The Egyptian Capital is in my eyes both a mad house and one of the most fascinating open air museums in the world.
The cradle of civilization that already began some 5000 years ago stands in vast contrast with a city that has exploded to be home of some 18 – 20 Million inhabitants, and today is covered in garbage that piles up in the streets and a air pollution that is almost sickening.
I reached Cairo from the Northern city of Port Said the entry to the Suez Canal. Since security as beefed up quiet dramatically since terrorist attacks killed Western tourists the only way to get from Port Said to Cairo as well as other overland routes within the country is by Military Convoy. This convoy also included an armed guard on the bus itself who covered his machine gun under his jacket.
Cairo is reached within 3 hours traveling via a modern highway that ends in the chaos of traffic in the capital.
A must to see in Cairo was also on our program, the 1902 built Egyptian Museum. The museum houses probably the largest collection of antique Egyptian antiquities and also has a collection of mummies.
However the museum in my eyes is badly organized and groups as well as individuals alike push each other from one side to the other side. Cameras are not allowed inside and there is a collection point outside in the museum’s park. This service is as unreliable and as I collected the cameras of the group I accompanied the guard gave me two additional cameras, if I had not returned them again someone would have probably been rather upset. Also the museum is not air-conditioned except the mummy’s room – hence it is sticky and hot inside.
The biggest attraction of Cairo is undoubtedly the Pyramids. 108 Pyramids were built during the time of the Pharaohs before it became unfashionable to be buried in those massive monuments and one started to dig tunnels into mountains and created the tombs as one can find in Luxor in the Upper Nile Valley today. Distance from the Western Side or Cairo is about 30 minutes.
6 of those Pyramids can be seen on the Eastern Nile Side in the town of Gizah.
One of the attractions not to be missed here is also the Solar Boat and boat that was unearthed and reconstructed to show case how Pharaohs were transported some 5000 years ago. And the boat is massive and so advanced!
Other attractions of Cairo are the bazaars, the Cairo Tower that offers splendid views from an eagle’s perspective; it houses also Cairo’s only revolving restaurant, however I have been told that the food is simply disgusting.
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