In October, Bazaar is celebrating our obsessions—how they delight us, connect us, and keep us going. Tune in each day for a new story, or go here to read them all.
Egyptomania—the word used to describe the Western world’s fascination with Ancient Egypt—may have reached its zenith in the 1920s after Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb, but it never really faded. There have been other waves, like in the 1960s after Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra, and we seem to be in the midst of another one now, thanks in part to the opening of Giza’s Grand Egyptian Museum (the GEM) last year, which displays Carter’s discovery in its full splendor.
I recently spent the morning at the GEM, but I could easily have spent the entire day (or several) pouring over the Tutankhamen galleries alone, which include the hundreds of artifacts found in 1922 by Howard Carter within the Golden Pharaoh’s tomb. The solid gold burial mask is the most famous artefact and biggest draw—there’s a queue just to get up close to it—but I found the intricate gold jewelry inlaid with lapis lazuli, the carved alabaster, and the caches of woven thong shoes to be the most compelling. They all look incredibly modern despite being over 3,300 years old.
Zooba, which serves so-good-I’m-still-thinking-about-it Egyptian street food like koshary, falafel (made from fava beans), and decadent feteer (fried pastry), has a location right off the grand hall at the GEM as well as in the trendy Zamalek neighborhood.
After your meal, you could easily spend hours in the Khan el-Khalili, Cairo’s sprawling bazaar. While you’re there, tuck into the frozen-in-time Naguib Mahfouz cafe, named after the famed writer who used to frequent it.
Philomena Schurer Merckoll, the founder of Egypt Beyond, which curates itineraries in the country, recently moved to Cairo due to its electric energy. “It feels more alive here than other places,” says Schurer Merckoll. “It is a hub and confluence of creativity,” she adds, noting that while it was once a place that creatives passed through, now more are moving back and restoring some of the city’s Belle Époque and Art Deco spaces. She points to design destinations like the reimagining of the 1940’s landmark Immobilia tower by Zeina Aboukheir, as well as the Mazeej Balad boutique hotel, which opened in downtown Cairo last year, with captivating interiors by Malak Orfy. Studio Samara, opened by Ahmed El Ganzoury and Kareem Nabil of gnk group earlier this year, brings the spirit of the 1920s back to the city with live cabaret shows staged in the iconic 1930s Cinema Radio building.
Dishes from Zooba and Khufus
Scenes from the Khan el-Khalili
Egyptian food art wunderkind Laila Gohar, whose impeccable taste I would trust across all categories of recommendations, highlights the weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center, the Gayer-Anderson Museum, Anut boutique in Zamelek, and the centuries-old intellectual hub, Cafe Riches.
There’s also the intoxicating energy of the Nile. I was told countless times by several people I encountered that once you “drink” from the Nile, you will always go back. It’s best taken in at night, when lit-up boats, including one adorably made up like a little fish, cruise the river, often with a bass thumping. For a short stay like the one I did, the Four Seasons at the Nile Plaza, with rooms overlooking the river, is the most charming and luxurious way to soak it all in from above. If Cairo is beautiful chaos, the Four Seasons offers an in-control calm.
Feeling small at the Great Pyramids of Giza
When I travel, I tend to go for the off-the-beaten-path option. I seek out destinations and shops and restaurants that have come recommended via a third-or-fourth-degree connection WhatsApp friend of a friend who lives in that place and knows exactly where to go. But Egypt made me realize that sometimes you need to throw that approach out the window. Consider this an endorsement for checking off a bucket list item, even if it’s cheesy or touristy or cliched.
When I texted a friend that I was going to Egypt and would see the pyramids, she responded, “How lovely. I want to see the pyramids. I want to be awed.” And that’s exactly it. The kind of awe you feel standing at the bottom of the great pyramids of Giza and then rounding the corner to behold the Sphinx (which predates the pyramids) is so singular; to feel that small, to marvel at the human capacity (or, you know, the alien capacity, if you prefer that rabbit hole) and the scope of history. It’s worth seeking out. Especially these days, when awe feels in short supply.