About Us

KAHHAL 1871 is the luxury home of contemporary and heritage hand-knotted rugs, currently operated by the fifth generation of the oldest and most renowned manufacturers and purveyors of handmade carpets and rugs in Egypt.
For over a century, the El Kahhal name has been at the forefront of the industry, synonymous with the finest quality, craftsmanship and design. 

The business was established in 1871 by Abdallah El Kahhal, a Syrian merchant whose career spanned foreign occupation, religious and nationalist revival, empire building & trans saharan trade. He was connected with the Mahdists, the Sanusis, and British officialdom in Cairo as a merchant, agent, and government confidant who lent his skills and services to everyone from the Sultans of Wadai to T.E Lawrence. It was through these exchanges and friendships that he travelled and traded through the Sahara, eventually settling in Egypt to open his first store in the famous Khan al-Khalili Bazaar district.
The El Kahhal family has since been furnishing royal residences, private homes, and the most luxurious hotels and enterprises, operating from our historic Khan al-Khalili location and our Heliopolis showroom, where we stock collections of a wide range of styles, sizes, and designs for our distinguished clientele. 

Cairo, Egypt− October 3, 2021− KAHHAL 1871, announces their partnership with President Abdelfattah El Sisi’s latest initiative for development ‘Tetlaf Feeh Harir’. The initiative is aimed to revive the declining craft of traditional hand woven carpets and rugs. An old Egyptian proverb, ‘tetlaf feeh harir’ means, ‘hands so skillful that should be wrapped in silk, like jewels’; which is the very essence of this project.
Egyptian loom-weaving is an ancient tradition that has been around from the time of the pharaohs and its craft has been passed down from one dynasty, and generation, to the next. In recent times, local Egyptian weavers have been unable to keep up with the costs required to exhibit and sell their intricate handiwork, thus contributing to the deterioration of the industry as a whole. The ‘Tetlaf Feeh Harir’ initiative is providing materials and designs to the craftsmen as well as new marketing strategies and opportunities, both online and in the field.
KAHHAL 1871 is supplying 500 weavers with looms, yarns & materials, as well as the platform to exhibit to a regional & worldwide audience to keep our majestic craft alive. KAHHAL 1871 is also applying a contemporary approach to textile and rug design with new innovations in the carpet industry, collaboratively bringing together centuries of heritage with leading-edge design. 

               Managing Director 

Mohamed El Kahhal is the Managing Director at KAHHAL 1871. In 2015 after having completed his finance degree in the US, the youngest Kahhal returned to Egypt with a singular vision to take helm of the family heritage company and reinvent it whilst maintaining an 150 year-old legacy as the highest-quality provider of bespoke handmade rugs for luxury residential and hospitality interiors. Since taking up tenure at KAHHAL 1871, Mohamed has demonstrated a consistently creative vision for the company, overseeing all aspects from design & production to retail concept. 

                    Creative Director 

Bosaina El Kahhal is the Creative Director at KAHHAL 1871. With a top-tier international portfolio in the fashion, design, and hospitality industries, her attention to detail and eye for leading-edge design culminated in a rebranding of the family heritage company into its new era. Her creative work has been showcased on distinguished platforms like ICA London (Institute of Contemporary Arts), D3 - Dubai Design District, the Museum of European & Mediterranean Civilization (MUCEM) as well as on the cover of VOGUE magazine. Educated in London, New York & Tokyo and named after the matriarch of the family, Bosaina connues the KAHHAL legacy with a distinctive edge in style & luxury. 

                     Managing Partner 

Over the past 15 years Dara has curated more than 100 events ranging from corporate events to wedding sto 3cketed events and concerts; giving her extensive background and expertise in event planning, F&B and sponsorship management with different client segments. As part of the Kahhal family she was able to utilize her skills, abilities and knowledge of this sector to smoothly transition Kahhal 1871 to the modern era while preserving Kahhal 1871 heritage and her family legacy. 

Our interior design specialists visit clients homes and corporate spaces by appointment, delivering a selection of carefully-chosen pieces used to demonstrate the rug-in-space concept before making any purchasing decisions. This personalized service includes a close collaboration with the client: from inspiration to design and simulation, choosing materials and colour schemes and the final creation of the custom order.