Cairo Local Custom Tips by Heavens-Mirror

~ The Arabic Language...Some Useful Phrases ~

Although English, French, Spanish and German is widely spoken in Egypt it is still beneficial to learn some of the language. The language in Egypt is Arabic. I have got a couple of books on Egypt which have helped me with the pronunciation of the words... as they can be abit of a mouthful. I have got the Lonely Planet guide to Egypt & also the Eyewitness guide to Egypt. Both books have been fantastic.

Hello= As-salama alaykum

Hello (to respond)= Wa alaykum salam

Goodbye (person leaving)= Ma' al salama

Goodbye (person responding)= Alla salkmak (to a man), Alla ysalmich (to a lady), Alla ysalimkum (to a group of people)

Good morning= Sabah al-kheir

Good afternoon/evening= Masa' al-kheir

Good afternoon/evening (to respond)= Masa' an-nur

Goodnight= Tisbah ala'kheir (to a man), Tisbihin ala-kheir (to a lady)

Pleased to meet you= Fursa sa' ida

Yes= Na'am

No= La

Maybe= Mumkin

Please= Min fadlik (to a man) Min fadlich (to a lady)

Thankyou- Schukran

How are you?= Kef Halak?

And one of my favourite Arabic words is "No Problem" which is "Mish Mushkila"
Everything in Egypt is Mish Mushkila even the language.... Its very easy to learn once you've learnt a few basic words.

~ Celebrating Ramadan ~

I was lucky enough to visit Cairo when Ramadan was in place. It starts around 6th October up until about the 3rd November.

I spent one evening with my Egyptian Friends Family & enjoyed breaking fast with them at 5.30pm. You listen to Allah on the radio & at the sound of the shot of a gun means you can break fast & eat & drink as much as you like. Everyone then likes to party all night long & enjoy food & drink with there friends & family.

~ Egyptian Food & Drink ~

Egypts cuisine has a mix of African, Arabic & Mediterranean style. Egyptian dishes are rarely very spicy but they do use a mix of colourful spices in some of the foods. Although Egypt is a Muslim country, alcohol is widely available at restaurants & bars but do not miss out on the fantastic freshly squeezed fruit juices.

The local Stella Lager is good, but i do prefer the Egyptian beer which is called Saqqara Gold. There are a few Egyptians wines too my favourite is Obelisk. Hot drinks include Chai (Mint tea) which tastes great & you will find that everywhere you go they will offer you this tea, & Ahwa (Arabic coffee) which is a little too strong for me. Only drink bottled mineral water whilst in Egypt... A well known brand is Baraka which is really cheap to buy in the shops.

Also a must try is the Sugarcane Juice....its very sweet but delicious. It is made from Sugarcane pulp which is squeezed to give asap, a sweet light green drink with a foamy head.

~ Bargaining Is A Way Of Life ~ Bargaining Review

When buying goods in Cairo, make sure you haggle with the prices, you will notice that most things do not have a price on them. Getting a bargain is part of the game for you aswell as the seller. They always give items a high price but haggle them to the price you want to pay.
There are many things you can buy in Cairo, you will find the people in the shops are very friendly, it is normal for them to offer you a sit & a drink & some Shisha whilst you shop. This is what they do.

~ Ladies Head Scarfs aka Hijab or Abaya ~ Dress Codes for Women Review

I noticed that all the ladies in Egypt dress different, you see some girls who dress casually with normal clothes & show off there arms, then you see girls who wear a head scarf that still shows off there faces, then there is a gown you see some ladies wear which totally covers there face & body.

I wanted to see what it was like to wear these so i went to a shop & purchased one of each & spent a couple of hours wearing it, the Egyptians loved to see me joining in & trying it out & the girls in the shop showed me how it was worn. I enjoyed trying this & seeing what the different cultures were like. I asked people if it was ok to do this as i didnt want to offend any of the Egyptians but everyone was fine with it.