Wednesday 28 October 2009

Common Ideas


I've been getting some great feedback on this blog and would like to thank everyone who's been spreading the word!

Ghufran wrote in to say she had a similar thought and posted her photos up for me to share here. There are 23 photos, including some of Islamic architecture and a street-sign in Arabic calligraphy.

I hope you enjoy her album and continue to send in your views of Cairo's delights!

Monday 26 October 2009

Mehwar Accident #1

Badr M. sent in this photo of what used to be a car on the Mehwar (major highway in the Greater Cairo area). He entitled it "Me7war's daily accident" and with good reason; Cairo is notorious for its chaotic traffic.

Sunday 25 October 2009

The Alley

The alleyway is one of fiction's most oft-used settings to depict the belly of society. The destitute, the wretched, the immoral or the occult. In our complex city, the alleyway is often the setting for communal prayer, a shared meal, a party or the dumping ground for our trash problem. I don't know what secrets this alley in Midan El Game' (literally, "the Roundabout of the Mosque") holds, but doesn't it look like it's straight out of a novel?

Thursday 22 October 2009

The Almighty Vespa Family


Typically, you'll find the father driving with a small child wedged between him and the handlebars, two children behind him and the mother sitting sideways at the back. This family is riding in a stretch limo by comparison.

Hat tip: Mindgraper

Friday 16 October 2009

Fortress on High

A moment in the city 2000-year history: the Saladin Citadel. Night or day, it is an impressive sight.

Thursday 15 October 2009

Super Mosques

One of the city's prominent mosques as seen from the 6th October bridge. Terrible picture but we were driving pretty fast. I'll try to snap this during the day because it's an awesome bit of architecture.

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Sunset Over Qasr El Nil Bridge


Sent in by Mindgraper. Sunsets are quite beautiful around town this time of year.


Tuesday 13 October 2009

Serenity Past the Bridge

Cairo traffic has become increasingly irritating recently, meaning I'm spending more and more time moving at a snail's pace - if we're moving at all. While waiting for the 6th October bridge to start moving and allow us on, I noticed the above view through the bridge supports. If you look past the parked trucks and focus on just the spire and palm trees, it feels like a different city. Sort of takes you back to another more serene era, doesn't it?

Sunday 11 October 2009

Shobra Slums

Cairo is often one large paradox. Take, for example, the view from one of my windows at work. I work in Cairo's most expensive and extravagant pair of buildings, in which tens of thousands of people are employed by huge corporations. These buildings are a highlight of the Cairo skyline and are the definition of prime real estate. Right behind them, however, tens of millions of people live below the poverty line, sharing their tiny, rundown buildings and rooftops with trash and livestock.

If you look closely, you'll see a woman in pink putting her laundry out to dry on the roof.




(Excuse the reflected newspaper. It only showed up when I moved the images to my computer)


Thursday 8 October 2009

Another Shot of the Pyramids


Mindgraper sent in another shot of the Pyramids from the highway from an interesting angle. Closer and with a forest of palm trees for added effect. My favourite part is biker man's helmet!


Wednesday 7 October 2009

BerryCam: Dubai Edition

Sorry for the delay, folks! Surprise trip to Dubai popped up so instead of a Cairo snap, here is the view from my window this morning:







Saturday 3 October 2009

Pyramids from a Highway





A few years ago, on a family vacation in Las Vegas, a blackjack dealer asked my Dad if we could see the pyramids from our house. A fellow gambler asked my Dad if we lived in one and whether we rode camels. Sadly, the average Cairean does not live in a pyramid. We don't ride camels either; we traded those in for our Jaguars long ago.

However, we do see the pyramids from several locations around the city, including one of the main highways. The other day we were on that highway and managed to snap these as we sped by.


Friday 2 October 2009

The Citadel By Night



One of the great things about living in a city as old as Cairo is the rich and varied architecture all around. Somehow, being stuck in traffic is slightly less irritating when this is what you see.


Thursday 1 October 2009

Cairo, Egypt: So Much to See

I'm sure there are countless blogs out there about Cairo, brimming with photos much more professional and beautiful than the ones you'll see here. I am not a photographer. I do not use a sophisticated camera. All I'm using is my Blackberry's built-in camera to snap whatever interesting shot I see.

Cairo is a huge mash-up of a city mixing East, West, old, new, beautiful, ugly, dirty, clean and everything in between. You never need to look for an interesting shot in Cairo. They all come to you on a silver platter. All you need to do is see it.


View of the Cairo Tower overlooking the Nile

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