Sunday 26th December 2010

Needless to say, I rather overslept on Boxing Day, awaking at 10.30am to the noise of traffic and the beautiful sunlight catching the trees outside. After breakfast, Seif and I met Ahmad (whom I had met previously in Durham) and their friend Naser (an Egyptian who is Professor of Islamic Architecture at MIT) for my first taste of Cairo.

Despite having been warned in advance about the nature of traffic in the Egyptian capital, the chaos of the roads was striking. However, it quickly became clear that underneath the anarchy, there was something approaching order. Yes, drivers completely ignored any lane markings or traffic signals, and of course every car had scrapes, scratches, dents and bumps along their exterior, but somehow it all just worked. You just sort of drive, and if you pull out in front of someone it is their job to avoid you, even if it means pushing other cars out of the way. Somehow it felt safe. Perhaps it was the low speed.

Our first journey was to the slum district of the North Cemetery, which is part cemetery, part residential district. It also appears to be where cars go to die. The first mausoleums we visited were those of the (ex-)royal dynasty, which were apparently well-kept, though they appeared rather shabby, if not partly derelict. The state pays for people to tend the mausoleums, and these folk also live in small rooms on-site. At first glance it appears to be a menial existence, but they were friendly and happy to show us around, rewarded afterwards by a small tip (a practice known as “baksheesh”). One lady even gave us a handful of home-grown basil.

• Traffic Chaos in Cairo
• In the foreground, the North Cemetary
• A typical street scene in Old Cairo

The cemetery area has become a residential district for poor immigrants from the rural parts of Egypt. Originally the mausoleums (some quite large, like the royal dynasty’s; others less so, taking up a small plot of land) had rooms attached where the family would come to pay their respects to the dead each Thursday. As the immigrants arrived, they took up residence in these rooms, and many mausoleum plots have now been developed into high-density, low-quality housing. There are also shanty-like homes dotted around – it is an area of high poverty. Wild animals roam the streets, and donkeys pulling heavily-laden carts are not uncommon.

Around the corner was a derelict fifteenth-century mosque, around which we were given an extensive tour (more baksheesh). It was a relatively extensive complex constructed from limestone which has now succumbed to pollution damage. Climbing the minaret required a degree of intrepidation, as the staircase was narrow, steep and unlit. But the view from the top was superb, providing extensive vistas across the sprawling city (including thousands of pita breads spread out on the pavement, which Seif reassured me were for animal consumption).

We then walked some bustling back-streets to find another ancient mosque (this time still used). The streets were strewn with litter, filth and flies, but again the people were friendly and unthreatening. An area of equivalent poverty in England would be quite unsafe for a well-dressed foreigner.

• Cairo is a sprawling vertical slum
• A camel joins the traffic in Giza
• The sky-scraper in which Ahmad lives

A quick drive took us to Ahmad’s house, on the 26^th floor of a tower-block. It was immaculate inside, and I was treated to a sandwich in lieu of lunch. Views of the Nile and surrounding area were spectacular.

A longer drive found us at Seif’s German friends, Jan and Isabel, for an evening of fondue (both cheese and chocolate) and other German Christmas delights (lebkuchen, stollen, etc.). Isabel is pregnant and informs us that she is to have the baby in Germany as the nurses on the maternity wards in Cairo smoke (on the ward) and hygiene is appalling. I hope my stay doesn’t require hospitalisation…

Initial impressions are that Cairo seems to be the place where entropy comes to practice. Nothing is cleaned, repaired or restored (though almost everything is embellished) except for the internals of private dwellings. But it is a fun place to be when you have such excellent native guides.

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Cairo Diary: Flight to Egypt
Saturday 25th December 2010

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Cairo Diary: A Late Lunch
Monday 27th December 2010