Cairo - The City of the Dead
Written: Jan 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exotic Culture, Pyramids, Sights
Cons: Chaos, blaring car horns,
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| TheSmartTraveler's Full Review: Cairo |
I took a tour purchased from Foreign Independent Tours out of New Jersey. We flew Egypt Air from New York's JFK International Airport to Cairo. This trip was for the first 10 days of April. I would not want to travel from May thru October because of the heat. Doxycycline is a must if you go to Egypt, and you must pray each day that the Doxy works! I stayed at the Gizerah Sheraton hotel, a nice clean, centrally located hotel. The breakfasts in the hotel were great!
The sights in Cairo are truly awesome, and should not be missed. Some of the sights were the Pyramids of Giza, Cheops (we climbed up inside this pyramid), Chephren and Myserinuss, and Sphinx. Be sure to take a camel ride in this area. The Step Pyramids of Ounas near Sakkara, the statue of Ramses II near Memphis which was ancient Egypt's capital, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities where artifacts from the era of the Pharaohs are stolen from the first floor almost as fast as they display them. The King Tutankhamum treasures as well as mummies are on the secured second floor. See Keenest Eliahu also known as Ben Ezra Synagogue; look for the ornate screened cupboard where the scriptures are stored when not in use. A must see is El Moallaka Church, the site where the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus took refuge. The Citadel of Saladin is an impressive 13th century fortress and was close to Al Azhar Mosque and the University. We made several trips to the oldest bazaar in Cairo, Khan El Khalili, where you can purchase rugs, spices, oils, souvenirs, framed or unframed papyrus, and tea, all in a fun filled, exotic atmosphere.
In addition to visiting the above which were all wonderful to see, we briefly drove by the outskirts of the City of the Dead. The City of the Dead is along the eastern edge of Cairo. I mentioned to the tour guide I thought it would be interesting to go to. He said the tours do not go in because it is not safe. Our last day in Cairo, I walked for a few kilometers into the City of the Dead. If you go in, leave your valuables in the hotel safe and make sure you have plenty of film and a spare battery for your camera. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Here rulers and their amirs built vast funerary complexes, domed mausoleums, and other wonderful final resting places. Today, the poor have moved into these final resting places and live. If you are not adventurous, do not attempt to walk in the City of the Dead. The photos that I took of the people and structures in the City of the Dead are among some of my favorite.
Another interesting thing in Cairo is riding in a car. All drivers use the car horns, which blare constantly to tell the other drivers to get out of the way! Car horns in Cairo have to be replaced like headlights in the United States. Headlights are never replaced in Cairo, as drivers do not use them at night. The horn is easier to use than stepping on the brakes.
I highly recommend a visit to Egypt. It is a feast for your senses!
Recommended:
Yes
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TheSmartTraveler
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Member: John Isaacs
Location: Miami, Florida
Reviews written: 493
Trusted by: 178 members
About Me:
I get the shakes if I don't take at least 5 good trips a year.
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