World City Guide

Mini Guide of Cairo

City Overview

Cairo, which Egyptians proudly call the ‘Mother of All Cities’, spreads along the banks of the River Nile for 40km (25 miles) north to south, the largest metropolis in Africa. Travellers through the ages have been both fascinated and repelled by Cairo. Visitors are intrigued by its twisting streets, medieval buildings, oriental bazaars and Islamic architecture of carved domes and sculpted minarets, while being appalled by its dirt, pollution, noise, crowds and constant demands for baksheesh (gratuities). Paying baksheesh is the local custom, however, so expect to give little and often. Culture shock is part of the experience of Cairo and can at times be wearing. But as is written in the ancient tales of the 1001 Nights, ‘He who hath not seen Cairo, hath not seen the world’.

Cairo is a disorienting place but most of the city lies on the east bank of the River Nile. Visitors often feel most comfortable finding their feet in the Westernised downtown district of central Cairo around Midan Tahrir (Liberation Square). This is a public transport hub, separated from the Nile by the massive Nile Hilton Hotel. Here too is the city centre’s main attraction, the Egyptian Museum. Opposite downtown is the Nile island of Gezira, with the island of Roda just to the south. The Pyramids of Giza, however, are on the west bank of the river, some 18km (11 miles) from the centre. Old Cairo lies south of central Cairo, while Islamic Cairo encompasses a large area to the east. The city is growing rapidly, both in terms of population and geographical area, with new suburbs expanding on its outskirts, especially into the Eastern Desert. Northwest of the city centre, near the airport, Heliopolis is home to many of Cairo’s wealthy (and the Presidential Palace), while to the west, the middle-class suburb of Giza has expanded to within sight of the Pyramids.

Although Cairo today is Egypt’s capital and largest city, teeming with some 18 million people, its position of prominence in the long timeline of Egyptian history is relatively recent. It did not even exist when the pyramids at Giza were constructed. Then, the town of Memphis, 24km (15 miles) to the south, was the Pharaonic capital. Cairo was not founded until the Romans rebuilt an old Persian fortress along the Nile in AD116, which was known as Babylon-in-Egypt, in today’s Old Cairo district.

From the latter ninth century, a succession of Arab rulers made their mark on the city: Ibn Tulun built his royal city el-Qatai, the Fatimids built the walled city of el-Qahira, from which Cairo takes it name. In the 13th century, the Mamluks, a caste of Turkish soldier-slaves, rose to power, then the Ottomans, the French under Napoleon and finally the British ruled in their turn. The birth of modern Cairo came in 1863, when the ruler Ismail expanded the city along the Nile in the style of the great European cities. After the country returned to Egyptian rule in 1952, Cairo rose to the forefront as the capital of the Arab world.

Cairo is also called the ‘City of 1000 Minarets’ and it is the exotic skyline of graceful domes and towering minarets that casts a spell of magic over the grinding reality of the metropolis. Most visitors come to see the great Pyramids of Giza, the treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb and other wonders in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, as well as to shop in the sprawling Khan al-Khalili marketplace. There are also dozens of mosques, Coptic churches, smaller museums and winding streets to explore. This tourism is Egypt’s key source of foreign income, while the public sector, including government and social services and the military, makes up the largest ‘industry’. The city is also the centre of a growing trade, finance and insurance sector.

During the summer, temperatures in Cairo can climb to 38 degrees Celsius, though the low humidity is some consolation. The best time to visit is between October and April. Occasional downpours occur in January and February, while during March and April the khamseen, a strong, hot, dry wind, blows in periodically from the desert.

Getting There By Air

Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Tel: (02) 291 4255 (both terminals).

Cairo International Airport is located 22km (14 miles) northeast of central Cairo and is the main international gateway to Egypt. It has two terminals. Terminal one (also referred to as the Old Airport) is mainly used by the national carrier, EgyptAir, for both domestic and international flights, while terminal two (the New Airport) is used by other international airlines. The terminals are roughly three kilometres (two miles) apart and are linked by a free 24-hour EgyptAir shuttle bus.

Major airlines: EgyptAir is the national airline and has several offices in Cairo (tel: (02) 390 0999 or 393 2836 or 245 0270 (24 hours) or 290 8453 or 245 0260 or 391 4501). Other major carriers include Air Canada, Air France, Air India, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cyprus Airways, Czech Airlines, El Al, Delta, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Olympic, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Swissair, Thai Air, TWA, Tunis Air, Turkish Airlines and United Airways.

Approximate flight times to Cairo: From London is 5 hours; from New York is 11 hours; from Los Angeles is 15 hours; from Toronto is 13 hours 20 minutes and from Sydney is 21 hours.

Airport facilities: These include foreign exchange, a tourist information counter, snack bars, duty-free shops and a restaurant.

Arrival/departure tax: None.

Transport to the city: Although there are bus connections into the city, the best option is to take a taxi, which should cost approximately E30-35. An official taxi from outside the terminal is recommended; visitors should avoid bargaining with taxi touts inside. There is also an official ‘limousine taxi’ service from terminal one, with fixed fares, which is convenient but costs almost twice as much as an ordinary taxi. Even more convenient, and more expensive, are the limousine transfers offered by luxury hotels, which cost from around E50 (to hotels in nearby Heliopolis) to around E100 (city centre). The taxi ride to/from the centre takes 30 minutes to one hour depending on traffic.

Getting There By Water

Getting There By Road

To drive in Egypt, foreign drivers must be at least 25 years old and be in possession of an International Driving Permit, however, driving in Egypt is not really recommended as there are few rules that are either adhered to or enforced. The roads are mostly of very poor quality, with numerous bumps and potholes to avoid. Egyptian drivers overtake all the time and visitors should beware cars coming towards them in their own lane. Flashing headlights means ‘get out of the way’. Night driving is particularly dangerous as headlights are rarely used.

Emergency breakdown service(s): No national provider; car hire operators may have local arrangements.

Routes to the city: Main routes from Cairo are Highway 1 (Delta Highway) northwest to Alexandria; Highway 11 (Desert Highway) also northwest towards Alexandria and the northwest coast; Highway 2 south alongside the Nile towards Luxor; Highway 3 northeast towards Port Said; and Highway 33 east to Suez.

Driving times to the city: From Alexandria – 3 hours; Port Said – 3 hours; Luxor – 10 hours; Aswan – 16 hours.

