Top 10 Cairo hidden gems

Our Local Expert Says:

The Solar CITIES Urban Eco Tour is one of the most meaningful and inspiring things that you can do in Cairo.

Description:

Since 2005, the Solar CITIES project has been helping poor communities in Darb al-Ahmar and Manshiyat Nasser ("Garbage City") to build solar water heaters and biogas generators out of low cost, locally available materials. The project has received numerous grants, and has been recognised by National Geographic.

It is based on a participatory, bottom-up approach to development, which taps into the collective intelligence and expertise that is already embedded within the community.

On the Solar CITIES Urban Eco Tour you will meet Hanna Fathy, a young man from the Zabaleen community of garbage collectors, who has been involved with the project since the beginning. He will guide you through the communities with which Solar CITIES works, where you can meet locals that have benefitted from the project, and witness first-hand the impact it is having.

The Solar CITIES Urban Eco Tour is divided into two halves, reflecting the two communities the project works with.

The Darb al-Ahmar portion will begin at Bab Zwayla. You will be able to explore the Street of the Tentmakers, before walking through the streets of this fascinating area of Islamic Cairo, stopping to visit some of the houses that have solar water heaters and biogas generators installed. There will also be the chance to visit the Aga Khan Foundation, and see their rooftop garden. The tour will finish in al-Azhar Park – former rubbish tip and now one of Cairo's most inspiring green spaces – where you can grab some lunch. More specifically, Hussein El-Farag from Solar CITIES in Darb Al Ahmar, will give urban Eco-Tours of his family's historic Islamic neighborhood at the base of Al Azhar park. As Hanna Fathy's colleague on the other side of the City of the Dead, Hussein also shows the solar hot water and biogas systems that he and Hanna and Solar CITIES have built in his neighborhood, ending the tour with biogas heated tea on his roof in sight of the ancient mosque. Hussein's tour is the Islamic equivalent of the Coptic Christian Solar CITIES tour that Hanna gives outlined below.

The Manshiyat Nasser section of the Solar CITIES Urban Eco Tour will explore Garbage City, where the Zabaleen live. The Zabaleen are a Christian community that are responsible for collecting and recycling, by hand, most of Cairo's rubbish. You will have the chance to learn more about this process, and visit families that are involved in this work. You will also visit Hanna's house, to see the solar water heater and biogas generator that he has installed. You can visit some of the other NGO's that are working with the community, such as the APE and Roh al-Shabab, and to visit the Coptic monastery, which offers spectacular views over the area.

The Solar CITIES Urban Eco Tour is most suitable for people who have an interest in urban planning, development, or sustainable technology issues. A word of warning – you are visiting deprived areas of Cairo, and so may see things that you are not that comfortable with. Manshiyat Nasser, in particular, is a real eye-opener, with garbage literally everywhere. Having said that, seeing the inspirational work that Solar CITIES is doing is a real privilege, and could easily be the most memorable and meaningful part of your trip to Cairo.

Each tour will take around 4 hours, and costs 100 LE per person, or 150 LE if you do both tours. You can get a discount if you book as a group, but bear in mind Hanna can't take more than 5 people at once. To make sure he is available, you should book a week in advance.

Finally, these tours are very flexible, and you can get in touch with Hanna to discuss your own particular requirements.

Our Local Expert Says:

The City of the Dead is a fascinating area of Cairo with some exquisite Mamluk architecture

Description:

Qarafa, or the City of the Dead, is situated in the east of Islamic Cairo, stretching from the foot of the Citadel to the Muqattam Hills. The City of the Dead is actually two cemeteries, dating back to Mamluk times: a southern cemetery, and a northern cemetery. Traditionally, every family in Cairo would maintain some sort of mausoleum, somewhere in Cairo, where family members were buried. To this day, the cemeteries are still in use. As well as for the dead, the cemeteries provide homes for the living. Families live within the mausoleums. Some have been there for generations, and look after the tombs for their owners. Others are more recent, tolerated squatters, many of whom were displaced from the canal zone during the 1967 war. No-one knows for sure how many people live in the City of the Dead, though it's probably in the region of half a million. It is possible to visit the cemeteries. The southern cemetery is only sparsely inhabited, though it is an eerily atmospheric place to wander around. Some of the tombs are hundreds of years old; others are more recent. Some years back, the area had a reputation as the home of thieves and drug dealers, and you should certainly avoid the southern cemetery at night. The northern cemetery of the City of the Dead is where most of the people live. It feels more like a peaceful, though poor residential area. There are even a handful of shops and cafes, and many of the inhabitants live quite normal lives. The northern cemetery is home to some of Cairo's most beautiful Mamluk monuments, such as the Mausoleums of Sultan Qaitbey and Sultan Barquq. It's best to visit the area with the help of a guide, though it is possible to do on your own. Don't stray too far from the main paths, and it's best not to linger long past sunset.

