Ittayer and the Friday Market in the City of the Dead

Ittayer has a junk stall in the City of the Dead in Cairo, Egypt. It is messy and cluttered but occasionally has treasures. He has a wonderful welcoming smile. Over the years I have bought a collection of old keys, and a few locks, and hamzas the handshaped protection against the Jealous Eye. These souvenirs take me straight back to the day I bought them, the dust and the cold of an unusually bitter winter, and Ittayer’s smile, gloves and his watch – which had no hands.