Egypt First Impressions and the Layers of Cairo

Cairo does not ease you into Egypt. It introduces itself all at once: traffic, people, buildings, and activity in seemingly every direction. After arriving last evening and settling into my hotel, today was my opportunity to start exploring. My first impression was simple: there are people everywhere, and this city operates at a pace that takes some getting used to.

Driving toward Old Cairo, I noticed housing stretching alongside the highway and people waiting near the roadside, apparently for transportation. White passenger vans moved through traffic alongside trucks, cars, and even donkey carts. At times, pedestrians were close enough to the moving vehicles to make me nervous. From my seat, the roads seemed to have their own system, even if I could not quite understand it.

Then the pyramids appeared in the distance.

Seeing them beyond the buildings and traffic was a reminder of where I was. I have seen photographs of Egypt my entire life, but looking out and actually seeing the pyramids is different. Their presence gave the enormous city around me an entirely different sense of scale.

Crossing the Nile from the western side toward Old Cairo brought another moment of recognition. Here was a river I had discussed during years of teaching history, now directly beneath us. Those familiar names from textbooks were becoming actual places.

Cairo itself was founded in AD 969, but the history within today’s sprawling city reaches much further back. In Old Cairo, the remains of the Roman Babylon Fortress made those layers visible. Walking through passages below the surrounding street level, I felt how much history had accumulated around us.

One of the most interesting stops today was the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, also called Abu Serga. The church is associated with the Holy Family’s journey through Egypt, and its underground cave is traditionally believed to have sheltered Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.

Sitting there and listening to that story was a powerful experience. Nearby, we visited Ben Ezra Synagogue. Listening to traditions connecting this area with Moses added another dimension to the day. These are religious traditions rather than locations we can establish with certainty, but hearing them in this setting was striking. Churches, a synagogue, and mosques within the same broader area gave me plenty to think about.

The day also included the Citadel of Salah el-Din and the Muhammad Ali Mosque within it. The mosque’s setting above Cairo offered another perspective on the city we had been navigating below. After experiencing the crowded streets, looking across that expanse helped me appreciate just how much there was to take in.

There were difficult sights, too. Poverty was visible along parts of our route, as were litter and buildings needing attention. We also passed a cemetery where, our guide explained, people live among the tombs, including families with connections to caring for the burial grounds. It was something I wanted to understand better before making assumptions.

Later, the market was packed with tourists and locals. Vendors were persistent in trying to make a sale, but never rude or abusive toward me. Some streets were untidy, and the constant activity could feel overwhelming. Still, walking through it was part of experiencing the city.

Eventually, I took a break with Turkish coffee and Al-Azhar Mosque in the background. It was a welcome opportunity to sit, watch, and absorb the day.

My first full day in Cairo left me impressed, sometimes overwhelmed, and curious. Having a guide helped connect what I was seeing with the stories behind it. For someone who loves history, this was quite a beginning.