After a pleasant five-hour flight, we landed in Cairo at 5:15 am (3:15 am Moroccan time!) this morning. On approach into Cairo, we looked out through bleary eyes at a beautiful sunrise.

Sunrise on approach to Cairo.
Sunrise on approach to Cairo.

We were met inside the Cairo airport by two agents who ushered us through the immigration process and collected our luggage for us. They took us to a waiting driver, who drove us to The Four Seasons Nile Plaza. We were immediately struck by the hotel’s security, which they obviously take pretty seriously.

We were in our room by about 6:45 am, at which point we started to have a think about what we might do today.

Our hotel room at The Four Seasons Nile Plaza.
Our hotel room at The Four Seasons Nile Plaza.
Our hotel room at The Four Seasons Nile Plaza.
Our hotel room at The Four Seasons Nile Plaza.
Snacks in our hotel room.
Snacks in our hotel room.

We decided to go downstairs and chat with the concierge to get some ideas regarding places to explore today. We settled on a visit the Coptic area of Cairo but a higher priority was to get at least a two or three hours of sleep, since not having been to bed last night was starting to take its toll on us. So we went back upstairs for a short rest.

After getting some sleep, we headed downstairs to jump into a waiting car to drive us to the Coptic area of Cairo.
Coptic Cairo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Old Cairo, which contains numerous churches and other historical sites. Many Christians believe that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus visited this area. Coptic Cairo was a stronghold for Christianity in Egypt both before and during the Islamic era. Most of the churches were built here after the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 639–646 AD.

Copts are the largest Christian denomination in Egypt and the Middle East. There is much contention about just how many Egyptians are Copts. It is likely that around 10% of Egyptians are Coptic, with the other 90% almost entirely Muslim.

Our drive to Coptic Cairo was short in distance but not short on excitement. According to the World Health Organization, Egypt has one of the highest rates of road-related fatalities in the world. You don’t have to be in the traffic very long here to understand why that’s the case. It is utterly mad.

Our driver dropped us at the entrance to Coptic Cairo, with firm instructions to speak to no one other than police officers (of which there were plenty and they were very well armed!). We didn’t feel unsafe, but it also felt like trouble probably wasn’t too far away.

We started by walking to Saint Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church, which also known as The Hanging Church (named so because it is located above a gatehouse of the Babylon Fortress, with its nave is suspended over a passage).

Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church (also known as The Hanging Church).
Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church (also known as The Hanging Church).
Inside Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.
Inside Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.
Andrea inside Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.
Andrea inside Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.
Keith at the entrance to Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.
Keith at the entrance to Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.
Mosaic outside Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.
Mosaic outside Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.

After looking at the church, we walked next door to the Coptic Museum. The Coptic Museum was opened in 1908 and houses the largest collection of Coptic Christian artifacts in the world. We had nice walk around the museum but we didn’t read the spots off every placard at every exhibit, since we need to pace ourselves for an overload of museums, artefacts, and archaeological sites in the next few days.

Andrea at the Coptic Museum.
Andrea at the Coptic Museum.
Keith at the Coptic Museum.
Keith at the Coptic Museum.
Wall painting from the Monastery of St. Jeremiah (6th-7th century).
Wall painting from the Monastery of St. Jeremiah (6th-7th century).
Wall painting from the Monastery of St. Jeremiah (6th-7th century).
Wall painting from the Monastery of St. Jeremiah (6th-7th century).
Wall painting from the Monastery of St. Jeremiah (6th-7th century).
Wall painting from the Monastery of St. Jeremiah (6th-7th century).
Painted panel from the Monastery of St. Apollo (6th century).
Painted panel from the Monastery of St. Apollo (6th century).
Woven textile tapestry (4th-5th century).
Woven textile tapestry (4th-5th century).
The four gospels (incomplete) on parchment, written in Coptic (11th century).
The four gospels (incomplete) on parchment, written in Coptic (11th century).

Next, we headed to the Church of St. George, a Greek Orthodox church within the Babylon Fortress. The church dates back to the 10th century (or possibly earlier) but the current building was completed in 1909 after a fire destroyed the original building in 1904.

The Church of St. George.
The Church of St. George.
Andrea with the Church of St. George in the background.
Andrea with the Church of St. George in the background.
The Church of St. George.
The Church of St. George.
Inside the Church of St. George.
Inside the Church of St. George.

We left the church and then met up with our driver to take us back to the hotel. The traffic on the way back was, inconceivably, even worse than before! Even though it was a Sunday today, and we expected the traffic to be a bit
lighter, during Ramadan most people are rushing around late in the day to get home before sunset, when the daily
fast is broken.

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was time for dinner. The hotel is very full and the hotel’s restaurants are heavily booked, so we decided on room service.

Tomato soup.
Tomato soup.
Spaghetti bolognese.
Spaghetti bolognese.

As we ate dinner, we gazed out over the Nile. We can see the Giza pyramids from our balcony, but they are obscured by a lot of smog, so this is not as attractive as it sounds!

Boats on the Nile.
Boats on the Nile.
Sunset over Cairo.
Sunset over Cairo.
Looking across the Nile from our hotel room balcony.
Looking across the Nile from our hotel room balcony.

We have organised a guide for tomorrow to help us explore Cairo. But, for now, it’s off to bed to catch up on some sleep.