Egypt
From the "land of pyramids" you must bring a small pyramid. They are sold there in large quantities, in all sizes and from various materials: from plastic to alabaster. Such a gift will please everyone, but especially people interested in esotericism: according to modern bioenergy experts, the pyramidal shape emits positive energy.
A very useful and pleasant souvenir for housewives will be karkade - tea from hibiscus flowers or Sudanese rose. It is widely known as "Pharaoh's Tea". Karkade tea is not only exotic, but also very beneficial: in addition to its tonic quality, it also has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antibacterial, and choleretic effects. Moreover - a very valuable quality - it reduces the consequences of hangover syndrome and decreases the degree of alcohol absorption into the blood!
For men, an interesting gift could be a hookah. In Turkey, there are also many hookahs sold, the so-called "nargile", but the classic one is considered to be "shisha" - the one sold in Egypt. Hookah is much safer for smoking than cigarettes, as its smoke is cooled by passing through water, and cooling is accompanied by filtration. In metropolitan restaurants, you will have to pay more for the pleasure of smoking than for an entire hookah in Egypt. Charcoal and special tobacco with various additives can be quite easily bought at home in tobacco shops.
The famous graphics and writing of Ancient Egypt were done on papyrus - a special paper made from papyrus stalks. However, current souvenirs are actually not made from papyrus, but from rice paper, and they are mostly manufactured in China. Real papyrus can be bought, perhaps, only at the Papyrus Factory. From "papyrus" in Egypt, many souvenirs are made: bookmarks with the hieroglyphic alphabet are perhaps the most universal - you can buy many of them and give them to everyone who loves to read.
Also, many talismans are sold here, quite similar to their ancient prototypes: ankh crosses (which are so loved by fans of gothic music), scarab beetles symbolizing the rising sun, "udjat" or "Eye of Horus", etc. Talismans were very popular in Ancient Egypt.
Turkey
Coffee lovers can bring real Turkish "kahve" from Turkey. A good addition to such a gift could be a cezve (Turkish coffee pot) and small coffee cups. As for tea lovers, for them in Turkey there is the so-called "Apple Tea" (Яблочный чай), which is drunk both hot and cold. Turks willingly offer such tea to all customers when selling, for example, leather goods in stores, or excursions at local travel agencies, in Internet cafes, and even in banks when exchanging currency. Cute little glass glasses (in Turkish "bardak"), from which Turks drink their tea, can also become a good gift.
Men will be more pleased with 45-degree Turkish vodka "Rakı", which is made from anise and very well purified. Turks consume it diluted by half - in this state it becomes whitish and slightly cloudy. "Rakı" is also made in Bulgaria and Greece, where it is called "Ouzo".
Turks, like many Eastern peoples, are very superstitious, so in this country you can see blue flat glass eyes everywhere - "nazar" - a Turkish talisman "against the evil eye". These eyes are no less common in Turkey than images of their famous reformer ruler Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. They hang the eyes on their necks as pendants, decorate beads and bracelets with them, and even hang large discs on the walls of houses above the entrance, and of course, they are sold. By the way, they are also found in Greece, but still the "eye against the evil eye" is specifically a Turkish talisman.
One of the fundamental concepts of Turkish service are the baths "hammam". Therefore, a Turkish souvenir also includes toiletries: sponges (natural, i.e., dried sea plants), which are very good for exfoliating, and olive soap. In souvenir shops, special bath sets are sold, which, in addition to these items, also include a small basin and aromatic herbs. You can also add aromatic massage oils to the gift.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is famous for its delicious alcoholic beverages. First of all, of course, excellent Czech beer. Famous varieties such as Staropramen, Budweiser, Krušovice, Pilsner Urquell, Velkopopovický Kozel, Kelt, and others are exported and can be bought at home. But wonderful beer Gambrinus or, for example, dark Velvet, fans will have to bring directly from the Czech Republic.
A good addition to such a gift would be a beer mug. They are sold in large quantities: there are very simple ceramic ones, and beautiful tall wooden or metal mugs with lids - from such they drank beer in the Middle Ages. Mugs in the Czech Republic are decorated with coats of arms, images of various attractions, such as the Charles Bridge, St. Vitus Cathedral, the Church of Our Lady before Týn, and simply inscriptions with the beer brand.
Bohemian glass and crystal are famous all over the world. However, in Prague it is quite expensive; it can be bought at the same prices in your home capital. But such a variety of Bohemian glassware is certainly not found here. These are all kinds of figurines, vases, chandeliers, exquisite champagne glasses, shot glasses, and simple tableware, etc. By the way, in the Czech Republic there is a good selection of beer mugs made of Bohemian glass, so it is quite possible to combine these two souvenirs.
If the person you are going to give a gift to prefers stronger drinks, then buy him "Slivovice" (Slivovica) or "Becherovka" (Becherovka). "Slivovice" is plum vodka, which is produced in the southern part of the Czech Republic - Zlín, and is successfully exported. "Becherovka" is a 38-degree liqueur with a pleasant taste of cinnamon. By the way, "Becherovka" is added to "coffee in Czech style".
