Egypt – Central – Cairo, Giza, Faiyum, Beni Suef, Minya October 25-30, 2021
My next destination was to be Saudi Arabia, but for unsolvable reasons, I was unable to obtain the SA e-visa. It was relatively easy to get to the last step, but the system would not accept my credit cards for payment. I contacted my bank, but there were no attempts even made to make a billing. As a result, I canceled my hotel in Jeddah and decided to go to Egypt.
I had also considered Algeria but apparently, I could only obtain an Algeria visa in my home country. I plan on checking this out when I arrive in Cairo, but have still decided to stay in Egypt for the 3 weeks until my completely arranged trip to Iraq.
On Oct 24, I flew from Larnaca, Cyprus to Cairo on Middle Eastern Airlines. I had a 10-hour layover in Beirut and slept in the airport. One must transit if there for less than 24 hours. My pack had not been transferred so I was worried that it would not make it to Cairo. As I had no access to it (available after immigration, which was not possible), I didn’t have my usual sleeping-in-airports gear – mat, sleep sheet, sleeping bag, backpack pillow. All the thousands of seats in departures have no arms so it is easy to be comfortable without a mat. But the overhead announcements seemed non-stop. There is an all-night coffee shop with a large smoking area – very unusual. I wrote this at 3am in the coffee shop.
It must be the busiest airport in the world overnight! I have never seen more people in an airport at night (and I sleep in a lot of airports). Virtually all are Muslim and there were a lot of kids up throughout the night.
My flight arrived in Cairo at 08:20 and I caught the airport shuttle into downtown Cairo where my hostel was. I stayed at the Deluxe Australian Hostel. – all single beds in small 4-bed dorms at possibly the least I have ever paid for a hostel.
I was able to get my lost MC credit card couriered here, a big relief.
I was quite excited about Cairo and Egypt. Cairo is the last of my 25 biggest cities in the world and the pyramids at Giza, the last of the Seven Wonders of the World. These are some big ticks. And I decided to spend 3 full weeks here until my potential trip to Yemen.
Money: 1 euro – 18.25 Egyptian pounds (EGP)
Some observations about Egypt
1. Cairo reminded me immediately of India – “organized chaos” – blaring horns, lots of traffic (but few tuk-tuks), crossing streets through moving traffic, garbage everywhere, smells. Replace burqas and headscarves with saris, have cows roaming the streets, and they appear very similar. They are all “brown” people.
2. Covid rules. Almost no one wears masks anywhere. Even on domestic flights, half the passengers didn’t have a mask. That occurs nowhere else that I have been. When I asked the stewardess about it, they said “you can’t force people to wear masks”. But every other airline does force their passengers to wear masks.
Getting a Covid PCR is very expensive in Cairo – 1230 LE.
3. The roads are all very good and I didn’t see one pothole in any road. The coastal highway on the Sinai is totally overbuilt with a 6-lane divided highway and virtually no traffic. I drove at 160 km/hour for the entire distance.
4. Security checks are everywhere. Just like in China to enter anything requires a pass through a bag scanner and metal detector. To board the plane in Sharm El Sheikh required a complete body search twice.
5. Egyptian food is underwhelming. Fast food places and small snack shops are common.
6. Costs. Egypt is very cheap. The hostels are 7 €. You can eat well for 3 €. Domestic flights are cheap – 50€ to fly from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo.
7. Getting around. Try to avoid taxis as they are very expensive and the drivers difficult to bargain with. Use Uber whenever possible – getting from the airport into town was 350 LE by taxi and 141 LE by Uber.
The metro in Cairo was easy to use and good for some destinations.
The minivans are great to use as they are ubiquitous on main roads. Rides are 1-10 LE depending on destination. The drivers never speak English and other passengers are often the only source of info. Put a walking route into Google Maps, follow it along and find out where to get off.
Avoid tuk-tuks at all cost. I had nothing but bad experiences.
On arrival at Cairo Airport (CAI), first, visit one of the three banks just before passport control and pay the US$25 fee in cash only.. It is best to have exact change. I used the Bank of Egypt and he made change for Euros. Passport control is very fast. I was able to replace the half-page sticker over a damaged area that resulted from me removing my Afghan visa. 18 km NE of the city, there are only taxis to take you into town.
CAIRO
Cairo reminds me very much of India – loud, traffic, lots of horning, crossing streets with moving traffic, garbage, unfinished construction, and lots of people. It is easier to walk on the road than on the sidewalk. Everything is covered with a fine layer of dirt so all have a “grimey” look. It is common to see horse-drawn carts used to haul freight and vegetables.
Yacoubian Building is famous as a novel by Egyptian author Alaa-Al-Aswany. The book was made into a film of the same name in 2006 and into a TV series in 2007. Published in Arabic in 2002 and in an English translation in 2004, the book, ostensibly set in 1990 at about the time of the first Gulf War, is a roman à clef and scathing portrayal of modern Egyptian society since the Revolution of 1952. The locale of the novel is downtown Cairo, with the titular apartment building (which actually exists) serving as both a metaphor for contemporary Egypt and a unifying location in which most of the primary characters either live or work and in which much of the novel’s action takes place. The author, a dentist by profession, had his first office in the Yacoubian Building in Cairo.
The actual namesake building, constructed in the Art Deco style, still stands in downtown Cairo at the address given in the novel: 34, Talaat Harb Street (referred to by its old name, Suleiman Pasha Street, by both native Cairenes and the novel’s characters), although its true appearance differs from its description in the book. Al Aswany writes of its fictional counterpart as having been designed “in the high classical European style, the balconies decorated with Greek faces carved in stone, the columns, steps, and corridors all of natural marble.”
Maspero Television Building is the name of the huge building on the bank of the Nile river. It is the headquarters of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (formerly the Arab Radio and Television Union, the oldest state-run broadcasting organisation in the Arab World and Africa. Maspero is also the name of the street, which this building overlooks.
Carriage Museum (Royal Chariots Museum)
Nile River. I crossed the river on a large bridge and visited these three on the west bank.
Cairo Marriott Hotel. In the NM series Architectural Delights, The Cairo Marriott Hotel is a large hotel located in the Zamalek district of Gezira Island. It is one of the tallest buildings in Cairo. The Marriott opened in 1982, but its central wing was built as the Gezirah Palace for the Khedive Isma’il Pasha in 1869 and converted to a luxury hotel in 1894.
