Back in Cairo

Out last week in Egypt we spent back in Cairo because the was still so much more for us to see and do. The day after we got back was the World Cup final, so that was the focus of the day. One of my friends, Omar, invited all of us to his lovely house out in 6th of October City to spend the afternoon there and watch the game at night. We were treated to an amazing Egyptian feast by his mother and later got to watch the match outside in their backyard in a seating area with a big TV waiting for us. We were all ready with our jerseys for good luck, and apparently it worked because SPAIN WON! We were dedicated fans the whole way through!

The next few days we visited some more places throughout the city. On Monday we focused on Islamic Cairo. This area, one of my favorites, has three of the most interesting places in Cairo- The Citadel, Azhar Park, and Khan al Khalily. A bit southwest of the center, it is easy to fit all three in one day. In the morning we entered the Citadel complex. Located on a hill that overlooks the city, the Nile, and on a clear day all the way to the pyramids, it is a huge complex. Once entering the main outer walls there are a few places to see, such as the Military Museum, but major attraction is the Muhammed Ali Mosque. Built in the Turkish style, it looks very similar to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul both inside and outside (but without the beautiful blue tiling.) It is beautiful to look at the detail inside all over the walls and ceiling. Outside there is a great viewpoint where you can look out on to the city, and sometimes even the pyramids peek through if you are lucky.

After we headed down the road to Khan al Khalily, or more commonly known to tourists who can't pronounce the difficult arabic word as the market/bazaar. This is the place to buy souvenirs/gifts/anything you can imagine from Egypt. It is a maze of streets lined with small shops where men are waiting to sell you their scarves, pyramids, jewelry, bags, papyrus- it goes on forever. Luckily we were able to hold off the sellers and get a few things we wanted (though we had to go back the next day to get the rest!)

In the evening we went to my favorite place in Cairo: Al Azhar Park. Close to the Citadel, thus offering the same view, it is one of the only green areas in Cairo. It was once a huge pile of garbage until the Aga Khan Trust (a private development company) decided to give the funds to make it a public park. There are so many beautiful plants, trees, and fountains as well as lookout points to watch the sun set over the city.