Land of the Pharoahs

Andrea McVeigh explores the amazing wonders
of cairo, egypt.

Nothing quite prepares you for seeing the pyramids at Giza, on the outskirts of sprawling Cairo. Ever since I can remember, I’ve known about them, read about them, seen pictures of them and heard about the myths and legends that surround them. Built as tombs for the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, the pyramids, and the Sphinx which guards them, have captured the imagination of people around the world for more than three thousand years.

It’s hard to take in the scope of Cairo’s history. It witnessed the origins of civilisation, the rise of the Greek and Roman empires and the establishment of Christianity. And here I was, standing under the blazing Egyptian sun, so close I could touch the Great Pyramid - the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence. It was an amazing moment. I went to bed that night feeling privileged to have seen them, but also unable to quite take in all in.

Even as I gazed at the River Nile from the balcony of my room in the Sheraton Cairo Hotel Towers and Casino, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

Cairo is now easier to visit since the launch, last November, of bmi’s new route to the city, proving invaluable for both business and leisure passengers.
If you can, go business class, with its lounge access, priority boarding, menu choice, dedicated cabin crew, complementary bar and, most importantly on a four-and-a-half-hour flight, 50 inch seat pitch (although economy is spacious too!).

Depending on when you go, Cairo can be hot (temperatures passed the 40˚C mark in April), humid, chaotic, noisy, intense, smoggy, friendly and hectic. Venture out in a taxi and you’ll feel like you’re in a giant dodgem car adventure, while pedestrians trying to cross the road take their life in their hands. Yet you’ll also see many lush, green parks and beautiful plantlife - this is a city just bursting with life, in all its forms (the population is around 19 million, and that doesn’t include tourists!)
For this reason, it’s a good idea to hire a guide to escort you around the main tourist attractions. Our female guide, Asmaa, was a joy to be with, as she escorted us around the city and told us about the fascinating history of each new place we visited. Her joy at being able to share her culture with us was infectious.

As well as visiting Giza, I saw the ancient burial ground at Sakkara, 30km south of Cairo, which features the world’s oldest standing step pyramid, as well as the ruins at Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt (the best way to visit these sights is on an organised tour).

Cairo isn’t nicknamed the ‘city of a thousand minarets’ for nothing, and a visit to the mosque of Mohamed Ali in the citadel of Saladin is another must (women must cover their shoulders, and everyone must take off their shoes, in respect of the Muslim religion). With its largely alabaster exterior, it’s truly beautiful and offers amazing views over the city.

The Egyptian Museum, with its huge collection of sculptures and antiquities, including those from the tomb of Tutankhamun, is another attraction that should be on your itinerary while a tour of old Cairo, with its churches and historic synagogue will both amaze and delight you.

Culture of an altogether different sort can be enjoyed on a dinner cruise. We went on the Nile Maxim and were treated to a show featuring singers and a belly dancer, a buffet meal and views of the skyline at night, while upmarket cuisine is served at the luxurious Mena House Oberoi Hotel, the home-from-home for visiting VIPs, such as Tony Blair.

Another ‘must see’ is the Khan El Khalili bazaar, the place to go for tourist trinkets, where vendors shout at you from every direction trying to tempt you with their wares and where haggling is the norm.

By luck, I stumbled upon an oasis from the intensity of the market, in the form of Lehnert & Landrock, a bookshop and gallery in an indoor mini-mall on El Moez Ledeen Ellah Street, the first main street of the souq. Established in 1904 by two European men, it’s filled with prints of old photographs of the region, taken from the early 20th century, which make beautiful, classy (and inexpensive) souvenirs. Ask for the manager, Mohamed, tell him Andrea sent you and enjoy a cup of mint tea!
To round off my trip, I went back to Giza for one of the music and light shows that are held, in English, every evening. As lasers and lights lit up the pyramids and a booming voice narrated the history of the ancient world, I had to pinch myself again, it was all so magical.
Fact File
bmi offers a daily direct service from London Heathrow to Cairo with connecting flights from Belfast City Airport. Fares start from £352. Visit www.flybmi.com for schedules.

Mena House Oberoi Hotel,
El Rubbaeyat Restaurant,
tel: 0020 33773222.

Cairo Sheraton Hotel Towers
and Casino, tel: 0020 33369700.

Nile Maxim floating restaurant, tel: 0020 27374833.