Cairo, Egypt — Activities
Cairo Culture
There are numerous cultural centers in Cairo, which have very varied programs incorporating lectures, films, music, exhibitions and other cultural events. Details are available in the monthly magazine Egypt Today (www.egypttoday.com) and in the newspaper Al-Ahram Weekly (http://weekly.ahram.org.eg).
There is no city-wide ticketing organization. For tourists, the best way to buy tickets is from their hotel concierge or a local travel agency, such as American Express (tel: (02) 570 3411), Misr Travel (tel: (02) 333 0011) or Thomas Cook (tel: (02) 574 3955 or 3776).
Music
Cairo Opera House
This seven-story building is the city's main venue for drama, dance, film and music. It is located in the National Cultural Center in the Gezira Exhibition Grounds on Gezira Island and is one of seven theaters (one open-air) and concert halls in the complex, offering a busy program of opera, dance and music across the genres. Visitors should note that in the main hall men must wear a jacket and tie.
El Borg Gezira
Tel: (02) 2739 0144.
Website: www.cairoopera.org
Arabic Music Institute
The institute hosts performances given by the Umm Kalthoum Classical Arabic Music Troupe.
22 Ramsis Street
Tel: (02) 574 3373.
Dance
Cairo Sheraton
Dance is not a major art form in Cairo, unless you count the folk dance shows that many hotels incorporate as part of the entertainment packages for their guests. Other options include belly dancing. This can be enjoyed in Las Vegas-style productions at several international hotels and on some of the dinner boats run by the hotels. A cheaper and possibly less cheerful version can be found in several clubs on Al Haram Street.
Midan el Galaa in Dokki
Tel: (02) 3336 9800.
Website: www.starwoodhotels.com
Ghouri Caravansary
Sufi dancing, more commonly known in the West as the dance of the whirling dervishes, can be seen on Wednesday and Saturday evenings at the Ghouri Caravansary.
Sheikh Mohamed Abdu Street, off Sharia Al-Azhar
Tel: (02) 909 146.
Arts
Atelier du Caire
Cairo has a healthy art scene, with numerous galleries spread around the city. To discover what is going on, the Atelier du Caire acts as both gallery and a meeting place for artists.
2 Karim al-Dawla
Tel: (02) 574 6730.
Cairo Tours
Walking Tours
In fume-filled Cairo, there are few obvious walking tours on offer and none in the blistering summer months. However, personalised tours can be arranged through some of Cairo's cultural organizations, or the Community Services Association (tel: (02) 358 5284 or 358 0754; www.livinginegypt.org) and the American Research Center in Egypt (tel: (02) 794 8239; www.arce.org). MyWay Travel a.s. (tel: (012) 773 9149) offers a wide range of personalised and special interest tours, including walking tours.
You can arrange official guides for individual tours through hotels and tourist offices, at a fixed hourly rate (plus a tip). Unofficial guides approach people in the street and range from the abysmal to excellent. Personal judgement is all that can be used as the ID cards these ‘guides' wear are often fake. If unsure, decline politely but firmly. Be cautious, too, of people asking you where you are going and then telling you that it is closed. This is usually a preamble to being steered in the direction of a friend's shop instead.
Bus Tours
Any hotel will be able to offer the standard range of bus tours for guests, usually including the highlights of the Egyptian Museum, the Khan al-Khalili bazaar, the pyramids and the Sphinx. Alternatively, a local travel agent, such as American Express (tel: (02) 570 3411), Misr Travel (tel: (02) 393 0010; www.misrtravel.net) or Thomas Cook (tel: (02) 2696 2139; www.thomascookegypt.com) can also arrange tours. Safari Egypt (tel: (02) 2705 7586; www.safariegypt.com) offers full day sightseeing tours of the city with professional guides and many language options.
Boat Tours
Several top-end hotels run nightly Nile dinner cruises on their own boats. These last around two hours and include buffet dinner and local-style entertainment including belly dancing. The most famous of these cruises is aboard the Pharos, operated by the Oberoi Hotel.
