Previously, in Part 1 of my Larger-than-Life Luxor series, I blogged about our almost 1-hour ordeal to secure round trip sleeping train tickets at Cairo’s Watania ticket office.
Having traveled all the way from Tanta to Cairo, my husband and I made the most of the day by making a trip out of it in the section of the capital where neither of us had ever set foot on (but heard so much about): Old Cairo.
From Ramsis Station, we took the metro to Mar Girgis Station, where we were immediately face-to-face with the great dome of St. George’s Cathedral.
We visited the Coptic Museum.
Walking past the seemingly endless galleries of Coptic Christian artifacts: paintings, sculptures, Liturgical dresses, Biblical manuscripts and even grave markers.
We ended our tour in an open courtyard.
Where we asked a friendly museum guide for directions to Sts. Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga).
As if dating back to the 4th century wasn’t impressive enough, legend has it that Jesus, Mary and Joseph themselves spent 3 months there to escape the power hungry (and blood thirsty) King Herod.
No Jesus-loving Christian can pass up the chance to visit the Holy Site, especially one whose last attempt to embark on a Holy Land pilgrimage was thwarted.
According to legend, Jesus, Mary and Joseph made several stops across Egypt as seen on this map outside Abu Serga
So I wasted no time dragging my somewhat hesitant Muslim husband to the general direction of the Coptic Museum guide pointed us to, until we found a sign leading us further down an alley lined by souvenir goods and religious items left and right.
When we reached the entrance of the church, a few policemen were stationed outside and questioned the newly-arrived Muslim man why he and his Asian female companion were interested in visiting the church.
The police are always on the alert, because Church bombings are not unheard of in Egypt.
“My wife is Christian,” my husband said and presented our passports and marriage certificate (where our religions are stated).
Once inside, we saw centuries-old storied wonders:
An underground well from which the Holy Family was said to have drunk from.
A cavern beneath the main altar where they lived.
And a pillar that shed blood in the late 60s until the Coptic Pope prayed before it.
A tour guide gave my husband 2 vials of Holy Oil blessed by the relics of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus on our way out.
Next, we went further down the alley to visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue, where the Baby Moses was believed to have been rescued by the Egyptian princess.
It was the first synagogue I ever visited, but I was told that it was unique from others, because it was originally built as a Coptic Church.
It was beautiful – so beautiful, in fact, that I thought it was shameful not to allow tourists to photograph the marble interiors.
Back on the metro, we got off Cairo Citadel’s nearest stop, Sadat Station, and took an Uber the rest of the way there.
The Cairo Citadel was built in the 10th century by the famous Saladin to guard against the Crusaders.
Naturally, since I was more familiar with the Christian side of the story, I was more than a little intimidated by the fortress up on the hill.
Our Uber driver dropped us at the foot of the hill, which meant working up a sweat (and it was wintertime!)
One entry ticket gives you access to all the mosques and museums inside the Citadel.
Unfortunately, the Police Museum just north of the gate was closed that day, so we headed straight for the iconic Mosque of Muhammad Ali.
Built in the mid-1800s, it was modeled after a mosque in Istanbul, which made you feel like you traveled to two places at once.
We were met by two teenage boys at the entrance who fitted our shoes with plastic shower caps (and let me just say it was extremely uncomfortable to have a child do this for me).
Mind the plastic blue shower caps which somehow matched my thermal jacket
My husband and I stepped inside the mosque and were in awe of everything from the great dome and chandelier to the intricate carpet beneath our feet.
Outside, we had a marvelous view of Cairo in the late afternoon, equally enjoyed by other local and foreign visitors such as ourselves.
We continued to walk around the Citadel and visited the Royal Carriage Museum, which displayed some antiques from King Farouk, the last King of Egypt.
Dunch (or linner) was at a very special KFC at Cairo’s Dokki District (corner of Al Sad Al Aali Rd and Boulos Hanna Rd).
Check out the Kentucky bucket meal behind the delivery bike
At that time, my husband and I were just about famished after traveling since 6 in the morning, and I needed my weekly fried craving fix.
We just so happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to pop in the nearest KFC which (surprise!) employed people with speech and hearing disabilities.
The food was your typical KFC fare (and by that I mean DELICIOUS!).
We go piping hot dinner meals served with the staff’s friendly smiles and a “Thank you” in sign language.
Each weighing 3 fried chickens heavier later, we took another Uber to the tallest building in Egypt: Cairo Tower.
We visited at night but by day, this is how Cairo Tower looks like (Source: Earth Trekkers https://images.app.goo.gl/uxQGCAHty824G5aJ6)
We bought non-express tickets, which meant we had to wait for our turn to ride the elevator to the viewing deck.
Only 10 people were allowed to ride the elevator at any one time, so we had to wait for quite a while.
Fortunately, it was early January and there were all sorts of entertainment on the ground floor, including a Christmas tree complete with Santa’s sleigh and a camel ride (which I didn’t take – after my unpleasant first experience in Giza three years earlier).
When our numbers were finally called, we were sardined inside the lift with 8 other people – plus the lift operator.
I wouldn’t recommend it for people with claustrophobia.
I myself imagined a glass lift, but no such luck.
It was a steel metal case, and we all had our necks sticking out, eager to get the hell out (I had it the worst being the shortest one there).
It was such a relief when the elevator doors finally slid open, and we all got to take in some fresh air and a 360-degree view of Cairo at night.
We short people have a greater appreciation of views from the top than most people
Now, I have a slight fear of heights, but the viewing deck was safely fenced on all sides, which made me feel extra secure as I leaned in to take in all that view.
Lights twinkled from skyscrapers and football fields, and I imagine one would have been able to see the Giza Pyramids too had we come in the daytime.
My husband said he had always wanted to go up the Cairo Tower but thought it would have been sad to come all by himself.
True enough, we were surrounded by couples and families with not a single solo flyer in sight.
It would have been even more romantic if the weather wasn’t so chilly, which it was in early January, so before long, we decided to head down.
Imagine our surprise when we were met by another long queue – people also had to wait for their turn to take the elevator down.
Half an hour later, we were finally home free.
We still felt a bit bloated after all that fried chicken, so we decided to walk a little further, past the ancient Zamalek tree at Al Borg Street.
Further down Gezira Street, past El Andalos Park, and before we know it, we were halfway across Kasr Al Nile Bridge.
Within walking distance of Sadat Station.
Does anyone know what this beautiful building near Sadat Station is?
We took the metro back to Ramsis Station and bought tickets for the next train home.
As a 1,000-year-old city, Cairo may seem comparatively “younger” than the rest of Egypt, which is one of the earliest civilizations in the world, but Cairo still has more than its fair share of history, having seen dynasties and foreign occupations come and go.
It’s a modern-day metropolis and historical site at the exact same time — and a must-visit for all.