The hotel consists of 1,087 rooms, making it one of the largest hotels in the Middle East. The rooms are located in two identical twenty-story buildings—the Gezira and Zamelek Towers. Situated between them on the ground level are the palace and the main entrance to the hotel.
The Gezirah Palace was built to host French Emperor Napoleon III and his wife Empress Eugénie during the celebration of the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. During World War I, the hotel served as the No.2 Australian General Hospital, after the Mena House was unable to cope with the huge number of casualties from the Battle of Gallipoli. The palace was nationalized by Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1952 and eventually converted back to a hotel, reopening in 1962 as the Omar Khayyam Hotel. In the late 1970s, the two large towers were added and the entire hotel was completely rebuilt. President Hosni Mubarak presided over the grand reopening in 1982 as the Cairo Marriott Hotel.
Prince Amr Ibrahim Palace. In the NM series Architectural Delights, is a historical building in Cairo’s Zamalek island, which is used as Egypt’s first ceramics museum, the Museum of Islamic Ceramics and as an art center.
It was built on the orders of Prince Amr Ibrahim (1903–1977), a member of the Muhammad Ali dynasty, in 1921. Prince Amr Ibrahim was the husband of Necla Sultan, granddaughter of Ottoman ruler Mehmed VI. The architectural style of the palace is of neo-Ottoman and of the neo-Islam. In the entrance hall, there is a marble fountain decorated with blue ceramics.[1] The palace is surrounded by a 2,800 square meter garden.
The Museum of Islamic Ceramics is in the Prince Amr Ibrahim Palace. As of January 2019 it was closed for restoration for at least 2 years.
Cairo Tower. In the NM series Architectural Delights, is a free-standing concrete tower. At 187 m (614 ft), it is the tallest structure in Egypt and North Africa. It was the tallest structure in Africa for ten years until 1971, when it was surpassed by Hillbrow Tower in South Africa.
One of Cairo’s well-known modern monuments sometimes considered Egypt’s second most famous landmark after the Pyramids of Giza, it stands in the Gezira district on Gezira Island in the River Nile, close to downtown Cairo.
Its partially open lattice-work design is intended to evoke a pharaonic lotus plant, an iconic symbol of Ancient Egypt.[8] The tower is crowned by a circular observation deck and a revolving restaurant that rotate around its axis occasionally with a view over greater Cairo.
Between 2006 and 2009, the tower underwent an EGP 15 million restoration project that included a new installation of light decoration.
Qasr El Nil Bridge. A busy 4-land road bridge crossing the Nile, it ends on Tahir square.
Omar Makram Statue. (1750-1822) was an Egyptian political leader at the time of the 1798 French invasion and in the subsequent political disorders.
Makram was born in 1750 in Asyut. He was educated at Al-Azhar University and became a leader of the nobles of Egypt and an Egyptian national hero. He was prominent in resistance to the 1798 invasion of Egypt by France (led by Napoleon).
After the French withdrew in 1801, control of Egypt was nominally restored to the Ottoman Empire, but in fact was disputed between the old Mamluk elite, Egyptian nobles, and the Ottomans. Makram allied with Muhammad Ali, the commander of Albanian troops within the army sent by the Empire to restore order. In May 1805, Egyptians led by Makram forced the Ottomans to replace the Wāli Ahmad Khurshid Pasha with Muhammad Ali. Makram soon discovered that Muhammad Ali planned to rule Egypt himself. Makram objected to a foreign ruler. Muhammad Ali exiled Makram to Damietta on 9 August 1809, where he stayed for four years. Makram then moved to Tanta, where he died in 1822.
This large bronze sits on one corner of Tahir square.
Tahrir Square. Really a large, busy roundabout centered on an obelisk, this is made square with grassy parks in each corner.
Ethnographic Museum.
Cafe Riche. Established in 1908, it is a small restaurant with about 14 tables and lots of character. The owner sits at a desk at the entrance. It has a huge variety of reasonably priced food. We ate there and the food was very mediocre.
Gezirah Palace Hotel (Pharaohs Palace). Presently covered with scaffold, the exterior is undergoing a major renovation.
Statue of Ibrahim Pasha (Talaat Harb Statue). Stands in the center of a roundabout surrounded by Cairo’s best architecture
Townhouse Gallery. When the second owner recently died, it was purchased and renamed Access Artists Centre. He sells art on commission. There was a lot of very nice Cairo art here. Free
Day 2
Egyptian Museum. This large 2-story museum has a lot to see, it is not organized by era, many things are not labeled and it is impossible to keep all the kingdoms, dynasties, pharaohs, queens, priests, and many others that had elaborate funeral arrangements. But there are a lot of amazing things to see. Most people had guides but I think going alone and reading what you want is best.
The highlights were the Tomb of Yuya & Thury with gilt coffins and furniture, the Bab el’Gurus Tomb discovered in 1891, and the throne of Tutankhamen. 200
Museum Of Modern Egyptian Art. Sitting in a large area next to the Opera House, this is a lovely gallery but with not much art that appealed to me.
Mohamoud Mukhtar Museum. This famous Egyptian sculptor (1891-1934) worked in marble, bronze, gypsum, granite, copper, and other materials, all very nice. 20
Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum. Three floors in a lovely mansion, this art gallery has mostly 18th and 19th-century French art – Gauguin, Renoir, Rodin, Monet, Toulouse Lautrec, and many others. Also many vases, glass, small cases, and other well-done collections. 200
Orman Garden. Many large trees, grassy areas but not many flowers. The entrance is on the west side. 5
Giza Zoo. This is a huge zoo that takes a long time to walk around. Several indiginous sheep and antelope. 20
Ahmed Shawki Museum. This Egyptian poet was very wealthy. Get a guided tour through all the rooms. The wood Islamic ceiling in the lobby is the highlight. Also art, French furniture. 20
Downstairs is a cultural center showing South Korean art.
