Dusk Descends on Cairo and the Nile
Majestic mosques, hectic bazaars, serene parks and the pyramids at Giza all await you in this 24-hour city. Gezira’s nightlife is hot and Zamalek’s shopping stylish. Feast on traditional dishes like kushari, a mix of rice, lentils, macaroni and tomato sauce, or dine in elegant restaurants in houseboats on the Nile. Wash it all down with mint tea in a traditional ahwa (coffeehouse). Cultural highlights include Egypt’s famous belly-dancing shows, or a performance at the Cairo Opera House. To see Cairo at its most serene, hire a felucca, a traditional wooden boat, and sail down the Nile for city views. The sounds of the call to prayer from the many surrounding mosques are also part of the experience. Early morning is coolest but sunset has the best light. Hire boats at Corniche el-Nil, Garden City, opposite the Grand Hyatt Cairo hotel.
Giza’s three immense pyramids, Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, built over 4000 years ago by an estimated 30,000 workers, are archaeological, jaw-dropping marvels that never cease to amaze. Boy king Tutankhamun’s gold and lapis-lazuli burial mask and coffin are the highlights in the Egyptian Museum. in Coptic Cairo, the hanging church was built above a Roman water gate, and is reached by a steep stairway (Shar’a Mari Girgis). An unmissable landmark, the Citadel near Islamic Cairo was home to Egypt’s rulers for 700 years.
A holiday to Cairo is not complete without bargaining for silver or hand-blown glass at the world-famous Khan el-Khalili market in Islamic Cairo. Upmarket Gezira is the place for stylish jewelery and local crafts Egyptians love the huge modern malls In Heliopolis. Downtown is best for local restaurants, especially Abou Tarek. Along the Nile, around Zamalek and Gezira, are huge houseboats with plush restaurants like El Morocco.
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