ANOTHER FULL DAY IN THE LAND OF THE ‘GIFT OF THE NILE’ – 3 NOVEMBER 2025

To experience the traffic chaos in Cairo, especially downtown, one must use a scooter taxi. The drivers of these scooter taxis are absolute masters of the road; the way they weave their way through traffic is an experience to be had.

I clung on and reached the Cairo Citadel, aka Saladin Citadel, shortly after the ticket office opened at 8 am for tourists. The entrance fee is 550 EGP. Local currency is not accepted from foreign tourists and I had to rely on my credit card. Indians have a special place in the minds of the Egyptians, I found, just as it was in Jordan. I have been treated with respect and warmth after it was confirmed that I am Indian. Some even told me that I look like an Egyptian!

The Citadel of Saladin served as the seat of power for almost 700 years from the 12th century. It was built and rebuilt over centuries. Most of what we see today within the Citadel complex are creations of the 19th and 20th centuries. The masterpiece, without a doubt, is the Muhammed Ali mosque, often referred to as the Alabaster Mosque. It was built in the 19th century and bears Ottoman and European architectural styles.

The rather modest Police Museum does not require much time to visit. But the terrace where it is, is the best place in the city, with the possible exception of the Cairo Tower, for magical views. Many of the city's landmarks can be picked out on a clear day. In contrast to the Police Museum is the awesome National Military Museum. It is so well set out, theme-wise and era-wise that it is an excellent place to appreciate the development of Egypt over centuries and eras.

The Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun Mosque is an early 14th-century mosque in the Citadel complex. It was built by the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasr Muhammad in 1318 as the royal mosque of the Citadel, where the sultans of Cairo performed their Friday prayers. Rather modest in comparison to the Alabaster Mosque, it has greater historical significance.

After the tour of the Citadel - the famed Al-Gawhara palace and parts of the Citadel Tower were closed to the public due to restoration works -  I took another scooter ride to the Egyptian Museum. The entrance was 550 EGP. The massive museum is a bit chaotic and is best navigated with a guide because of poor directions and lack of information on the exhibits. I was looking forward to seeing the golden mask of Tutankhamun; I was disappointed to know that it had been moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum.

That settled activities in Cairo for the first leg of the tour. Later in the afternoon I took a car ride to the airport for the next leg of the tour, Luxor. Traffic was incredibly heavy. The driver kept looking for options to get out of gridlocks and he found one, a one way street; he sweet-talked someone and he found access to a freer route. I had nearly three hours to kill at the airport, which turned to be more than four hours. The flight was delayed due to a technical glitch.

After landing in Luxor more than 75 minutes late, I had to wait for 45 minutes before the first bag arrived on the belt. I was worried about getting an Uber ride at this hour. This is the most ridiculous ground handling I have experienced thus far. Even the meet and greet staff who had come to pick up tour groups joked about the infamous Egypt Air efficiency.

Finally, when my bag arrived there were no Uber cabs in sight. Outside the arrivals I bargained for a hotel drop for a considerably higher price than the Uber rate. At any rate, I was not in a position to keep the owner of the hotel wait any longer.

The taxi driver, a polite middle-aged man, drove fast enough to get to the West Bank from the airport, which is on the east bank of the Nile. The road condition was excellent with three lanes each way, exceedingly well asphalted. On the West Bank, en route to the hotel, the road wants so great. Mostafa, the owner of the hotel was waiting for me. He and his nephew, Mohammed, showed me to the huge room on the third floor with awesome views of the River and the East Bank. We reviewed the program for the next three days and parted ways to meet the next day.