Omar Effendi
A large iconic Egyptian, 150 year old department store. Sadly filled with Chinese and poorly made Egyptian clothing even now since it's privatization and takeover by the Gulf Kuwaiti Sultan Centre Company.
The Downtown district of Cairo features a number of Egyptian department stores. These were once fantastic emporiums, full of the world's best products - until July 1961 when every one of Egypt's great department stores were nationalized. Those days are long gone, but quality shopping has moved to upmarket malls in Heliopolis, Nasr City, Maadi and other upscale neighborhoods. Today, Downtown is the place to go for cheap fakes and local produce of variable quality and the full range of Arabic pop music and films.
The Midan Ataba area is home to large bookseller markets, where you can find inexpensive books, as well as electronics and clothing markets. Near the main post office, there are vendors selling stationary and cards. Talaat Harb Street is the place to find shoes, with one shoe store after another.
Madbouli
Mostly Arabic bookstore with a range of political literature and other books.
Sednaoui Department Store
This once family owned department store was nationalized in 1961 and now has the neglected feeling of an East German department store before the wall came tumbling down. It has 3 floors and has a grand sweeping staircase, and a glass roofed atrium worth seeing for that alone, if you like old architectural building designs. Sells very cheap fabrics on the 2nd floor where you can buy shirt, blouse , and curtain material and have made up by one of Cairo's many tailors.
El Shawarby St
The best street to bargain hunt for music, DVDs and clothes, don't be afraid to haggle, watch how the locals do it for tips.
Shorouk Bookshop
Located on Midan Talaat Harb, Shorouk has two floors with a good selection of both Arabic and English language books.
Talaat Harb Mall
Most famous for it's downstairs fast food restaurants. Many cheap clothes stores are also in the vicinity of the mall which is placed just above Midan Talaat Harb.
Attaba Bookstalls
Over 100 new and second hand book stalls all displayed in little Arabesque kiosks. Every type of book and magazine available in many languages.Usually hassle free and sellers are content to let you browse in peace. Always barter, and the price will come down the more you buy.Very old books and classics up to newly released novels and magazines. A great place to find treasures and find a few books for your trip. Visit Mahmoud at kiosks 83 and 84 for a great selection of used English books and a fair price. Many books are under 10LE each.
AUC Bookstore
Great bookstore just minutes away from Cairo Museum in the AUC Hill House campus. Excellent selection of new books and all the usual Egyptian authors works can be found there amongst the latest releases.
Al Bostan Mall
Large old Mall mainly selling computers, second-hand PC's and laptops, and computer accessories with some clothing and footwear stores and a few airline offices. Toilets on each of the 4 floors.