Cairo--More than the Pyramids

DO NOT MISS THE KHAN AL KHALILI. After 3 years in Cairo it remains my favorite place, and one of my favorite locations in the world. You jostle with local shoppers, haggle with expert salesmen and drink the occassional glass of tea with a friendly shopkeeper. Plan to spend a day, and relax in the comfort of the Naguib Mahfouz restaurant when you can't take the bustle anymore. On Sat. or Wed. nights, stick around for the whirling dervishes, or Sufi dancers, free of charge. Ask around at shops in the Khan for the time, as it often changes, and anyone can direct you. Get there early; bring a camera. ***

Wander downtown, north of Midan Tahrir (location of the Nile Hilton and Egyptian Museum), and admire the now-dilapidated but still impressive architecture of downtown Cairo. Do not follow random people to their uncle's perfume factory, but do (if you're a man or a woman accompanied by a man) stop in for tea and shisha (water pipe--it's tobacco, don't worry) at a coffee shop.

Quick Tips:

A few words of Arabic go a long way (thank you--shokran; goodbye--masalaama; hello--ahlan). People will greatly appreciate the effort and respond warmly. ***

Dress respectfully--legs and shoulders covered, and the nicer you dress the more respect you get. Western women in shorts and tank tops only perpetuate the local notion that all western women are excessively promiscuous and immoral. Don't support that. ***

You will be overcharged for something somewhere along the way. Don't sweat it--I've lived here 3 years and it still happens. Just know that a few extra dollars from you makes a world of difference for someone here. It's not worth getting upset about.

Best Way To Get Around:

Don't get in a cab if you don't know where you're going without having someone (maybe from your hotel) explain it to the cab driver first. They do not, generally, know where things are, but will never admit that.

On the other hand, getting lost in a Cairo cab is half the experience, and eventually you will at least find your way back to the hotel--who knows what you might see along the way? ***

The metro is cheap, easy, convenient and clean--women can ride in the front car (far left of the platform) free of harrassment. A great cultural experience as the women are open and talkative in the absence of men.

Authentic Egyptian food in an old colonial restaurant. Very friendly service and a menu which is worth the trip alone...

(El Alfi St. is a well-known pedestrian area in downtown Cairo--cab drivers usually know the street, and the restaurant is large and obvious.)

Good prices, great merchandise, and they can make you a personalized cartouche in a matter of hours. Ask for Sayed, or "Carlito," as his friends call him. He speaks many languages and has a heart of gold.

The pyramids are hard to describe because they have been written about a million times...suffice it to say that despite their hype and your high expectations, they will stun you and take your breath away. For three years I lived where I could see them on the way home from work, and it never failed to amaze me. Driving up to the site you can see them towering over the surrounding farms, and if you ignore the freeway you're on, you can imagine things haven't changed much in 4500 years. I never got used to them--they were awe-inspiring every single time.

That said, the actual trip can be a bit much if you're not prepared. The site swarms with hawkers peddling camel rides, drinks and cheap Pharaonic trinkits. Get there early or late (they usually open around 8am and close at 5 or 6 depending on the time of year) and you will avoid the worst of the hawkers and the masses of tourists. If you want to ride a camel, check the official rate on the board at the entrance, and don't pay more than that. If you don't want what they're offering, say "La shokran" (no thank you) and then ignore them.

Admission to the site is LE20 (about USD4) and LE10 for camera use. Not bad for the last remaining wonder of the world. However, bringing a video camera costs a fortune--decide how badly you want the video. It is another LE20 for entrance to the Solar Barque Museum (which is worth it), and if you want to go inside the Great Pyramid, you have to get into a separate line and pay another fee. The pyramid itself usually opens only at about noon.

If you go prepared for the hassles and avoid the peak hours, it will be a great experience.

The Citadel is a mix of different historical periods, which houses a few remaining Mamluk mosques as well as a great deal of Ottoman architecture. The Mosque of Mohamed Ali itself is quite spectacular, particularly at night when lit up. It is the largest mosque in Cairo, and is worth seeing just for that. The reason for its double minarets is interesting--The Ottoman Sultan at the time declared that only mosques located in Constantinople could have more than one minaret. Mohamed Ali declared in response that he was building one with two, and if the Sultan had a problem with that, well, come and get me. The Sultan, of course, did not.

The Citadel itself, however, can be something of a let down. The museums are poor and the other mosques hold little of interest, particularly compared to some of the more fascinating mosques in the near vicinity (Ibn Tulun, Sultan Hassan). You may be mobbed by Egyptian school children, and foreign women are likely to get leered at quite regularly. Overall I would say that unless you have a deep interest in the history of the Citadel, there are other sites more worthy of your time and money.

A hidden treasure which is often overlooked, the Museum of Modern Art houses a collection of work by respected Egyptian artists. Much of it is quite remarkable, and gives the traveller a taste of authentic modern Egyptian culture which is sometimes hard to find. Cheap admission (LE8 or 10 if I remember correctly), and open late on weekends.