Since we got to Cairo, we’ve been taking things easy. We went down for a late breakfast. I had a mixed berries yogurt which was honestly the best yogurt I’ve ever had in my life. 

Our first stop was Imam Shafi’i’s Mosque. We drove through a graveyard to get to the mosque and I was absolutely amazed at how the taxi driver could drive through these streets. 

Imam Shafi’i is the founder of the Shafi’i madhab and was born in Gaza in 150 A.H. He travelled around the world in pursuit of knowledge and settled in Egypt in 200 A.H. and passed away in 204 A.H. 

Imam Shafi’i was known for his outstanding ability to retain information – possibly due to a photographic memory – and for his insightful mind and analytical, and logical thinking. The boat-like finial (ushari) atop the dome of the mosque is said to be in reference to him being described as a “sea of knowledge”. 

He was also known for his simple, yet elegant poetry, much of which deals with human values such as the importance of the pursuit of knowledge, the ups and downs of friendship and the spiritual aspects of belief. 

From his poetry:

Journey from your country seeking elevation 

And travel, for in travel are gains in five matters;

Relief from worry, and earning of livelihood 

Knowledge, culture, and a companion of stature

We then took a taxi to Amr bin al Aas Mosque. Amr bin al Aas Mosque is the first mosque in Islamic Egypt and Africa. It was founded in 21 A.H. by Sayyidina Amr bin al Aas, the Islamic leader, and was given several names reflecting its importance and great spiritual and political role in the history of Egypt as “Al-Masjid al-‘Atique” (the old mosque), “Taj al-Jawami'” (the capital of mosques) and “Imam al Masajid” (the chief mosque).

Amr bin Al Aas was the first scientific university. Lessons circles were held for the public, students and specialists in Quran, language and jurisprudence. Imam Shafi’i learned there when he arrived to Egypt at the end of the 200 A.H.

The mosque went through many architecture developments through its lifetime and it was founded on the model of Nabi ﷺ’s mosque in Madinah. 

The area of mosque at the time of its construction was 25m*15m. As a result of the expansions, it has now reached up to 120m*110m. The mosque consists of an open court in the middle of which is a dome supported by eight columns and surrounded by four aisles. 

After this, we were quite hungry so we caught another taxi to Naema. Naema is on the corner of a street next to the Police Hospital. It is definitely a popular spot because it was really busy with locals. We placed an order and they give you a ticket and then you go to the different areas where they prepare the food. We bought schwarmas, chips (which came in a pita) and a burger. We really enjoyed the chips pita and the schwarma was so flavourful. It was really cool to try and it didn’t disappoint. 

After this, we decided that we wanted to go to Cairo Tower. When we got there, there were a few pop ups selling homemade items. We walked around for a bit and then went to buy our tickets. 

We opted to get the normal passes for 300 EGP, there was also an option to get an express pass for 550 EGP. I thought it was Cairo’s way of making some extra cash so I didn’t choose it for us (which was a bad idea but it all ended well). The ideal thing to do would be to buy the express pass and go about 10 minutes before sunset so you can catch it. 

We ended up waiting for about one and a half hours and we thought we even missed the sunset because the sky had already changed colours. While waiting we tried to get the express passes but the man at the ticket counter refused to help us change our tickets. 

Eventually, they called our ticket numbers, we then stood in a line again and then finally, we entered the elevator. It took us up to the 7th floor where we had to climb a few sets of stairs to get to the top. 

When we eventually got to the top, we walked outside to the prettiest sunset. The view made all the waiting worth it. We even spotted two pyramids in the distance which was so cool. The top of the tower was freezing though so if you’re going in winter, wear a good few layers. 

We came down from the tower, got a taxi, sat in some traffic and then eventually got back to the hotel. 

After a bit, we went back to City Stars Mall for supper. It was much less busier than the night before. We got some food from Harrold, it was decent but definitely not the best. We then got some dessert from Papa Roti’s which was amazing. Then we went back to the room, cleared up a bit and then went straight to sleep. 

Step count: 10 571