June 28, 2011 by Sadaf Zarrar No CommentsWanderlust

CAIRO EGYPT

I may not be able to give the most touristy account of my experience at Cairo as it was anything but touristy. But the magical days that I spent in Cairo promoting Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda key Liye at the Cairo Film Festival deserve a postcard for the world to read. Back in the day while I was at Mobilink, Orascom and Naguib Sawairis generously decided to sponsor a presentation by Pakistan at the CFF which included a Pakistan themed evening featuring some of the top designers and musicians from Pakistan in addition to the movie premier.

While I am no authority on Cairo, its pointless to go there if you don’t do the following two.

– A Visit to the Pyramids:
This is one of the most extensive archaeological sites comprising many important monuments such as the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Pyramid of Unas, Pyramid of Sekhemket, Mastaba of Ti and the deep underground Persian Tombs. Once you’ve seen the Pyramids in daylight, If you want a different perspective, the Sound and Light Show gives you a chance to see them illuminated in the darkness of evening.

– Khan el Khalili Market:
The souk dates back to 1382, when Djaharks el-Khalili built a large Caravan Serai in Cairo. In addition to shops, there are several coffee houses, restaurants, and street food vendors distributed throughout the market. The Al Hussain Mosque is also in Khan el-Khalili; Al Azhar University and its mosque are not far away.