Description:

At the southern tip of Roda Island, between the Manasterly Palace and the Um Kalthoum Museum, this well was used to measure the height of the Nile through the course of its annual fluctuations. Taxes could be calibrated from knowing the height of the floods, and the timing of the opening and closing of irrigation and drainage canals around the delta could be determined. Entering at the top, you can walk almost to the bottom by way of a narrow staircase cut into the side. The top is enclosed in an attractive 19th-century dome. The grounds around the Nilometer are relaxed and pleasant, with a view south up the river toward Dahab and, usually, a cool breeze off the water.

Our Local Expert Says:

The Mastaba of Ti contains some of the most detailed and colourful reliefs from the Old Kingdom in the whole of Egypt; do not miss it!

Description:

Northwest of Zoser's funerary complex in Saqqara, near to the Serapeum and amongst a field of 3rd dynasty tombs, lies the Mastaba of Ti. Ti was an important court dignitary during the early 5th Dynasty, whose wife was of noble blood, and whose children were therefore recognised as being of royal descent. His main function was as one of the pharaoh's chief hairdressers, though he was also responsible for maintaining farming land and stock. The Mastaba of Ti was discovered in 1865 by Auguste Mariette, and has provided a wealth of information about life in the Old Kingdom. This large tomb consists of a main room with a shaft leading down to the burial chamber, and a passageway leading to two other rooms. Much of the Mastaba of Ti is covered with remarkably preserved, colourful reliefs of scenes from daily life, such as hunting and fishing, boat building and tannery. The reliefs have been used to infer much information about Old Kingdom times, though it's likely their true significance is allegorical, and related to ancient Egyptian belief systems and symbolism. It is possible to go down the shaft in the Mastaba of Ti to view the burial chamber: the shaft is cramped and you will need to bend over double, but it is very short. The burial chamber contains Ti's plain sarcophagus, though there is nothing else to see. Note that although you do not have to pay extra to visit the Mastaba of Ti, the caretakers will expect a little baksheesh for taking you down the shaft to the burial chamber.

Our Local Expert Says:

Authentic Egyptian and North African folk music in shabby-chic surroundings

Description:

Makan is a small venue just south of Downtown Cairo, in an area known as Mounira. It is part of the Egyptian Centre for Culture and Art (ECCA), that aims to record, preserve and present traditional  African music in Egypt, making it available to a wider audience.

Makan is famous for its Zar performances every Wednesday. Zar was traditionally a healing ceremony, in which the participants use powerful, arrhythmic drumming and chanting to exorcise demons and drive out disease. Women play an important role in this process.

The Mazaher ensemble that perform at Makan are some of the last remaining Zar practitioners in Egypt, and their style is drawn from different forms of Zar music. They are consummate performers, and the atmosphere is a curious mix of the intimate, the light-hearted, and the intense.

As well as the Mazaher ensemble, Makan holds a night every Tuesday called Nass Makan (or "People of Makan"). This is a fascinating blend of folk music, including gypsy music from the Egyptian delta, musical styles inspired by the Zar, and Sudanese singers and musicians.

Whatever you think of the authenticity of performing a "healing ritual", Makan is definitely a memorable night out, and well worth a visit if you get the chance.

It's very easy to get to, just around the corner from Saad Zaghloul metro station. If you fancy a bite to eat, there are a number of restaurants near by, such as Abou Shakra, or Taboula in Garden City.

Our Local Expert Says:

Al-Sawy Cultural Centre has all sorts of music and exhibitions going on all the time

Description:

Al-Sawy Cultural Centre, at the west end of 26th July Street in Zamalek, is a gem. This progressive and modern cultural centre has a number of halls and exhibition areas given over to cultural activities.

Each month there are different art exhibitions, from traditional Arabic calligraphy to watercolour landscapes. They also host photography exhibitions and craft fairs, and run a number of courses. Fancy learning a bit of yoga, or how to play the tabla? Al-Sawy Cultural Centre is the place to ask, since even if they don't offer the course themselves, they'll know a place that does.

Al-Sawy Cultural centre also has live music each week, from local heavy metal to classical oud, and sometimes performers from abroad. The centre is open to non-members, and many exhibitions are free. You have to pay for the music and the courses, though prices are very low, and discounted for members.

