A charming store that combines quality colorful handicrafts and decorative items from Egypt; A bookshop section about the Arab world.

When we first inaugurated Oum El Dounia in 2004, overlooking Tahrir Square, we wanted to create a magical place, in the heart of Cairo, that combines high quality crafts and a bookstore entirely focused on the Middle East, a store where one could have a good time, discover Egypt’s craftsmanship, as well as find an French translation of an Egyptian novel.
Over time, we have enlarged our store, expanded the choice of our items, added a bookstore corner, organized cultural events, and also opened another store in Maadi.
In 2014, Oum El Dounia celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Today we work directly with about a hundred craftsmen from all parts of the country (independent craftsmen, women communities, NGOs, cooperatives, ….) for whom Oum El Dounia is an attractive showcase for their beautiful work. We collaborate with them to develop new items while at the same time honoring their skills and traditions, often handed down from one generation to the next. Our bookstore was the very first in Egypt to obtain the approval, given by the French Centre National du Livre in Paris, of “Francophone reference bookstore.”