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At the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe stands the metropolis
of Cairo, the largest city in the Middle East and Africa and one of
the most populous in the world. The Nile runs like a vein through
the centre. On either bank extraordinary remains of civilizations
past – thousands of years of pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic history –
mingle with the dwellings and lives of modern Egyptians. A walk
around Cairo is a walk through thousands of years: from the
colossal Pyramids of Giza at the edge of the Western Desert to
the Old Coptic Quarter on the east bank; along the alleys of
Islamic Cairo, gushing with life and hundreds of ancient
monuments, to the downtown quarter where the stunning
façades of 19th-century buildings tell of the profound influence
of European occupiers. And in between, the ancient monuments
and modern buildings,souksandahwas(coffee houses), bazaars
andfelafelstalls fill every crevice.
Pyramids in romantically ruinous state are scattered to the
south of Cairo, while the north is dotted with the desolate
remains of pharaonic cities. The famous Step Pyramid of
Saqqara in the vast necropolis of the early pharaohs is worth
visiting before going on to Giza, to see the development from
the simple underground tomb to the audacious concept of the
Pyramid of Cheops. Further south, the harsh desert gives way to
the beautiful pseudo-oasis of El-Fayoum, a lush expanse of fields
and palms offering sanctuary to some of the richest birdlife in
Egypt. Ptolemaic temples, the artists’ enclave of Tunis and the
ultramarine waters of Lake Qaroun all nestle on the edge of the
arid western desert only 90 minutes from the city.
Beyond Cairo, the two main tributaries of the Nile continue
northwards to meet the Mediterranean near Damietta and
Rosetta, where Ottoman houses, winding medieval lanes and the
picturesque expanses of the Nile are a pleasant surprise. On either
side, and between the two branches, the green and fertile plains
fan out to create – with the help of some of the world’s oldest and
most efficient irrigation systems – Egypt’s agricultural heartland.
