The bazaar behind Luxor Temple is the main commercial cluster of the tourist economy. Alabaster workshops, papyrus shops, jewellers selling cartouches with names in hieroglyphs, spice stalls, and clothing shops fill the streets around the Sharia el-Souk, the old market road that runs parallel to the temple's western wall.
The quality varies enormously between shops. Alabaster is the local speciality — much of it genuinely carved in workshops in the villages to the north and west, though it varies from fine work to crude tourist tat. Bargaining is expected and prices start high; a first offer of a third of the asking price is not unreasonable. The most persistent sellers cluster near the temple gates; wander a few streets back for a less pressured experience and slightly better prices. The afternoon is quieter than the morning, and just before closing time vendors are more willing to negotiate.