If you’ve ever been to Cairo, then one word that you probably use to describe your experience is chaos. That’s not to say it’s the only thing that comes to mind; there is of course Cairo’s rich ancient history, amazing cultural landmarks, its great central location as a launch pad for pharaonic, desert and seaside excursions across Egypt, but chaos is quite high up there on the proverbial list. The noise, the sheer amount of people, the cars and crazy-Tetris-style driving (come and you will understand) could leave you begging for your happy place when all these things assault your senses relentlessly at the same time. You might even look around in wonder at how the city soldiers on and how anyone ever gets anything done.
The difference between someone who enjoys Cairo and someone who doesn’t is whether they realize that it’s this very chaos that gives Cairo its charm. Without the madness, Cairo just wouldn’t be mad enough to enjoy. It would be an aging city with too much pollution and very little soul. A good friend of mine jokingly summed it up to me by saying: ‘Egypt is seven thousand years old. And it shows.’ And while some might think that this is a jab at how horrible things may be, I take a lot of pride in repeating it because while the statement is somewhat true; it’s the madness that is largely responsible for the endless entertainment that you’re bound to experience here.
I often get asked what spurred Media Republic to create a Cairo guide - Cairo 360 - as our first online publication. The answer is simple: there is little to no online information about Cairo that is up-to-date, relevant and engaging to Cairene audiences. There’s a wealth of information from international sites about Egypt as a tourist destination, but when you live in Cairo, or are looking to stay for more than a two-week package holiday, there is very little credible local information. This is shocking; considering how much there is to do in the city.
If you’ve been to Cairo, then you know how hard it is to traverse the city without prior knowledge of where to go and what to see. You may spend hours trying to reach a venue only to be disappointed, or worse, to find that it’s closed. So what we aim to do is provide a guide from seasoned veterans of the city on how to fill your time, no matter what it is you may be interested in. We publish honest and unbiased reviews of venues, which not blatantly paid for and read like advertorials. We delve in the smattering of great Cairo’s restaurants and cafés dotted across the city; check out the varied options for Cairo’s multifaceted nightlife; scour the arts and culture events to recommend what to see and when; and even head to the best health clubs and beauty centres around town (tough job) to see what’s worth going to and what to miss.
We don’t for one second feel that we can help you live an organized lifestyle– we don’t believe in miracles– but we do hope that as we grow, and uncover more of the city that we make it easier for you to traverse the chaos in search of the countless gems on offer; so many, in fact, that we have trouble deciding what to write about first.
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