Cairo/Downtown
From World travel guide
Downtown Cairo is the commercial heart of the modern city of Cairo, located to the east and north-east of Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square). As such, although lacking in obvious tourist "attractions", Downtown is nonetheless the convenient location of many smaller hotels, retail outlets, travel agencies and restaurants that would be of interest to the traveller. The district's central location makes it, together with Midan Tahrir, a natural "jumping off point" for exploration of the city.
Contents |
Understand
History
Downtown Cairo's wide boulevards and streets were laid out in the late 19th century on the orders of Ismail the Magnificent, the Paris of Baron Hausmann being the obvious model for a ruler wishing to Europeanise his capital and his country - the architecture of many buildings is clearly redolent of Paris in the 1870s (if now somewhat run down from neglect and dusty from the Cairene climate....)
Orientation
Downtown Cairo's main throughfares are Sharia Talaat Harb and Sharia Qasr el-Nil, intersecting at the central junction of Midan Talaat Harb (the statue at the center of the square is of Talaat Harb himself, the founder of the Egyptian National Bank).
Don't forget: in Arabic, "Sharia" = street, "Midan" = square
Get in
Downtown Cairo is readily accessible from Midan Tahrir by foot (max. 10 mins easy walk to the centre of the district) or by taxi.
See
Do
Cinema
- Cinema Metro, 35 Talaat Harb - once one of Cairo's most opulent movie palaces, the Metro has fallen on sadly dishevelled, dusty, almost squalid times.... Still, a convenient place to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster in English...
Eat
- Felfela's, 15 Sharia Hoda Sharaawi, tel +20 2 392 2833, open daily 7.30am-12.30am, NB: no credit cards - a Cairo institution, this restaurant represents the original flaghsip of the now burgeoning Felfela chain of restaurants throughout Cairo. Long wooden tables and eclectic, somewhat kitschy décor: aquariums, clocks, half-lit grottos complete with mini-waterfalls. Somehow it all works. Specialises in classic Egyptian cuisine. Try the lemonade - perfect refreshment on a hot day! Also serves beer.
- Groppi's, Midan Talaat Harb - situated on the square itself is the once opulent Groppi's, formerly the most famous café, tearoom and patisserie in Egypt. Between the 1920s and early 1950s, Groppi's was the place to be seen by Cairene society. Its former glories stripped away to dusty memories, Groppi's is nonetheless still just open for business. Be sure to check out the ornate mosaics around the doorway - a relic of former times...
Sleep
- Berlin Hotel, Sharia Shawarby - reportedly more expensive than most budget options, at about LE77 per night. The staff are friendly and helpful, however, the rooms big and with private showers. Breakfast is included in the price and can be served in your room.
- Dahab Hotel, 26 Mahmoud Bassiouni, tel +20 2 579 9104, singles / doubles LE 20-25 a night, dorm beds LE 15 - popular with "no frills" travellers who want a basic room redolent of a Dahab beach experience in the big city and not much else. The Dahab is basically a collection of rooms on a rooftop in the Downtown area.
Buy
The Downtown district of Cairo features a number of Egyptian department stores. These were once fantastic emporia, full of the world's best products - until the sad day in July 1961 when every one of Egypt's great department stores were nationalised, beginning an era of drab cooperatives and khaki counters. Now conspicously lacking in the range and finesse of department stores found in Western cities, Cairo's stores are interesting nonetheless (if only to see how awful they are!), and could even be potentially useful for those goods you may need to purchase in an emergency:
- Omar Effendi
- Sednaoui's - once a great family-owned concern
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