Cairo, the capital of Egypt, boasts a population of over 20 million in its metropolitan area. As the largest city in the Arab world, it serves as the central hub of Islamic culture. Situated on the banks of the Nile River, Cairo thrives thanks to the nourishing waters of the Nile, a sentiment echoed by the historian Herodotus, who poetically referred to Egypt as the "fruit of the Nile." The oldest part of the city known as Historic Cairo has been designated as a World Heritage Site.
Oh, just look at that line of palm trees.
They seem to just go on forever.
I've arrived in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
Boasting a population of over 20 million in its metropolitan area,
Cairo is the largest city in the Arab world and serves as the central hub of Islamic culture.
Ah, the minarets on that mosque are so majestic.
I can hardly wait.
It's going to be so exciting to "discover" this city.
This is my first time in Egypt.
Huh? What's going on?
The car up ahead is dropping off passengers in the middle of the street.
Is that okay?
Oh my, everybody's honking!
I think I'd like to get out here.
Thank you!
Good-bye.
Yikes, the street is packed with cars.
It's 9 AM. Maybe they're going to work?
Ah, this is the gateway to Cairo, Ramses Station.
The design is definitely Arabian.
And....
Whoa...I'd better be careful where I walk...
First, I'm going to check the map.
The city of Cairo is located on the banks of the Nile River.
Historic Cairo is the oldest part of the city and has been designated as a World Heritage Site.
I'm going to head over there first.
This seems to be a very popular area.
Oh, pardon me.
There is so much confusion on this street.
Even though this is a main street, there are no traffic signals nor pedestrian crossings...
Why isn't the policeman helping by directing traffic?
I guess I'm just going to have charge ahead...
Wow... Everyone's acting like this is normal.
The pedestrians just walk wherever they feel like it, it seems.
I think Historic Cairo is this way...
Oh, fruit!
Grapes and...cherries?
Egyptian mangos.
Not sold in your country.
Fascinating...
Grown in Egypt.
Thank you.
Hmm, is Egypt famous for its mangos?
Wow...
So many of these buildings look very old.
Strange... I'm in the middle of the city yet, it doesn't feel like an urban center...
Oh, chickens! It's a market.
Oh, good morning.
Fish for sale.
But there's no ocean near Cairo...
It's fresh fish!
Good morning.
Where were these caught?
The Nile River.
Ohh, the Nile River.
Wow...
Those fish are very large!
Well, it is the Nile River, after all.
Thank you.
And right next to the fish shop...?
Hang on tight.
Oh, chickens?
Wow! They really crowded them in there.
Whoa...
Take this case.
Yikes, the chickens are creating a traffic jam...
No! Get out of the way!
Hang on tight.
Got it?
Those are chickens.
Huh? ...Um, yes...
They are very busy!
Phew... Oh, there's a main street up there.
And guess what, no traffic lights...
Everyone is so casual about crossing the busy street...
Oh, there's a sidewalk.
But it's mostly blocked...
Oh, bread.
-How are you? From Korea?
- Oh, I live in Japan.
Welcome.
Thank you.
Wow, that bread is huge.
So many different kinds...
Our bread is fine quality.
It all looks delicious.
Oh, good morning.
Oh, these are so white...
And they're puffy.
Wow, there's so many.
Can they really sell all of these?
Excuse me, what kind of bread is this?
It's whole wheat aish.
Aish baladi??
It's standard.
Egyptians eat it as a staple.
Ahh, so that's why there're so many.
May I ask how many of these do you make every day?
I usually eat four at once.
I never count.
I just sell as long as people buy.
Ahh. You consider it a daily essential...
Huh?
Whoa... Look at how they carry them!?
No way! He's going to get on a bike?
Oh...! Excuse me, some bread fell off.
Oh, he came back.
Oh! Another one.
Those definitely cannot be sold...
Ride carefully!
Maybe they bake a lot to make up for the dropped ones?
Oh, there's a stone wall.
According to the guidebook... this is "...the wall surrounding Historic Cairo.
