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

Located inside the Degla Shopping Centre on
Hassan Sabry Street, Funktion might be a bit difficult to find. The entrance to
the mall is located across from the Dutch Embassy and you will find Funktion on the
second floor on your left-hand side. The shop interior is bright and clear, and
it’s difficult to decide where to start because everything is so attractive.
The right side of the shop has several chairs hanging on the walls, functioning
as shelves. At the time of this reviewer’s visit, the sale items were displayed
here and the discounts reached up to 70% on certain items (we love, we love).

The
other side of the shop has shelves filled with the coolest and funkiest pillows
that we’ve encountered in Cairo. The pillows’ designs are best described as retro
pop art with an artistic twist. One pillow sells for 285LE; not the cheapest you’ll find in Cairo. There is also a
section with the funniest accessories ever. How about chewing gum magnets for
95LE or a banana-shaped pan holder for 100LE? If you are more of a pizza
fanatic, then slicing your pizza just became more fun with the saw-shaped pizza cutter for 110LE.

If you want to make your sushi meals a little
funkier, you can buy Funktion’s drumstick-shaped chopsticks for 115LE. Their
Lego-shaped cutlery (120LE) is a great option for a kid who is a pain at
feeding time (or an adult who just doesn’t want to grow up). Other items
include ice trays in hilarious shapes, photo frames and beauty cases. A small
jewellery collection is displayed on the shop’s counter with bracelets starting
at 50LE.

Aside
from the kitchen stuff, there are lots of other trinkets and accessories for
your home as well as your wardrobe, including calendars for 200LE and the best
thing ever; customised Converse All Stars. Funktion works with a designer who
has a portfolio of over 100 designs; and she hand-paints your shoes personally, making them the coolest and most original shoes that Cairo has ever seen. You
can also request a personal design to be made.

The
shop’s owner Lina is very friendly and welcoming, and she’s a designer herself
too. This reviewer recommends that you pay a visit to this shop as it’s one of
the best in town to buy something for your home or a gift for
someone else’s.