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.

AaronNetsky

Added by AaronNetsky

Monastery of Saint Simon

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

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

Cairo's City of the Dead

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

JBHewlett

Added by JBHewlett

Al-Andalus Garden

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

Added by yarasam

The Cairo Genizah

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

Added by oksanam

The Aquarium Grotto Garden

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

Added by Asger Hunov

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.

Added by Tawsam

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

Unique
Food & Drink
in Cairo

Mish

Gastro Obscura

Meats & Animal Products

Mish

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

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Fesikh

Gastro Obscura

Fesikh

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

Gastro Obscura

Added by Rebecca Byrne

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Stories
About Cairo

A falafel stand in Gaza.

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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 04, 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