However, there is an even stronger Czech souvenir that can make an excellent gift - the famous 70-proof absinthe. This green drink is the true "green fairy" of the creative Parisian bohemia of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Remarque, Van Gogh, Picasso, and many others adored this bitter wormwood drink until it was banned in France and replaced with Pernod. As is well known, absinthe has long since become anise-flavored. Only the Czech Republic preserves the traditions of the past and produces real absinthe based on wormwood with the addition of anise.
Ireland
The Irish are great lovers of drinking and having fun. They like to spend evenings in noisy groups in so-called "pubs." However, traditional Irish pubs are not just bars, as besides drinks and snacks, you can eat something more substantial there. Many come there for breakfast. As a souvenir of pubs, you can bring back famous Irish beers: dark Guinness, red Murphy, light Harp.
To make the fun even greater, it's worth buying Irish whiskey, because the Green Island is considered the birthplace of this barley drink. Initially, whiskey was a medicine for treating various infections, and therefore was called Ishke-baha - "Water of Life" in translation from Ancient Celtic. The most common varieties of Irish whiskey are Jameson, Black Bush, Bushmeals, Powers, as well as the highest quality and most expensive Midleton. By the way, the name whiskey is spelled differently in Ireland and Scotland: in Ireland - whiskey, and in Scotland - whisky. The latter spelling is more accepted in the world, as is Scottish "scotch," which, alas, is more popular than Irish. Although Irish whiskey undergoes more thorough purification.
For lovely ladies, a pleasant gift from Ireland could be the delicious Irish cream liqueur Baileys. In our capital, it is much more expensive, although it is present in almost all bars and is part of the famous B-52 cocktail.
Famous Irish folk music is heard everywhere in Ireland: in shops, souvenir stores, and bars. Collectible Irish music CDs, audio and video cassettes, sheet music, and Irish folk songbooks are sold in all souvenir shops and are a wonderful gift for music lovers. The works of Dubliners, Clannad, Pogues can quite ignite an interest in Celtic culture in your friends, which is close in spirit to Slavic culture.
If you have musician friends, especially those who play folk music, be sure to bring them a bagpipe or at least a "whistle" (Irish flute), and you can also add a "bodhrán" (Irish drum) or an Irish harp, which differs from the classical one in its smaller size. However, instruments in Ireland are quite expensive. And in principle, prices there are not cheap: by some parameters, they are higher than in London, one of the most expensive capitals in Europe.
China
Many souvenirs sold in different countries, even those carrying national flavor, are made in China. So don't be surprised when a souvenir helmet of a British policeman or a toy double-decker English bus says "made in China." What can China itself offer in terms of souvenirs?
China, as is well known, is the birthplace of tea. The Chinese prefer green tea; black tea is not customary for them to drink. But there is a great variety of green tea sold there: jasmine, white, powdered, etc. You can buy it at the market, or purchase an expensive collectible one in a salon along with a whisk for whisking powdered tea or other equally authentic tea accessories.
China is also the birthplace of porcelain. A good addition to green tea would be a porcelain teapot or tea set. In addition, porcelain is used to make huge jugs, small vases, cups, mugs, figurines, plates, and many other things. And all of this is covered with Chinese pictures (mostly dragons) and gilded ornament.
By the way, in our country porcelain has become such a popular decoration that its production has been taken up in many regions of the once vast homeland. Porcelain factories flourished in Soviet times, and their products became true works of art. And today, Dulevo, Kuznetsov, and Gzhel porcelain are known worldwide.
Silk also originated in China. So good gifts could be silk Chinese robes embroidered with dragons, as well as all sorts of ties, shirts, blouses, underwear.
An excellent souvenir is silk or paper fans of various sizes. Small fans in ancient China were worn not only by women but also by most noble men, including the emperor of the Celestial Empire. And huge ones (more like feather fans), painted with entire landscapes, can be hung on the wall.
You can give items made of bamboo. These could be a cane, curtain, flute, or a specific chime made of tubes - the so-called "wind chime," which, according to Chinese beliefs, drives away evil spirits.
A very interesting souvenir could be Chinese rice vodka sold in a bamboo bottle. However, many do not like its taste - for such connoisseurs of the beautiful, it is worth giving ginseng tincture, which is abundantly sold in China. Ginseng, especially in combination with alcohol, has a tonic and anti-inflammatory effect. And it is inexpensive and pleasant to taste.
Cuba
If you are lucky enough to get to the country of Hemingway, Fidel Castro, and sizzling Cuban women, be sure to buy Havana cigars there. Fortunately, prices in the Cuban capital are still quite socialist, and the selection of cigars is the richest. Just be sure to learn how to smoke them - these are not just cigarettes, so there is a whole ritual for smoking them. By the way, according to experts, about 80% of Havana cigars sold in our country are fakes.
Of course, Havana cigars should be accompanied by the famous Cuban rum. For example, the 'white' rum Havana Club Carta Blanca, or even better, the 'dark' Matusalem Anejo Superior, which has been produced since 1872 in Santiago de Cuba, the historic birthplace of Cuban rum. After drinking rum and taking a puff of a cigar, any man will feel like a true macho.
Another purely masculine souvenir could be a machete. Local craftsmen make very intimidating knives from excellent steel with wooden handles. However, too large a machete is considered a cold weapon, so hide it deep in your luggage and never carry it in hand luggage.