24 HOURS IN... CAIRO

Step back in time and discover Egypt’s ancient wonders in the City of a Thousand Minarets

- ALLYSON PORTEE

Egypt, one of the world’s ancient gems with a history dating back some 7,000 years, should be on everyone’s bucket list. To get a flavour of this ancient land, which warrants a mega trip to really do it justice, the best starting point is Cairo. Of course, if you’re visiting for business, it’s tricky to pack in all that this colourful capital has to offer, from the iconic Pyramids of Giza to museums full of artifacts and ancient Egyptian art, but if you do only have 24 hours, hire a driver or an Uber to whisk you around the following hotspots.

1 Choose ‘ful’ for breakfast

Start your day with a traditional Egyptian breakfast at Zooba (zoobaeats.com), which is so good, it recently opened a branch in New York City. It might be a chain, but Zooba serves some of the best Egyptian street food in the capital. Try various types of ‘ful’ sandwiches. ‘Ful’ is fava beans soaked overnight and slow-cooked for 12 hours, mashed with spices and mixed with olive oil, sunflower oil or flaxseed oil. We recommend a ‘Taameya’ sandwich, Zooba’s very own fava bean and herb mix.

2 Get your pharaoh fix