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Interesting Facts
- Temperatures in Cairo range from a manageable average of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit in winter to a challenging 90 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. What seems to some travelers like a pleasant Egyptian winter temperature can be like the dawn of a new Ice Age to the locals, so expect to see them shuffling around in wool coats and scarves on such days.
- Be aware that, no matter how hot it gets in Cairo, visitors should still observe certain clothing protocols. If you wear short trousers or skirts, a significant portion of Egyptians will regard you with disdain at best, as such garments are taken as a sign of lack of self-respect. This can affect standards of service levels in cafes, shops and bars and can invite stares and comments.
- Caliph of Cool Omar Sharif is not just a pretty face. The playboy Egyptian actor and Chicago Tribune bridge columnist graduated in Math and Physics from Cairo's prestigious university. Other famous alumni include Yasser Arafat and Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
- The currency of Egypt is the pound (written as 'EGP' or 'LE'), properly called the Geneih. One Egyptian Pound is made up of 100 Piastres. Paper money is beautiful and gives double value in artistic terms as one side bears Arabic script and decoration, the other is of more western design and is in English. One LE is worth about 0.18 of a US Dollar and 0.08 of a British Pound. If you're taking more than 10,000 US Dollars (5000 British Pounds) into Egypt, you should declare that when you arrive.
- Although those with a Western attitude towards animal welfare may find sights at places such as the Souq Al Gamal camel market a little unpleasant, thanks to Dorothy Brooke, Cairo is the place to be for injured horses and mules. It was she who founded the renowned Brooke Hospital for Animals here in 1934, an organization that now tends to equine invalids across the Arab world.
- On Cairo's city streets you're far more likely to see men holding hands with their best pals than their best gals. But don't let that custom make you think that the city's gay-friendly: as recently as May 2007 around 50 men were arrested at a gay party on the Queen Boat Discotheque and charged with obscene behavior.
- Further light is shed on Egypt's moral attitudes by the brouhaha surrounding the country's answer to Madonna, Ruby (why didn't she stick with Rania Hussein Mohammed Tawfik?). Raunchy Ruby has scandalized the guardians of her country's morals by flashing her belly and wearing skimpy clothing in her videos. Some MPs want to see ancient legislation enacted against her. Easy now, Rube.
- Cairo is the hub of a beauty pageant scene that's every bit as tough to understand as the world heavyweight boxing championship system. Hopes of unifying it were raised in 1954 when Antigone Costanda (Miss Egypt) became Miss World; but her triumph was an opportunity missed, and today one can only become Egyptian Miss Universe (and thus qualify for Miss World) by winning Pantene Miss Egypt. But someone who makes it through to the finals of any of the world's major beauty contests is entitled to be called Miss Egypt, so at any one time there could be five Miss Egypts.
- Hot on the heels of LA Galaxy in the race to raise the profile of soccer comes Cairo's Wadi Degla, who have joined forces with venerated Brit outfit Arsenal to form a soccer school to propel young players – including girls – onto the world stage. The school considers the sport can provide a peerless education in the realms of mathematics, linguistics and deportment.
- You can call me Al: did you know that 'Cairo' is just a stage name? The city's really called al-Qahirah, which is Arabic for 'the Conqueror' or 'the Victor'. Then again it's also known as 'The Mother of All Cities' and 'The City of 1000 Minarets'. And then there's also 'Masr'.
