Egypt's modern cities are mostly nothing to write home about, but it's definitely worth staying a few days in Cairo, which is by far the largest city in the country.
The Triumphant City offers many sites to see. It is the administrative capital of Egypt, located near almost every Egyptian Pyramids, such as the Great Pyramids of Giza on the very edge of the city. Moreover there are also ancient temples, tombs, Christian churches, magnificent Muslim monuments, and of course, the Egyptian Antiquities Museum all either within or nearby the city.
Cairo is an amazing city full of life and movement, and it is that way almost 24 hours every day, with the noisy honking of horns, children playing in the streets and merchants selling their wears and services. And here, the Egyptians are most at home in this powerful, modern and ancient city.
The city offers also great culture, including art galleries and music halls, such as the Cairo Opera House. Opera house at the Gezira Exhibition Grounds was inaugurated on October, 3, 1988. Designed by a team of Japanese and Egyptian architects, it is an architectural masterpiece of Islamic design. You can dine in a floating restaurant on the Nile, sample a shisha at a coffee-shop or see oriental dancers at a luxury hotel. The splendid Opera House complex houses several galleries and Museum of Modern Art, restaurants and concert halls. Listening to Arabic music under the stars, in the open air theater, is a magical experience. At El-Ghuriya, in the heart of Islamic Cairo, you can watch folk musicians and whirling dervish dancers. And don't forget the most essential after-dark experience, the sound and light show at the Pyramids, a dramatic fusion of light and music recounting the story of antiquity.
It also provides some of the grandest accommodations and restaurants in the world, such as the Four Seasons and the Cairo Marriott.
Cairo offers an incredible selection of shopping, leisure and nightlife activities. Shopping ranges from the famous Khan el-Khalili souk, (or bazaar) largely unchanged since the 14th century, to modern air-conditioned centers displaying the latest fashions. All the bounty of the East can be here. Particularly good buys are spices, perfumes, gold, silver, carpets, brass and copperware, leatherwork, glass, ceramics. Khan el-Khalili, once known as the Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman period, is now usually just called the 'Khan', and the names of it and the Muski market are often used interchangeably to mean either. Named for the great Caravansary, the market was built in 1382 by the Emir Djaharks el-Khalili in the heart of the Fatimid City. Together with the al-Muski market to the west, they comprise one of Cairo's most important shopping areas. But more than that, they represent the market tradition which established Cairo as a major center of trade, and at the Khan, one will still find foreign merchants. Perhaps, this vary market was involved in the spice monopoly controlled by the Mamluks, which encouraged the Europeans to search for new routes to the East.
One day at least should be reserved for a look around the Egyptian museum, which is home to many fabulous treasures from the days of the pharoahs. The Egyptian Museum was first built in Boulak. In 1891, it was moved to Giza Palace of "Ismail Pasha" which housed the antiquities that were later moved to the present building. The Egyptian Museum is situated at Tahrir square in Cairo. It was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in 1897, and opened on November 15, 1902. It has 107 halls. At the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures and the mummies.
The Museum also comprises a photography section and a large library. The Egyptian museum comprises many sections arranged in chronological order.
Q:
Many people visit museums when they travel to new places. Why do you think people visit museums? Watch things they have never saw before? Discover another world through the stuff in museums? Increase their knowledge?
Have you visit any museums before? What benefits you got?
Do you think tat museums, galleries and performing arts are important for us in modern world?
Great question about museums. When I was a kid and I were travelling, I didn't like those. It was extremely boring for me. Nonetheless I still remomber some of those places and now I think it was worth to visit them. Nowadays, whenever I go to, I search for a couple of great museums to visit.
ReplyDeleteSecond thing is that museums are becoming more and more attractive. Thay're getting less boring, if I may say so.
People visit museums because they want to meet other cultures and see something that was made long time ago what in fact could be very interesting. I like to visit museums, it makes me smarter. I mean I can feel smarter than others who haven’t seen it ;) have I visited museum before? Stupid question. Of course I have. What I got? It depends on museum. In some of them I just nicely spent my time and in the other ones I found out fascinating facts from the past.
ReplyDeleteNowadays cultural actions are kind of necessary. People like to get to know more about surrounding world and art. In addition it’s a pleasant way to relax after hard work and exhausting day.
I think people goes to museums to see interesting things with their own eyes. It's different experience from looking at painting or sculpture on a web page. I'm not so sure about this discovering other worlds and cultures. You can see pieces of that world and even learn something about it, but it always be much less than actually going there, participating in it.
ReplyDelete"Have you visit any museums before?"
No, I haven't. In fact I'm pretty sure I will die the same day I go to one, my head will just explode ... But if I had I think it would be because I could meet new ideas, see new things or see old things in different way.
"Do you think tat museums, galleries and performing arts are important for us in modern world?"
For some people yes, for some no. You can live interesting life without going to museum, gallery or theater, taking part of what they offer from internet, books and other sources ( and being sure you will have your head intact). You can also just go there, spend nice few hours and enjoy yourself.
I try to visit such places everytime I go to some new destinations. It's a way of getting familiar with host culture, understanding it. What truly describes us is our diversity therefore we should cultivate it. Art and museums are a perfect way to do this.
ReplyDeleteI've been to lot museums - the most memorable ones are Karnak in Egypt and Pantheon in Athenes.
Ive done the most traveling when i was a little boy. Ive visited a lot of museums but i was young back then and always found it boring :d But its normal imho that kids just get borred in places like that. The older you get u start to apreciate more the things you can learn from such places about other cultures. The museum i liked the most was the mueum of technology in London.
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ReplyDeleteNo only can we spend time in lazy way in Egypt but also admire coral reefs and eat delicious exotic food, we can or even we should go sightseeing. The best place to do it is Cair with lots of mysterious places, shows us the history of Egypt. Mainly because of the fact that we are curious of unknown things we like going to the museums in particular country. I recommend
ReplyDeleteI visit museums where there is something interesting to see there, otherwise I find it pointless.
ReplyDeleteThere are people who like to walk to museums and to admire what is there. I personally do not like museums about the war is wrong I associate. I'm not a fan of going to them but I will be happy to visit this opportunity.
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