Oriental City of Wonders
Greater Cairo, Egypt
Amazing, chaotic Cairo stands at the crossroads of the Middle East and Africa, a city of contrasts and some 21 million people. There are many different faces to this grand old lady with the city being much more than its stunning ancient sites: it gives the visitor a different experience each visit. Come to Cairo to discover souqs, experience a belly-dancing show, see the Pyramids, Tutankhamun’s gold, take a Nile cruise, smoke a sheesha and enjoy a coffee in a typical coffee house.
Background
In terms of Egypt’s history as a whole the Cairo of mosques and minarets we see today is a relative newcomer, dating from the 10th century – something of a surprise to many visitors as the ancient Pyramids are on the city’s doorstep.
The city can very roughly be split into three areas: starting on the west bank of the Nile is Giza, home of the Pyramids; lying on the east side of the river and you enter the downtown area around Tahrir Square where the treasure-crammed Egyptian Museum can be found.
Further east and spreading out from the foot of the Citadel is Islamic Cairo, an area of amazing Islamic architecture forming a huge network of narrow streets and souqs, whilst southwest and back towards the river is Coptic Cairo, an ancient Christian enclave with ancient roots.
Relaxing
Cairo is famous for its coffee houses, belly-dancing shows and more recently its club scene. There are hundreds of coffee-houses in the city with their tell-tale brass-topped tables, sheesha waterpipes and games of backgammon or dominoes - they make great places to hang out and watch city life go by.
The most famous are Fishawis in Islamic Cairo and Ash Shams downtown. Belly dancing has a long history in Egypt with top performers earning millions of dollars, even if it is still perceived as a slightly sleazy pastime: see a show at one of the top 5* hotels or make your way to Palmyra’s for an unforgettable backstreet experience at the other end of the scale. There are a host of bars and nightclubs to enjoy, with Zamalek island being a popular hang out.