Lifestyle
11.5.2019
48 hours in Cairo
As you know, every beginning of the week is an opportunity for us to help you prepare a new getaway. This time, it is in the direction of Cairo that we take off to concoct a weekend between archaeology and history. Follow the guide!
Visit the essential pyramids of Giza
While not technically located within the city limits, the pyramids are only a short distance away by car or bus, and constitute such an important part of the country’s (in fact, the world’s) historical, cultural and architectural heritage that it would be inappropriate not to visit them. Dated more than 2500 years BC, they are the only one of the seven original ancient wonders in the world still standing today. Whether you choose to visit them, or simply observe them from the outside, they are essential… Just like the Sphinx also present on the site…
Climbing to the top of the Cairo Tower
To enjoy a breathtaking view of the city, there is probably no better place. The tower, which rises to 187 meters, has an observation platform and a restaurant turning at the top. Count 70 pounds for non-Egyptian visitors.
See a show at the opera house
In one of the seven theatres of the Khedival Opera of Cairo, attend a different show almost every day of the week. Music, dance, opera, or modern art exhibitions (home to 13,000 works by contemporary Egyptian artists), the offer of the place is very diversified and will delight even the most difficult. Possibility to eat on site.
Walking around the city of the dead
This large necropolis of 6.5 km long includes many tombs and mausoleums. Amazingly, many Egyptians live there, some to be as close as possible to their ancestors, others for lack of alternatives… The site is highly prized for its architectural beauty, but also for its cultural diversity. Your wanderings must take you to Sultan Qaitbay’s funeral complex.
When low on energy…
Walking around all day will most likely open your appetite. And it’s a good thing because the city is full of good places to eat Konafa for instance, this slender, stuffed and cooked dough like baklâva, Bamiah, Greek horns cooked in tomato sauce, Koussa, zucchinis cut into slices cooked in tomato sauce, or even stuffed vine leaves, locally called Dolma. One of the most famous spots is probably Felfela. Built in the 1960s in an alley between two buildings, it now occupies the entire length of the building, and welcomes you for a Turkish coffee, or a meal, in a wooded setting, decorated with very colorful mosaics. Between two meals, stop in a juice bar for a hibiscus drink, or a stand selling Arabic coffee with cardamom flavor, or even in a street bakery, for a few cookies. Finally, meet one of the restaurants specializing in koshari (a lentil rice recipe considered the Egyptian national dish), such as Abu Tarek, or Sayed Hanafy.
See also
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