The Muslim conquerors of Egypt in the 7th century built a new city here in the 10th century.
They named it 'Misr al-Qahirah,' or 'City of the Victors.'
This fortified city is the origin of present-day Cairo."
Amazing, this city has been in existence for a thousand years!
Now, that is one magnificent gate!
So when I pass through, I'll be in the heart of Cairo, the city of a thousand years.
Ahh... I can sense the history.
Black and white striped arches...
Definitely has the look of Islamic architecture.
And so...
I guess I enter from here?
Thank you.
Look, there's a stately minaret.
That building must be a mosque.
I want to see what the guidebook says.
"In the Historic Cairo there are numerous mosques with towers used to call for prayer.
The city is also known as the 'City of a Thousand Minarets'."
So, it truly is the center of Islamic culture.
Come to think of it, the earlier bustle of the city now feels distant.
Almost as though it didn't exist.
The atmosphere is so different here!
A stone minaret that watches over the people of Cairo.
Its presence is commanding.
This is Al Mu'izz Street, the main street of Historic Cairo.
But nothing is open...
I must be too early!
Wait, that place is open...
What are all those objects on display outside?
They look familiar but...
Good morning.
Excuse me, what are these...?
They're hookah for shisha.
That's it. Hookah!
Are they popular?
Very popular.
As popular as cigarettes.
Oh, really.
Sales are about the same.
Do you use them, too?
No.
- What?
- I just sell them.
Why?
I'm not a smoker.
I don't smoke anything.
I see. Thank you.
I've seen shisha smokers in Japan also.
I wonder if it comes from this area.
11 AM.
Ah, the district is beginning to come alive.
Oh!
Ahh, more hookah.
Shisha seems to be really popular here.
Oh, look at how lovely that window is!
And the decorations on the walls are so intricate!
Oh! Be careful!
Ahh, that building has an interesting shape.
A city of over a thousand years...
I wonder what kind of people have lived here.
There aren't many stores around here.
Did I get onto a backstreet?
And what is this place...?
Oh... I'm sorry. Did I surprise you?
He's holding a hookah.
Does he make them?
Hello.
Hi. What is it?
May I ask what you're doing?
I'm repairing a hookah.
Oh, this is a repair shop?
What part are you repairing?
It's all broken.
I'm basically remaking it.
Ahh, he's filing it down?
I wonder if that hookah is an antique...
Oh, hello.
Hello.
Is that hookah yours?
Yes. I've been coming here
for years for repairs.
I see.
So, this is your go-to place?
When it comes to hookah for shisha,
this is the area to come to.
The experienced craftsmen
are all here.
And the welders are here,
on Al Mu'izz Street.
Everything having to do with
hookah is here, nowhere else.
The craftsmen here are amazing,
which is why I come here.
I can understand.
Isn't it difficult to work outside in this heat?
Allah gives me strength, so I'm fine.
You look very healthy.
Yes.
I'm 80 years old.
I'm used to this work.
Oh... How old were you when you started?
Ten.
For 70 years!?
Yes.
Wow.
It seems, Historic Cairo is home to experienced craftsman.
And the people living here rely on their skills.
Thank you for your time.
I can see a minaret up there in the distance.
And I'm back on Al Mu'izz Street.
Oh, look a cat...
Hello.
Hi.
Ah, a women's clothing store.
And they're selling ensembles with scarves.
This area is very lively!
I'm going to check the guidebook again.
"Khan el-Khalili. This market opened in the 14th century and is a popular tourist spot in Historic Cairo.
A great place to find traditional crafts and souvenirs."
Wow, it's over 600 years old?
Konnichiwa, ohayo gozaimasu
(Hello, good morning).
Huh?
Konnichiwa, ohayo gozaimasu
(Hello, good morning).
Hello.
Japanese.
Friend.
Hi.
It seems that a lot of people from Japan come here.
Hello.
There are so many interesting things for sale...
- Konnichiwa (Hello).
- Hello.
- Yamamoto-san (Mr. Yamamoto).
- What?
Not expensive, not expensive.
