By Glenda Winders
Cairo takes the "city of contrasts" concept to a whole new level, which my husband and I first discovered as we taxied from the airport to our hotel. Heavily ornate apartment buildings share the neighborhood with those much less well kept, and all of them have laundry hanging from their balconies. Across the street homeless people take shelter under above-ground tombs in the City of the Dead. Hungry stray dogs turn up everywhere.
In a city with the only subway in the Middle East the call to prayer warbles from minarets five times a day. Modern department stores are walking distance from the colorful and noisy Khan el-Khalili bazaar.
A camel train crosses the path of a bus, and a donkey cart loaded with cloth bags of lentils jockeys for position in a line of cars and vans packed with people. The motorized vehicles, by the way, seem to think the lane markings are only suggestions, and they honk at one another continually.
"No one is angry," the driver said. "They are just talking to one another. They are saying, 'Hello, I am here.'"
No longer just a third-world city where travelers must go if they want to see the pyramids, this capital is the bustling largest city in Africa and the Middle East, a modern metropolis with its ancient history still intact and proudly on display. Some 22 million people live on 750 square miles — about the size of New York City but with three times the people.
The fact that it resembles a giant sandcastle should come as no surprise since most of the buildings are constructed of concrete from the Sahara. Many of the buildings appear to be unfinished because of the empty windows and the rebar reaching skyward from their roofs. It turns out both of these strategies to help citizens avoid heavy taxing. People often leave their houses unfinished and then add another floor when a child marries. Apartment buildings — where most people live — maintain the option of adding more floors, and glass is only added to the windows once a space has been let.
Women here are treated as equals and have been since before the time of Cleopatra. They can own property, get divorces, have jobs, live independently and wear modern clothing, although many still opt for traditional Muslim dress. Sunni Arabs make up 87% of the population, Coptic Christians most of the rest.
Excited as we were by the city, however, we did want to see the same monuments all of those other travelers came to see. We started at the Egyptian Museum to get a historic overview of the entire country.
"Our antiquities belong not just to Egypt but to the world," our guide, Sameh Samir, told us.
Some 120,000 items here are rotated onto display, and many of them must sit outside. The space problem will be alleviated by the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, now under construction on the Giza Plateau. Still, we got to see the items rescued from King Tut's tomb, such as his iconic gold mask and throne. We saw countless other items, too — some of them priceless — that prepared us well for everything else we would encounter.
Later we visited the Citadel of Saladin, built high on a hillside in 1176 as a fortress against the Crusaders. In the courtyard is the alabaster Muhammad Ali Mosque, named for the man who ruled Egypt during the 19th century. Here we learned about Muslim customs — no images of people on the walls, ablutions before prayers and no seating since everyone kneels. Beyond those differences, we were struck by how similar the principles of Islam are to those of Christianity and Judaism.
Of course we went to the Giza Plateau to see the Sphinx and the three pyramids built to honor Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. Travelers are no longer allowed to climb on the outsides, but ascending to the King's Chamber from the inside is possible. I did this and it was well worth the effort, but it's not recommended for the tall or claustrophobic. We learned here that the pyramids were built by skilled laborers and artisans — not slaves — who were paid with grain, beer and gold. Lunch at a nearby cafe was kofta (ground meat kebab) and rice charmingly formed into the shape of a pyramid.
Cairo is a good base for a trip to Memphis, the country's first capital, which is now an open-air museum. And to Sakkara, home of the Step Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. And to the royal necropolis of Dahshur and so much more.
We felt safe here throughout our entire visit, although an armed guard traveled with us throughout our stay. When I asked Samir why this precaution had been necessary he told me it was a requirement of the national tourism department to secure the safety of travelers in groups. In fact, when I asked him what I should tell my friends about his country when I got home his answer was, "Tell them how safe it is."
And now I have.
WHEN YOU GO
In order to see and learn about everything Egypt has to offer, a guide is an absolute must. Google "tours of Egypt" and you'll find many at several different price points. We decided on Smithsonian Journeys and recommend them highly: www.smithsonianjourneys.org.
Glenda Winders is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
The Great Sphinx and the iconic pyramids are not to be missed during a visit to Cairo. Photo courtesy of Phil Allen.
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