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»layered pastry called feteer which can be sweet or
savoury. There’s a baked sweet potato seller with a
wood-fired oven on almost every street. No Cairo visit
is complete without sampling a plate of koshary, an
Egyptian dish of rice, macaroni and lentils.
What’s your favourite way to get about the city?
Taxis are easily available and cheap. The Metro is a
sensible way of bypassing the traffic, though it’s best
avoided during rush hours. On special occasions, we go
on a horse-carriage ride or sail down the Nile on a big,
wide felucca with snowy white sails.
What types of shop do you like to visit?
For a good, local experience, I walk around the Share’a
el Khayamiya, or Street of the Tentmakers, to shop for
the Egyptian appliqué speciality called khayamiya.
Used historically as decorative tent linings, these
elaborately patterned works of appliqué resemble quilts
and are great buys as cushion covers, bedspreads and
wall hangings. Cairo’s markets are a must-see but I’d
advise going with a guide.
Where do you like to escape to?
Fayoum village: known for its pottery and laid-back
village life, it’s an excellent day trip from Cairo.
What has been your best discovery?
The same place I like to meet with friends – the Manial
Palace. This beautiful royal estate in the middle of
Cairo has exquisite woodwork, restored tiles, and
beautiful grounds, plus it’s often quiet.
What do you miss most if you’ve been away?
Ironically enough, it’s the things that get on my nerves
while I’m here that I miss when I’m away: for example,
music pouring out from cars, and the frustratingly
laid-back reply of “Inshallah”. I also miss the Cairo
sunsets, the magical unfurling of prayer calls every
evening and traditional mint tea.
If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Either keeping Cairo litter free or reducing the
honking of horns. The city would be way more liveable
if these two factors would magically disappear!
Where would you recommend staying?
I recommend all my visitors to stay in Zamalek. It’s a
cosmopolitan neighbourhood on the Gezira Island
with art galleries and cafés. Think of it as a soft launch
pad for the explosion of senses that is Cairo.
What keeps you in Cairo and where else would you
like to live?
Plenty of reasons keep me here – and we are lucky to
enjoy a good standard of living. Phnom Penh in
Cambodia is another place where I’d love to live.
1 Peace and greenery
at Al-Azhar park on
Gezira Island.(^2) Anything goes... in
aish baladiflatbreads.
(^3) Stucco arches line
thevastcourtyardat
Ibn Tulun mosque.
(^4) Children fishing
on the Nile.
(^5) Teatime at the Friday
Souq al Goma market.
(^6) The funerary
complex at Saqqara –
one of Svetlana’s
favourite places to visit
ESCAPE (^) | MY CITY