It has to be said that on a hot summer’s day, surrounded by irritable drivers incessantly blowing their horns, it takes a special patience to enjoy Cairo. At times like these, buried under exhaust fumes, elbowed by the crowd, and tricked into being guided where you didn’t want to go, the
Mother of All Cities (as the Egyptians call their capital) can easily become the mother of something far less flattering.
But there are other sides to Cairo. There are the
pyramids of Giza, so iconic as to be beyond description. There is the astonishing
gold of
Tutankhamen, buried in the
dusty upper corridors of the
Cairo Museum. And there are the
Islamic treasures of bejewelled mosques and sacred places of learning. For many people, however, the best of the city is experienced not through the iconic spectacle of ancient monuments, great though they are. Even more memorable perhaps is the morning coffee with traders in
Khan al-Khalili bazaar, the glance of the midday sun off a piece of
polished brass, or the call of a nation to prayer at sunset.
It’s no coincidence that
Misr in Arabic means both Cairo and Egypt. The capital is a magnet that draws people from the Nile Valley towards the promise of a better life. The city dominates Egypt as it
dominates Arabic culture. And what gives it this life blood? It’s undoubtedly something to do with
the Nile, as it quietly threads through fashionable suburb and island allotment, past the
mausoleums of the dead now occupied by the living and alongside
luxury hotels and
floating palaces of pleasure.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Related Cairo Content
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
Related Egypt Content
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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