ALTHOUGH I am no fan of early mornings, getting up at dawn on my first day ever in Cairo gave me a rare chance to observe this grandest and most exciting of cities wake up. As I looked through the car window I saw street vendors arranging their wares, cab drivers positioning themselves on stra
tegic spots and women on
their quest for the best
market bargain.
Despite the early hour, there was a lot of traffic already with a huge number of trucks, pick-ups, buses, vans, and cars sharing a few lanes with tractors, motorcycles and even donkey carts. I had been warned not to attempt driving, so I had arranged a hired driver to take me around this fascinating though overcrowded city. Khalil, my driver, could well have been a tour guide as he was pointing to places of interest and bombarding me with information delivered in perfect English.
As I only had two days in Cairo, I headed straight for one of its hallmarks — Giza. Soon we arrived at this revered site and, although I’d been prepared for the sight by numerous books and movies, I was still filled with awe.
Khalil had told me the Great Pyramid of Khufu took 20 years to be built and as I stood in front of it, I remembered this imposing 449-foot-high structure was the tallest building on earth until early in this past century. South of Khufu’s pyramid is another one, which honors his son Khafre. The view from Khafre’s pyramid was breathtaking with the Nile river and Cairo to the east and the Menkaure pyramid and the vastness of the Sahara desert to the south and of course, the mysterious Sphinx just in front.
After a good wander around Giza and a hasty lunch, we headed south toward the ancient site of Saqqara, which is one of the oldest historical sites in Cairo and used to be the most important necropolis of Memphis, the capital city of the old Kingdom on the opposite shore of the Nile.
Khalil told me you need at least three days to explore all 16 pyramids but unfortunately I only had half a day. The most imposing feature of the necropolis is Zoser’s Step Pyramid complex, named after Sokker, the figure of death. We owe most of what we see today at the Step Pyramid to French scholar Jean-Philippe Lauer, who dedicated 70 years of his life to restoring the site.
Half a day is clearly not enough at the spectacular Saqqara necropolis and as I was dragged away from it, but I promised myself I would one day go back. It was not until half an hour later that it dawned on me how tired I was. Still, I decided to give night time Cairo a go.
Kalil drove me to Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, named after Prince Jaharkas Al-Khalili, who was one of the powerful Mamluke princes in the 14th century. It quickly became clear to me that this is one of the most interesting bazaars not only in Egypt but in the Middle East.
Cafes, restaurants, shops and a large number of vendors and buyers constitute the dynamic panorama of the Bazaar, and there are various Egyptian drinks to be sampled such as Hibiscus (Karakade), or Helba.
It was very busy indeed with distant music coming from every café, various shop keepers trying to lure in visitors, and visitors, in turn, bargaining for prices. I was overwhelmed by the mixture of fruity exotic aromas, which Khalil later told me was a result of the Shisha café’s in the Bazaar that served many different flavors of the favorite Egyptian pastime.
The Bazaar is famous for its unusual, typical oriental souvenirs, handmade crafts, and exotic perfumes. The labyrinth layout of the streets together with the medieval atmosphere of this traditional market, gives visitors a glimpse into what medieval markets were like.
The following day started at the famed Cairo Antiquities Museum. It is said that if you spend one minute at each of its numerous exhibits, it will take nine months to see the whole collection. Time just flew as I passed through the famous Tutankhamen gallery and the royal mummy room with all 27 mummies in the collection.
It was late in the afternoon and while I was happy to spend the remainder of my day marveling at the museum’s historic artifacts, Khalil said it is time for me to see yet another one of Egypt’s many faces. So we took off, leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind us. Our destination was a village on the outskirts of Cairo, famous for its crafts. Khalil said I could buy hand-made carpets and beautiful embroideries at a fraction of the price quoted in upmarket shops. This was a wonderful way to sort out gifts for colleagues and friends with minimum damage to my finances.
On my way back, gifts loaded in the car’s trunk, I was already planning my next break in this vibrant city where various Pagan, Christian and Muslim civilizations have left their fascinating imprints in the form of customs and artifacts.
To give a full account of Cairo’s wonders is a task almost impossible, so there was a heap of fun activities I could have done. A sunset felucca cruise along the Nile was very high on my ‘to do’ list and so was a wander around old Cairo, which houses the remains of Fustat, the first Islamic city in Cairo and one of the most important Islamic archaeological sites in the world.
Another must-see in the area is the mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As, which is Egypt’s oldest mosque. The oldest church in the country is also to be found in the area. Built into the walls of a Roman fortress, the Hanging Church is one of the highlights of old Cairo’s Coptic area, which Khalil recommended, I definitely visit next time.
In terms of logistics, having a hired multi-lingual driver saved me time and helped get a real feel for the city. Khalil works for Hertz Egypt and they can tailor packages and suggest itineraries to meet various needs and budgets. Prices are very affordable. A day hire starts from around $52 for 12 hours.
Hertz Egypt also offers transfers to resort areas in the Red Sea and the Sinai. Travelers with more time on their hands can opt for day trips to the historic city of Alexandria or Mt. Sinai. Trips can also be arranged to the area of Fayoum, which boasts Egypt’s largest salt water lake, where many Egyptians and foreign tourists alike go to sail, windsurf, swim and fish.
The Hertz Limousine service can be arranged from any hotel or major company in Cairo. Travelers can find more information by emailing [email protected]
Saudi Arabian Airlines and Egypt Air have daily flights to Cairo from Jeddah and Riyadh.
For more information on Cairo visit www.egypttourism.org