Um, why "Yamamoto-san"?
It means ‘welcome.'
"Yamamoto-san" does?
Aren't you Japanese?
Yes, I live in Japan, but I guess I haven't studied the language enough.
Sayonara (Good-bye).
- Otsukare-sama desu (Good work).
- Huh?
Why is he saying "Otsukaresama desu?"
I wonder what he thinks it means.
Konnichiwa (Hello).
I keep hearing Japanese being spoken...
Hm? An alley.
It looks like there are stores all the way down.
I think I'll check it out.
Ethnic garments and hookah.
They're all gift shops.
Hello.
Hm? All of a sudden, it's so quiet.
What is that voice?
Where's it coming from?
Oh, a minaret.
It seems to be resonating from there.
I'm going to take a look.
What!? No people in the shops?
Oh...
It's time for prayer.
Adults and children alike.
I think they're done.
After the noon prayer, I guess everyone returns to work.
So many minarets and the gift shops spilling onto the streets.
The past and present blending together, creating an intriguing power.
Okay, I'm going to explore some more.
Hello, everyone.
I start by wishing you peace and God's blessings.
My name is Hazem Gaber Ali.
I am in charge of the site of Muizz Street in Historic Cairo.
Today I will explain the secret of how water has nurtured the city of Old Cairo.
Allah says in the Holy Quran, "I created all living things out of water."
The historian Herodotus also said, "Egypt is the fruit of the Nile."
The city of Cairo could not have prospered without the waters of the Nile.
This is the "Magra el Oyoun" aqueduct.
The great Saladin also known as Salah Doniya ad-Din began its construction in the 9th century.
Through the years it was continuously restored and added to by successive sultans until the 14th century.
It delivered precious water to the walled city of Qahira, which had many mosques.
I'm here on the roof of the building that houses the starting point of the aqueduct.
The Nile River, visible from here, serves as the source of the water.
The water is directed from an underground intake in the basement to a storage tank.
After allowing the impurities to settle,
the clear water on the surface is pumped up to an upper tank using six lifting machines.
From this tank, the water was then channeled through a waterway above the city walls to the center of Cairo.
The water flows due to the difference in height.
The width of the waterway is also not uniform,
and it was created to zigzag in order to accelerate the flow of the water,
and thus preventing it from stagnation.
The walled city of Al-Qahira, the current Historic Cairo, also had facilities like this to supply water.
Let's take a look underground.
Isn't the height of the ceiling amazing?
Water was brought in from a tributary of the Nile and filled to the ceiling through an intake at the top.
The water that was stored underground was drawn up from here using buckets...
and transferred to this hollow.
It was then distributed in copper cups to anyone passing by on the street.
There are two important functions here.
Distributing water and encouraging education.
And facilities like this were often next door to where children studied.
The "Mother Nile" has nourished our land and enables the raising of crops and delicious fruit.
I encourage everyone to experience the Nile River when they visit Egypt.
However, instead of drinking it directly,
I recommend juice made with sugarcane, grown with Nile River Water.
It's a favorite of Cairo locals.
Ah, now this is the taste of the Nile!
It's 2 PM.
I just finished exploring Historic Cairo.
Here, the streets are quite wide and of course, they are chaotic with people and cars.
Wait a minute.
Those people are crossing in the middle of the street and slipping through the fence in the middle of the road.
It appears that someone created a "shortcut"!
Let me check my map.
I left Ramses Station and passed through the market street, checked out a bakery,
and passed through the castle wall gate to Historic Cairo.
I met a shisha artisan, browsed through a market with a history of over 600 years,
and witnessed the noon prayer at the mosque.
And now, I'm around... here.
Wow...Another magnificent mosque.
According to the guidebook, that is...
...Al Azhar Mosque.
It was built in the 10th century.
Since then, it has become a center of knowledge in Cairo and the foremost institution for the study of Islamic law.
The attached educational institution is said to be one of the oldest universities in the world,
and students gather from all over the world to study about Islam.
Approximately 40,000 students come from overseas.