Coach services: Cairo is linked by comfortable, regular and inexpensive coach services to the other main Egyptian cities. Many coaches are air conditioned but there are also older coaches in operation, which can be uncomfortable. Generally, the ticket price reflects the level of comfort to be expected. There are five long-distance coach stations and tickets can only be bought at the coach station itself but can be booked in advance in person. Services are run by several operators serving the different regions of Egypt from the different coach stations. These include the Upper Egypt Bus Company, the East Delta Bus Company and the West Delta Bus Company. Coach terminals are chaotic but agreeable enough, with ticket offices and refreshment stands.

The Abdel Mouneem Riyad Terminal is often also called the Ramses Hilton Terminal, as it is close to that hotel on Sharia Gala. From here, there are half-hourly services to Alexandria, several per day to Hurghada, and one per day to Aswan and to Luxor (overnight).

Behind here is the Ahmed Helmi Terminal, with several overnight services to Luxor and Aswan, and other daily services to Hurghada and to Middle Egypt.

The Sinai Bus Terminal (officially the Abbassiyya Station, near Midan Abbassiyya) has several services per day to Sinai towns, such as Sharm el-Sheikh and Nuweiba, with one per day going via St Catherine’s Monastery.

The Koulali Terminal at Midal Ulali near Midan Ramses serves the Canal Zone and towns in the Nile Delta, while the Al-Azhar Terminal, 45 Sharia al-Azhar, operates services into the Western Desert.

Getting There By Rail

Egypt’s railway provider is the Egyptian State Railway (tel: (02) 574 9474 or 575 3555, wagons-lits reservations). The network is limited but efficient and reasonably comfortable in first class or second class superior. All trains stop at Cairo’s main station, the Ramses Station, Midan Ramses. There is a tourist office, post office and left-luggage facilities at the station.

Rail services: Cairo is connected to the other major Egyptian cities, such as Alexandria (journey time – 2 hours 20 minutes), Luxor (11-12 hours) and Aswan (14 hours). If travelling south from Cairo down the Nile Valley, tourists must use the guarded ‘tourist trains’ for security reasons. Tickets can be reserved up to seven days in advance at Ramses Station. Abela Egypt (tel: (02) 738 3682; website: www.sleepingtrains.com) run first-class sleeping trains, primarily to Luxor and Aswan. It is possible to book these through their website or the Egyptian State Railway numbers, the Central Reservation Office outside the station, but it is easiest to use a travel desk at a major hotel or a local travel agencies for a small commission.

Transport to the city: There are buses, taxis and service taxis (which go to set destinations) outside the railway station. It is also on the metro (Mubarak metro station stop).

Getting Around

Public Transport
Using public transport is not recommended in Cairo with the exception of the clean, cheap and efficient metro system. Buses are usually overcrowded and visitors will have to fight their way on like the Cairenes, who try to make sure they get on-board by leaping at the bus before it has even stopped. It is a real experience of Cairo life, however, and tickets should be purchased on-board from the conductor who fights his way through the throng. The fare depends on the journey length but for a few stops is usually 25 piastres.

There are also microbuses, which are private enterprises and a cross between a taxi and a public bus. The destination is not marked on them, so visitors should shout out where they wish to go as one passes and if it is going in the right direction and has room on-board, it will stop. The fare is slightly more than the public buses.

The metro is one of Cairo’s delights. The system is clean, quick, cool, safe and cheap, operating 0500-2330. There are two lines. One runs along the east bank of the Nile from Helwan in the north to al-Marg in the south, via Tahrir. The other, newer line goes from Shubra in the north to Giza in the west, also via Tahrir where the two lines intersect. More metro extensions are planned.

A flat fare of 50 piastres will take you up to nine stops, with a sliding scale beyond that. Smoking is not permitted in the stations or on the trains. The first two carriages on most trains are reserved for women only, although women can travel in any carriage without much risk of harassment.

Taxis
While Cairo does have its share of rogue taxis drivers, there are also many drivers who will become your guide, protector and even a good friend while you are visiting the city. Taking a taxi directly from a hotel is more expensive than hailing one in the street. Taxis are black and white and are shared, so if one is driving by with other passengers, it is possible to call out one’s destination and if it is going that way, it will stop.

The protocol in Cairo is different from that in many other cities. Passengers are expected to know the fare rather than negotiate it in advance or go by the meter. This can obviously be difficult for the new arrival. A guideline is E10 per kilometre for a hotel taxi and half that for one hailed in the street. A hotel taxi to the airport costs about E60-70 (again half that for a street taxi). It is also possible to negotiate hire by the hour or by the day, for a personal tour. The round-trip taxi fare to Saqqara is around E100.

Limousines
There are limousine hire companies in Cairo and, while the standard of the cars may not be quite up to Hollywood standards, neither are the prices. They do represent an economic proposition if you do not wish to join organised excursions or face the occasional hassles of dealing with public transport or taxi drivers. Limousine Misr (tel: (02) 285 6721) charges roughly E55-80 for a half-day hire with air conditioning and an English-speaking driver. Other companies include Bita (tel: (02) 574 6169); Cairo Car (tel: (02) 345 2393); Heliopolis Limousine (tel: (02) 240 1789); Hepton Limousine (tel: (02) 417 7500); Mohamed Naguib (tel: (02) 350 9123); Mohamed Selmi (tel: (02) 352 8706); Mustafa Muhammad (tel: (02) 375 1961); Rowas Car and Limousine Rental (tel: (02) 349 9831 or 554 4400) and Smart Limo (tel: (02) 365 4321).

Driving in the City
Driving is not recommended in Cairo as it is not for those of a nervous disposition and taxis are far safer. Visitors who are contemplating driving should spend a day or two observing the locals before going ahead – as few road rules are followed. There is no such thing as rush hour – it lasts all day and most of the evening too. Road markings are ignored, as are most of the traffic lights. Horns are used incessantly. At night, few drivers use lights, except for flashing lights, which are to tell oncoming traffic to get out of the way, rather than to indicate giving way as in many countries.

Car Hire
The minimum age for hiring a car in Egypt is 25 years and an International Driving Permit is required. Most of the major hotels will have agents for the leading car hire companies but the main offices are: Avis, 16 Sharia Ma’amal el-Soukkar, Garden City (tel: (02) 794 7400; website: www.avis.com); Budget, 5 Sharia Makrizy, Zamalek (tel: (02) 340 0070; website: www.budget.com), and at the New Airport (tel: (02) 265 2395); Europcar at the Max Building, 27 Sharia Libnan, Mohandiseen (tel: (02) 347 4712; website: www.europcar.com); Hertz, 195 Sharia 26th July, Mohandiseen (tel: (02) 303 4241; website: www.hertz.com); Thrifty, 1 Al-Entesar, Heliopolis (tel: (02) 265 2620); and J Car, 33 Sharia Missaha, Dokki (tel: (02) 335 0521). Rates begin at about E185 per day for unlimited mileage.

