Friday, I wanted to buy some pieces of papyrus paper before leaving Cairo. These are the only souvenirs I really wanted for myself so it was time to get onto it.

Of course, it is impossible to buy real ancient papyrus since first it is rare and second, it is forbidden to take away anything that is older than 100 years from Egypt.

Before buying, I read a bit about how to buy, what to look for and discussed with some people including some egyptologs I met during my trip as well as one of the clerk at my hotel that is going to the guide school.

When looking for papyrus here, you usually can find four quality grades.

• The worst grade is not even made of papyrus. It is actually banana leaves that are processed to create the paper. The design is then printed directly on the paper. These can be purchased for some pounds. A large 30cmX10cm would cost EGP5.
• The second grade is made of real papyrus leaves but the design is still stamped. It is a bit more expensive, maybe EGP10-15 for the same size.
• The third grade is made of real papyrus leaves. The design contours is stamped but it is then colored by hand. A bit more expensive still. Maybe EGP20-40 for our 30X10 piece.
• The best grade is made of real papyrus leaves and is fully painted by hand. It usually bears the signature of the artist that made it. I consider that as almost buying art. Prices are way higher and it is difficult to give numbers.

I was looking to buy some of the best grade and had made my choices on what I would like to get.

I went early to Dr Ragab Papyrus Institute. Dr Ragab was an engineer that reintroduced the papyrus plant in Egypt after he realized it had completely disappeared. He then rediscovered the way to make papyrus paper and got the patent for it. Dr Ragab is now dead but he left a company that manufactures papyrus paper and creates very fine reproduction of famous ancient papyrus or famous temple murals. All the papyrus there are fully hand painted so I knew it would give me a good idea of how it should look and practice looking at the details. I got the address from one of my guide books.

Since it is a very famous place thanks to Dr Ragab’s story, prices are set high and it is impossible to discuss the prices with the store clerks. I tried a bit and managed to get 10% discount but the guy would not go lower. It was still too much expensive to my liking so I left.

I met with Karim a bit later and he took me to a place in Giza where I could bargain for a better price. To give you an idea of how big the market is, there are tens, maybe hundreds, of papyrus shops in Giza. All prices in these shops are marked up to include a huge commission for guides that take you there. It is in the order of 50 to 60% based on what I have heard. I selected the 2 pieces I wanted and I started discussing the price. Since Karim told them he did not want a commission, we got the price sharply down and then discussed a bit longer until they reached a price I was happy with. The clerks just serve you the worst lies and tells I have ever heard of since last time I went to shop for a brand new car but I just ignored everything and laughed at it.

I might have paid too much. And if you discuss with some people after you bought something here, you will always end up with some of them telling you you overpaid but at the end, it is not that important. The only important thing is to set a price for yourself and stick to it. If you can strike a deal for your price or lower, then everybody is happy. You did not pay more than you wanted and the shop is making money. If they were not, they would not sell! They will tell you you are killing them but this is just part of the folklore.

Anyway, I am very happy with my acquisitions. I will now be hauling a long cylinder for the rest of my trip. I am sure it will be a great conversation opener! 

For those of you that wonder, I chose the scene of the last judgement of the heart by Anubis and the other one is based on the Dendara Zodiac I so much liked at the temple of Hathor in Dendara.

[Edited on 5/18/2006 to fix the link and add a link to my own picture of the Dendara Zodiac]