Raoudha nilometre in Cairo Tentative WHS: (28/07/2003). A nilometer was a structure for measuring the Nile River’s clarity and water level during the annual flood season. There were three main types of nilometers, calibrated in Egyptian cubits: (1) a vertical column, (2) a corridor stairway of steps leading down to the Nile, or (3) a deep well with a culvert. If the water level was low, there would be less food. If it was too high, it would be destructive. There was a specific mark that indicated how high the flood should be if the fields were to get good soil.
Between July and November, the reaches of the Nile running through Egypt would burst their banks and cover the adjacent flood plain. When the waters receded, around September or October, they left behind a rich alluvial deposit of exceptionally fertile black silt over the croplands. The akhet, or Season of the Inundation, was one of the three seasons into which the ancient Egyptians divided their year.
The annual flood was of great importance to Egyptian civilization. A moderate inundation was a vital part of the agricultural cycle; however, a lighter inundation than normal would cause famine, and too much floodwater would be equally disastrous, washing away much of the infrastructure built on the flood plain. Records from AD 622–999 indicate that, on average, 28% of the years saw an inundation that fell short of expectations.
The ability to predict the volume of the coming inundation was part of the mystique of the Ancient Egyptian priesthood. The same skill also played a political and administrative role, since the quality of the year’s flood was used to determine the levels of tax to be paid. This is where the nilometer came into play, with priests monitoring the day-to-day level of the river and announcing the awaited arrival of the summer flood.
The simplest nilometer design is a vertical column submerged in the waters of the river, with marked intervals indicating the depth of the water. One that follows this simple design, albeit housed in an elaborate and ornate stone structure, can still be seen on the island of Rhoda in central Cairo (30.0069°N 31.2250°E). This nilometer visible today dates as far back as AD 861, when the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil ordered its construction, overseen by the astronomer Alfraganus. It was built on a site occupied by an earlier specimen.
The second nilometer design comprises a flight of stairs leading down into the water, with depth markings along the walls. The best-known example of this kind can be seen on the island of Elephantine in Aswan, where a stairway of 52 steps leads down to a doorway at the Nile. This location was also particularly important since for much of Egyptian history, Elephantine marked Egypt’s southern border and was, therefore, the first place where the onset of the annual flood was detected.
The most elaborate design involved a channel or culvert that led from the riverbank – often running for a considerable distance – and then fed a well, tank, or cistern. These nilometer wells were most frequently located within the confines of temples, where only the priests and rulers were allowed access. A particularly fine example, with a deep, cylindrical well and a culvert opening in the surrounding wall, can be seen at the Temple of Kom Ombo, to the north of Aswan.
While nilometers originated in Pharaonic times, they continued to be used by the later civilizations that held sway in Egypt. Some were constructed in Roman times.
In the 20th century, the Nile’s annual inundation was first greatly reduced, and then eliminated entirely, with the construction of the Aswan dams. While the Aswan High Dam’s impact on Egypt and its agriculture has been controversial for other, more complex reasons, it has also had the additional effect of rendering the nilometer obsolete.
The inside of the conical dome is a wonder of gilt Islamic decoration. The door was opened by a lady from the ticket desk. One can’t descent down the stairs. 40 with the Manasterly Palace.
Manasterly Palace. Next door to the Nilometer and part of the same ticket, this has three large rooms with painted ceilings and walls. Empty except for some sofas and a grand piano.
It was a 5.8km walk from here back to my hostel, so I took the metro to Nasser Station, a 5-minute walk to my hostel.
Day 3
Egyptian Geological Museum. Large rocks in the courtyard and hundreds of glass cases stacked two high, plus fossils of dinosaurs. It didn’t have anything on the concretions in the Sahara (the one thing I was really interested in). Not worth the entry fee. 100
Coptic Museum. Has old stonework with many images of Aphrodite, Leila, Orphas, and Heracles. Some monasteries were highlighted: Monastery of St Jeremiah, the Necropolis at Memphis, and the Monastery of St Appollo (300kms south of Cairo). The highlight for me was all the wood-carved ceilings on the 2nd floor. There were also many icons. 100
Next to the museum are several places: The Round Towers of the Fortress of Babylon (built by Diocletian in 309AD that flanked the entrance to the canal of Trajan between the Nile and the Red Sea. The North tower is now under the church. The Greek Church of St George (round with an iconostasis and icons reminiscent of Greek Orthodox churches, the priest look the same).
Old Cairo WHS. is a historic area in Cairo, Egypt, which includes the site of a Roman-era fortress and of Islamic-era settlements pre-dating the founding of Cairo proper in AD 969. It is also considered part of what is referred to as “Historic Cairo” or “Islamic Cairo.”
Roman fort and Coptic Cairo. “Fort Babylon” is a Roman fortress around which many of the Egyptian Christians’ oldest churches were built.
The area of Coptic Cairo includes the Coptic Museum, the Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church and other Coptic churches.
Channel between Rhoda Island and Old Cairo
Count Gabriel Habib Sakakini Pasha (1841–1923), palace and a church in the El-Sakakini area in 1897 and established the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Old Cairo.
Early Muslim city: The remnants of those cities which were capitals before Cairo itself, such as Fustat, al-Askar and al-Qatta’i. These are the location of the Mosque of Amr, the first mosque in the entire of Africa and the Ibn Tulun Mosque, though little else remains today. The Ben Ezra Synagogue, also known as the El-Geniza Synagogue, stands in Fustat.
Fustat, Rashidun and Umayyad capital. After the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641, Fustat just north of Coptic Cairo. At Caliph Umar’s request, the Egyptian capital was moved from Alexandria to the new city on the eastern side of the Nile.
Al-Askar, Abbasid capital. The Umayyads stretched from western Spain all the way to western China. However, they were overthrown by the Abbasids, who moved the capital of the Umayyad empire itself to Baghdad. In Egypt, this shift in power involved moving control from the Umayyad city of Fustat slightly north to the Abbasid city of al-‘Askar.
The peak of the Abbasid dynasty occurred during the reign of Harun al Rashid (r. 786-809), along with increased taxes on the Egyptians, who rose up in a peasant revolt in 832 during the time of Caliph al-Ma’mun (r. 813-833).
Al-Qatta’i, Tulunid capital. In 868 ibn Tulun founded yet another capital, al-Qatta’i, slightly further north of al-‘Askar. The capital remained there until 905, when the city was destroyed.