Bicycle Hire
Although many Egyptians cycle, it would be madness for any visitor not used to Cairo traffic to consider doing the same.

Business

Business Profile
As Egypt’s capital and largest city, Cairo is the hub of the country’s economy. With a GDP of $68.8 billion in 2001/02 (a 2% increase on the previous year), Egypt has the third largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region, after Saudi Arabia and Israel. Its trade in goods and services now exceeds $30 billion. But Egypt is still an emerging market, moving from an economy previously dominated by nationalised industries to one that is increasingly being led by the private sector. The commitment of the current government to privatisation of industries and to banking and other reforms has spurred foreign investment. Economic growth slowed down to 2.5-3% for 2001/02 (it was 5.7% in 1998/9). Inflation is under control and is expected to remain below 3.5% in the coming years. The budget deficit fell to 5.5% of GDP in 2001/02, with balance of payments deficit declining to only 1% of GDP. Exports show an increase of around 2% per year, with non-petroleum exports showing an increase of 15%, mainly due to rude cotton and free-zone exports. Unemployment, however, is high in Egypt as a whole – at 17.5% – and even this is only the official figure and does not include the large numbers of unregistered people. Cairo’s figure is not known but is certainly higher than this average. Reducing unemployment, primarily by encouraging private sector initiatives, is a high priority for the government.

The public sector, including government and social services and the military, makes up the city’s largest ‘industry’. Cairo is the centre of a growing trade, finance and insurance sector, with names such as American Express, Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse present in the city. Tourism and the industry of the Suez Canal (serving the shipping companies) are the major industries in the services sector. Tourism is the country’s largest source of foreign currency and has shown remarkable growth, with record numbers of visitors (70% of them from Europe) in 2002. The most important tourism markets are Italy (up 59% in 2002); Germany (up 30%) and the UK (up 21.9%).

Although total revenues have been falling in recent years, petroleum remains one of the key industries and is poised to recover with the rise in oil prices. With gas reserves of 57 billion cubic metres and more reserves being exploited, Egypt has become the 12th largest natural gas producer in the world. Oil companies such as Mobil, Esso and Exxon are all investors here.

Just under a third of Egyptians are employed in agriculture, with cotton being the main export. The industrial and mining sectors made up 20% of GDP in 1998-99. The economy is reasonably well diversified, with manufacturing, construction, communications and transport, as well as tourism, all showing significant expansion. Transport and communications have shown strong growth over the past few years. Key industries, such as metals (aluminium, iron and steel), petrochemicals, cement, automobiles, textiles, consumer electronics and pharmaceuticals, are increasingly expanding under private sector management. The government has also pledged to make the development of high-technology a priority, and to attract export-oriented manufacturing firms to establish bases in Egypt.

Business Etiquette
Courtesy and hospitality are as important in business dealings as they are in Egyptian life generally and, indeed, as they are throughout the Arab world. The host of a business meeting should be sure to offer guests some tea or a small snack before commencing the meeting proper. It is considered polite to refuse the first offer but the host must insist and then it would be impolite for the guest to refuse on the second or third invitation to have something. Alcohol should be avoided until visitors are certain of their Egyptian colleague’s attitude towards it. Even when drinking with Egyptians, visitors should only ever partake in moderation. This especially applies to women, for whom it is not considered seemly to over-indulge in alcohol.

Hospitality is generous. If invited to a business lunch, the table will probably groan with food and visitors must do their best to enjoy as much of it as possible. It is always better to claim an allergy to a particular kind of dish than to express distaste.

Throughout the Arab world, it is considered the height of bad manners either to display anger or to openly criticise another person in public. Tact and diplomacy will be required to conduct business meetings and much will be gained by a close observation of the way Cairo businesspeople operate. Instead of criticising or contradicting someone, visitors should instead ask if they think a different way of doing something might be better.

In social life, it is considered impolite to turn up for a rendezvous at precisely the agreed time. Everyone is always a little late. This is less true in the business world but does still happen. No one minds foreigners being on time but Egyptians certainly exercise the right to be late and visitors should be prepared for this and not take offence.

In this Muslim country, women should not offer to shake a man’s hand, but only do so if the man offers his hand first. They should dress smartly for business meetings and always dress modestly.

Government offices are open 0830-1400 except Fridays and sometimes Saturdays. Business hours for the private sector are generally 0900-1400 in winter, until 1300 in summer; most open again in the evening from 1700-2000. Muslim businesses may be closed on Thursday afternoons and Fridays, Christian businesses on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
With its layers of history and density of streets, one could spend months in Cairo and still not manage to see – or even find – all of its mosques and minarets, Coptic churches, souks, small museums and other places of interest. Just to visit the top attractions will require a stay of several days. Some sections of the city are attractions in themselves: the narrow streets of Old Cairo and Islamic Cairo are lined with ancient homes and buildings that can provide hours of fascinating (if frenetic) wandering. The Khan al-Khalili, the city’s main market (see Shopping), with its silk and spice merchants, haggling and steady stream of Cairenes from all walks of life, is one of the best places to soak up the local colour of Cairo. People-watching is one of the most rewarding activities. Western women may feel self-conscious at the many sidewalk cafs, as Egyptian women do not frequent them (apart from those in the market), but there are plenty of restaurants with outdoor dining that afford a respite from the bustle of the streets and the chance to watch the world go by.

The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is located downtown near the central square, Midan Tahrir. To the north is Bulaq, a district with interesting mosques and medieval back streets along the Nile, which butts up against the modern offices of the World Trade Centre. To the south, is the suburb of Garden City, a tree-lined former British enclave in the wartime years. Most of the main attractions are situated in Old Cairo, the Coptic quarter where the Coptic Museum and Hanging Church are located, and Islamic Cairo, a huge maze-like medieval quarter peppered with domes and minarets that lies to the east of central Cairo and downtown. The towers of Bab Zuwayla, the Citadel, the Gayer Anderson House and the Islamic Art Museum are among the sights here. There is an official website for Cairo’s Islamic monuments (website: www.cim.gov.eg).

