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Cairo: exploring the old city

By Sylvia Seschel

Yes there are luxury hotels, shops and fast foods but it’s the old Cairo, capital of Egypt, I wanted to explore.

I arrived at my Santana Hotel http://www.touregypt.net/hotels/SantanaHotel.htm late afternoon. In mid October, the sun sets at 5:30. I had enough time to walk around my hotel and get a feel of Cairo I had waited a long time to visit.

Thinking I could sleep easy, I tossed and turned most of the night. I missed breakfast. I grabbed a quick bite then set off.

Cars moved fast and furious. I stood amazed by the disorganized traffic trying to figure out how I saw going to get to the other side. How can three lanes turn into five? Or six?  Whew! I made it. I took my time walking down the Corniche promenade, with the Nile River to my left.

Knowing Cairo wasn’t strict with dress as other area in Mideast, I still watched what I wore in Egypt wearing a shirt that covered my shoulders and pants or skirt. I passed by a girl wearing halter-top. At the Pyramids some wore short shorts. I can’t say I felt bad when I saw the locals stare and give a few sneer remarks. You need to have common sense.

Two hours is not enough to appreciate over 100,000 relics and antiquities of the Egyptian Museum (1902). Plenty of mummies, jewels and costumes on display plus you can visit the Tutenkahmen Room. It would take over nine months to see every thing. Next-door is a café. I made a quick bathroom stop for 1 EL (Egyptian Pound). I was given a small wad of toilet paper but I always kept plenty stashed in my pocket.

With Ramadan, most places closed early. Our tour bus made its way toward the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As I walked around the Pyramids of Giza, I was entertained by the police on camels chasing away the locals on camels trying to drum up business. Another site to see on this famous landmark is the sprawling of Cairo that you could almost reach out and touch. In a way it put a bit of a damper because the Pyramids will never feel like in the middle of nowhere again.

Everybody wanted to beat the 2:30 closing because of Ramadan. I was annoyed trying to get a good photo of Abul al-Hol (Father of Terror) – er I mean the Sphinx. This was carved from one huge piece of limestone around (2558-2532 B.C.) with a lion’s body and a human face.  I managed to get my photo.

With advice of the staff, I settled on the fixed price before the taxi left the hotel for a hilarious hair rising ride of twisting, turning and honking in the congested traffic got me to Coptic Cairo in one piece. My first stop was the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. George was an early Palestinian Christian martyred whom Romans executed about 300 AD. The cemeteries around the church reminded me of a mini Recolotta in Buenos Aires.

Few people stared as I walked along Coptic Cairo’s neighbourhood. The little kids said hello and a few people welcomed me. You can feel the ancient of Coptic Cairo through plenty of buildings such as El Muallaqa (Hanging Coptic Church) with its well preserved origins of the fourth century AD, or at Ben Ezra Synagogue, the oldest in Egypt (9th century). Not as strict with dress codes as mosques but do dress appropriately and use common sense.

I took the metro back to my hotel. This cheap mode of transportation is surprisingly clean. The cars are separated for men and women. If you get on the wrong car, just simply get off at the next stop and another metro will arrive in no time.

The taxi dropped me off at Al Hussein Square. With many mosques to see, if you are short on time then Al Azhar Mosque in Islamic Cairo was worth a visit. Founded in 970 A.D., this world’s oldest university is a place of worship and learning. A head cover is a must for women. You must remove your shoes. I took a few moments walking around admiring a few of the Minarets and the Dome overlooking the courtyard. The prayer hall has been the spiritual heart of Egypt for over thousands of years.

Not a far walk from the mosque is Khan El Khalili, the oldest marketplace in the Middle East. I’m not a shopper but I love getting lost in the alleyways, strolling past shops filled variety of goods such as jewelry, clothes, cooking pots, local candies. It’s a hoot walking past vendors with live chicken or to see meat hang. Around the corner you’ll find someone selling chocolate bars like everywhere else in the world. I was in the heart of Islamic Cairo, the way this city once was and in this area hasn’t changed if any.

What is Ramadan? “The holy month of the Islamic calendar, those who can refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from sunup to sundown.  After sundown, the celebration of the evening begins with iftar, the breaking of fast.”  Though Ramadan did not put a damper on my trip, I tried hard not to eat or drink in front of others. I would take a discreet drink of water and had chewing gum to keep my mouth moist.

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