Greetings from downtown Cairo, where unpretentious cafés are part of centuries-old charm
Greetings from downtown Cairo, where unpretentious cafés are part of centuries-old charm
Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
Downtown Cairo, or Wust el-Balad as it's known locally, is a treasure trove of hidden gems. Imprinted on every high-ceilinged building, arched balcony and iconic roundabout are relics that feel like love letters from the past. Relics like the more than century-old Greek Club's veranda that overlooks a roundabout with a bronze statue of Talaat Harb, who championed Egyptian economic independence from foreign influence. The neighborhood's old cinemas and teahouses still stand where Cairo's elites and British officers once sat.
Wust el-Balad was designed when cars were still a luxury, and life moved more slowly. Only by walking its wide pedestrian streets can the scale and detail of its neoclassical, Art Deco and Baroque-inspired architecture be fully witnessed.
Wust el-Balad's charm unfolds in layers, some of it discreet and tucked down side streets like the one in this picture I took on a visit this winter.
Here, at this no-frills sheesha (hookah) café, all are welcome. And it's here, on plastic chairs, without trending hashtags and filters, that connection and conversation remain timeless. It's here where downtown Cairo's truest treasure — pleasure — is unlocked.
See more Far-Flung Postcards from around the world:
- Greetings from London, where a big COVID memorial holds vigil over the halls of power
- Greetings from Turkey's border with Iran, where Iranians let loose on the dance floor
- Greetings from Nyeri, Kenya, where grandmothers help coach the next generation
- Greetings from a Shanghai temple where you can ward off bad luck in the Year of the Horse
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