May 2009

Baksheesh for this photo by fetus karateOne of the most common complaints you’ll hear from tourists visiting Egypt (and other Arab countries) is the feeling they are being hassled by the ubiquitous requests for “baksheesh” which accompany almost any small service. Westerners often consider baksheesh to be like tipping and so have difficulty understanding why someone opening a door or giving you directions to the toilet considers that they are due a tip. Mark Twain visited Egypt and later complained about the "torture that no pen can describe from the hungry appeals for baksheesh that gleamed from Arab eyes." However, these requests should be not considered to be simple greed. This is not an attempt by Egyptians to rip–off western tourists. The annoyance springs from our failure to understand a concept that is central to Egyptian culture. Read more