DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 12

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

The Yacoubian Building, a novel by Egyptian author Alaa al-Aswany takes place in Downtown Cairo.  

Published in Arabic in 2002 and in an English translation in 2004, the book is a scathing portrayal of modern Egyptian society since the 1952 Revolution. 

The titular apartment building (an art deco classic that actually exists) serves as both a metaphor for contemporary Egypt and a unifying location in which most of the primary characters either live or work. 

Most novel's action takes place. In the building, where the author, a dentist by profession, had his first office.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 11

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo is home to both the splendid, old Egyptian Museum and Tahrir Square.

Tahrir Square (Liberation Square) is a major public town square.

It has been the location and focus for political demonstrations.

The most notable is the Arab Spring gathering that led to the 2011 Egyptian revolution and the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 10

  DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo is filled with unusual buildings that feature cheap clothing shops or cafes on the ground floor, storage for that retail on the next floor, low-cost apartments next, then a floor or two of tourist class hotels.

All within the elegance of a fading building that, if located in Paris, would have one million dollar apartments, rather than the rent controlled units that go for a few hundred per month.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 9

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Egyptians love their food, and the center of town offers it in abundance.

There are cheap chains and independent holes-in-the-wall that have been kept in the family for generations.

As millennials and hipsters begin to revive Downtown Cairo with their presence, you’ll also find some gourmet gems.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 8

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

A stroll through the district takes pedestrians past buildings that meld Islamic and European motifs, neo-classical columns and ornate decorations.

But its elegance and prestige are fading, as the one-way streets and former palaces fall into ruin and shops selling cheap clothes and odds and ends have moved in.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 7

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Historically a meeting place for the upper crust and intellectuals, it’s no surprise that there are several spots to have a drink in Downtown Cairo. 

Don’t expect mixology and million-dollar interiors, though. 

The charm of downtown watering holes is the wear and tear on the historic spaces and the no-frills experiences.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 6

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown is a shared meeting point for Cairenes of every age and socioeconomic background. 

Built in the late 19th century, Downtown Cairo is still home to architectural gems from Egypt’s ‘belle epoque’ and streets designed with pedestrians in mind.

The area has become a lot more crowded, especially among the city’s younger citizens, who head there to eat, shop and visit art spaces and cinemas.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 5

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo is haunted by fading classics such as Café Riche, which opened in 1908 and has been a meeting place for intellectuals and revolutionaries.

Downtown’s cafes witnessed many historically significant events over the 20th century. 

Patrons included the iconic Egyptian Nobel Prize winner and novelist Naguib Mahfouz and the then-future president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 4

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo was once home to the prosperous elite of late 19th and early 20th century.

It is a relic of a bygone era — Egypt's belle epoque and demonstrates the vision for developing Egypt.

Decades of neglect by the neighborhood's landlords and tenants have left the splendor of many its ornate edifices mired in decay.

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 3

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Discovering Downtown Cairo: Architecture and Stories is a highly-recommended book about the fading glory and hope for the future. 

The guide presents a detailed survey of the plans and typologies of apartment buildings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in downtown Cairo. 

It also maps the changes in use of these spaces over time and shares some of the inhabitants' stories.

https://www.jovis.de/en/books/details/product/discovering-downtown-cairo.html

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 2

 DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

The Radio Cinema was opened in 1948. 

This impressive cinema features a large office block above the entrance and retail spaces on either side. 

One passes beneath a towering original neon-ornamented vertical sign tower and marquee which appears to be partly original and partly a fairly recent Post-Modern Neo-Classical redo. 

DOWNTOWN CAIRO -- 1

DESIGNED TO BE THE PARIS OF THE EAST

Downtown Cairo was designed by prestigious French architects who were commissioned by Khedive Ismail during his visit to Paris.

He wanted to make the Egyptian Kingdom capital better than Paris and to be the jewel of the orient. 

He stressed the importance of European style urban planning in Cairo, to include broad, linear gridded streets, geometric harmony and modern European architectural style

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 24

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

My bucket of chicken arrived quite a long time after the order was placed.

