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

If you’re a resident of Agouza, and are well versed with its narrow side streets, you may have come across Malika Home Accessories before. If not, the only other store on the road is a pharmacy, so it shouldn't be be too difficult to find even though the area isn't exactly a hotbed of shopping.

Stores that sell accessories are usually extremely crowded and all the products are haphazardly displayed, making it difficult to manoeuvre around the store without breaking something. Despite being modest in size and sporting a huge selection, it’ll only take you one or two laps before you decide what you liked most.

The first thing that caught our eye was a collection of glass work stained with vibrant colours like pink and purple, among them is a coffee pot (75LE) with accompanying cups and plates (50LE each) and a set of pots (45LE) in colours like turquoise and pink.

The ceramic works here are quite varied. We liked a plate with yellow and white engravings (300LE) and a bunch of ashtrays in the shape of half jugs (45LE) in bright colours like red, yellow and green.

On a wooden tray is a collection of mugs with quotes like ‘My Dad is a Superman’ and other superhero and comic book characters printed on them. We liked a particular one of Batman we had seen on their Facebook page, but unfortunately, it was unavailable in the store. We did learn that we could print whatever we wanted on their mugs and they would be available for pick up in two weeks. One mug would cost 60LE.

Hung up on the walls of the store is a large collection of round mirrors used for decor, the outer rims can be coloured and the prices vary between 500/800LE. Additionally, there is a collection of larger mirrors. We liked a rectangular one with a golden neo-classical frame (900LE).

Our favourite items in the store were the light fixtures. While they are not great in number, their styles vary between modern, vintage and rustic. From the vintage style, we liked a black spherical light hanging decorated with a rope wrapped around it (2000LE). We also liked a two light bulb fixture with a rusty colour (800LE). The only problem with it is the unusual light bulbs, which may be a problem to replace.

The store also has a second branch in Amman St. in Dokki. The second branch has more furniture, and they can also build you furniture from scratch.