Fustat, Abbasid and Fatimid capital. After the destruction of al-Qatta’i, the administrative capital of Egypt returned to al-Fusṭāṭ. However, al-Fusṭāṭ itself was then destroyed by a vizier-ordered fire that burned from 1168 to 1169, as a defensive measure against the attacking Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Al-Qāhirah, Fatimid and later capital. At this time the capital moved to nearby al-Qāhirah, founded in 969, where it has remained to this day. Cairo’s boundaries grew to eventually encompass the three earlier capitals of al-Fusṭāṭ, al-Qatta’i and al-‘Askar, the remnants of which can today be seen in Old Cairo in the southern part of the city.
Bulaq port and Azbakeya district (15th century)
During the latter half of the 15th century, two final major transformations took place in Cairo: the port of Bulaq, and a district called Azbakeya in the northwest section of the city.
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This new museum has two floors. The bottom is exceptionally well done about mummies – all the pharaohs in the 18th to 20th dynasties presented in order – the coffin, the mummy, and a good brief description about what they were best known for. The top floor has great exhibits about everything from the Neolithic period to the Byzantines. 200
Ibn Tulun Mosque. This old mosque sits just outside the great crenelated walls of what I am not sure of. Unfortunately, this mosque has not been used for 5 years and is in a bad state with broken floor tiles, piles of rubble, and a lot of filth. Its once splendor is obvious with green/red marble tiles on the lower walls and floor, and the mihrab and minbar still in place. It is open-air except for the front over the mihrab. The door was locked but the guy was outside. He wanted 100 to climb the minaret and then wanted 50 to see the interior. I bargained him down to 30 and spent only about 5 minutes inside. The active (and not very nice) mosque now in use is across the street. 30
Day 4
Another big walk day, this time north and east of my hostel.
Cairo Ramses Station. The lobby of this train station has great architecture – palm trees encircle a down-pointing pyramid on the ceiling. Brass trees bas relief the etched glass walls.
Egyptian Railway Museum. Many model cars, engines, engines over history, train stations. At the north end of Ramses Station. 50
6th October Bridge is an elevated highway in central Cairo. The 20.5-kilometre (12.7 mi) bridge and causeway crosses the Nile twice from the west bank suburbs, east through Gezira Island to Downtown Cairo, and on to connect the city to the Cairo International Airport to the east. Its name commemorates the date of ‘The Crossing’, which commenced the outbreak day of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
The bridge and causeway were completed in 1996, with construction taking nearly 30 years. The 6th October Bridge has been called the ‘spinal cord’ of Cairo, with approximately half a million Cairene people using it on a daily basis. Due to its role as Cairo’s central East-West automobile and truck route, the bridge and causeway is nearly always crowded with traffic, with the trip from one end to another taking up to 45 minutes.
El Sakakini Pasha Palace.
In the old El-Daher neighbourhood in the heart of Cairo, this boldly decorated, multi-domed, architectural masterpiece sits in the middle of a large roundabout.
El Sakakini Palace was built in 1897 by the head of the Syrian Sakakini family, Gabriel Habib Sakakini Pacha, who lived from 1841 to 1923. He first arrived in Egypt to work with the Suez Canal Company in Port Said but later moved to Cairo, where he built this
Constructed in the lavish French Rococo style of the 18th century, the palace is decked with elaborate sculptures of young women and children, and its ceilings are painted with scenes typical of the style to which it belongs.
The inside of the palace is home to the marble bust of the late Sakakini Pacha, as well as unique relics such as the famous Dorrat Al-Tag (Crown Jewel) sculpture of a young girl, and the remnants of an impressive crocodile statue.
While he resided in Cairo — later as a contractor — Sakakini Pacha was responsible for building other notable structures and sites such as the old Roman Catholic Cemetery in old Cairo. He also established the Roman Catholic Patriarchate in old Cairo.
It has not been lived in for 25 years and has broken windows. It can’t be visited and no attempts have been made to restore it. I would imagine the inside is in bad shape.
Muizz street (Al Moez Ldin Allah Al Fatmi). This is the main shopping street of Cairo – filled with shishi, metal, jewelry, and clothing stores. It is also lined with many historical buildings.
Bayt Al-Suhaymi. House Museums/Plantations. is an Islamic themed house and museum built in 1648 along the Darb al-Asfar, a very prestigious and expensive part of Islamic Cairo. In 1796 it was purchased by Sheikh Ahmed as-Suhaymi whose family held it for several subsequent generations. The Sheikh greatly extended the house from its original through incorporating neighbouring houses into its structure.
The house is built around a sahn in the centre of which there is a small garden with plants and palm trees. From here several of the fine mashrabiya windows in the house can be seen. Much of the marble floor work, wooden furniture, and ceiling decor is still intact.
There were 3 rooms to visit with very high ceilings with domes. The highlights are the windows and balconies and may not be worth the price. 80
Beshtak Palace. House Museums/Plantations. is a historic palace and museum in Cairo, Egypt, built by the Mamluk amir Sayf al-Din Bashtak al-Nasiri in the 14th century. It is located on Shari’a al-Mu’izz (al-Mu’izz street), in the area known as Bayn al-Qasrayn (“between the two palaces”, in reference to the great Fatimid palaces that formerly stood here.
The remains of the palace were restored in 1983 by the German Archaeological Institute and constitute a rare surviving example of 14th-century domestic architecture in Cairo. Only part of the palace remains today, however, the edifice was originally five stories tall, and featured running water on all floors. The most impressive surviving part of the palace is the large qa’a or reception hall. The hall features a coffered wooden ceiling, stucco windows of coloured glass, and a fountain of inlaid marble in the centre. The north and south sides of the hall also feature mashrabiyya (i.e. latticed wood screen) windows on the upper floors. 100
Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan
Egyptian Textile Museum
Khan al Khalili market. Off Muizz Street, this large market has many jewelry, clothing, KK stores, inlaid boxes, and a few tea shops. Lots of “have a look”.
El Fishawi Cafe. In Khan al-Khalili market, this cafeteria was established in 1770 when a man named al-Fishawy began serving coffee to his friends in an alley in the Khan al-Khalili district every evening after prayers. According to his descendants, al-Fishawy’s gatherings grew, fueled by the talk of the town, as he added mint and anise tea to his informal menu, as well as shishas.
