To Do In Cairo

Welcome to Egypt! Alas! Welcome to the last surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Great Pyramid of Giza. Before heading straight to Giza here are some suggestions on sites to see and whereabouts to go within Cairo.

For all religious buffs Old (Coptic) Cairo is the place to venture. Many of Egypt’s churches are here and it is the center of Old Christian community. If one wants to visit this area be sure to stop by at the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra synagogue which is Egypt’s oldest synagogue. If one is a religious historian the old cobbled streets and Roman remains in this area should interest one thoroughly.

For those interested in exploring streets and shopping at bazaars, venture to Islamic (Medieval) Cairo. Here there are mosques, the Citadel, and the big bazaar called the Khan Al-Khalili bazaar. On of the major mosques in this area is the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (Editors note, this is the mosque of the prophet, not the boxer.) If you like to do big things, the Ibn Tulun is located here and it is one of the largest mosques in the world.

Since there are no more artifacts in the tombs, these have all been relocated to the Egyptian Museum. There are mummies and other relics that houses all of Egypt’s glory. Some have described the boy-king’s death mask that is made of solid gold as on e of the most beautiful objects ever seen. The museum is open from 9-5 daily. Do not miss this!

The City of the Dead (Qarafa) is located on the east side of Cairo. This is a “living cemetery” because many live in these cemeteries. Not only do they live here many of Cairo’s poor work here as well. Quite interesting.

Since the Nile is in Cairo one MUST take a felucca ride on the Nile. A felucca is an ancient sail boat and who wouldn’t want to ride one on the second largest river in the world? Walk to the Garden city which is across from the Meridian Hotel for your launch along the Nile. Many say that this is awesome and not too expensive. So we knowledgeable librarians highly recommend this fun activity.

Another suggestion is dinner at Cairo Tower which is a slowly revolving restaurant located on Gazera Island. It allows for a great panoramic view of the city and would be lovely at sunset. It is open from 9am-1am.

One last cultural activity one should do in Cairo is only available on Wednesday and Saturday nights. There are free performances by Sufi dancers at the Mausoleum of Al-Ghouri in Islamic Cairo and also at the Citadel. If one has the slightest idea of what a whirling dervish is, one should surely venture after going to Cairo Tower for dinner. If one does not know, wiki it since its free!