Al-Sawy Cultural Centre also has a pleasant garden area, and a simple café with free Wi-Fi. Unusually for Cairo, the whole of the premises is non-smoking!

Our Local Expert Says:

Shahrazad has a decent but seedy-feeling belly dancing show

Description:

Shahrazad belly dancing club is quite an experience! Many belly dancing shows in Egypt are very touristy, but this is a proper local joint. Shahrazad is a spacious club that looks like it was designed by Louis Farouk on a futuristic acid trip. Old school arabesque and thick red velvet drapes do battle with multi-coloured fairy lights, and luminous blue and yellow calligraphy. One of the walls is decorated with an almost biblical-looking frieze, dark and foreboding. Elsewhere, huge black and white pictures of famous belly dancers grace the walls, many with irreverent, glowing blue accessories such as sunglasses superimposed over them! The dancing girls are accompanied by male singers/comperes armed with a microphone fitted with waa-waa effect, who help whip the crowd up in to a frenzy. Shahrazad is reasonably welcoming and friendly, though it does feel a little sleazy. Women should make sure they take a male companion to help avoid unwanted attention. Alcohol and shisha are served, but watch out for the staff – they are very tip-hungry. If you want to see a belly dancing show that isn't a tourist trap, then Shahrazad is not a bad bet.

Our Local Expert Says:

The perfect spot for a family outing with 27-acres of tranquil grounds.

Description:

Opened in 1938, this is the world's oldest agricultural museum. Its 27 acres of tranquil grounds make it the perfect spot for a family outing. The museum includes exhibits on traditional and modern agricultural equipment and techniques as well as a collection of ineptly stuffed animals. The model exhibits of village life are interesting and often quite humorous.

Our Local Expert Says:

If you have an interest in the bizarre and the slightly grotesque, then the Hunting Museum in Manyal Palace Museum is the most fascinating place in Cairo. If you don’t, then steer well clear!

Description:

Manyal Palace Museum was set up by Prince Mohammed Ali Tawfiq, father of King Farouk, in 1899. It was intended to commemorate Islamic Art, as well as to act as living quarters for the Prince and his family.

The architecture, decorations and furniture cover a range of Islamic styles, including Moroccan, Persian and Syrian. The sheer opulence of the dwelling is overwhelming. The Manyal Palace Museum is set in a large garden, populated by rare trees and plants from all over the world. It's a nice place to catch some shade, and perhaps have a bite to eat.

The most interesting part of the Manyal Palace Museum is the Hunting Museum, which exhibits possessions and conquests of King Farouk. This museum is totally bizarre, and not for animal lovers or the politically correct. It includes over 100 stuffed and mounted Ibex heads, lots of very pretty insects and butterflies, a diorama of a lobster attacking a crab, and even some huge elephant tusks. Pride of place must go to the photograph of the hermaphroditic goat, or to the ostrich head – complete with feet, but no body!

The Manyal Palace Museum is situated on Rhoda Island, and so is just about within walking distance of Sayeda Zeinab Metro station; as always, however, taking a taxi is the safest bet.

Our Local Expert Says:

Not many tourists end up here, but it’s well worth the effort for the view, and the chance to see the locals at play. Try to be here at sunset, and experience the haunting beauty of the call to prayer coming simultaneously from hundreds of mosques.

Description:

Covering an area of about 30 hectares, al-Azhar Park is the largest expanse of green in Cairo. Established by the Aga Khan Trust For Culture in 1984, it was built over the top of a huge pile of rubble that had been turned in to a rubbish tip. Don't let this put you off: al-Azhar Park is a peaceful oasis on the edge of the chaos that is Islamic Cairo.

Paths meander through idyllic gardens, and you are never far from one of the many water features. It's a great place to relax, and many people take a picnic. If you'd rather be waited upon, there are four restaurant/cafes located in the grounds. Because al-Azhar Park is on a hill, you get amazing views all over Cairo. On a clear day you can even see the Pyramids!

As with much of Cairo, the best bit is people-watching: old men reminiscing on benches, children playing leapfrog, and daring young lovers holding hands as they stroll through their own little world. If history is your thing, then check out the 800 year-old Ayyubid wall that has been partially restored. If music is more your scene, then ask at the information desk about up-and-coming concerts; many of them are free!

Al-Azhar Park is a perfect place to chill out after you've tackled some of the nearby sights of Islamic Cairo, such as Khan al-Khalili or the Citadel. You can get here by taxi, or even walk up from Khan al-Khalili.