When Qahwat al-Fishawi was born, “Fishawy’s Café” was the most famous café in the Arab world and a monument to traditional Egyptian social style, to relax with friends, colleagues and occasionally strangers, accompanied by coffee, tea and tobacco.
Al-Azhar Mosque. Commissioned in 970,. It was the first mosque established in Cairo, a city that has since gained the nickname “the City of a Thousand Minarets”.
Today, it is the second oldest continuously run university in the world as Al-Azhar University has long been regarded as the foremost institution in the Islamic world for the study of Sunni theology and sharia, or Islamic law.
Over the course of its over a millennium-long history, the mosque has been alternately neglected and highly regarded. Today, al-Azhar remains a deeply influential institution in Egyptian society that is highly revered in the Sunni Muslim world and a symbol of Islamic Egypt.
It has 3 minarets of different ages and design. Enter a large white marble courtyard. The prayer hall has at least 110 columns and a nicely carved minbar. It can be visited anytime but during prayers.
Al-Azhar Park. This public park is listed as one of the world’s sixty great public spaces by the Project for Public Spaces. It has fountains, 6,000 kinds of plants and many trees especially palms. The viewpoint gives great views down to Islamic Cairo. 25
Note that the only entrances are on the north end and east side.
CITADEL
Salah Al Din Al.-Ayoubi Citadel (Citadel of Cairo) is a medieval Islamic-era fortification built by Salah ad-Din (Saladin) and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers. It was the seat of government in Egypt and the residence of its rulers for nearly 700 years from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Its location on a promontory of the Mokattam hills near the center of Cairo commands a strategic position overlooking the city and dominating its skyline. At the time of its construction, it was among the most impressive and ambitious military fortification projects of its time. It is now a preserved historic site, including mosques and museums.
In the 20th century, it was used as a military garrison by the British occupation and then by the Egyptian army until being opened to the public in 1983. In 1976, it was proclaimed by UNESCO as a part of the World Heritage Site Historic Cairo (Islamic Cairo).
Muhammad Ali Mosque. Situated on the summit of the citadel, this Ottoman mosque, the largest to be built in the first half of the 19th century, is, with its animated silhouette and twin minarets, the most visible mosque in Cairo.
This mosque, along with the citadel, is one of the landmarks and tourist attractions of Cairo and is one of the first features to be seen when approaching the city from any direction. The mosque was built on the site of old Mamluk buildings in Cairo’s Citadel between 1830 and 1848,
The mosque was built with a central dome surrounded by four small and four semicircular domes. It was constructed in a square plan and measured 41×41 meters and gives a great feeling of space. The central dome is 21 meters in diameter and the height of the building is 52 meters. The central dome rises on four arches standing on colossal piers. There are four semicircular domes around the central dome. There are four smaller domes on the corners as well. The domes are painted and embellished with motifs in relief. The walls and pillars are covered with alabaster up to 11 meters high.
Two elegant cylindrical minarets of Turkish type with two balconies and conical caps are situated on the western side of the mosque, and rise to 82 meters.
The main material is limestone likely sourced from the Great Pyramids of Giza but the lower story and forecourt is tiled with alabaster up to 11,3 meters. The external facades are severe and angular and rise about four storeys until the level of the lead-covered domes.
The mihrab on the southeastern wall is three storeys high and covered with a semicircular dome. There are two arcades on the second story,
Egyptian National Military Museum. The official museum of the Egyptian Army located inside the Cairo Citadel. It overlooks the Mokattam Hills and the entrance to the Citadel. The Haram Palaces were originally constructed by Mohamed Ali Pasha in 1872.
The exhibits include the Glory Hall, Artillery, Armaments, Pharaonic, Islamic Militartary exhibits and bits on the 1948 Arab–Israeli War Hall, 1956 Suez War, 1967 War Hall and the 1973 War. 50
Al-Gawhara Palace The palace is situated south of the Mosque of Muhammad Ali in the Cairo Citadel and was commissioned in 1814. The palace was designed and constructed by artisans contracted from a variety of countries, including Greeks, Turks, Bulgarians, and Albanians as a two-story pavilion in the style of a Turkish kushk.
In 1822, a fire destroyed the palace’s wooden construction in a blaze that lasted for 2 days. Later, Muhammad Ali had the structure expanded and elaborated. Two years later, in 1824, fire again damaged the palace after explosions of gunpowder. Muhammad Ali imported large slabs of marble from Italy to build a vestibule, staircase and corridors. Muhammad Ali’s official divan or audience hall, where the pasha received guests, contains a 1000kg chandelier sent to him by Louis-Philippe I of France. The palace also contains the throne of Muhammad Ali Pasha that was a gift from the King of Italy. 50
I left my phone in a tuk-tuk and walked back from the citadel to try to find it with no luck. I taxi driver drove me to his friend’s shop and I bought a new Oppo phone for 4500 (250€) and then returned to my hotel to get the cash. He then took me to a Vodafone store, got a new SIM, and then next door a case and screen protector. It took me most of the evening to restore and sign into all my apps.
The phone was almost 4 years old, had several cracks in the glass, and owed me nothing. It was lovely to have a new and much more functional phone.
Day 5
My fifth and last big walking day in Cairo.
Windsor Hotel and Barrel Lounge is a historic hotel in downtown Cairo. Constructed in 1893, it is located near Opera Square and across Alfi Bey Street from the site of the former Shepheard’s Hotel, of which it once served as an annex. During the First World War, it served as a British Officers Club, and much of its interior and furnishings date to this period. It has been called “an unrestored ode to the days of British colonial travel. After suffering damage from Metro line construction, it closed for repairs in September 2019; as of February 2020, it has not yet re-opened.
According to engineers at the Schindler Elevator Corporation, the Windsor’s manually-operated wooden carriage elevator is the oldest in Egypt and among the oldest operating elevators of its type in the world.
It features in episode two of the BBC television series “Around the World in 80 Days” featuring Monty Python star Michael Palin.
I spent a long time trying to find this, asking directions at least 5 times. It may have been next to a cinema but there were no signs.