The famous Pyramids are located in Giza, 18km (11 miles) from the city centre. Other areas worth exploring include the two Nile islands. Roda includes the residential Manial district on its northern end, while Gezira, the largest island, is split into two distinct districts: Gezira proper with its Opera House and art museums, and Zamalek, home to diplomats, wealthy foreigners, luxurious villas and trendy bars and restaurants.

Public transport on the overcrowded Cairo buses (see Public Transport in Getting Around) is not recommended and, as such, no transport details for the attractions are given below. Unfortunately, the metro does not serve most of the main tourist spots. Sadat is the metro stop for Midan Tahrir in downtown Cairo; Mari Girgis is the stop for Old Cairo. It is quickest and easiest to take a taxi to the first destination of the day and walk to nearby sights from there. Note that most museums are closed during midday prayers on Fridays, approximately 1130-1330.

Tourist Information
Egyptian Tourist Authority
5 Sharia Adly, Midan Opera
Tel: (02) 391 3454.
Website: http://touregypt.net
Opening hours: Daily 0830-2000 (0900-1700 during Ramadan).

There are also offices at the Cairo International Airport (terminal two/New Airport), the Pyramids and the Railway Station.

Passes
There are no dedicated tourist discount passes in Cairo.

Key Attractions

Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
With more than 100,000 artefacts spanning Egyptian history from the earliest dynasties to the Roman era, the Egyptian Museum represents the largest collection of its kind in the world. It would take several months to see every exhibit. A minimum of three to four hours is necessary to take in the highlights and, if time allows, the museum is best appreciated on successive half-day visits. The collection was first assembled by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in 1858. The top attractions are the Tutankhamun Galleries, which display the gold and gem-inlaid funerary mask and 1700 other treasures found in the tomb of the Boy King, and the Royal Mummy Room, which contains the corpses of 11 of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs including Seti I and his son Ramses II. Room 27 displays intricate models of ancient life on the Nile during the Middle Kingdom, while the Old Kingdom Rooms contain beautiful statues and death masks from Giza and Saqqara. The Akhenaten Room, Jewellery Rooms and animal mummies are also fascinating.

Midan Tahrir
Tel: (02) 575 4319.
Website: www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1645.
Admission: E20; E40 (Mummies’ Hall).

Pyramids of Giza
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world and now one of the wonders of the modern world too, the Pyramids of Giza are Egypt’s prime tourist attraction. First impressions can disappoint, partly because many visitors find them smaller than anticipated. But the longer the visit, the more powerful the pyramids become.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops was completed in about 2600BC and is the oldest on the site, and the largest in Egypt. It stands 136.4m (447.5ft) high and is made from an estimated 2.5 million limestone blocks. It was built to house the sarcophagus of King Cheops (or Khufu to give him his proper Egyptian name), although it is not known whether he was ever actually buried here. Nearby are three smaller pyramids built for the king’s queens, and beyond are the two other large pyramids, those of Chephren and Mycerinus. Chephren was the son of Cheops and popular belief has it that he had the idea of building the Sphinx, to stand close by his own tomb and that of his father. Some archaeologists say that this is not the case, and the Sphinx may even be some 2600 years older than the pyramids themselves.

Pyramid Road, 18km (11 miles) southwest of central Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1930; daily 0830-1600 (pyramid chambers).
Admission: E20 (each pyramid).

Coptic Museum
Situated in a lovely garden within the former Roman fortress of Babylon-in-Egypt, the Coptic Museum features Coptic art from the Christian era (AD300-1000). Among the highlights are the exquisite Coptic textiles, carved ivories, papyri (ancient paper) with text from the Gnostic gospels of Nag Hammadi, and Nubian paintings from the flooded villages of Lake Nassar. The ornate rooms are decorated with beautiful mashrabiyya (carved wood) screens, fountains and painted ceilings.

Sharia Mari Girgis, Old Cairo
Website: www.copticmuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission: E16.

el-Muallaqa Church (the ‘Hanging Church’)
Possibly dating back as far as the fourth century, el-Muallaqa is the oldest Christian place of worship in Cairo. It is called the ‘Hanging Church’ because it is built on top of a Roman gate and reached by a stairway that leads to the courtyard. The beautiful interior features three barrel-vaulted aisles, altar screens of inlaid ivory and bone and an exquisite, carved marble pulpit supported by 13 pillars representing Christ and his disciples.

Sharia Mari Girgis, Old Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-1600; Coptic masses Fri 0800-1100 and Sun 0700-1000.
Admission: Donations.

Bab Zuwayla
The southern gate of Bab Zuwayla is all that remains of the Fatimid city of el-Qahira. Executions took place here in Mamluk times but in the 19th century it acquired a happier reputation when a local saint, Mitwalli, performed miracles near the gate. To this day, people seeking healing nail a lock of hair or piece of clothing to the gate in hopes of receiving divine aid. Rising above the gate are the minarets of the Mosque of el-Muayyad, which offer some of the finest panoramic views in Cairo from the top. The mosque contains the mausoleum of the Sultan el-Muayyad and his son, who began building the mosque in 1415, as well as a shady courtyard.

Sharia Darb el-Ahmar, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk (mosque).
Admission: E6 for the mosque; baksheesh for the minarets.

Bayn al-Qasryn
In medieval times, Bayn al-Qasryn was the leading public square in Cairo, bustling with market stalls and entertainers. Today, it is lined with three Mamluk palace complexes, which form a harmonious and impressive faade. The finest, the Madrassa and Mausoleum of Qalaun, is also the earliest, completed in 1279. The mausoleum is stunningly decorated with an elaborate stucco arch bearing stars and floral motifs, ornate coffered ceilings and stained glass. The Mausoleum of an-Nasir Mohammed (1304) and the Madrassa and Khanqah of Sultan Barquq (1386) also boast fine architecture and decoration. Incidentally, a madrassa is a theological school, while a khanqah is a monastery.

Sharia el-Muizz, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk.
Admission: E6 for each complex.

Bayt el-Suhaymi
Behind an unassuming faade is one of Cairo’s finest houses, Bayt el-Suhaymi. Dating from the Ottoman era, it offers a glimpse of the lifestyle of well-to-do merchants during the 16th and 17th centuries. The maze of rooms on different levels feature an ornate first-floor harem with mashrabiyya screens overlooking the garden and an impressive ground-floor reception room where men were entertained with music and dancers.

