Cairo, Egypt came in as major city #60 on my Major City project and here I’ll share a few first impressions covering the city with my camera. Cairo had been on my project list since the start. It doesn’t get much bigger and historic than this ancient city turned chaotic metropolis. At 22 million people, this urban sprawl next to the famous pyramids is filled with activity and variety of life around every corner. While its sheer size and buzzing streets might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I quickly fell for Cairo’s one of a kind atmosphere. Personally, I do like big cities because of the variety of life and interest there is to explore, but it needs to set itself apart from the rest. And Cairo definitely does that. The history, the crumbling character, the chaos, the unique neighborhoods and the signature golden brown look all come together to make one of my favorite cities of the year for street photography. Yes, it’s not the cleanest, quietest city, and there are touts and hassle to endure, but it’s more than worth it in Cairo.
So here are my first impressions of Cairo, from a personal Street Photographer perspective…
7 First Impressions of Cairo
(From a Street Photography Perspective)
1. Cairo possesses a one of a kind atmosphere
I’d heard mixed reviews from other travelers on Cairo, but I don’t pay much attention to that anyway, especially during my Major City project. I’m looking for photography opportunity, not touristic relaxation and fun. Much of the time what tourists like and what I like doesn’t match. Still, Cairo had been towards the top of my list for a few reasons. One, as far as major cities go, Cairo is about as major as it gets at 20 million people. And two, there’s not many cities more famous and with more history than this one. Saying that, Cairo was even better than I expected and was one of my top city photography experiences of the year. For a variety of reasons.
Cairo has a one of a kind atmosphere. It feels ancient, while also feeling gigantic. It’s a 20 million person metropolis that also possesses a history that includes the pyramids. No, Cairo isn’t clean, but it has character around every corner that more than makes up for it. The browns and tinted sky mixed with the crumbling walls and impressive architecture. The streets fill with life and noise, while the city has a wide variety of neighborhoods to explore all that life they contain. There are other cities that mix big city with history, but Cairo has it’s own distinctive atmosphere that sets it apart. It’s a city I could definitely spend a lot more time in for street photography.
2. The whole area around Khan el Khalili bazaar is great
This medieval-style bazaar is the most famous in the city. When tourists aren’t at the pyramids, they’re probably at Khan el Khalili bazaar. It was built in the 14th century and contains many streets and squares lined with shops selling everything from gold, spices and oils to camel figurines and other souvenirs. While it is very touristy, many locals still come here too, more specifically for the gold and coppersmiths. It’s not as divided as it once was so you can just explore away here among the crowded chaos with your camera and see what you find. My favorite part of this area is actually the surrounding parts, though. The street sellers extend seemingly forever, and the further away you get, the more local and less touristy it feels. You can find less modern and more authentic interest with the more space to work too. Sometimes I would just take a walk in these surrounding areas without ever entering the bazaar, but I’d still recommend exploring it all for street photography.
3. For Street Photography, Al Azhar Park is one of the best parks I’ve been to
For life and potential street photography spots, parks can be hit or miss, but this one stands out as a hit. Al Azhar Park has both beauty and endless interest. It’s won international awards as a public space and if you visit you’ll see why. It’s one of the more impressive and memorable parks I’ve been to anywhere, especially for street photography. On the weekend especially, Al Azhar Park gets packed with life and locals. After entering the gate and climbing to the top, you have views of the city from all sides and 74 acres of space to explore. Pathways, streams, fountains, fields of grass, benches, food carts, and people everywhere. Locals come for picnics, sports, play, relaxation, weddings and more. A lot of money went into making Al Azhar Park impressive and they succeeded. There’s a variety of scenery, spaces and life here that could last you a whole day for street photography. There’s a few parks in the world that stand out as being much more than just a park and this is one of them.
4. The City of the Dead has life
The City of the Dead is a cemetery in Cairo, but it’s not your normal cemetery. People live and work in this grid of tombs and streets. Half a million people call it home, but it isn’t as bad as you might picture. Tombs are inside rooms and small box-shaped houses. The square homes have electricity, running water, gardens and more. The streets are much more quiet here, creating an interesting atmosphere along with the miles of similar shaped homes. It’s a unique place where you can find good light due to the low one-story structures too. In many ways it feels less like a slum in look because of how organized, peaceful and less messy it is here. You do get a bit of eerie feeling too, but nothing like I imagined of a neighborhood in a cemetery. It’s one place I wish I had spent more time in while in Cairo because I think it could provide some nice, slightly surreal minamilistic street photos.