On the way to the book market, I stopped at an orange juice stand with bags of oranges hanging from the bars, a juicer, and several juiced oranges. The operator wanted me to take him back to Canada. I had a smoke and chatted. He opened a bottom drawer and poured his jug almost full of juice out of a big container, squeezed one orange into and had freshly squeezed juice.
It is always interesting to see how similar businesses conglomerate together in 3rd world countries. Today, I passed pumps, automotive supplies and some of the worst furniture in the world.
I then walked through an enormous open-air market taking up several blocks. Everything was displayed on large flat carts or the ground. Virtually everyone had a small speaker blaring a constant babble. It made the place sound like a protest was going on.
El Azbakeya Wall Book Market. At the far side of the above market are several permanent-looking stalls with books everywhere, many in several different languages.
Museum of Islamic Art. A nice space with good displays but little of great interest. 120
Abdeen Palace is a historic Cairo palace, it was built as one of the official residences for the former ruling monarchy and royal family of Egypt. It is now one of the official residences and the principal workplace of the President of Egypt,
It is considered one of the most sumptuous palaces in the world in terms of its adornments, paintings, and a large number of clocks scattered in the parlors and wings, most of which are decorated with pure gold.
Constructed from 1863 to 1874 at a cost of 700,000 Egyptian pounds in addition to 2 million Egyptian pounds for its furnishing. Between four palaces, King Fuad spent more than 18 million French francs with just one Parisian furniture manufacturer Linke & Cie. More money was also spent on the palace’s alteration, preservation and maintenance by consecutive rulers. The palace has 500 suites.
The palace today is a museum. The upper floors (the former living quarters of the royal family) are reserved for visiting foreign dignitaries. The lower floors contain the Silver Museum, the Arms Museum, the Royal Family Museum, and the Presidential Gifts Museum.
I took the metro 6 stops to see the area of Heliopolis that dates from the 1920s.
Citystars. A very large mall with all the brand names. Surprisingly has vendors in the halls.
Baron Empain Palace. Edouard Empain (1852-1929) was a Belgian industrialist who built railways and metro lines. This palace is built of reinforced concrete in 1902 in Heliopolis, then on the edge of the desert. He used molds of Hindu and Buddhist figures and decorated the outside with them. The inside is not really worth the price other than the lavish reception area on the first floor. It was abandoned in 1950 and finally restored in 2017. 200, 50 more to see the roof.
St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral. This 3-nave church has many large paintings on the walls, a lovely dome behind the altar, and arches covered in Coptic crosses.
Heliopolis Palace (Al-Ittihadlya Palace). This opulent white limestone palace is the home of the president of Egypt and can’t be entered.
Tahra Palace. This ornate Italiente palace has marble statues, baroque mirrors, antiques, and fountains in the opulent garden. It is difficult to see (arranged only via tour companies).
I then took the metro six stops back to Nasser station.
Day 6
On my last day in Cairo, I did the mandatory Giza Pyramid tour. It was booked through my hostel at half price as I had stayed longer than 3 days. US$25. I went an Indian fellow from the hostel and had a great guide by the name of Mina.
Pyramid of Djoser or Step Pyramid, is an archaeological site in the Saqqara necropolis, a 6-tier, 4-sided structure is the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt. It was built in the 27th century BC during the Third Dynasty for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. The pyramid is the central feature of a vast mortuary complex in an enormous courtyard surrounded by ceremonial structures and decoration.
The pyramid went through several revisions and redevelopments of the original plan. The pyramid originally stood 62.5 m (205 ft) tall, with a base of 109 m × 121 m (358 ft × 397 ft) and was clad in polished white limestone. The step pyramid (or proto-pyramid) is considered to be the earliest large-scale cut stone construction made by man,
Djoser was the first or second king of the 3rd Dynasty (c. 2670–2650 BC) of the Egyptian Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2125 BC). He is believed to have ruled for 19 years or, if the 19 years were biennial taxation years, 38 years. He reigned long enough to allow the grandiose plan for his pyramid to be realized in his lifetime. Djoser is best known for his innovative tomb, which dominates the Saqqara landscape.
The social implications of such a large and carefully sculpted stone structure are staggering. From this point on, kings of the Old Kingdom are buried in the North, rather than at Abydos. Most Egyptologists attribute Djoser’s vizier Imhotep with the design and construction of the complex.
The complex was a landmark achievement for Egyptian architecture. It was the advent of the pyramidal form of the royal tomb and the first mass use of limestone in construction, replacing mudbrick
Complex layout: 1) step pyramid, 2) south tomb and chapel, 3) Sed festival complex, 4) ‘T’ temple, 5) south court, 6) south pavillion, 7) north pavillion, 8) mortuary temple, 9) western mounds, 10) colonnaded entrance, 11) north court, 12) north galleries, 13) step tombs, 14) serdab, and 15) north altarUnder the step pyramid is a labyrinth of tunneled chambers and galleries that total nearly 6 km in length and connect to a central shaft 7 m square and 28 m deep. The burial chamber was a vault constructed of four courses of well-dressed granite. It had one opening, which was sealed with a 3.5 ton block after the burial. No body was recovered as the tomb had been extensively robbed.
Entry hall. Step Pyramid Complex, Saqqara.
Temples of the festival complex.
A pyramid was not simply a grave in ancient Egypt. Its purpose was to facilitate a successful afterlife for the king so that he could be eternally reborn. Before the enclosure wall, Djoser’s pyramid complex is surrounded by a trench dug into the underlying rock. At 750 m (2,460 ft; 1,430 cu) long and 40 m (130 ft; 76 cu) wide, the trench is the largest structure of this kind in the Memphis necropolis. The complex is enclosed by a wall 10.5 m (34 ft) high that stretched for over 1.6 km (0.99 mi). The external façade of the wall had a bastion at a regular interval of 4.1 m (13 ft) adorned with 1,680 hand-carved niches 9 m (30 ft) tall.
The entrance colonnade had two distinct passageways: the first is a narrow 1.05 m (3.4 ft) wide by 6 m (20 ft) long corridor with ceiling blocks here were carved into the shape of tree trunks. This is followed by a wider corridor flanked by 40 – 6 m (20 ft) tall limestone columns, each seventeen and nineteen ribs that supported a limestone ceiling. There are 24 alcoves that held statues of the king.
The surface of the rock blocks and columns was polished to high sheen and the joints perfect.
