On the way to see the State Pyramids at Sakurra, we stopped at a carpet factory at Ensultan. It was a short stop, but one of my favorite sites. You get a tour of the back rooms where the actual carpets are made. Then you get to go in front to the display room, where you can actually buy a carpet to have shipped home.
There are many different levels of carpet weaver and many different types of carpet. The more experienced the carpet weaver, the more expensive and sophisticated the carpet. Amazingly, little kids at the age of seven were in the back rooms weaving carpets. Of course, there were also much older workers doing the more difficult jobs. Unfortunately, the little kids oftentimes have to work instead of going to school. They aren’t paid very much and this isn’t the most highly regarded trade, but the carpets are absolutely beautiful.
The display room itself was overwhelming but quite a treat. You are taken to your own area of the room. Then you are shown all kinds of rugs in an attempt to get you to buy one. I had no idea how to judge the quality or the value, but I was told (by my guide) that this is where some of the fiercest haggling in Egypt occurs. I saw hundreds of rugs I wanted to take home, but the nicer ones are still quite expensive (several hundred to several thousand dollars apiece). I decided a purchase of that magnitude was best left to a joint decision, so I used the absence of my girlfriend as my excuse for not purchasing (which was true, but not much solace for the merchant).
If you plan to purchase a rug, do some research and bring a decent amount of money (or a high credit card limit). You will definitely be tempted, and this is one of the nicest things you can buy during your trip to Egypt.