The City of the Dead is alive and well.
It is also bursting with culture. Yes, it is a cemetery, and there are some squatters living within the tombs. However, most inhabitants of this historic neighborhood, located north of the iconic Cairo Citadel, live in the many small residential buildings tucked in between the mausoleums.
In one particular area of the cemetery you will find a group of artists working together to promote culture and commerce in their own little corner of the cemetery. The result: a safe and family-friendly visit to the City of the Dead that includes a dip into Cairo’s history and cultural heritage.
Your first glimpse of the neighborhood will likely be the mausoleum of the Sultan Qaitbey. If the caretaker is on duty you may get a chance to see the mausoleum’s lovely dome from the inside. But first: start your tour of the neighborhood just around the corner at the “maq’ad” (residence) of the Sultan. This is the home of the “MASQ” art exhibition space. I highly recommend you follow the MASQ initiative’s Facebook and Instagram pages before your trip in order to align your visit with one of the rotating exhibits.
Next up: glassblowing! The “Khaled” glass shop is a short one-minute walk from the maq’ad. Here you can watch the artisans blowing glass (worth the trip in itself) and purchase gorgeous glass tableware and decorative ornaments for astonishingly great prices. Children are welcome and encouraged to watch the glassblowers.
Khaled is one of two glassblowers in the neighborhood. The other is Hassan Hodhod. While I prefer Khaled for his prices and charming staff, Hassan Hodhod is fascinating due to his fame as a boxer-turned-glassblower.
Next to Hassan’s is the storefront for MISHKĀ, a jewelry and woodworking shop dedicated to empowering and employing the women of the neighborhood. You can ask to be shown the women’s workspace nearby. Also ask about MISHKĀ’s jewelry making workshops.
If possible, end your visit with a private tour of the Qaitbey mosque and mausoleum (if the caretaker is on duty – you’ll know if the mosque’s outer gate is visibly unlocked) and a ful or falafel sandwich from the cart in the square. You can call an Uber to pick you up from in front of Hassan Hodhod’s shop or walk out to the nearby Autostrad to catch a taxi or city bus.
Hungry for more? I’m not surprised. Many people find Cairo’s City of the Dead to be surprisingly addicting. Stay tuned for a future post in which I will detail how to expand this “beginner’s trip” into a self-guided walking tour of the entire Northern Cemetery. Until then, get your feet wet with a visit to the Qaitbey complex and the glassblowers. See you there!