Imhotep Museum is an archaeological museum located at the foot of the Saqqara necropolis complex, near Memphis in Lower Egypt. The museum, which was named for the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep, who is credited with being the first Egyptian to build a monumental structure out of stone: Pharaoh Djoser’s step pyramid located at Saqqara, which was built during the 3rd Dynasty.
The museum has six large halls showing artefacts from Saqqara: a Ptolemaic mummy, a large double statue of the 19th Dynasty High Priest of Mut, Amenemopet, and his wife that was found near the causeway of the Unas complex, archaeological finds from various excavations on the Saqqara plateau, the ancient tools used to build the monuments and objects used in burials from the 6th Dynasty through the New Kingdom.
Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur. Memphis was the ancient capital of Inebu-hedj, the first nome of Lower Egypt and are located 20 km (12 mi) south of Giza. The city was founded by King Menes as the capital of ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom and remained an important city throughout ancient Egyptian history. It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile Delta, and was home to bustling activity.
The history of Memphis is closely linked to that of the country itself. Its eventual downfall is believed to have been due to the loss of its economic significance in late antiquity, following the rise of coastal Alexandria.
Today, the ruins of the former capital offer fragmented evidence of its past. It is a small open-air museum with no buildings, simply stone blocks and column fragments. The only worthwhile thing to see is the massive statue of Ramses II.
Pyramids of Giza
The Giza Pyramid Complex, also called the Giza Necropolis, is the site on the Giza Plateau in Greater Cairo, Egypt that includes the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx of Giza. All were built during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, between 2600 and 2500 BC. The site also includes several cemeteries and the remains of a worker’s village.
The site is at the edges of the Western Desert, approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) west of the Nile River in the city of Giza. Along with nearby Memphis, the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
The Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Khafre are the largest pyramids built in ancient Egypt, and they have historically been common as emblems of Ancient Egypt in the Western imagination. They were popularised in Hellenistic times, when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is by far the oldest of the Ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence.
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. It was built as a tomb for the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and estimate that it was built in the 26th century BC during a period of around 27 years.
Initially standing at 146.5 metres (481 feet), the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years. Throughout history the majority of the smooth white limestone casing was removed, which lowered the pyramid’s height to the present 138.5 metres (454.4 ft). What is seen today is the underlying core structure. The base was measured to be about 230.3 metres (755.6 ft) square, giving a volume of roughly 2.6 million cubic metres (92 million cubic feet), which includes an internal hillock.
The dimensions of the pyramid were 280 royal cubits (146.7 m; 481.4 ft) high, a base length of 440 cubits (230.6 m; 756.4 ft), with a seked of 5 12 palms (a slope of 51°50’40”).
The Great Pyramid was built by quarrying an estimated 2.3 million large blocks weighing 6 million tonnes total. The majority of stones are not uniform in size or shape and are only roughly dressed. The outside layers were bound together by mortar. Primarily local limestone from the Giza Plateau was used. Other blocks were imported by boat down the Nile: White limestone from Tura for the casing, and granite blocks from Aswan, weighing up to 80 tonnes, for the King’s Chamber structure.
There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest was cut into the bedrock, upon which the pyramid was built, but remained unfinished. The so-called Queen’s Chamber and King’s Chamber, which contains a granite sarcophagus, are higher up, within the pyramid structure. Many varying scientific and alternative hypotheses attempt to explain the exact construction techniques.
The funerary complex around the pyramid consisted of two mortuary temples connected by a causeway, tombs for the immediate family and court of Khufu, including three smaller pyramids for Khufu’s wives, an even smaller “satellite pyramid” and five buried solar barges.
Khafre’s pyramid complex consists of a valley temple, the Sphinx temple, a causeway, a mortuary temple and the king’s pyramid. Khafre’s pyramid, completed in 2570 BC, appears larger than the adjacent Khufu Pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction—it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume. Khafre’s pyramid retains a prominent display of casing stones at its apex.
Menkaure’s pyramid complex consists of a valley temple, a causeway, a mortuary temple, and the king’s pyramid. The king’s pyramid, completed ca. 2510 BC, has three subsidiary or queen’s pyramids. Of the four major monuments, only Menkaure’s pyramid is seen today without any of its original polished limestone casing.
Sphinx
The Sphinx dates from the reign of king Khafre. During the New Kingdom, Amenhotep II dedicated a new temple to Hauron-Haremakhet and this structure was added onto by later rulers.
It was originally a large rock that was carved out. The nose and beard have broken off. Beside is a mortuary complex of carefully cut red granite where Khafre was mummified.
Tomb of Queen Khentkaus. Khentkaus I was buried in Giza. Her tomb is known as LG 100 and G 8400 and is located in the Central Field, near the valley temple of Menkaure. The pyramid complex of Queen Khentkaus includes: her pyramid, a boat pit, a valley temple and a pyramid town.On Sunday, October 30, I caught the bus to go to Siwa Oasis. it left at 06:30, transited and arrived in Siwa at 5 pm.
On Nov 16, I flew from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo
Day 21, 22
I had a long layover waiting for my 01:20 flight and slept. There was only one snackbar in Departures and all I had had to eat all day was a terrible sandwich. I had tried to check early but had to wait till 10 pm.
The lineup was very long and took over an hour. At check-in, I was denied boarding as the IATA visa info for landing at Basra required a 7-day booking at two specific hotels. I tried to book the hotels but neither were on Booking.com or had an online website. The agent and the supervisor were adamant and no arguing worked. I was constantly messaging Danay but we didn’t think of the one thing that may have worked – wake up Haval, our guide to try to get him to convince the agents. Time passed and finally the desk was closed.
I slept in the airport arrivals and took an Uber cab into downtown Cairo to Australian Hostel and checked. I ended up staying for 3 nights for a welcome rest and work on my book. I had my Covid PCR at Central Laboratory on Nov 16th (1230 LE of CAD$97) to be picked up the next day.Day 23
St Simon the Tanner Monastery. (fl. 10th century; distinct from Simon the Tanner from the New Testament, 1st century), also known as Saint Simon the Shoemaker, is the Coptic Orthodox saint associated with the story of the moving the Mokattam Mountain in Cairo, Egypt, during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz Lideenillah (953–975) while Abraham the Syrian was the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.
