9 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Cairo - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Cairo

Nilometer

An ancient instrument used to measure the waters of the Nile so Egyptian farmers would know whether to expect famine or flood.

Monastery of Saint Simon

The massive cave church of Cairo's Zabbaleen community is one of the largest Christian churches in the Middle East.

Cairo's City of the Dead

In Egypt's expanding metro area, many of the neighbors are dead.

Al-Andalus Garden

A preserved oasis with traditional Andalusian-style architecture and beautiful views of the Nile.

The Cairo Genizah

Hundreds of thousands of ancient documents offer a unique glimpse into Jewish life in Cairo.

The Aquarium Grotto Garden

A strange aquarium with stuffed fish, and almost no water for them to swim in.

Agricultural Museum of Cairo

A huge museum of much more than just agriculture displayed in a princess's palace.

Cairo’s Garbage City

Slum Settlement Filled With Mountains of Garbage.

See All 9 Things to Do in Cairo See All 9 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Cairo

Mish

This sharp and salty Egyptian cheese ferments for months in a bath of milk and spices.

Fesikh

On Sham el-Nessim, Egyptians celebrate spring by gathering around picnic spreads of fermented fish.

Community Forums / Africa / Egypt

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Traveling to Egypt	9 April 26, 2019	884	April 26, 2019
Hatshepsut's Myrrh Tree	4 October 17, 2019	1378	October 17, 2019
The Lost City of Heracleion	6 August 13, 2019	1446	August 13, 2019
Fesikh	1 April 2, 2019	916	April 2, 2019
The Tomb of Nefertari	2 December 6, 2019	321	December 6, 2019

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Stories
About Cairo

Cairo's <em>Sharia Khayamiya</em>—the Street of the Tentmakers, aka the Tentmakers Market—is the only place in the world where the decorative appliqué textile is made.

This Ancient Egyptian Textile Is Hanging By a Thread

Only 20 khayamiya artisans are left, in one dusty alley in Cairo. Can e-commerce save them?

by Stephanie Vermillion

September 26, 2019

A falafel stand in Gaza.

Around the Middle East in Hummus and Falafel

A new book is an ode to chickpeas and the people that love them.

by Olivia Snaije

Behold!

Exploring a 'Treasure Trove' of Medieval Egyptian Recipes

A newly translated cookbook provides a tantalizing glimpse of Cairo's past.

by Abbey Perreault

September 4, 2018

A male reserve head found in the shaft of a tomb c. 1915.

Dozens of Mysterious 'Reserve Heads' Were Sealed in Ancient Egyptian Tombs

Over 30 have been found, but their function is unclear.

by Hadley Meares