Cairo

Cairo Museum

It is worth to spare a day just for the Cairo museum ... pictures are not allowed, so we only have photos at the entrance. Of all the things that impressed me most were the 4 containers used to keep the viscera of Tutankhamun ! It was possible to see the blood clotted at the edges.... There is only one area with mummies, but it is necessary to buy another ticket to visit!

The museum is in Tahrir Square, very close to the Ramses hotel, but separated by great avenues that do not have crosswalks!!! I panicked crossing those avenues with cars at high speeds! I got back by car. I simply got paralyzed at the thought that I would have to cross those avenues!

 

(Cairo Museum - Tahrir Square)

Citadel

(Cairo Overview)

The Citadel of Cairo is one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. It was founded in 1176 by the famous Muslim leader Saladin (the one from the movie Crusades), having been the headquarters of the Egyptian government for almost 700 years.

(Respect)

It is divided in three parts, being the main tourist area of the Citadel located in the southern part, where you can find the Mosque of An-Nasr Mohammed (the only Mameluke building in the Citadel) and the Mosque of Mohammed Ali of the 19th century. Women need to wear a veil to go into the mosque, and like everywhere in Egypt showing your legs are totally out of the question! Inside the citadel, you can observe the entire city of Cairo from a gazebo! A tour that cannot be left out!

 

(Beautiful scenery!)

Old Cairo

Old Cairo is home to the Coptic Christian community. The Coptic Orthodox Church attributes its foundation to St. Mark the Apostle in 42 AD, thus, it may well be the oldest Christian denomination of all. In this area we can see the Suspended Church which is built under the ruins of the water gate of the Roman fortress.

(Cradle of Christian Faith)

Then we visited Abu Serga, one of the places where the Sacred Family rested quietly after fleeing from King Herod's Israel. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is one of the oldest in Egypt. Set in a leafy garden, it was built on the site of a 4th century Christian church.

  

(Intense religiousness!)

The visit to the Coptic neighborhood was quick because it is a place of intense police vigilance due to threats of terrorist attacks, I was quite touched to visit a place so sacred to Christianity, it is possible to buy rosaries, incenses and other religious objects. In the same area, three religions coexist (Islam, Judaism and Christianity) despite the threats we managed to feel the peace and an inexplicable emotion in the old house of the Holy Family. Another visit spot is the ancient olive tree that, according to them, is said to be in this place since the time of Christ

(Old house of the Sacred Family)

Khan el Khalili Market

Khan el Khalili is an area of alleys that resemble of a maze filled with shops. It is possible to can buy clothes, souvenirs, tobacco, chandeliers, furniture and a myriad of things there! Founded in 1382 it seems like a journey in time ... It is recommended to go with a guide. The shops are very similar is very easy to get lost and lead to more dangerous areas. Women alone are easy prey. Brazilians are easily recognized, the sellers risk a portunhol and shout "Brazil, Brazil, Neymar, Neymar". Our guide was a friend of a merchant, and his shop was our meeting place, an extremely polite and friendly Egyptian who did everything to please, from serving soda to ordering some merchandise he did not have in his shop. The purchases: you can use American dollars or Egyptian pound and not always the currency exchange is correctly made.
Bargaining is a must! In fact I was tired of it, all I wanted was the real price ... For example a purse costs 20 pounds (about 10 reais) and the seller first gave the price of 120, it was necessary to negotiate and a lot !!! The options are wonderful, mother-of-pearl chess set, gold or silver necklaces and in my case I'm a dancer everything I ever dreamed of having (original belly dance accessories and clothes! Women in general should not wear cleavage, tight clothing, shorts in Arab countries. At Khan el Khalili it is recommended comfortable and light clothing and shoes. Remember that in the summer even at night the thermometers are around 40º (over 100 ºF). The best time to visit Khan el Khalili is after the sun goes down. Egyptians are night people and the shops stay open until 2 in the morning! In this region we find incredible restaurants and some simpler options, but of dubious quality! Never have anything with ice, nor in international fast food chains unless you want to have a nice diarrhea!

 

(Shopping and eating!)

Papyrus Factory

It is a quick tour and not very interesting. In the factory, the guide explains and demonstrates in "portunhol" the steps for manufacturing an original papyrus. The best part of the tour was the explanation of famous papyri. I bought an Egyptian calendar found at the Dendera Temple.

 

(Paper Origin!)

To learn more about other attractions I visited in Egypt click on:

Egyptian Pyramids.

Cairo: the city.

This text was a kind contribution of physiotherapist, dancer and Belly Dance teacher Mahara Shams. Visit the page of Mahara Shams Studio situated in Belo Horizonte, MG. Inquire about the dance studio, the courses and schedules available.

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