Egypt, more than just pyramids: Siddharth Kannan

The land that gave birth to the first great civilisation needs little introduction. The pyramids, minarets, river Nile — the scope of Egypt is magnificent.

I was surprised to discover that those legendary pyramids are merely the tip of the archaeological iceberg. Pharaonic nations, ancient Greeks, Romans, Christians and Arab dynasties have all played their part in fashioning Egypt’s architectural wealth.

I had grown up reading about pharoahs, Queen Cleopatra, the pyramids and knew the rich history of  Egypt by heart and when I got the chance to become the Master of Ceremony for a series of shows in the largest African city — Cairo — I grabbed it.

First things first, I visited the Mohammed Ali mosque at Citadel, which towers over the city and when I was gazing out of the minarets, I could see the whole city lit up by in green neon lights. Another dream come true was hosting an event right next to the historical pyramids at Giza — the three pyramids and the mysterious Sphinx. To feel royal and Egyptian, I actually wore the headgear too.

At night, we went on a cruise on the longest river in the world, Nile and it was a wonderful experience to lounge back on the  shaded deck of a floating hotel, sipping thick Egyptian soup made of Molokhiyya, which is a leafy, green, summer vegetable and watching 5,000 years of culture pass by!

Out west, Egypt’s ocean of sand stretches infinitely to the Sahara, with a handful of oases feeding solitary islands of green. Hive like, medieval fortresses spread out, interspersed with bubbling springs and weird rock formations.

There’s no way I could miss the deep, crystal waters of the Red Sea, awash in coral, surrounded by an aquatic frenzy of underwater life.

In the deserts of Sinai’s interior, I climbed the mount where God’s known to have had a word with Moses and spent a few days blissfully at coastal Dahab’s backpacker, Shangri-La. All the tourist places are quite popular because they are worth a visit.

A trip to the museum at Cairo isn’t enough since it’s packed with amazing stuff (including King Tut’s treasures. Trying to squeeze it all in one day gets very tiring and yes, the pyramids and the Sphinx is a must.

Now for something really important: be sure to visit Dahab, a small seaside town on the Red Sea in the Sinai. It is heavenly, with cafés along the seaside. All I did was walk in a lazy pace, eat great things and talk to travellers from around the world or even or locals. You can scuba here to and get a PADI certification, if there’s a week to spare.

From Dahab, I went to the Blue Hole for snorkelling and this is yet another must-visit. Catch a pickup truck, go out into the desert and then along the coast — that’s what I did. It is a circular reef jammed with fish and is like swimming in a tropical fish tank.

If you can get out over the part where the waves come in without getting cut, you may see large turtles underwater along the outside of the reef.

From theer, you can head to Mount Sinai and climb it. The customary thing is to taxi out there around midnight and climb slowly up to arrive at the top in a couple of hours to relax before the sunrise. You’re sure to have lots of company, but it’s quite an experience.

To feel the real pulse of the city, I went to the local bazaar, Khan-el-Khalili. And once there, one can’t afford to miss out on a cup of tea or karkade at the bazaar’s famous Café Fishawy. This is also the best place to get imitations of pharaonic objects and local artefacts!

And yes, hard to miss is the fact that actor Amitabh Bachchan is a very popular person in Egypt, so popular that Indians are greeted with ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ rather than a hello.

No wonder, Cairo, also ‘Misr’, means victorious. It sure won my heart and soul.