19 Haret Darb el-Asfar, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600.
Admission: E20.

Citadel (el-Qal’a)
Nothing remains of Salah ad-Din’s original 12th-century palace but the mosques and palaces atop this limestone outcrop reflect 700 years of Cairo history. The fortifications were first built to repel the Crusaders and became the royal residence for sultans well into the 19th century. The Mohammed Ali Mosque, with its huge central dome and four semi-domes, towers over the city. The enclosure also contains the Mosque of al-Nasir, Yusuf’s Well and several small museums. The views over Cairo from the Citadel are outstanding.

Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700 (October-May), 0800-1800 (June-September).
Admission: E20.

Gayer-Anderson House (Bayt el-Kritliya)
The Gayer-Anderson House was the home of an English doctor to the royal family, who lived here from 1935-42. He restored two 16th-century houses, joined them together and filled them with exquisite decoration, furniture and oriental objects. The mashrabiyya-screened women’s gallery overlooks the magnificent reception room with its central fountain, arguably the finest in Cairo.

4 Midan Ahmed Ibn Tulun, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700, closed Fri during midday prayer (1100-1300).
Admission: E16.

Ibn Tulun Mosque
Of all the mosques in Cairo, this is the one that should not be missed. Completed in 879, it is the oldest intact mosque in the city. The huge structure, built of mud-brick and wood, covers 2.4 hectares (six acres) but is simple in decor. It is a unique example in Cairo of classical Islamic architecture inspired by Iraqi models, having been built by Ibn Tulin, who was sent to rule Cairo by the caliph of Baghdad. The pointed arches are the first of their kind. The views from the top of the spiral minaret are magnificent.

Sharia el-Salibah, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1800.
Admission: E6.

Islamic Art Museum
This museum houses one of the world’s largest and finest collections of Islamic art, dating from the seventh to the 19th centuries. The rooms contain carved woodwork and columns, mosaic fountains, metalwork and other architectural exhibits salvaged from crumbling mosques and mausoleums throughout Egypt. Some of the finest pieces are located in the central hall.

Midan Ahmad Mahir (Bab el-Khalq), Port Said Street, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Sat-Thurs 0900-1600, Fri 0900-1100 and 1400-1600.
Admission: E16.

Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan
Covering 7900 sq metres (85,000 sq ft), this is one of the largest mosques in the world and the finest early Mamluk structure in Cairo. It was built between 1356 and 1363 and encompasses a stunning courtyard, four madrassas (theology schools) and a mausoleum flanked by huge doors. Visitors should go in the morning when the sun lights up the dark mausoleum.

Sharia el-Qal’a, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700 (until 1800 in summer).
Admission: E12.

Further Distractions

Wikala of al-Ghouri
A wikala, also known as a caravanserai, is a medieval merchants’ hostel that catered for travelling traders. They stabled their animals on the ground floor, slept in the rooms above and haggled with their clients in the courtyard. This is the best preserved of the handful of Cairo’s remaining wikalas. The stables now house artists’ studios, while the courtyard is used for theatre and concerts. Around the corner is the striking striped al-Ghouri complex, with its mosque-madrassa and mausoleum. Part of the mausoleum now serves as a cultural centre, offering twice-weekly Sufi dancing performances.

Sharia el-Azhar, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-2400.
Admission: E6.

City of the Dead
Many tourists may feel squeamish at the thought of visiting the City of the Dead, but dozens of ‘tomb squatters’ have made it their home and other Cairenes come to visit and picnic at the graves of their relatives, an ancient tradition. This huge necropolis is divided into the northern and southern cemetery on either side of the Citadel and contains some outstanding Islamic architecture. The finest monuments are in the northern cemetery. The Mosque of Qaitbey, a Mamluk ruler, has an intricately carved dome, the finest in the Muslim world, while the splendidly decorated interior surrounds a peaceful courtyard. Visitors are advised to stick to the main streets in the cemeteries for safety reasons.

Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission: Free; E6 (Mosque of Qaitbey).

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
In fume-filled Cairo, there are few obvious walking tours on offer and none in the blistering summer months. However, personalised tours can be arranged through some of Cairo’s cultural organisations (see Culture), or the Community Services Association (tel: (02) 350 5284 or 376 8232) and the American Research Center in Egypt (tel: (02) 354 8239 or 355 8683).

Official guides for individual tours can be arranged through hotels and tourist offices, at a fixed hourly rate (plus a tip). Unofficial guides approach people in the street and range from the abysmal to the excellent. Personal judgement is all that can be used. If unsure, visitors should decline politely but firmly.

Bus Tours
Any hotel will be able to offer the standard range of bus tours for guests, usually including the highlights of the Egyptian Museum, the Khan al-Khalili bazaar, the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Alternatively, a local travel agent, such as American Express (tel: (02) 370 3411), Misr Travel (tel: (02) 393 0010) or Thomas Cook (tel: (02) 356 4650) can also arrange tours.

Excursions

For a Half Day

Birqash Camel Market: The biggest camel market in Egypt takes place just outside the village of Birqash, which is about 35km (22 miles) northwest of the city centre. Each Monday and Friday morning, camel traders come from all over Egypt and as far afield as the Sudan, to sell their beasts in a hubbub of sights, sounds & and smells. It is something of a tourist attraction too and visitors will be asked to pay an admission fee (currently E3 per person, plus E2 for a still camera and E15 for a video camera). The most convenient way to make the 45-minute journey is by taxi. Visitors should negotiate a waiting time: most drivers will be happy to wait or come back at a pre-arranged time.

For a Whole Day

Alexandria: The Mediterranean port of Alexandria, named after Alexander the Great, and the setting for Lawrence Durrell’s The Alexandria Quartet, is a popular day trip from Cairo. Locals make the 225km (140-mile) journey northwest to enjoy the beaches, the main promenade and the slightly cooler temperatures. The beaches are nothing out of the ordinary and are packed at busy times but there are other attractions too. The most recent addition is the Library (Bibliotheque) of Alexandria, inaugurated in October 2002 at a cost of $200 million and ambitiously planned to become a world-class centre of knowledge. The Citadel of Qaitbai was built in 1479 allegedly on the site of, and from the stones of, the Lighthouse of Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There are several museums worth visiting too: the Graeco-Roman Museum, Royal Jewellery Museum, Fine Art Museum, Naval Museum, Marine Life Museum and Cavafy Museum among them. Beautiful mosques and palaces also make this a trip worth taking. Trains from Cairo (three per day) take two hours, buses take about three hours and it is also possible to take a taxi from outside the Ramses train station. There are also several flights a day on EgyptAir.

