Like any major capital city, Cairo has
multilane streets. However, here the white lines seem only suggestions. As I
entered the city from the airport on a four-lane highway, my bus dodged and
weaved among eight lanes of traffic, which included everything from taxis and
trucks to donkey carts and wagons. I quickly realized that Egypt has its own
set of rules, and surprisingly they seem to work just fine. But what surprised
me even more was the sight of pyramids rising above the traffic and apartment
buildings. I couldn’t remember any
tourist picture that showed the bustling city as the backdrop for these ancient
monuments. They are always showcased from the other side with the sweeping
desert stretching out forever.
The largest of the pyramids at Giza, built of
more than two million blocks weighing about 2.5 tons each, belongs the 4th
dynasty king Khufu (2589-66BCE). When I stood beside one of the stone blocks
that reached to my shoulders, I had a much better appreciation for the scale of
these monuments. It is still possible to walk upon the pyramids and to actually
go inside, although they no longer contain treasures, which were either robbed
in antiquity or now reside in museums throughout the world.
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is exceptional
with 120,000 items on display. (A new, huge museum opened in 2024, much more grand and magnificent.)
Although Tutankhamun was considered a minor
pharaoh, the treasures of his tomb, which remained in tact until it was
discovered in 1920? by Howard Carter, are among the showpieces of the museum.
Among King Tut’s 1,700 items on exhibit are a life-sized gold mask, several coffins
richly decorated with gold and gems, and jewelry looking surprisingly
contemporary.
For more modern treasures, one can visit the
Khan al-Khalili, Cairo’s famous bazaar that dated back to 1382. Here are a warren of streets crowed with shops,
shopkeepers and shoppers. Backgammon boards inlaid with mother of pearl are
stacked high beside hand-blown perfume bottles and appliquéd cloth finished in
the tradition of Bedouin tentmakers. Folded on shelves, embroidered galabyas,
the long garments worn by Egyptian men and women, form a colorful collage of
artistic patterns.
In fact artistic patterns abound in Cairo.
You’ll find them of Mosques and minarets, on painted apartment exteriors, and
the swirling skirts of the Whirling Dervishes.
