When in Cairo you have many things to do such as:

To see one or two pyramids, explore the wonders of the Egyptian Museum, and shop at the market stalls of Khan al-Khalili. But leave a day or two on your city’s schedule to discover the most authentic and hidden delights of this powerhouse in the Arab world and see the sights, sounds, and tastes of so many people with less commonwealth.

Begin your perfect morning shopping in Cairene in the shadow of Bab Zuweila, one of Cairo’s three surviving 11th-century Fatimid-era giant gates, which descends to Sharia Khayamiya – or Tent Street – on the opposite side. Here you will find decorated cotton tents for sale where, during the annual Ramadan festival, families take a short break with their iftar evening meal. Look for the colorful children’s versions that add an extra touch to the children’s playhouse at home.

Your bibliography should spend the first few hours of the day in the ancient tombs at L’Orientaliste (15 Shari’a Qasr al-Nil) with its incredible selection of out of print titles, old maps, and musty smells. in search of antiques or chic little boutiques, you will love browsing the alleys of the cool and green area of   Zamalek, located on an island connected by bridges, in the middle of the Nile.

As lunch progresses, locals crowd the stalls along the alleys of Cairo’s Muslim quarter; look for the faces of shops selling large metal juice kushari. The ultimate Cairene snack consists of pasta, lentils, chickpeas, spicy tomato sauce, and sautéed onions and replanting the filling pile. You can also buy a small, family-friendly Zizo, across from Bab al Futuh, the north gate of Fatimid Cairo, for an Alexandrian-style herb sausage sandwich.

Cairenes are taking the old-timer with more time to lunch at the Alfi Bey restaurant in the city center (3 Shari’a el Alfi), which opened in 1938 and still serves slow cooker braised stews from the paneled dining room. wooden room. Meanwhile, if Mediterranean cuisine appeals to the lighter, Maison Thomas (Shari’a July 26), returning to Zamalek, is the fresh local choice for tomato pizza, Italian cheese sandwiches, and a good friend cappuccino or some heavy American lunch like dinners some meat and burgers.

An entire afternoon in Cairo can be spent exploring the labyrinths, historic mosques, and madrassas (religious schools) that makeup Islamic Cairo, but the streets of Copo Cairo, also known as Mari, otherwise known as Mari, are worth considering. Girgis (St. George), which contains much more than Coptic Christian traces. The Coptic Museum (Shari’a Mari Girgis), not so often in the center of the large Egyptian Museum, has the world’s largest collection of Coptic Christian artwork and the residents of the serene Monastery of St. George, as your will is that you were wrapped in chains as part of a purification ritual that is believed to reflect the suffering of St. George at the hands of the Romans.

Look for the quiet, shady cemetery at the back of Santa Barbara Church, from where you can watch the locals train their flock of pet pigeons; if you ask politely, the ground guard can unlock one of the family churches for an atmospheric peek. From here, see the Ben Ezra Synagogue which still serves local Jewish families of around 50 people, and the beautiful tomb of Sulayman al-Faransawi, a Frenchman in Napoleon’s army who converted to Islam and died here in 1860. Later, for the most beautiful sunset in the city, take a taxi ride to al-Azhar Park, the largest green expanse in Cairo, from where you will have a fantastic view of the city and enjoy the combined call to prayer from hundreds of cities. mosques.

When night falls in the city, there are plenty of things to do outside Cairo hotels. Hang out with a bohemian Cairo set at Al-Horeyya Cafe (Midan Falaki), a simple bar highly regarded and run by writers, artists, and intellectuals, who brew cool beer and philosophically discuss their chess pieces for years. For something a little steeper, look for the nowhere-to-be-found nightclub Le Tabasco (8 Amman Sq, Mohandiseen) or head up to La Bodega (156, July 26 St), also tucked away in Zamalek, with its Moulin-style restaurant Rouge and narrow, minimalist bar. Finally, before you go to bed, grab a skewer or two from Abou Shakra (69 Sharia Qasr al-Ainy, Garden City), where locals have come since 1947 to fill their stomachs with kebabs, kofta, and exhausted shwarma rolls. the evening before morning – after.