Simon the Tanner lived toward the end of the tenth century and many Coptic Christians in Egypt were engaged in handicrafts. Saint Simon worked in tanning, a craft known there till this day. This profession involved other crafts that depend on the process, from whence Simon carried several titles related to skins: Tanner, Cobbler, Shoemaker.
The Miracle of Moving the Mountain. According to a traditional story, Caliph al-Muizz, who reigned during AD 972–975, used to invite religious leaders to debate in his presence. In one of those meetings in which the patriarch Abraham, also known as Pope Abraam, and a Jew named Yaqub ibn Killis were present, Abraham got the upper hand in the debate. Plotting to take revenge, Ibn Killis quoted the verse where Jesus Christ said in the Gospel of Matthew: “He replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”” (Matthew 17:20), and demanded that the Pope prove that his religion is right by means of this. After hearing ibn Killis say this, the caliph asked Abraham “What sayest thou concerning this word? Is it your gospel or not?” The patriarch answered “Yes, it is in it.” After hearing Abraham answer, the caliph demanded that this very miracle be performed by Abraham’s hand or else he and all the Copts would be killed by the sword. The patriarch asked for three days to complete the miracle.
Abraham put together a group of monks, priests and elders. He told them stay in the church for three days for a penance. On the morning of the third day, Abraham was praying in the Hanging Church, when he saw Mary, mother of Jesus. The Holy Virgin told him to go to the great market. She said to him, “There thou wilt find a one-eyed man carrying on his shoulder a jar full of water; seize him, for he it is at whose hands this miracle shall be manifested.” Abraham listened to Mary and went to the market where he met the man the Holy Virgin spoke of. The man was Simon the tanner, who had plucked out his eye because of a passage from the Bible: “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matthew 5:29–30).
Simon told Abraham to go out with his priests and all his people to the mountain with the Caliph and all his soldiers. Simon then told Abraham to cry out “O Lord, have mercy” three times and each time to make the sign of the cross over the mountain. The patriarch followed the words of Simon and the mountain was lifted. After the miracle was performed in the presence of the Caliph, the Pope turned left and right looking for Simon, but he had disappeared and no one could find him. The Caliph turned to Abraham and said “O Patriarch, I have recognized the correctness of your faith.”
Shortly after the miracle took place, Al-Muizz decided to convert to Christianity, abdicated in favour of his son and entered a monastery. A baptismal font, large enough for the immersion of a grown man, was built for him in the Church of Saint Mercurius. This font still exists today at the site where Al-Muizz has converted and is known as “Maamoudiat Al-Sultan”, ‘Baptistery of the Sultan’. This story is rejected by influential Muslim historians such as Ahmad Zaki Pasha and Muhammad Abdullah Enan.
In commemoration of this miracle, the Coptic Orthodox Church observes three extra days of fasting before the beginning of the Nativity Fast. The Coptic website claims that the miracle occurred on November 27, 979 AD.
Discovery of St. Simon’s Relics. During the years of 1989–91, Coptic clergymen and archaeologists searched for the relics of the 10th century tanner and saint, Simon. Simon was apparently buried in the cemetery of al-Habash in Old Cairo; however, while searching for Simon’s relics, his skeleton was discovered in the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Holy Virgin at Babylon El-Darag during its restoration. Simon’s skeleton was discovered on August 4, 1991, about one meter below the surface of the church. What was of particular interest when finding his skeleton was that the hair on his head was still intact and had not disintegrated. The hair that was intact was only on the back of his skull and it was deduced that the man was bald in front and had thick hair on the back of his head.
In the church where Simon’s skeleton was found there was a painting that depicted the Coptic Pope Abraham and a bald-headed tanner carrying two water jars. The bald-headed man is most likely Simon because he was known for carrying water jars to the poor. The painting further depicted some of the characteristics of the discovered skeleton. In a church nearby a pot was discovered and was dated to be more than 1000 years old. It is believed that this clay pot was the vessel that Simon used to carry water to the poor. The jar is now kept in the new Church of Saint Simon on Muquattam, Cairo.
Dedicated places of worship.
Virgin Mary and St. Simon the Tanner Cathedral, Cairo in the Saint Samaan The Tanner Monastery is on the east bank of the Nile behind the Zabbaleen village. The Zabbaleen village is where the garbage collectors of Cairo live. In 1969 the governor of Cairo decided to move all of the garbage collectors to the Mokattam. In 1987 there were approximately 15,000 people living in the Zabbaleen village. Reaching the monastery is not an easy feat; it is difficult to get to, due to having to wind through the Zabbaleen village.
Visit the Cathedral, the Church of St Bola, and the Church of St Marcus (the Cave church) completely in a cavern with openings on both ends and semi-circular seating around a small stage. The carvings on the cliffs and all the rocks may be the highlight.
Mosque-Madrassa of Sulton Hassan. There are two large mosques here, side by side, both huge with high walls.
Mosque of Ali Rafau. Built over 40 years between 1869-1911 in the Mamluk style, it has tremendously high ceilings most with elaborate woodwork and 4 domes with elaborate gilt Maquina work. The lower walls are all inlaid marble, the mihrab ornate, and the minbar a marvel of inlaid wood and ivory. Visit the tombs of Mohammed Ali and his family, Presidents Farouk and Fouad, and the last Iranian Shah Muhammad Reza.
Mosque of Sultan Haasan. Built in the 14th century at great expense, it has an open concept surrounding a non-functioning fountain, with the mihrab covered and the enormous mausoleum of Hassan in the back. 80 LE + 10 for each shoe guy.
Gayer-Anderson Museum is an art museum situated adjacent to the Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood. The building takes its name from Major R.G. Gayer-Anderson Pasha, who resided in the house between 1935 and 1942 with special permission from the Egyptian Government. The museum is noted for being one of the best-preserved examples of 17th-century domestic architecture left in Cairo, and also for its vast collection of furniture, carpets, curio, and other objects. 60 LEDay 24
I spent a good part of 3 hours on my Seychelles Health Travel authorization needing to both book a hotel and an onward flight to Mauritius.
I then took an Uber to the airport and caught my 7:20 pm flight to the Seychelles via Dubai arriving at 06:50.