IN the Thousand and One Nights stories, Cairo is described as the Mother of the World - "Its dust is gold, its Nile is a wonder."

True. But the storyteller could have added that in summer's heat its air quality is like smoking a packet of cigarettes a day and the wonder is that more people aren't killed trying to cross the road.

More than 16 million people are crammed into Cairo's teeming backstreets. That's three times the population of London in an area almost half the size.

A million Cairenes hurtle around in cars of indeterminate origin, few of which run on unleaded petrol. With the result that Cairo has become one of the most polluted cities on Earth.

For three days I sat on my balcony in the Royal Nile Tower hotel watching feluccas (traditional sailing boats) and pleasure cruisers darting under bridges and zig-zagging across the banks of a timeless waterway. Then, on the fourth day, a slight breeze brushed away the polluted air... and there were the Pyramids.

The Nile is the heart of the city, the Pyramids at Giza, a few miles to the West, its soul. Cairo's history is in its extraordinary Egyptian Museum. Take a deep breath and go back four millennia to a bustling city which always rewards those with the patience and curiosity to explore it to the full.


THE Pyramids at Giza are gobsmackingly impressive. I first saw them close up at night, floodlit and majestic under the desert stars. Go then or at dawn before the hawkers and camel owners turn up to make your life a hassling, hustling hell. It's the one place in Cairo where every tourist is regarded as a walking wad of dollars. And they won't take la, shukran (no thank you) for an answer.

There are three main pyramids at Giza - Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus - all mausoleums to Pharaohs who lived and died as gods. The chambers are open from 8.30am to 4pm and it costs 20 Egyptian pounds (£3.50) for each one. The biggest and best is Cheops, rising almost 140 metres into the pale blue sky.

Nearby, the Sphinx is just as impressive. Known as Abu al-Hol (Father of Terror) it is still something of a mystery. No one knows why and for whom it was built, but it is thought to have been carved from the leftovers of the pyramids. The Turks, who ruled Egypt as part of the Ottoman Empire, used it for artillery target practice which is why the poor beast has lost his beard and nose.

There are three sound and light shows on the Giza Plateau every night and it's well worth the £6 entrance fee, if only to experience the spooky atmosphere.

Nearby Heliopolis is worth a visit, too. Built in the early 20th century as a "garden city" for European diplomats and businessmen, it has broad avenues, parks and graceful villas. Cairo's ubiquitous sprawl is gradually swallowing up Heliopolis, but it is still a pleasant shady place to wander on a sweltering afternoon.

In the evening, drop in for cocktails on the terrace at the Oberoi Mena House Hotel, a Cairo institution which overlooks the pyramids.

Cairo's other main attraction is its Museum, which contains some of the most spectacular objects to be found in any museum in the world. It houses more than 100,000 antiquities from every period of ancient Egyptian history.

Undoubtedly the highlight is the Tutankhamun Gallery containing the tomb and treasure of the young pharaoh which were unearthed in the Valley Of The Kings in the 20s.

And don't miss the Royal Mummy Room to see the mummified remains of 11 Egyptian rulers dating back to 1552BC. Other highlights of your Cairo trip should be a sunset felucca ride along the Nile, climbing to the top of the Bab Zuwaila Minaret, and a visit to the city's Northern Cemetery, known as the City Of The Dead. People live happily in the tombs of their relatives in this vast necropolis and, despite its name, it's become quite a lively area.


CAIRO isn't the culinary capital of the world and you should be careful eating from street stalls. Hotels are your safest bet. But it is worth trying the Alfy Bey Restaurant on Sharia Alfy in Downtown Cairo which does excellent kebabs and stuffed pigeon. Le Bistro on Hoda Shaarawi is a fine French restaurant - there is a big French influence in Cairo.


AHWAS, or coffeehouses, are full of babble and bubble pipes and Fishawi's is one of the most famous in Cairo. It's a great place to meet locals. The best bars tend to be in hotels - it's also here that the best belly-dancers perform.


A TRIP to Khan al Khalili bazaar in old Islamic Cairo is a must (women should be properly dressed here - no mini-skirts or bare shoulders). Everything you could possibly want, from jewellery to antiques, can be bought in these canvas-covered alleyways.


BRITISH Airways Holidays (visit ba.comor call 0870 243 3406) offer five nights in Cairo from £432pp departing July. It includes return scheduled flights from Heathrow from £303pp with five nights B&B at the four-star plus Le Meridien Pyramids from £129pp. A taxi from the airport to most city centre hotels takes about 20 minutes and costs £10. Agree the price with the driver beforehand and then hold on for dear life. For more on Cairo, visit the Egyptian Tourist Office site at