Crossing city streets in Cairo is a daunting experience. My advice - follow
an Egyptian across. And do your best to not get separated, although this in
itself might be difficult. If you do get separated, it will be hard to resist,
but don't
panic. But do be careful.
You might ask - how could it possibly be this
difficult? Here is what I've noted about the streets of Cairo. Like almost all
non-western traffic, there is no organization. There are no lanes on the
streets. There are virtually no stop lights. There is no order. No
organization. What is different in Cairo from other non-western locations is
the presence of 18 million people and one hell-of-a-lot of cars, very few
motorcycles and no tuk tuks. And when traffic moves, regardless of speeds,
vehicles can be mere
inches apart. As a reuslt, there is not a single vehicle in Cairo
that does not have body damage. I swear - there isn't a single one. There
isn't a lot of concern about physical space around a car. And when traffic
stops, the cars are clumped close together. Consequently, if you're crossing
when cars are stopped, you have to zigzag across the street, looking for gaps
between
cars that are big enough to pass through. Traffic sometimes begins to move
again before
you're across and then it gets dicey.
The mosque of Sultan Hassan (left) and El-Rifay (right). The mosque
of Sultan Hassan is one of the largest in Cairo. It was built in 1256 at an
enormous cost, acquired from the repossessed wealth of those that died during
the Black Plague.
Cairo has been called the city of a thousand minarets. As you look out over
the city from any high vantage point, or even walking the streets, it's hard
not to notice the many mosques.
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Bab Zwayla is one of several city gates that were erected in the 12th century.
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