Souvenirs from Egypt – what to bring and prices in 2025

The most memorable and original kind of gift is souvenirs, and no tourist trip to Egypt is complete without them. An endless variety of magnets, key chains, plates with a signature, drawings in the Egyptian manner and without; beautiful bottles with pictures of the desert and camels made of colorful sand; figurines of cats, pharaohs, scarab beetles, ancient Egyptian gods, pyramids, etc.; mugs with images of pharaohs, with hieroglyphs - for every taste.

Here is an overview of the most popular souvenirs from Egypt with prices quoted in US dollars:

• Magnets and key rings

  Magnets and key chains are sold at every turn, their variety is huge. There are pyramids, pharaohs, cats, resorts, in general, everything that your heart desires. The lowest prices for magnets are $ 1 per pair, key chains - $ 1 per piece.

  

• Kufiya or Arafat

  This is a men's headscarf, popular in Arab countries, an integral part of the men's wardrobe in Arab countries and Egypt in particular. It will be a great gift for a child, the real cost is $ 1.

  

• The Scarab Beetle

  The scarab beetle is one of the symbols of Egypt, represented in the form of a magnet, a key ring, figures made of wood and stone, a bracelet. The scarab beetle in Egypt is a symbol of the Sun and rebirth, brings good luck.

  

• Figurines of cats, pyramids and gods

  With the figurines of Egyptian cats and pyramids, everything is clear, but the gods will have to be sorted out a little. The figures of the ancient Egyptian gods Anubis (a deity with the head of a dog – a guide to the kingdom of the dead), Horus (with the head of a falcon – the god of heaven), Osiris (the god of fertility), Bastet (with the head of a cat – the goddess of hearth and beauty), Thoth (with the head of an ibis – the god of knowledge) are also one of the symbols countries. Figurines cost from $ 3 to hundreds of dollars, it depends on the size and material of manufacture.

  Please note that when buying figurines made of stone (granite, alabaster, basalt) and wood, plastic and plaster are often given out for it. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible for a layman to do this, except to carefully and imperceptibly scratch the figure, and under the layer of paint the real material from which it is made will be revealed.

  

• Cartouche

  Oblong oval plates with a frame inside which inscriptions and images. Images of the cartouche can be seen on frescoes dating back to the period of the pharaohs. In ancient Egypt, this object was a kind of passport of a person. On one side, the name of the owner of the cartouche is written in Arabic, and on the reverse side there are symbols-wishes for health and prosperity. Today, tourists can buy cartouches in the form of key chains, tokens, pendants, bracelets, magnets, amulets, silver products (from $ 20) or gold can be ordered at a jewelry store with your name written, and just a souvenir can be bought at a regular souvenir shop from $ 2.

  

• Dried flower "Kaf Maryam" or "Mary's hand" or Jericho rose

  This is an unusual souvenir and trinket, which blooms when immersed in water and dries again when removed from it (less than $ 1).

  

• Egyptian cross or Ankh

  The symbol of eternal life is presented in the form of an amulet, key ring, magnet, jewelry. Ankh is also known in ancient times as "the key of life", "the key of the Nile", "the bow of life", "the knot of life", "cross with a loop", "Egyptian cross", "crooks of ansat", its images can be seen on ancient Egyptian frescoes, papyri, drawings.

  

• The eye of the god Ra or the eye of Ra or the eye of Ra, and he is also Ouadget or the eye of Horus

  The symbol of the sun and the amulet against the evil eye can be purchased in the form of a pendant, a painting, a key ring, a magnet, jewelry. This ancient Egyptian symbol depicts the left hawk-eye of the god Horus, who was knocked out in a fight with another god Set.

  

• Papyrus

  A sheet of paper made from the Cyperus papyrus plant. As a rule, it depicts drawings of gods, pharaohs, symbols of the country. You can buy real papyrus only at the factory, it does not crumple, does not break and is expensive, unlike fakes made of banana leaves, in large quantities offered on street stalls. The price of real papyrus is from 5 to 100 dollars, and for fakes they ask from 2 dollars.

  

• Sand paintings in bottles

  A very popular and well-known souvenir, and very inexpensive - from $ 2. The traditional subject of the painting depicts sands, a camel, palm trees and pyramids. You can buy a ready-made version, or you can order the production manually and with you with the original entry inside, for example, with your name. For the inscription inside, at your request, they ask for an additional 5-10 pounds to the cost.

  

Just in case, we remind you that in Egypt, resorts can be settled in both local currency and dollars or euros. In some cases, one method is beneficial, in some - another, but there are situations when it is generally possible to pay only in Egyptian pounds, these are, for example, supermarkets. For more information about whether it is necessary to change the currency in Egypt, we wrote here. A full review about shopping in Egypt for tourists here.