Cairo, Egypt
What other city allows you to explore the bustling streets, yet allows you to wander off on the back of a camel to explore nearby pyramids? I can’t think of any at the moment, which is why Cairo is so fascinating to me! I love that one minute, you can be mingling with the locals outside a city building or being passed by a donkey cart as you take a stroll down the dusty streets, and then the next, you are making your way out to the desert to see the pyramids. This city is quite busy though, so you may want to be prepared to be part of more than twenty-two million people when you are there.
While the city will fascinate you, one of the first things you should do after arriving in Cairo is go out and see the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza. You can see the Great Pyramid from the city, but nothing is better than seeing it up close! Once you have seen the most popular attractions in the city, you can wander over to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun or spend a few hours inside the Egyptian Museum. Make sure you spend some time inside the Khan El-Khalili souk, which happens to be one of the world’s oldest open-air markets. While you can purchase jewelry, clothing, and antiques there, you may be more interested in the food that is for sale.
Cairo is another Egyptian city that brings the heat throughout most of the year. While the winters are slightly cooler, at around fifty degrees, the summers can reach temperatures of one hundred degrees. It doesn’t get as hot as it does in other Egyptian cities, but when you are walking around the downtown streets, it may feel much warmer.
The most popular time to visit Cairo is during the winter, thanks to the cooler weather. However, that is when prices will be the highest. If you want to save some cash, and not visit in the middle of the summer, you are better off planning your trip for the months of March, April, October, or November.
Unique and Interesting Facts About Cairo, Egypt
· There are two football clubs in Cairo, and while they have an intense rivalry, they share the same stadium.
· One of the oldest universities in the world can be found in Cairo. Al-Azhar University was founded in 975 CE.
· In Cairo, Sunday is considered the first day of the week and Friday and Saturday are considered the weekend.
· It took approximately twenty years to put all two million limestone blocks in place to create the Great Pyramid.
· Dating is not something that is acceptable in this Egyptian city.
Cairo is quite a unique destination, yet people arrive by the thousands to see the pyramids. There are a few unique laws in place in this city, so you may want to be aware of them prior to your visit.