But I was thrilled to see dinner rolls, fries, chicken rice and those four pieces of bird -- when it did arrive.

Ahmad, in his Arabic-influenced English, knocked on my door to say “gzhentleman, your chicken has arrived.”

I would have gone a day and half without eating real food if not for Ahmad’s courtly service and phone perseverance.

Huddled in the little kitchen, re-warming KFC of all things, with Ahmad's help.

Well, it was the perfect cap on becoming part of the family at Downtown Cairo’s homey and lovely Golden Hotel.

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 23

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

I talked to the Golden Hotel staff about dodging a few sprinkles on the way to the museum and they looked at me like I was crazy. 

Turned out, record rain was predicted and the government had closed schools, universities, businesses and museums.

I watched what would be a so-so rain in the subtropics turn into a disaster in Cairo. 

Virtually all businesses closed by noon. 

Starving, I had Ahmad call in some food for delivery. 

Turns out KFC was the only place open and delivering.

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 22

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

My last full day, I was planning to re-visit the very nearby Egyptian Museum.

But wet weather put the brakes on that.

When I returned from Luxor, I noted that rain was in the forecast. 

I’m from Miami, where we get more than 60 inches of rain per year. 

Cairo, built on the desert, averages less than an inch per year.

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 21

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

Ahmad politely frowned and produced what looked to be a yellow box for a deck of cards.

It contained Antinal, Egypt’s best bind up your belly med.

I took one from his stash.

He insisted I take the whole blister pack. 

He refused any money that he could use to replenish his stock. 

Those pills and his suggestion of a place for simple, clean gut-binding food is the only reason I could leave my bed after noon.

Ahmad's healing powers allowed me to enjoy the rest of the day touring, including a sunset felucca on the Nile.

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 20

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

The next morning, I crawled down to breakfast. I wanted tea and toast on my belly.

I sheepishly told the front desk man – Ahmad – that I could use a fresh supply of toilet paper and hand soap.

All-knowing, he quietly asked me if I had spent the night doing what I in fact had done.

I showed him a packet of Imodium-like pills that I had picked up at a pharmacy on the walk back home from the Koshary house, when the belly was rumbling.

They were not doing the job.

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 19

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

Much later in the day, after the tour (camel ride up charge of course) of Giza's Great Pyramids, I went for a Cairo classic.

After a gut-busting plate of Koshary at legendary Abou Tarek, I barely made it home in one piece.

Pharaoh’s’ revenge hit me hard. 

Thank goodness the Golden is not stingy about leaving extra TP in the room.

What likely was food poisoning from reheated nasty chicken at worst – a GI tract bad reaction to microbes in the unwashed veggies under said bird at the best – left me with a cleansing unmatched to this point in my 50-plus years of globe-trotting.

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 18

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

Nabil had sternly warned – hot food only. 

No peeled fruit, no salad, no juices, no meat on a bed of lettuce or salad.

The below mediocre lunch stop brought out item after item that violated Nabil’s warning. 

When I ordered, I clearly said I was fine with tahini and bread only.

I finally allowed a few bits of roast chicken on a bed of allegedly grilled vegetables as part of my "free" meal included in the tour company's base price.  

The amount I was charged for two small coke bottles (drinks not included) probably covered the expense of the mass-produced “free” array of food brought to the table.

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/

GOLDEN HOTEL CAIRO, EGYPT -- 17

3-Star Hotel that Offers 10-Star Service at Backpacker Prices

My tour had nothing to do with the Golden Hotel

The outside tour company me plopped down at a fragrance factory (one of maybe 100 similar tourist traps exist.) 

I protested till I was allowed to leave. 

I must have railed so hard that the driver mumbled “guess you will NOT want to stop at the Papyrus Museum?"

My answer was a resounding correct.

Dozens of these so-called museums that are simply gift shops – and what the hell would one do with papyrus anyway?

http://goldenhotelegypt.com/