2 Best Places to Shop in Downtown and Raml Station, Alexandria

This area acquired a reputation in the 1960s as the place to find high-quality antiques, sold by fleeing foreigners. Those days are long gone and there are only a few true antiques stores left in the area, but it's fascinating nonetheless to see the tiny workshops where reproduction French-style furniture so popular in Egypt originates. Almost all the workshops will be happy to sell direct if you find a piece that appeals to you, but consider the challenge of shipping it back home before you give in to temptation. The market actually consists of a series of alleyways, the sum of which feels less established—and far less touristy—than Cairo's Khan al-Khalili bazaar.

The Manshiya Market, which is also known as the "Downtown" or "old city" market, is basically a flea market near the Attarine Market. Here, clothing, textiles, spices, and jewelry are sold in the streets west of Maydan Orabi. Perhaps the most visually interesting market in Alexandria is the produce section of the market, which begins near the Raml Tram Station and runs west for a mile.