Cleopatra's Cairo          By Dannielle B. Hayes

The golden pyramids, the secretive Sphinx, camel caravans, a cruise down the River Nile - visions such as these have crowded our thoughts for years. Now with increased security in tourist areas and hotels fit for a pharaoh, travel to Egypt is not only safe but also fulfills that Cleopatra fantasy in splendid style.

Mother of the World
 Lovingly referred to as "Mother of the World", Cairo glitters by night but is often choked with traffic by day. Built and rebuilt over a thousand years the city is home to people of the Nile Valley, Delta, deserts and many foreigners, each community with favorite gathering places. For a spectacular overview of the city, ascend the Cairo Tower or the terrace of Mohammed Ali's mosque at the Citadel, a magnificent white-domed fortress. He who hasn't seen Cairo cannot know the grandeur of Islam, wrote a 14th-century historian.

Shopping and Dining
In the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the heart of Islamic Cairo, little has changed since then. Colorful, sensuous, and bustling, the bazaar is squeezed into a labyrinth of alleyways. A stroll down the main artery, Sikket el-Badistan leads past shops selling antiques, fine gold jewelry, silver, leather and applique work. Belly-dance costumes glitter in the mottled sunlight near the ancient Bab el-Badistan (Gate of Chains) and Naguib Mahfouz Cafe, a perfect spot to sample delicious Egyptian cuisine. Sweet exotic scents lure buyers to the perfume bazaar and spice market.

Excitement
For the adventurous, there is a walk through the City of the Dead where thousands of Cairenes live in the cemetery, or the Friday morning Sun Hotel tour to the exciting camel market outside Cairo. Romantic couples will love the feast prepared at the Cairo Sheraton's Aladin Restaurant or an evening dinner cruise aboard the Marriot's Nile Maxim complete with famous belly-dancer, Asmahan. Then there is the nightly dramatization of Egyptian history played across the Sphinx and Pyramids with a fabulous sound and light show in eight different languages.

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