Saladin’s Citadel and the iconic Tower of Africa. This city in Egypt is not to be missed

No one knows how many people actually live in Cairo. In the case of a city within its administrative boundaries, official statistics say 8-10 million. Most often, however, when we talk about Cairo, we think of the agglomeration also including Giza and its suburbs, and then the number increases to over 20 million. Constant migration and a large number of informal, unregistered residents make accurate calculations very difficult.

I try to take in this vastness with my eyes, standing atop the Cairo Tower in the prestigious Zamalek district, once the tallest structure in all of Africa. In this night scenery, the city lights spread from the bank of the Nile and do not go out all the way to the horizon, bringing out even the Pyramid of Cheops from the darkness: a black triangle, clearly outlined against the background of the shimmering panorama.

Although the Cairo Tower is quite a popular attraction, there are only a few single tourists here this evening apart from me. No one will probably admit it out loud, but we all just wanted to hide for a moment from the noise of the streets of the Old Town. Getting to know Cairo requires patience and coming to terms with the fact that what fascinates one day may overwhelm the next. However, this intensity of experience means that you will remember this extraordinary city long after your return.

Find the symbol of wealth in the Khan al-Khalili bazaar

There is no Cairo without visiting Khan al-Khalili. They come here, often on the first evening, even those for whom the thought of buying souvenirs arouses the instinct to escape. In the historic souk from the 14th century, among the shouting sellers, the melodies emanating from Arabic cafes and the buses that awkwardly try to squeeze into the narrow streets lined with stalls, lives the Islamic soul of the city.

I saw Khan al-Khalili at the very beginning of Ramadan. The last prayer was just finishing in the Al-Azhar mosque located next to it. On the same evening, there was also an important (judging by the loud TVs, full tables in front of the premises and occasional shouting) match of the Cairo team Al Ahly, which hosted the club from Alexandria. There were even more people on the streets than usual, and more cars, scooters and tuk-tuks drove up to the main entrance, honking. A group of several tourists from Europe were losing their minds, unsuccessfully trying to find the Uber they had ordered. The application showed that the driver was there, but in the middle of a traffic jam.

It’s easy to lose patience here. To myself, to the pushy salesman, to Egypt in general. It’s easy to forget that no one is actually chasing you, and instead of squeezing through the crowds at the market, you can stop at one of these beautiful cafes. Drink Arabic coffee under hundreds of colorful lanterns. Watching this whole stream of people sitting down.

Or get a little lost and enter streets that at first glance do not encourage you to explore. One of such places, near the Um Khothoum cafe, is shown to us by our guide, Ines. An inconspicuous shop up the stairs, with everything they sell downstairs, only several times cheaper. At first we turn up our noses, because the green arafatkas are a bit too green here, and the black figurines of pharaonic cats are not black enough, but we come back remorseful the next evening, tired of haggling in places that deceptively seemed more colorful. We discover that on this strange patio, hidden on the second floor, all the sellers, for some reason, speak to us in Spanish, and in front of the entrance there are signs hanging with the words “precio fijo” (fixed prices). So we buy in droves Egyptian symbols of wealth, eighty pounds each. Green, red and yellow: scarabs. Sacred beetles are supposed to bring success and protection against evil forces to those gifted in Poland.

Cairo torn from antiquity

Writing about a city like Cairo is a thankless task. Given its enormity, the language simply seems helpless. After all, there is little value in constantly reducing it to chaos, noise and contrast. Therefore, one would like to enter the local life for a moment, or at least observe it, to try to understand it. It is impossible to do this by spending one or two days there. The only sweet spot is sightseeing.

Cairo’s monuments do not disappear in the shadow of the pyramids. There is, after all, Saladin’s Citadel, a huge medieval fortress on Mukattam Hill, which is filled to the brim with tourists every morning. It was here that the seat of the Egyptian authorities was located for almost seven hundred years – from the Kurdish Ayyubid sultanate (from which Saladin came), through the Mamluk and Ottoman rule, to the times of Muhammad Ali, who in the 19th century made the citadel his residence and a symbol of a new era in the country’s history. Each successive ruler added another chapter of history – so you can see with your own eyes how Islamic art has evolved over the years.

The Egyptian government did not leave the citadel until the 1860s. It would seem that since this place was resistant to external attacks for so many years, everything here has been preserved almost intact. However, the complex was rebuilt, destroyed and renovated many times. Muhammad Ali, taking power and making the citadel his center, ordered the destruction of the Mamluk palaces, and then built his mosque in the Ottoman style, modeled on the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The Muhammad Ali Mosque is what it is called today alabaster, from the light stone slabs covering the walls of the limestone temple. Ali Pasha, remembered as the creator of the power of modern Egypt, rests inside, in a marble cenotaph.

The main dome of the Ali Mosque rises to a height of fifty-two meters, and its two minarets are the tallest in all of Egypt – each of them reaches a height of eighty-four meters. However, the most important thing is what’s inside. The floor of the mosque is not entirely carpeted, but, following the example in Istanbul, the richly decorated marble floor is not covered. It reflects a two-ton chandelier donated by the French government and exactly three hundred and sixty-five kerosene lamps, now electrically powered, illuminating the entire prayer area. When we step outside into the natural light, we are greeted by a spectacular view from the hill: a mosaic of roofs, minarets and domes in all shades of brown and beige. However, we will not see Coptic Cairo from here, hidden behind the dense buildings in the central part of the city. We are a few kilometers away on foot from the Christian, peaceful enclave with the oldest churches in Egypt. However, this is a different moment in history and a topic for a completely different story.

Punctual in Egyptian, meaning delayed by an hour

Some people like to bring their own little routines to the cities they visit. In Cairo this is difficult. There are few parks here, and running through them is crowded Downtown doesn’t seem particularly pleasant. Cairo’s roads are considered to be among the most dangerous in the world, and places such as the Tahrir Square roundabout do not question this reputation. Nevertheless, breaking through the stream of cars works quite well in practice, even if it looks daring from the side. There are also of course checkpointsguarded by the army and police, located on main arteries, bridges and in the vicinity of government and tourist facilities. However, these will not complicate tourists’ running or walking – usually interactions with officers are limited to a friendly nod of the head.

It is not worth taking too many habits with you to Cairo, including those related to punctuality and accuracy. If the suitcase does not reach the room on time because the entire hotel staff is celebrating Ramadan, it may be better not to call the reception. If a suitcase gets lost at the airport, it gets lost at the airport. Maybe she’ll be found in an hour, maybe in a week, no matter how much stress we put into solving the mystery of her disappearance.

It is better to accept in advance the reality that what will happen today will sometimes be decided by chance. Without it, the Cairo experience won’t taste good enough.

The trip took place at the invitation of the Egyptian Tourism Authority. The organizer did not interfere with the content of the publication.