Crazy Cairo is non-stop colour and chaos and full of culture!
Full of high energy, intense traffic, bustling streets, it’s hot and polluted but has the most incredible charm with the smiling locals keen to show off their magnificent mayhem.
Dubbed the “City of a Thousand Minarets” due to its dense concentration of mosques, stunning Islamic architecture and countless towers dominating the skyline, its glorious history mixes ancient ruins with modern city life and it’s all go.
To a great fanfare and 33 years after the idea was first muted, the Grand Egyptian Museum was opened to become a global hub to preserve and restore the country’s archaeological treasures.
Egypt has so many wonders including the UNESCO recognised Giza Pyramids which stand majestically above the museum on the outskirts of the city.
The ancient tombs are 4,500 years old and feature the resting places of the 4th dynasty pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. And they are truly mesmerizing! To truly appreciate the beauty and history, a guided tour with an Egyptologist is a must.
Nubia Tours run by Haytham Atwan gives a fabulous insight into what makes this corner of Egypt tick. With 11 years as working for luxury travel firm Abercombie and Kent in its UK, Australia and USA offices, Haytham knows how to provide a great service.
His firm offers numerous itineraries and tours around Egypt and one of the best is to entertain and educate visitors to Cairo about the importance of the pyramids.
Picked up in a zero emission VIP shuttle, the tour starts with a visit to Saqqara and Memphis, which represent the heart of Egypt’s Old Kingdom civilization, featuring the 4.650 year old step pyramid of Djoser and the country’s ancient capital.
The Mit Rahina Museum in Memphis is around 30 km south of Cairo and close to the River Nile. It’s prize piece is 10 metre limestone statue of Ramses II, found in 1820 and which lies on its back and can be admired in the finest of details.
It’s an incredible sight, as is Saqqara, one of the most important cemeteries of Memphis. The open air museum is a great place to peek inside a smaller pyramid than the Giza ones, which are known to be difficult to negotiate because of their size and being so confined they can spark off claustrophobia.
Giza, dubbed the last surviving wonder of the ancient world is a must if just to stand and stare and admire the three pyramids of differing heights and importance.
The ancient burial chambers have a two mile radius of protection around them to separate old from new and it’s certainly a sight to see the majestic structures with the modern city of Cairo in the background.
Giza is also home to the Great Sphinx, a limestone statute of a reclining mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion.
Camel caravans are an iconic sight and a great way of looking around the Giza plateau where the desert sits just a short distance from 2026 modern highways.
Just down from the pyramids is The Grand Egyptian Museum, which affords great views of the stone wonders and serves as a bridge between the past and the present with artefacts as impressive as the golden burial mask of Tutankhamun. King Tut as he is also known, was the last of his dynasty of pharaohs. He ruled as a boy only for a short time. He is most famous because his tomb was discovered almost intact and full of treasures in 1922.
The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization gives a great insight into the country’s history from prehistoric times to the modern era, and 22 mummies of Dynasty Kings are displayed in chronological order.
Old Cairo is a great place to wander around and see the boundaries of the city’s original Roman centre, known as Babylon and anchored by the remains of the Roman fortress and surrounded by the early Islamic and medieval sites.
Cosmopolitan Zamalek is home to cultural powerhouses like the Cairo Opera House and the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art which spans the 20th and 21st centuries.
Perched on Gezira Island in the middle of the fabulous River Nile, it is connected to the mainland by bridges and has lots of restaurants and shops to enjoy.
Home to 9.8 million people, Cairo is simply fabulous, from ancient to modern, all blending together to create an intense, but truly inspiring city full of life!
Fact Box
Getting there: Major airlines fly into Cairo from London and European hubs and Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com) can help with long stay parking or hotels with parking facilities.
Accommodation: Cairo has a plethora of different accommodation with the trendy Zamalek area the place to be.
Sightseeing: Nubia Tours is a specialist company which can create tailored itineraries to suit all needs, with friendly and knowledgeable guides ready to entertain while travelling in style and comfort. The tours are good value and invaluable to learn Egypt’s impressive history.
Don’t miss the Grand Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. And for more tourist information and help with where to go, what to see and where to stay, please visit: www.experienceegypt.eg.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Photographs courtesy of the Grand Egyptian Museum and Marissa and Emaar Misr
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