Memphis and Saqqara: These two historic sites are about three kilometres (two miles) apart, some 24km (15 miles) south of central Cairo, and easily reached by bus, rented taxi, coach excursion or even by horse or camel. However, a full day should be allowed as Saqqara alone extends for a good seven sq kilometres (three sq miles). This is where the first pharoahs were buried, although they are now overshadowed in importance by the sites of the Great Pyramids and the Valleys of the Kings and Queens in Luxor. There are several pyramids here and, because much archaeological work still remains to be done at Saqqara, it may even be that one day it becomes Egypt’s most important historical site.

Saqqara was the necropolis for the pharoahs when Memphis was the ancient capital. Memphis is the oldest known royal city in the world. Founded in 3100BC during the 1st Dynasty, it was the royal capital for 500 years and remained occupied in all for a total of 4000 years. Sadly, not much remains today of what was one of the grandest cities in the world but the small museum and scattering of statues make a good appetiser for the more stunning remains at Saqqara.

Sport

Cairenes are sports fans, as participants and as spectators. Football is as popular here as anywhere else in the world and there is a strong national side, mostly made up of players from the two rival Cairo teams, al-Ahly (tel: (02) 340 2114; website: www.ahly.com) and Zamalek (tel: (02) 340 5690; website: www.zamalek.com). These share the Cairo Stadium in Heliopolis (tel: (02) 260 7863 or 7865), playing on Friday, Saturday or Sunday from September to May. Horseracing takes place from October/November to May at the Heliopolis Hippodrome (tel: (02) 241 7086 or 7134) and the Gezira Sporting Club (tel: (02) 341 0434 or 6006) on Saturdays and Sundays from 1330. The Egyptian Gazette carries details of events.

Badminton: There are regular sessions on Tuesday evenings from 1930 at the British International School, 5 Mishil Lutfallah in Zamalek (tel: (02) 536 2378).

Cycling: The Cairo Cyclists (tel: (02) 352 6310) can provide details of their regular Friday and Saturday morning cycle rides, which begin outside the Cairo American College, Midan Digla at 0800.

Diving: This is naturally a popular activity in Egypt, which has some of the best diving in the world in the Red Sea. Staying in Cairo is no limitation, as the Cairo Divers Group (tel: (02) 570 3242) organises regular excursions and also meets on the first Monday of each month at the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel, Corniche el-Nil, Garden City (tel: (02) 355 7171).

Fitness centres: These are increasingly popular in Cairo, although not all are as sophisticated as their Western counterparts. It is wise to check facilities first. Most are in international hotels (and are usually open to non-residents), but there is a 3000 sq metre (32,291 sq ft) Gold's Gym on the 8th/9th floors of the Maadi Palace Mall (tel: (02) 378 5592 or 375 3601), with a mixed gym, women-only gym, Jacuzzi and sauna. In many gyms, male and female activities are normally conducted separately and, if sharing facilities, then more time is usually allocated to the men. There is a particularly good gym at the Nile Hilton, Midan Tahrir (tel: (02) 578 0444), and Splash at the Cairo Marriott, Sharia Saray el-Gezira (tel: (02) 340 8888), has rowing and cycling machines alongside pool, sauna and tennis facilities.

Golf: Golf is not yet a major sport in Egypt but it is developing fast. There are four courses in and around Cairo. The Gezira Club (tel: (02) 341 5270 or 340 6000) is an 18-hole course in Zamalek, while the Mena House Hotel and Golf Club (tel: (02) 383 3444 or 3222) is an 18-hole, nine-fairway course in Giza, within sight of the pyramids. Green fees start at E20. Further out is the Dreamland Golf Course (tel: (011) 400577), an 18-hole course in the desert some eight kilometres (five miles) beyond the Pyramids. Fees here start at E150. Near Heliopolis, the Katameya Heights Golf and Tennis Resort (tel: (02) 758 0512; website: www.katameya.com) has 27 holes and a ‘tennis ranch’.

Horseriding: Good riders can hire a horse and guide for the day at the Pyramids. This usually involves a three-hour trip across the desert to Saqqara (see Excursions). The ride can be quite demanding and is not for beginners.

Rowing: There are several rowing clubs in Cairo, congregating on the east bank of the River Nile between Giza and Embaba. It is possible to join a crew at the al-Nil Sporting Club, near Kubbri ’Abbas on the Corniche at Giza (tel: (02) 393 4350). For those who just want to watch, Friday is the big day.

Running: The Cairo branch of the international running (and fun-loving) network, The Hash House Harriers, meets each Friday afternoon/evening for non-competitive runs around the city (tel: (02) 340 0820).

Swimming: Almost all the good hotels have their own swimming pools, but non-residents’ fees can be rather high. Swimming in the Nile is not recommended due to the risk of bilharzia or giardia.

Tennis: Tennis is popular in Cairo and major hotels, including the Marriott, Sharia Saray el-Gezira (tel: (02) 340 8888), and the Nile Hilton, Midan Tahrir (tel: (02) 578 0444), have their own courts, open to non-residents. Many have tennis pros for hire, and most courts are made of clay. The Katameya Heights Golf and Tennis Resort (see Golf above) has a ‘tennis ranch’.

Shopping

Shopping can be great fun in Cairo, whether for an everyday souvenir or for something a little more valuable. Painted papyrus scrolls, often embellished with hieroglyphics, are popular and perhaps a little more tasteful than stuffed camels or models of the pyramids. Egypt may be rich in antiquities but it is not rich enough to supply the thousands of vendors who will sidle up to visitors offering a furtive glimpse of a ‘genuine antique’. In any case, it is illegal to export genuine antiquities without a licence.

Among the items that do make attractive legal souvenirs are jewellery, perfume, leather goods, brass and copper items, and herbs and spices. Almost anything can be found in the city’s main market, the Khan al-Khalili in Islamic Cairo. While this is on every tour itinerary and there will be hundreds of shopkeepers and touts to deal with on arrival, it is a vast place and most visitors do not venture into its interior, where the local people do their own shopping. Silks, jewellery, spices and hand-made gellibayas (long robes) make good purchases, as do perfumes from the Perfume Bazaar area. Many French perfume houses source their supplies from Egypt, and in the bazaar pure essential oils are for sale.

The Street of the Coppersmiths (An-Nahassin) is naturally the place to go to find a good choice of brass and copperware. Large engraved brass trays are popular and can be bought complete with a wooden stand to turn them into a coffee table. More easily transported are cups, bowls, plates and ornamental trays.

