Cairo

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Deserted Egypt

A May 2002 trip to Cairo by akakd

Step PyramidMore Photos

NOW is the time to visit Egypt if you want to see it without the crowds--not because it's low season, but because there are so few tourists since September 11th. Tourist police insure your security as you wander through ancient sites with unobstructed views. Come visit the land of the pharoahs.

  • 9 reviews
  • 4 photos

Deserted EgyptBest of IgoUgo

Overview

Egyptians are known for their friendliness & sense of humor. We enjoyed meeting & spending time with a family of four we met on our first day in Cairo. In addition to spending time getting to know people throughout Egypt, we also frequented the traditional ancient sites, some in which we were the only tourists there. "For the long shadow of its historical & cultural significance, the glitter & the glare of its present, the warmth of its people, the heat of its sun, & the dazzling beauty of its landscapes, we love it." -Anthony Sattin, author of Exploring Egypt

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

If you stay @ the Sheraton Royal Gardens in Giza on Pyramid Road, be sure to meet Fadel Zakaria. His shop is across the street from the hotel (next to the corner grocery store, turn left out of the hotel, bypass the other shops, & head for Fadel's). Fadel's shop is called Legends & Legacies. In addition to his shop, Fadel owns a private cab & will take you anywhere you want to go. He's knowledgeable, friendly, & appears to be trustworthy. We enjoyed his hospitality. Tell him Karyn & Denny from Arizona sent you!

Sheraton Royal GardensBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Sheraton Royal Gardens is a new & nice "boutique" hotel, located just 15 minutes from the Pyramids on a residential street off Pyramid Road. It has 168 deluxe rooms, all overlooking the swimming pool. Amenities include pool, 24-hour room service, a/c, satellite TV, hair dryer, safe deposit box. There is a nice restaurant in the main building which serves great breakfasts. A Trader Vics is also on the property. Three shops make up the shopping arcade. Laundry & drycleaning services are available. We loved the beautiful business center, which allowed us to stay in touch via e-mail through the Internet. The business center overlooks the pool & offers several amenities itself. A definite plus.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 29, 2002

Sheraton Royal Gardens
13 HELMIAT AL AHRAM ST Cairo, Egypt
02-7812211

MemphisBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Memphis and Saqqara"

Step Pyramid
Legendary King Menes united the southern valley & the northern delta & founded his capital, Memphis, on the exact spot where the valley met the delta. He became the first pharaoh to wear the double crown of Upper & Lower Egypt.

Today, Memphis is home to the forever young King Ramses II, his limestone colossus lying in a concrete pavilion. Outside the pavilion--an 80 ton Alabaster Sphinx. Both the colossus of Ramses II & the Sphinx once stood in front of the temple of Ptah, creator of gods & the world.

In nearby Saqqara is the Step Pyramid built by the exalted architect Imhotep. This was not only the first pyramid to be built, but also the world's first large stone building & a starting point for architecture.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 29, 2002

Memphis
24 kilometres south of Cairo Cairo, Egypt
No phone available

Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Pyramids at Giza"

COSTLY BUSINESS: "Now, the sum that was spent on radishes, onions, & garlic for the workmen, is marked in Egyptian characters on the Pyramid. If these things be so, how much besides may we calculate was spent on the iron with which they worked, & on bread & clothes for the workmen..." -Herodotus, 460 B.C., in The Histories-

There's no question that the only one of the Seven Ancient Wonders to have survived the ravages of time, is still a marvel. Pictures don't do justice to the magnitude of the pyramids.

If you have time, visit the Solar Boat Museum, said to be one of the most amazing Pharaonic discoveries.

Of course, you've got to stop @ the Sphinx. When we arrived, it was "closed" early due to no tourists. We were fortunate enough to have it opened, just for the two of us.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 29, 2002

Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)
Giza Pyramids Plateau Cairo, Egypt
+20 2 383 8823

Egyptian MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Egyptian Museum of Antiquities"

Egyptian Museum
No visit to Egypt is complete w/o a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. We spent over three hours in the Museum & felt we saw a good portion of the important pieces, including Tut's Treasures w/ the startlingly beautiful & incredibly perfect Death Mask of King Tut; & the Mummy Room which contains mummies of some of the mightiest pharaohs in history, including Seti I & Ramses II. Gaze into their 3000-year-old faces. What an experience.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 29, 2002

Egyptian Museum
Tahrir Square Cairo, Egypt
+20 (2) 579 6974

CitadelBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Islamic Cairo"

"He who hasn't seen Cairo cannot know the grandeur of Islam. It is the metropolis of the universe, the garden of the world, the nest of human species, the gateway to Islam, the throne of royalty; it is a city embellished w/ castles & palaces & adorned w/ monasteries & dervishes, & w/ colleges lit by the moons & starts of erudition." -Ibn Khaldun, 14th century Arab historian-

While we enjoyed the Mohammed Ali Mosque, the striped El-Nasir Muhammad Mosque, the Mosque & Madrasa of Sultan Hasan, & the Ibn Tulun Mosque w/ its spiral minaret, one of my favorites was the beautiful el Rifa'i Mosque across from the Sultan Hasan. The Mihrab (alcove indicating the direction of prayer toward Mecca), is a masterpiece of wood & marble.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 29, 2002

Citadel
Salah Salem Highway Cairo, Egypt
+20 2 512 9619

Gayer Anderson HouseBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

While not on the beaten path, the Gayer Anderson House is well worth a visit. Gayer Anderson was a doctor to the royal family who lived in this house from 1935-1942. Many treasures from his travels are still in this enchanting Moorish style house. One of the Roger Moore James Bond 007 movies was filmed here, & our on-site guide still wore the 007 belt given him by Moore. He was an excellent guide w/ excellent English & a great sense of humor. He took me & hid me away in a secret room, then had my husband search for me. He never found me, hidden away behind what looked like a curio shelf. A house full of fun & surprises; you'll enjoy this marvelous museum.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 30, 2002

Gayer Anderson House
next to Ibn Tulum Mosque Cairo, Egypt

Khan el-Khalili BazaarBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Khan el Khalili"

Khan el-Khalili
Khan el-Khalili is as much about people watching as it is about shopping. Men carrying huge trays of bread on their heads, donkeys pulling carts of watermelons, men pouring bitter licorce flavored juice from huge glass jugs, men in traditional galabayas, women in flowing black gowns, sheesha water pipes standing at the ready, mint leaves on tables set for tea. All this & more adorns the narrow streets of Khan el-Khalili. Don't miss it!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 30, 2002

Khan el-Khalili Bazaar
Cairo, Egypt 11211

Legends & LegaciesBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Legends & Legacies"

If you get tired of constant haggling, try Legends & Legacies Bazaar for the "best prices in Cairo"--as a sign inside says. Especially convenient if you stay at the Sheraton Royal Gardens @ 22 Abo Hazim Street. Just step outside the Sheraton Royal Gardens, turn left along the wall, head for the corner & cross the street. Legends & Legacies is to the right of the corner grocery. (If you cross the street first, you'll be stopped several times before you ever get to the corner.) The shop owners' names are Fadel & Fokeh Zakaria & they are friendly & helpful. They'll probably offer you tea or Pepsi as you shop. If you're lucky, their children will sing you "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"! Shop in a relaxed atmosphere, no haggling. Tell Fadel that a couple from Arizona sent you.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by akakd on June 30, 2002

Legends & Legacies
20 Abo Hazim Street, off Pyramid Road Cairo, Egypt

About the Writer

akakd
akakd
Arizona, United States

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