Well this has just become possible for my clients based in the north, with the start this month of the new direct flight by Egypt Air from Manchester to Cairo. This is such great news and makes the land of the pharaohs that much easier to reach.
Cairo is Egypt’s magical metropolis. Founded in 2,000 BC the city has been reigned by countless monarchs and an array of empires, from the Romans to Sultans, so thousands of years have left their mark on the capital’s alleys, architecture and cuisine. Yes the city is huge and busy with traffic clogged roads, but that is part of the charm and where else in the world does centuries of history collide with the present day?
A great way to start any trip to Cairo is at the Egyptian Museum. Dating back to 1902 and located right in Tahrir Square, the museum traces the history of ancient Egypt in over 120,000 treasures including gilded funerary masks, intricately painted coffins, stone statues, ancient jewellery and of course, the mask and sarcophagus of the most famous pharaoh of them all, King Tutankhamun. All of King Tut’s 3,500 plus treasures are being moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which is set to open soon in Giza, overlooking the pyramids, and it will be the first time all of his bits and pieces have been on show together.
But of course, the main reason you go to Cairo is to see the pyramids at Giza. Built as grandiose tombs for the pharaohs they are the only remaining wonder of the ancient world and an awe-inspiring feat of human ingenuity to marvel in real life. Thinking about their existence puts your mind into overdrive. Built over 4,300 years ago, it took over 2.4 million blocks of limestone, 23 years and 100,000 workers to build just the Great Pyramid.
Hidden away under desert sand for thousands of years, the Great Sphinx of Giza is another highlight. A limestone statue featuring the head of a human on a lion, it is one of the world’s oldest monumental sculptures and still shrouded in mystery. Egyptologists believe it was created by Pharaoh Khafre around 2,500 BC and that its nose was broken off intentionally sometime between the 3rd and 10th Centuries AD - though reasons are still unknown.
Back to the city centre, Old Cairo is fascinating. Walking along Al Muizz Street, you get to see the greatest density of significant Islamic monuments anywhere in the world, whilst Khan el-Khalili, is Egypt’s most important souk, which is full of locals smoking shisha and stalls ladened with jewelled lamps and fragrant spices.
But not everything in Cairo is old. There are some wonderful modern hotels, great restaurants and contemporary art. I can vouch there is certainly enough to keep you entertained over a long weekend.
But equally, Cairo is the perfect start to a longer immersion into the history of Egypt and you can read about my 10-day trip along the Nile here. If you are interested in seeing the Pyramids, either just as a short break or as a longer trip to this fascinating country, please do get in touch.