Wow, that is impressive.
Oh, excuse me...
One of the world's oldest universities...
that means this is one of the world's oldest college towns?
Ahh, the streets are narrow again...
Oh, I doubt they can pass each other there.
Yikes, be careful...
"Bakku shimasu (Backing up)."
Huh?
"Bakku shimasu (Backing up)."
The car's speaking Japanese...
It's not backing up.
Japanese cars... They try hard...
Is this a mosque too?
Oh, are they students?
So, I guess class just finished.
Hmm, are these buildings apartments for students?
And what's in here?
They're working on something.
Hello...
Hello.
May I ask what you do here?
We bind and restore books.
Books?
All by hand. As a team.
Bind and restore books?
That looks very old.
It's a book from 1803.
What! More than 200 years ago.
May I see?
Yes, it says 1803.
That was a long time ago.
It was sent from the UK.
This book is tattered.
We must remove the original cover
and replace it.
It must be the same thickness.
Fascinating!
We choose leather to match the book.
This is closer to the original color.
- Right?
- That's true.
It's very delicate work.
So orders come from abroad, too.
We sometimes receive books
400 or 500 years old.
Unbelievable!
Although we remake it completely.
By repairing it,
it can last another 400 years.
Wow...
There are some young craftsmen here also.
All bent on soundly preserving the books as well as traditional skills.
I guess that this kind of work is the result of being part of a historic university town.
Thank you for your time.
You're welcome.
Keep up the good work.
Good-bye.
It is people like those craftsmen who help maintain the valuable world of academics.
Huh? That sounds like birds chirping...
Huh? There's a guy up there waving a flag.
Is he whistling?
Excuse me!
What are you doing!?
Um, what are...!?
Come on up!
Well ah, well ah, you're pretty high up.
Come on.
I might freeze from fear...
But I'm curious.
It seems that this is a residential area.
Umm... Is it this building?
Where's the entrance...?
It's a bit dark in here...
Is this a residence where someone lives?
Excuse me, I'm coming in...
It's getting brighter... phew.
- Over here.
- Huh?
Oh, up there...
Ahh, okay, here I am.
There's a shed...
And what's this sound...?
Oh, hello.
Welcome.
I accepted your invitation to come up and meet you.
Who was it waving the flag?
Me.
Oh, you.
But what were you doing...?
I just like pigeons.
Pigeons?
I like pigeons.
It's my hobby.
What can you tell me about them?
Some like to fly in the morning.
Some in the evening and
some in the afternoon.
It depends on their age.
What? You help pigeons fly?
And what is this place?
Whoa...
I'll show you...
These are all pigeons?
So it's a pigeon hut.
Oh, it's tiny. When was it born?
Just three days ago.
Ahh, you're raising it.
This one will start practicing
flying soon.
How old is this one?
Three weeks exactly.
Hmm... Is flying pigeons popular?
In the era of the prophet (Muhammad),
there were no phones
so pigeons carried letters, right?
I don't know for how long,
but it's an old custom.
Wow... culture from the era of the prophet...
My love of pigeons is due to
my father, who loved them.
My father's love for pigeons was
passed down to him from his father.
It will likely go on
for long with this shed.
Ah, so it is a family tradition.
- Come up here.
- Huh?
Oh, you can climb up there.
This building seems to be hand-crafted.
Umph. Oh, there's no roof...
Ahh, so that's what he was doing before!
Whistling and waving a flag...
It's almost like he's talking with the pigeons.
Ah, the pigeons flying through the air above Historic Cairo.
I wonder if people a thousand years ago would look up and see this...
When I'm tired, I come here
to be with pigeons.
I gaze at the view and relax.
It's very soothing.
I understand.
Oh, look! Way over there I see skyscrapers.
That must be the "new" Cairo.
The Nile River flows around there.
I think I'll head that way next.
Hi everyone!
I'm Sarah Khaled.
I'm a gourmet medical student.
I'm going to introduce you to three different dishes that Cairo locals adore!
Come with me!
The first dish I will introduce is...
