A short walk away are the Sharm El Maya waterfront and Al Sahaba Mosque, which stands as a landmark in nearby Hadaba and is a useful historical reference point for the town's religious architecture. The interpretive value of the market is mainly social: it shows how traders, Bedouin craftsmen and migrant workers from the Nile Valley shaped the modern town. Renovations and street improvements have been carried out over the years to maintain the paving and lighting, and the market remains in active use. Bargaining is customary, with opening prices commonly cut significantly, and vendors often approach passers-by. Entry is free, and visitors can browse without obligation.