Gold and silver is widely available and not expensive, provided you bargain the price down a little (see below). However, local taste tends towards the gaudy or the mock-ancient, incorporating hieroglyphs, pharoah’s heads and scarab beetles, so it may be a hunt to find something more unusual. In addition to the Khan al-Khalili, the jewellery shops on Sharia Abdel Khalek Sarwat and on Sharia al-Muizz li-Din Allah are good bets. This latter is in the Souq as-Sagha, or Goldsmith’s Bazaar.

Normal opening hours for shops are Monday to Saturday from about 0900 to 2000 but in summer they will close between roughly 1230 and 1600. Tourist shops often stay open later.

Haggling is a way of life, especially in the bazaars, and visitors should not be afraid to try. Prices are inflated for visitors anyway but remember that it is meant to be fun – not a fight to the death. If the final price is between half and two-thirds of the original asking price, then both parties should be happy.

Culture

The Cairo Opera House (tel: (02) 341 2926 or 739 8144; website: www.operahouse.gov.eg) is the city’s main venue for drama, dance, film and music. It is located in the Gezira Exhibition Grounds on Gezira Island and has excellent acoustics and two halls – the main one seating 1200 people and the smaller holding 500.

There are numerous cultural centres, which have very varied programmes incorporating lectures, films, music, exhibitions and other cultural events. Details are available in the monthly magazine Egypt Today (website: www.egypttoday.com) and in the newspapers Al-Ahram Weekly and The Middle East Times (website: www.metimes.com). The main cultural centres include the American Cultural Centre in the US Embassy, 5 Amrika al-Latiniya (tel: (02) 355 8927), the British Council, 192 al-Nil (tel: (02) 303 1514), the Canadian Cultural Information Centre, 5 al-Saraya al-Kubra (tel: (02) 354 3110), the Centre Franais de Culture et de Coopration, 1 Madrasat el-Huquq al-Faransiya (tel: (02) 354 1012), the Egyptian Centre for International Cultural Cooperation, 11 Shagarat al-Durr (tel: (02) 341 5419), the Goethe Institute, 5 ‘Abd al-Salam’ Arif (tel: (02) 575 9877), the Japanese Cultural Centre, 2nd floor, Cairo Centre, 106 Qasr al’Aini (tel: (02) 355 3962 or 794 9432), the Middle Eastern Cultural Centre, 17 Mar’ashli (tel: (02) 341 4053), and the United Arab Emirates Cultural Centre, 9 Qambiz (tel: (02) 349 9166).

Cairo has a healthy art scene, with numerous galleries spread around the city. To discover what is going on, the Atelier du Caire, 2 Karim al-Dawla (tel: (02) 574 6730), acts as both gallery and a meeting place for artists.

There is no city-wide ticketing organisation. For tourists, the best way to buy tickets is from their hotel concierge or a local travel agency, such as American Express (tel: (02) 370 3411), Misr Travel (tel: (02) 393 0010) or Thomas Cook (tel: (02) 356 4650).

Music: Classical performances at cultural centres and at the Cairo Opera House (see above) are more usually of Western classical music, although classical Arab music can be heard as well. It can also be heard at the Sayed Darwish Concert Hall, Sharia Gamal al-Din al-Afghani (tel: (02) 561 2473), in performances given by the Umm Kalthoum Classical Arabic Music Troupe, during the winter months only.

Theatre: The seven-storey Cairo Opera House (see above) has both international and local performers. There are two indoor concert halls and an open-air theatre. Visitors should note that in the main hall men must wear a jacket and tie.

Dance: Dance is not a major art form in Cairo, unless you count the folk dance shows that many hotels incorporate as part of the entertainment packages for their guests. There are performances by visiting dance companies, including an annual visit by the Bolshoi Ballet, and by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company, at the Cairo Opera House (see above). The cultural centres listed above also put on dance performances. Other options range from belly-dancing to Sufi dancing. The former can be seen in Las Vegas-style productions at the Cairo Sheraton, Midan el Galaa in Dokki (tel: (02) 336 9700), and the Nile Hilton, Midan Tahrir (tel: (02) 578 0444). Sufi dancing, more commonly known in the West as the dance of the whirling dervishes, can be seen on Wednesday and Saturday evenings at the Ghurriya Cultural Centre in the Madrassa of al-Ghouri, Sharia al-Azhar (tel: (02) 909146).

Film: Cairo was once known as the Hollywood of the Middle East because of the number of Arabic films made here, but no longer, although a new movie studio was recently built outside the city. Cinemas tend to show Hollywood blockbusters with Arabic subtitles but there are also limited runs of some arthouse films in the various cultural centres around the city. Two proper cinemas that do show arthouse films are the Cairo Sheraton, Sharia al-Giza (tel: (02) 760 6081), and a two-screen cinema at the Ramses Hilton (tel: (02) 574 7436).

Visitors should be prepared for the fact that movie audiences can be as noisy as a sports crowd and that, for security reasons, no-one is allowed to leave the cinema until the film is over.

Others that show English-language films include the Horeyya, with two screens on the sixth floor of the Horeyya Mall, Sharia al-Ahram in Heliopolis (tel: (02) 452 9980); the Tahrir, 122 Sharia Tahrir in Doqqi (tel: (02) 335 4726); and the Cosmos, 12 Sharia Emad ed-Din (tel: (02) 574 2177).

Cultural events: Egypt has more feasts and festivals than most countries in the world, mixing Coptic, Christian, Islamic and ordinary secular holidays. It also uses three different calendars (Western Gregorian, Coptic and Islamic Hejira). Most religious feasts are calculated using the Islamic calendar, 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, and these events occur roughly 10-12 days earlier each year in the Western calendar.

Ramadan is the principal religious feast that visitors must be aware of. During the month of Ramadan (starts on 25 October 2003 and 14 October 2004), devout Muslims allow nothing to pass their lips (food, drink, cigarettes) during the hours of daylight. They also abstain from sexual activity completely. Some people choose to sleep longer in the afternoon than at night, and so some shops and offices will have erratic opening hours. It is considered impolite to eat or drink in public while the fast is taking place, so visitors must use discretion although they are not expected to observe Ramadan themselves. Tourist hotels will be largely unaffected but some restaurants may close for the entire month.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan fasting with three days of feasting, and the slaughter of sheep and goats and occasionally cows. There will be fewer people in Cairo then but their place is taken by vast numbers of animals, frequently tethered in pens in the streets as they await their fate.

Eid al-Adha is the other great Islamic feast, held 70 days after the end of Ramadan. It lasts for four days, and on this occasion only sheep are slaughtered as the feast celebrates the prophet Abraham slaughtering a sheep in place of his son.

