Health Risks in Cairo

Tourists have been the victims of terrorist acts by extremists in recent years, though attacks have abated in recent years as the Egyptian government stepped up security efforts to safeguard the vital tourist industry. Sunburn and dehydration are the most common problems experienced by visitors to Egypt.

Remember to apply sunblock with high SPF, and to keep your fluid intake high. Traveller’s diarrhea is another major health problem, mostly due to contaminated water. You should drink only bottled water or water that has been boiled for at least 20 minutes. Avoid eating raw vegetables, and taking drinks with ice in them. But it is best to be prepared by bring along some antidiarrhea tablets with you. Be on extra guard for pickpockets in tourist areas.

Currency in Cairo

Egypt’s currency is the Egyptian pound. One pound is made up of 100 piastres. Coins come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 piastres, while bill denominations are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pounds.

The government imposes no restrictions on the import or export of foreign currency as long as the visitor declares the amount on a customs form. When it comes to the local currency, you can only bring out a maximum of 1000 pounds.

Districts of Cairo

Agouza
Abbassia
Ain Shams
Bulaq
Dokki
Downtown Cairo
El-Manial
El-Marg
El-Quba
El-Tagamu El Khames
Embaba | Garden City
Giza
Haram
Heliopolis
Islamic Cairo
Kerdasa
Maadi
Mataria
Mohandessin
Muqatam
Nasr City
Old Cairo
Rhoda
Shoubra
Shubra El Khiema
Zaitun
Zamalek

Tourist Attractions in Cairo

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 , 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 color of Cairo. People-watching is one of the most rewarding activities. Western women may feel self-conscious at the many sidewalk cafes, 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 Center. 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 center. 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.

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 artifacts 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, Jewelry Rooms and animal mummies are also fascinating.

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.

Sightseeing in Cairo

Cairo was once the Byzantine city of Babylon-the same as in the song “by the rivers of Babylon…"! In 969 AD, the Fatimid rulers captured the reigns of power, to be succeeded by the Mameluks, a slave dynasty. They left an impressive set of buildings in a quarter of Cairo now known as Islamic Cairo. This includes a warren of districts like Al-Muski, Darb al-Ahmar and Gamaliya. The old-world charm here is palpable, and well worth soaking in.

The Hanging Church (El Muallaqah/ St Mary) is a Coptic Church within the old Babylon fortress gets its name from a suspended nave. It has 29 steps leading to its entrance that gave it the name of ’staircase church’. Built in the 3rd or 4th centuries in the Basilican style, it was destroyed in the 9th century and rebuilt in the 11th century. There is an incredible collection of over a hundred icons within this church dating back to the 11th and 13th centuries and the oldest is from the 8th century.

The Egyptian Museum at Cairo is not one you can rush through as part of your sightseeing itinerary but if you are really short on time, here’s a tip: browse through the first section that houses treasures from Tutankhamen’s time, take a quick look at the sixth section that has coins and papyrus and the seventh section that displays sarcophagi and scarabs. There is a hall for the royal mummies in a specially air-conditioned environment within the museum. This section has a separate entrance fee but it is well worth digging into your pockets to make it to this crypt that has eleven Pharaohs and their consorts.

Despite several efforts of the Egyptologists to preserve them the mummies are said to be degenerating. The Museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm on all days except Friday, when it is closed for a few hours. Students get a 50% discount on entry fee, which is USUSD 6 and an additional USUSD 18 if you want to see the Royal Mummy Room.

Nightlife in Cairo

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).

Entertainment in Cairo

Cairo comes alive at night, the best time to shop, eat delicious Middle Eastern cuisine, or simply watch the world go by from a pavement cafe. You can dine in a floating restaurant on the Nile, enjoy the atmosphere at an Egyptian coffee-shop or see oriental shows at hotels. The splendid Opera House complex houses several galleries (including the Museum of Modern Art), restaurants and concert halls.

Listening to Arabic music under the stars, in the open-air theater, is a magical experience. At El-Ghuriya, in the heart of Islamic Cairo, you can watch folk musicians and whirling dervish dancers. Make sure not to miss the most essential after-dark experience, the Sound and Light show at the Pyramids, a dramatic fusion of light and music recounting the story of antiquity.