The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

With options for shopping in Cairo expanding rapidly, Zara Home has proven itself a reliable outlet for contemporary, quality home accessories. With their first branches opening at Heliopolis’ Citystars and 6th of October City’s Mall of Arabia, its success has led to the most recent opening in the growing Cairo Festival City.

Neatly organised with white shelving and display tables, the large, spacious and brightly lit shop is seemingly organised by collection rather than product category, sometimes making browsing a little overwhelming.   

Whilst many of the items carry a chic country vibe, using neutral greys, beiges and creams, many items are also colourful and fun, all the while maintaining an air of quality and sophistication. Such stylish home accessories also come at an expense, with prices hovering at the mid-high range. The staff are largely unobtrusive, leaving us to browse at leisure.

Almost every type of home wear is available; from table-wear and textiles, to living and bathroom accessories. Striking, heavy fluffy bed throws are priced at 1,299LE, whilst duvets, duvet covers and flat sheets are all sold separately. Wicker laundry baskets come in a range of colours, sizes and shapes, starting at around 500LE, as do less expensive, attractive storage boxes and modish organisers.

Lounge wear is available for both men and women, with a range of demure, cotton night dresses (399LE), slip on slippers (349LE), pyjama sets and dressing gowns. Unusual coat hangers come in a multitude of designs; brightly coloured satin ones, as well as pretty floral ones caught our eye (129LE/pack of 3).

A large range of cushion covers are also on sale, perfect for either the bedroom or living room, whilst their pillow fillings are also available to purchase (50LE+). 100% cotton tea towels come in packs of one, two or three, and boast a large range of both monotone and colourful designs for around 129LE.

Dining and table accessories are also aplenty. Colourful runners and placemats come in matching sets, whilst there is also a wide choice of glasses, mugs and other chinaware. A cutesy set of 6 fondue sticks with mini, gold elephants on top was priced at 129LE. Essential trays come in a multitude of sizes and designs, with large wicker ones retailing at 399LE or shabby chic ones for 499LE. Pretty, butterfly wall hooks (99LE) and unique door knobs are also available.  

Trendy ornaments were also strewn over the multiple different collections, including a rhino head wall mount (500LE), one small (259LE) and one large (349LE) golden lizard, as well as several other animal sculptures and decorative candles. Lamps are either imaginative or eye-catching but subtle; a horse shaped table lamp was priced at 1,200LE, as were the more modern, acrylic choices. In one of their more tropical collections, we spotted a lamp in the shape of a pineapple (1200LE), pineapple shaped lanterns (129LE), and a fun, pineapple shaped candle (169LE).   

A whole area is dedicated to the Zara home fragrance range, complete with delicious smelling, slightly overpriced candles (200LE/259LE), flower-shaped tea lights (79LE/set of 3), room fragrances, boxes of incense sticks (49LE), strong-smelling car fragrances (129LE) and flashy incense holders, amongst others. A small area is also dedicated to their children’s line, with a number of soft furnishings to complete any homely nursery.

This branch of Zara Home presents a wide range of tasteful home accessories for every style, and whilst the price tag might be a little high, the quality reigns supreme over many of the other outlets in the city.