Literary Notes
There is one towering literary figure in Cairo and that is Naguib Mahfouz, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988. His books teem with Cairo life and have been compared to the novels of Dickens and Balzac. The Cairo Trilogy is his masterpiece, acclaimed in Egypt when the three books were first published in 1956 and 1957, and again when finally all three were translated into English in the 1990s. The novels (Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street) are a historical family saga set principally in the Islamic quarter of the city, where Mahfouz himself was born in 1911. Other notable works include The Thief and the Dogs (1961), an impressionistic psychological novel that marked a change of style, and Midaq Alley (1947), set in a poor back-street also in the Islamic quarter. His novels show a sympathy for the underdogs of Cairo life, and depict in vivid detail a side of the city that the average visitor will seldom even glimpse.

One of Cairo’s leading women writers is Nawal el-Saadawi, who was born just outside Cairo and worked in the city as a doctor and psychiatrist. She founded the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association and has written plays, short stories and social studies as well as novels. Her feminist and socialist beliefs pervade her work and she has not always been popular in her own country; she was even imprisoned under the Sadat regime. More recently, she has left Egypt to teach in North American universities. Woman at Point Zero (1979), a novel dealing with the killing of a pimp by a woman who is then condemned to death, has been banned in Egypt, while her most famous book The Hidden Face of Eve (1977) is a non-fiction book dealing with women in the Arab world.

Cairo has always held a particular fascination for British authors and both Olivia Manning (The Levant Trilogy, 1978 onwards) and Penelope Lively (Oleander, Jacaranda, 1994) have used the city as a background for their fiction.

Nightlife

Cairo is even livelier at night than it is during the day, and the Cairenes have always known how to enjoy themselves. As the sun goes down, the people come out. Shopping, socialising and drinking coffee all need to take place before the serious business of eating, drinking, dancing and music begins. The fun goes on for as long as you can stand the pace and even though most places wind down around 0300 or 0400, you will still find some that are open 24 hours. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the days for the big nights out.

Although Egypt is a Muslim country and many Cairenes will enjoy themselves all night long by only drinking soft drinks, alcohol is not difficult to come by for those who want it. Some Muslims are more devout than others but if you are with Egyptian friends or contacts and they decline your offer of a drink, you must be sensitive to their religious beliefs.

There are plenty of nightlife options. Most basic are the baladi bars, often called cafeterias to disguise the fact that they are selling alcohol. They are perfectly safe, although a little rough and women on their own might feel uncomfortable in what is essentially a male domain. If you want to seek some out, try the Sharia Alfy area around the Midan Orabi.

To find out what’s on, get the Egyptian Gazette (Egyptian Mail on Saturdays), the English-language edition of Al-Ahram Weekly, or the monthly magazine Egypt Today (but double-check as monthlies are not completely up to date).

Bars: The newest spot in town is the Hard Rock Caf, opened in 2002 on the lower level of Le Meridien Cairo Hotel, with 205 restaurant seats and a bar seating 85. It turns into a huge disco, with live bands, after midnight. All the main hotels have their Western-style bars, just as popular with Cairenes as with the Western visitors themselves. Which drinking den is fashionable changes monthly but there are some perennial favourites. Harry’s Pub at the Cairo Marriott Hotel in Zamalek is always busy, with its karaoke and ladies’ nights. The Ramses Hilton has its Windows on the World bar on the 36th floor and is the place to have a sundowner with its stunning views over Cairo. Also popular and a safe bet for women, The Taverne du Champs de Mars at the Nile Hilton.

Casinos: Cairo has more than a dozen casinos, most of them within large international hotels. Opening hours and games offered vary, but all offer alcoholic drinks, as well as soft drinks and snacks.

Casino d’Egypt has two hotel locations – both in Giza – the Mena House Oberoi Hotel, Pyramids Road (tel: (02) 383 3222), is open 1900-0500, while the Pyramisa Hotel, 60 Sharia el-Giza (tel: (02) 336 7000), is open 24 hours. Casino Ramses Hilton, 1115 Cornich el-Nil (tel: (02) 574 4400), is open 1500-0900, while 24-hour gaming is available at the Cairo Marriott Hotel’s Omar Khayyam Casino, Sharia Saraya el Gezira, Zamalek (tel: (02) 340 8888).

Clubs: In Egypt, a nightclub is a place where you sit down to watch a show while you eat and/or drink. The most popular have belly-dancers and these are included in the Culture section. Yet again, the big hotels provide the best options as there are also a good number of seedy joints aimed at parting you from your money. Only go to one if a reliable Egyptian friend recommends it.

If you’re after a Western-style nightclub, call it a disco and, again, head for the hotel chains. Jackie’s Joint at the Nile Hilton is an upmarket favourite. Tamango at the Atlas Zamalek Hotel, Casanova’s on the 7th Floor at Hotel el-Borg, and late night at Windows on the World at the Ramses Hilton are other popular hangouts. One of the latest openers is Regina at the El-Gezirah Sheraton, which swings until 0330. If you’re feeling fickle, as unlikely as it sounds, head for the World Trade Centre on the Corniche at Bulaq. Here you’ll have a wide choice of fashionable places, including On the Rox, Piano Piano and Upstairs.

City Statistics

Location: Egypt, North Africa.
Country dialling code: 20.
Population: 18-20 million (metropolitan area).
Religion: 90-94 % Muslim, most of the rest are Coptic Christian.
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from the last Friday in April to the last Thursday in Sept)
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are used.
Average January temp: 17.5C (63.5F); 8C (47F) at night.
Average July temp: 36.5C (97.7F).
Annual rainfall: 25mm (1 inch) per year, usually Dec-Mar.

Special Events

Book Fair, Jan, Cairo Exhibition Grounds
Cairo International Song Festival, Aug, various locations
Experimental Theatre Festival, Sep, various locations
Pharaohs’ Rally, early Oct, Pyramids of Giza
Arabic Music Festival, early Nov, Opera House
Cairo International Film Festival, early Dec, various locations

Cost of Living

One-litre bottle of mineral water: E1.60
75cl bottle of beer: E6.25
Financial Times newspaper: E3
36-exposure colour film: E25
City-centre bus ticket: 25 piastres
Cinema ticket: E10-15
Three-course meal with wine/beer: E20-35

1 Egyptian Pound (E1) = 0.09; US$0.17; C$0.21; A$0.22; 0.13
Currency conversion rates as of Feb 2005