Fun things to do in Cairo

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Designed by the renowned French architect Raoul Brandon, this Beaux-Arts-style building was completed in 1907 as the original Cairo Stock Exchange. (Among the architect's numerous works is the impressive Hôtel des Postes in Chartres, France). La Bourse du Caire (Cairo Stock Exchange) was created in 1903, nearly two decades after la Bourse d'Alexandrie, which had been established since 1888. In the 1920's, the Cairo and Alexandria stock exchanges merged together to create the fifth largest stock market in the world. It remained one of world's largest until the end of the 1940s, when Egypt was still considered a wealthy nation. After the fusion of the two stock markets, the exchange moved to a new Art Nouveau edifice (designed by George Parcq) on Cherifein Street in Cairo where it still exists today. Unfortunately, post-revolutionary economic policy decisions have proven disastrous for the country's economy, and its stock market's importance declined significantly after the 1950s. The old exchange building is now occupied by the National Bank for Development.

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The Catholic Armenian Cathedral of the Annunciation is located near the Talaat Harb Street. We just stumbled upon this church when we were looking for a clothing shop near the area. We enetered the very quiet church, in fact, we were the only people there except for the priest and two guys taking photos. There are a lot of lying statues of saints encased in glass on the lower part of each walls.

Entry is free.

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I've seen the award-winning movie "The Yacoubian Building" twice and it was really a nice movie, considered to be Egypt's highest budgeted film ever. The theme of the movie was controversial, directed by Marwan Hamed based on the novel penned by Alaa Al Aswany, and has a powerhouse cast of Egypt's best of the bests artists.

I've been looking for this building since my first visit and I've seen a building that I thought was the Yacoubian Building as said by the policeman standing on the traffic light (3rd & 4th picture). This trip I saw it. There are some hostels housed on the building. I'm still have doubts though so if someone would tell me which of of those on the pics, please do so.

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Originally named Midan Ismailiah, after the Khedive Ismail, Cairo's most important square was created as part of the 19th century urban planning under the europhile ruler. It was once surrounded by grand palaces, which gradually gave way to modern buildings. Post-revolution, the square's name was changed to Midan Tahrir, i.e. Liberation Square. Surrounding the square today are the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, the powder blue 1959 Nile Hilton, the American University in Cairo, the infamously bureaucratic Mugamma government building, as well as some Art Déco and Art Nouveau buildings from the early 1900's. The square is now one of the busiest in Cairo and contains numerous bilboards with various advertisements. The square became world-famous in 2011 as the site of the Egyptian Revolution, which led to the fall of the former dictator president Hosni Mubarak, a revolution which continues today in November 2011 as I update this tip.

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We walked from the city of the dead to the nearby Al Azhar Park -- from dust to grass. Not very far, about 15 minutes.

After getting tired of the bustling and exhausting city tours, it's really a respite coming to the park, just sit or lay around the grassy lawn, watch people, families, kids having their picnics around the area. The park is huge.

Entry fee = EGP10.

Go up to the summit of the park and you’ll have a beautiful view of the whole area on a 360 degrees angle. There’s a fountain, a small lake, a restaurant and several drinks vendors, and so many places to just relax under a shade of trees.

There’s even some local musicians right after the entrance. The atmosphere in the park is very much local as there aren’t much tourists inside, in fact I haven’t seen one except us. People are friendly and there are securities inside the park. It is walkable too from and to Khan ElKhalili as we walked from the park to the Khan which took about 15 minutes or less.

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We attempted for 3 times (3 days) to go to Alexandria --- first attempt, ticket was expensive at 9am, 1st class only at EGP50, the following day, no available seats (eid holidays) until the 2pm train which is too late and we wanted to do Alex on a full day only. So we bought a ticket for the next morning at 8:15am which costs cheap at EGP25 each of us 3. We were early and we bide the time taking pictures arouond the very grand Ramsis Station and out. We went back inside the station to find that our train is starting to move and people are running after it, we did too but the door won't open, so we thought, we were not really meant to go to Alex, maybe it's blessing in disguise, maybe something bad might happen if we insist -- well, we've got to devise some sour-grapings to make us feel fine after losing EGP75 for the tickets.

Anyways, the train left and we've got to go somewhere and we decided to go to the city of the dead, it was actually dead and the living. We took a taxi, costs us EGP12 ftrom ramsis to there. The taxi driver was wondering and asked us what are we going to do there? Tour, I said.

It's a huge necropolis of more than 6kms. of tombs and mausoleums, places for the dead and so are the living. If you're a photographer, the place is an excellent location for photo-op..

Several flower vendors around the entrances of the cemetery, the street is not very well paved, it's dusty and dirty but it's quite interesting just meandering along the small alleys in between tombs as you go deeper. There's also a very interesting old mosque - or maybe mausoleum - am not sure actually but the guy sitting beside it says it's opening at 11:00am and we were early.

We walked around the interior of the cemetery and chance upon a nice chap who is supervising a prayer for one of the tomb. He insisted on giving us a mini tour of the area, took us inside a huge mausoleum of a very prominent history figure whose name I forgot, but am sure the guy must be rich and extremely important -- having a lavish structure. He took the key from the caretaker, everybody know him in the area and somewhat respected at such a very young age - 18. He said, their family own some hectare on the necropolis and even invited us for a tea at his brother's house inside there, which we declined as we didn't have much time. He even walked us until the nearby AlAzhar Park.

The city of the dead is located just below the Mokattam Hills and the citadel.

Entry is free, but you'll find some beggars and if you start handing alm to one, others will follow -- so avoid. But don't forget to greet the people around with "Salam Alaikum" as a sign of respect, esp. those who are holding big bunch of keys - they're caretakers.

People say it's a dangerous place - well I didn't know - nothing happened to us, maybe at dusk to night time, it would be.

Little remains of the original city founded by the Arab armies who conquered Egypt in the 7th century AD. El-Fustat was located on the bank of the Nile where the army first created a tent city to house the soldiers, a little north of the Byzantine Fort of Babylon - today's Coptic Cairo. The new city quickly became a thriving and important centre within the larger Arab empire, but its decline came in the 10th century, with the arrival of the Fatimids who decided to create a greater capital called al-Qahira (Cairo) or "the Victorious", further to the north of el-Fustat. However, the complete end of el-Fustat occurred in the 12th century when its inhabitants were moved to the walled and better-protected Cairo to the north, in the face of threat from the advancing Crusaders. The city of Fustat was deliberately burnt and raised to the ground to prevent the Crusaders from using it as a base to attack Cairo. Today, all but one edifice, the Mosque of Amr ibn el-As, remains from el-Fustat. The foundations of the city can be seen in an archaeological area near the mosque.

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Azhar park is a very near place just a few minutes from down town, in Salah salem street, it is a nice place foe walk lovers and it has a nice resturants (studio misr, allan de notre or lake resturant).

you can enjoy walking then spend nice time in open air and nice view.

it open from 9am to 11 pm and entrence fee is very law.