Hawawshi.
The Egyptian staple bread, aish, is stuffed with vegetables and spiced ground beef,
then slowly baked in an oven.
Oh, look so good.
Ahh, the best!
The aish is crispy and the meat flavoring is perfect!
Hawawshi is also referred to as the "Egyptian burger."
But there's one big difference.
Aish is thin, so it has less carbs.
So I think it's good for people on a diet.
Plus, it's delicious so enjoy as much as you want.
And next I'm going to introduce...
Tamiya!
Tamiya is an all-time favorite street food, enjoyed by everyone!
The main ingredient is mashed fava beans, crisply deep-fried in oil.
Ahh, so good!
So crispy!
Fava beans have been consumed since ancient times in Egypt.
And we cook them in many different ways.
And now for Cairo's No.1...
Koshari.
Koshari is made of rice, lentils, macaroni, onion, chickpeas, and tomato sauce.
Add spicy sauce to the tomato sauce if you prefer...
And then vinegar...
Generously pour the sauce over all of the ingredients...
Oh, this looks so delicious!
This is my favorite dish!
Yellow, red, white...these colors!
It's fantastic!
I love the contrast of the crispy onions and soft macaroni.
It's so good.
Many Egyptians are careful with their diet to avoid gaining weight.
But they cannot resist the temptation of koshari.
Everyone loves this.
I eat it about 12 times a month.
Many people come from around the world to see famous historical spots in Egypt.
But, the food is fantastic too!
I hope that visitors will taste our cuisine as well.
We're looking forward to seeing you!
5:30 in the evening.
I have left Historic Cairo and arrived in the Modern Cairo.
The streets feel spacious.
Oh my, look! A traffic light!
Come to think of it, I don't think I saw open-air cafes like this in Historic Cairo.
Looking at the map...
I stopped by the studio that restores books,
met the young man who loves pigeons,
and then walked quite a distance to reach the Nile River and here is Modern Cairo.
Seeing the city like this, confirms that Cairo is definitely an urban center!
And it's the largest city in the Arab world.
Just look at all the majestic buildings!
This part of the city is so different from where I was this morning...
Just look at all the cars!
Huh?
Children...taking pictures?
I wonder what they're photographing...
Oh, the buildings.
Uh, hello.
- Hello.
- Having fun?
Yes.
Is this for school?
It's a project by a group
that supports children.
We have other workshops
besides photography.
We teach things that will benefit
their future, both work and art.
How great for the kids!
I want to shoot that window
next to the balcony.
- Just the window?
- Yes.
Then let's try the zoom.
Instead of tilting the phone,
hold it like this.
Um, excuse me. Would you mind showing me?
You mean their photos?
Yes.
How about this one?
Wow...
These are nice pictures.
Yes, good photographs!
They learn fast.
I want to ask you, what do you like about Cairo?
The apartments and houses.
- The trees.
- The streets.
The people.
The streets.
So you like the streets.
Really. What else?
The houses.
- The best?
- The houses.
The houses?
I see. Thank you!
- Good-bye.
- Good-bye.
Good luck with your photography.
Streets, trees, people, and houses.
The people here, love everything about this city...
7 PM.
Wow, the sun's so bright!
And there's a bridge that crosses the Nile...
And this is the Mother Nile that nurtures the city of Cairo.
The flow is gentle.
Look at all the couples!
Definitely very romantic!
Let me try talking to those two.
Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt.
Good evening.
Could you spare a moment?
Of course.
Thank you.
Are you both from Cairo?
We live on the outskirts.
I see.
What brings you to the Nile River today?
We came to enjoy
the beautiful scenery.
For a walk.
I understand.
We love this gorgeous view.
We were talking about the cruiser
that just passed.
It was a boat party; we were saying
it'd be fun to do that with friends.
Wow... that would be lovely.
Have a nice evening.
Thank you.
Good-bye.
The city of a thousand years,
and the center of Islamic culture — Cairo.
Although it is a large urban city, the flow of time is very relaxed...
Just like the Mother Nile.