I have been traveling back and forth to Egypt since 1973. At first I went because of my
interest in Arabic music, to hear it, and to buy instruments. Then, I attended the
American University in Cairo as an MA student in political science for two years. I had planned to attend the American University in Beirut and I did not expect to get "hooked" on
Egypt, but in spite of very mixed intellectual and political experiences, I just fell in love with Egypt. I returned many times to work on my research
and finally taught at AUC as an associate professor from 1996 until 2000. (I have written
some books on or with chapters on Egypt but they might be too "heavy" for some of you
fellow travelers -- one is Revealing Reveiling: Islamist Gender Ideology in Contemporary
Egypt. SUNY Press, 1992 available via Amazon and another is Images of Enchantment:
Visual and Performing Arts of the MIddle East - you can find this in Cairo at the AUC Book store.
My recommendations to tourists: Don't limit yourselves to Cairo (or to the Giza Pyramids only but if you only have a day or so, be sure to experience horse-back riding at the Pyramids by going to the last village before the pyramids enclosure to AA or M&M stables.
If you have to stay in Greater Cairo, give yourself time to see (or have a tour of) Islamic Cairo.
The Pharaonic antiquities are indeed wonderful -- but Cairo from the Islamic conquest on
is a true wonder. At the very least, take a cab to the Citadel & the Muhammad Ali mosque
where you can tour & have a great view of the city, then return just below the Citadel to the
Rifaey mosque (where the Shah of Iran is buried) and the Sultan Hassan mosque, designed by
an architect from Iraq.
Visit the Islamic museum, the Coptic museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in the
Opera complex (great paintings !!)
Out of Cairo - Go to the Sinai! It's gorgeous. Not only St. Catherine's,
Mt. Sinai and Sharm el-Shaikh, but go to the coast from Nuwaiba up to Taba, and around
Dahab & go inland from Nuweiba 4-wheeling in the canyons. You can still camp in
places w/o electricity on the coast, but I'm sure that development will ruin the coast w/i
5 years.
Go to the Siwa Oasis! It's a long trip. Combine it with a few days at Marsa Matruh on
the north coast and then down through the desert to Siwa. In October there is a
local festival when all the young men pick out brides, huge feast. There are cheap
places to stay, but also a very fancy and beautiful eco-lodge on the lake. If you are into
archaeology, several sites, and catacombs right at the main Mountain of the Dead.
Go to Alex! Go offseason in the winter & miss the crowds, or in season if you like company.
An easy way to get there, take the French or the Spanish trains from The fanciest place
I ever stayed in was the Hotel Palestine (very nice - private beach) but if you don't mind a
little sewage smell, the redone rooms at the Metro are fine. Eat fish, shrimp -- it's great
there.
Take an extra trip to the town of Rosetta (yes, the Stone came from here & there is a small
and important fort there) - visit the several historic houses & try to schedule a picnic in the
lush palm groves outside of town.
Go to Aswan! The antiquities at Luxor are right on the tourist path anyway, but Aswan is
magical -- try to go to the Nubian museum, the marketplace, and the burial site of the
Agha Khan. If you are on a cruise then don't miss Fila Island near here -- best of all
around sunset.
Nearer - Cairo - Go to the Dashur pyramids. You go across the Nile below Tora, and then
straight on through palm groves like Rosetta's. The site was used by the military for a long
time - it's quiet & the very ancient Bent pyramid & Red pyramid are here but NOT the
crowds of peddlars, etc. You can have a quiet picnic in an open landscape.
I miss Egypt so much now that although I'm not handy with a scanner, I will try to add
some of my drawings or photos soon. |
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