No visit to Cairo is complete without a visit to the Khan al-Khalili bazaar district. Jewellery sellers, visitors, tourists, craftsmen, pastry shops, trinkets, carts and the occasional death-defying motorcyclist jostle for space in this enormous area. And all this on narrow paths or roads through an incomprehensible maze and a constantly flowing river of people.
This souq dates back to the 15th century. Perhaps there is some kind of division of goods of different categories in different areas. But in the meandering, go-with-the-flow walk we took, we saw the same selection everywhere.
We were able to draw a few conclusions from observing people in al-Khalil. The first is that older women, who are often quite broad, are always in a hurry and plough their way through the crowds with stern expressions. The second is that you must never stop; if you have to, you must quickly step aside. The river must flow.
There are not many places to eat here, and what there is consists mostly of snacks, such as fried cauliflower or some kind of stuffed dough. And then there are the classic old Arab cafés where only men sit and quietly smoke their hookahs.
It is with some hesitation that we venture into al-Khalil, as we both have unpleasant memories of pushy and aggressive salespeople from previous trips to Egypt. But we are actually surprised by the restrained style today. Sure, there are constant cries of ‘Hello!’, and many naturally want to draw us into their mountains of plastic pyramids, Nefertiti heads and gold-plated necklaces, but a dismissive gesture or a ‘La, shukran’ is enough to make most of them leave us alone.
Of course, we get lost in al-Khalili, but there’s no need to worry. If you want to find your way out, just keep going straight ahead. Either you’ll come out, or you’ll come across a larger cross street where you can continue straight ahead.
On the outskirts of the bazaar, there are many shops selling brass lamps in oriental style, but also larger metal objects. For example, the same posts with a crescent moon at the top that you see on the domes of mosques.
Those who are hungry for both food and culture should head to Café Riche, an inconspicuous establishment near Tahrir Square. This is classic territory, where Nobel Prize winner and Cairo chronicler Naguib Mahfouz often sat with colleagues and friends, discussing long into the warm Arabian nights.
We spend our last day in Cairo visiting an ancient, imposing fort known as Saladin’s Citadel. It is a name familiar from the history of the Crusaders. Saladin is usually described as the cruel commander who crushed the Crusader army and captured Jerusalem.
Saladin was actually Kurdish but became ruler of Egypt in the 12th century. He built the citadel to protect Cairo against possible attacks from the Crusaders. The fort changed owners and appearance many times, but in the 19th century it took on its current appearance with the magnificent Muhammad Ali Mosque in the parade ground.
One evening, we treat ourselves to a cruise on the Nile at sunset. It is called a ‘dinner cruise,’ but it turns out that we are almost the only ones eating on board. In any case, it is a pleasant boat trip as night falls and the city lights come on. Unfortunately, the food is not worth the money, and as in many other places, they insist on blaring Egyptian and Western pop music at high volume. It is as if Egyptians cannot cope with silence.
The last picture in the carousel above shows the Cairo Tower, a 187-metre-high observation tower with a restaurant at the top. All guides list it as a must-see excursion destination in Cairo. What they don’t tell you is that it’s so popular and only has one small lift, so the queues are insanely long. We buy tickets and realise that it will be at least two hours before we can go up. It’s nearly sunset and soon it will be pitch black. We are about to give up the idea when someone points out that you can buy an additional ticket and skip the queue. So we do.
And yes, it is an incredible view of this huge city, the largest in Africa. And the city lights are starting to come on down there.
Now we are leaving Cairo for what we hope will be some sea air and blue skies. Come with us to Alexandria!