Nearby, you also have “Garbage City,” which gives a much different atmosphere. The name comes from the city dumping 20 million people’s garbage here everyday, as Cairo never came up with a better system. Most of the inhabitants are Coptic Christians and work in collecting and recycling all the city’s garbage. Trash and garbage bags filled to the brim completely cover the streets and rooftops. The community here has been working this way for 70 years now and while it’s not a pretty place, it can be interesting to see. Other than the garbage piled high everywhere, people do live normal lives in apartments and other homes. There are markets and everything else you’d expect in a neighborhood. And for a change of religious scene in Cairo, the Christian influence is seen all over here with religious figures hanging above the streets and painted on walls.
5. Cairo has a distinctive golden brown color to the city
From the ground to the buildings to the air, there’s a constant hue of golden browns, tans and orange to Cairo. This tan tint also comes across in photos and becomes part of the city’s atmosphere. Other cities have signature looks too and while it doesn’t make the air the best for breathing, it is something I like about the city when it comes to photography. I like when you can see the place from the color, character and atmosphere. With the universal browns across many backgrounds, it can make for a nice background to what’s happening in the forefront, which can come across nicely in a photo. Just before sunset, the light shines through that brown tint and really brings out Cairo.
6. It’s not quite the tourist chaos capital anymore
Cairo used to have one of the worst reputations in the world for haggling touts and overcrowded tourism, but a lot has changed since the Arab Spring and Egyptian Revolution of 2011. Tourism is nothing like it once was, although not much is, and there aren’t as many guides and sellers smothering you in the streets. The pyramids, of course, still bring in the tourists, but it doesn’t feel more than many places anymore. Even Giza wasn’t the crowded mess you picture from the past. As for the city, minus the heart of Khan el Khalili, it feels local and authentic without much touristic polish. I was able to walk most places without any hassle, and the shopping streets that will bring out the touts are easy to spot. With less hassle and less tourism, it means its a more relaxing photography experience now, and with space to shoot. After hearing so much about its past reputation for tourism, I don’t think it’s something to deter anybody now. As far as famous cities go, I honestly felt less tourism than many. And Morocco definitely has them beat on the tout haggling today.
I will mention that while there is still a fair share of hassle, which can also extend to people not wanting photos, the only real problem I have here is with police. Multiple times I’ve been stopped just for carrying a camera, one of which was one of the more rude experiences I’ve dealt with (but that’s a whole story in itself). There are a lot of areas, like government buildings and banks, where police and military guard large blocks. Most of the time I walked by fine, but they are extra suspicious of cameras so I’d be careful in these areas, even if they just see you holding your camera.
7. And yes, I saw the pyramids on a camel
Although, I’m traveling to so many places, I very rarely do anything touristy since I started this 100 City project. I always focus completely on photography for the project. But this time I was in Cairo so I had to make a half-day exception. Staying here and not seeing the pyramids would have been too crazy.
If you haven’t been, Giza, where the pyramids are, is basically in Cairo. It’s a short city drive from the urban center and all of a sudden you’re in the desert. While you could visit it yourself, there are some extremely cheap options that take care of it all for you. For $25, I was picked up in the morning by a guide who drove me to the pyramids, showed me around, provided a 2 hour desert camel ride around all the pyramids and sphynx, and then drove me back to my place. All fees were included and a small lunch was even provided. While it was somewhat rushed and touristy, it was still an experience well worth the price and time. And there’s still the possibility to grab a couple of interesting, not-so-cliche shots if you try. Although, the bumpy 2 hour ride on my camel named “Pepsi” left me sore for the next couple days of street photography walks :)
If any of you have been to Cairo before, tell me about your experience and impressions of the city and country in the comments below! And stay tuned for more on Cairo, including some of the best Street Photography shots I captured while there.
Click Here for More First Impressions on Cities Around the World
(from a street photographer’s perspective)
All of the above is true, Cairo is indeed beautiful and full of photo opportunities!
I would just like to add some advice to female photographers:
1. Don’t walk alone if you can avoid it, especially in lonely areas. No matter what you wear or what age you are, you will get a lot of (unwanted) attention and you might get yourself in some unwanted body contact with the young men…
2. Take lots of tissues with you as most of the toilets don’t supply toilet paper!
Hi, Kitty, thanks for the advice for female photographers, I agree.