L ana Gedogošević is a long-serving journalist of Belgrade-based daily Blic and probably the most competent person to familiar- ise us with the Egyptian capital of Cairo. Her adoration for this city is so great that she’s returned to it on multiple occasions. “My rst visit there was my choice, while the next time I visited for work. Some will agree that it’s an attractive city, while some won’t, but it is undeniably special. With around 20 million inhabitants – it is lively, fast-paced and interesting, but if you’re used to everything be- ing arranged and“spotless”, you certainly won’t experience that here. Nevertheless, that “chaos”, as many would call it, makes the city at- tractive and interesting,”says Lana, adding that the best way to start getting to know the city is from the Nile. “The Coptic quarter is a very pretty and quiet old town, with the beautiful Church of the Virgin Mary from the 7 th century and the near- by Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus from the 6 th century. The archi- tecture around these places is also interesting, with the streets in the quarter tiles and narrow, with a special atmosphere, while there are also plenty of cafés where you can take refreshment with tea or cof- fee, and then continue your tour of the the city.” She describes Cairo as a city that only appears to be in a rush, while its energy is a lot tamer. “Egyptians like to “chill out”, so they sit in parks, on benches, in the streets, cafés and taverns, chatting, socialising or simply observing the city and the people in it who are occupied by their own thoughts. They are kind and keen to help, explain and direct, as long as you can manage to achieve mutual understanding with them.” As for the pyramids, she says that the option of not visiting was out of the question for her, although she heard that the internal pas- sages are extremely narrow. “I realised in the end that that was a good decision, because I got a completely di erent impression from the interior: it was neither that warm nor stu y, one could move normally, though in a half-crouch in certain parts. The pathway leads from the entrance to a chamber that was a tomb, and which contain nothing besides stone, then you head another way to get out. It’s a great feeling just being inside such a wonder as the pyramids,” continuing Lana, before adding that an- other must-visit is the city’s Khan el-Khalili market. “If you’re used to visiting shops where everything is in its place, with xed prices and no comments from the traders, this is not the place for you. On the contrary, here you will nd everything but the kitchen sink, especially if you allow yourself to explore. It is interest- ing that there are no xed working hours, with merchants operating from the morning until tomorrow.” And when you tire of walking, she recommends that you take a seat and try the traditional Egyptian speciality of ful medames , a dish made from beans and the simplest ingredients. “The best ful medames can be eaten on the street, but if you want to try it in a restaurant, do so at one of those near the Al-Sayeda Zain- ab Mosque in the historic part of Cairo. Afterwards you’ll most enjoy the traditional Egyptian hibiscus tea known as Karkadeh, which can be found on every corner here.”
Lena opisuje Kairo kao grad koji samo izgleda užurbano, ali mu je energija mnogo pitomija Lana describes Cairo
as a city that only appears
to be in a rush, while its energy is a lot tamer
Kada se umorite od pešačenja, po njenoj preporuci sedite i probaj- te tradicionalni egipatski specijalitet fud mamis, jelo koje se pravi od pa- sulja i najjednostavnijih namirnica. – Najbolji fud mamis se može pojesti na ulici, ali ako želite da to ipak učinite u restoranu, probajte ga kod El Sajed Zainab džamije, u isto- rijskom delu Kaira. Posle će vam naj- više prijati tradicionalni egipatski čaj od hibiskusa karkadi, koji se ov- de može popiti na svakom ćošku.
You must try the traditional Egyptian hibiscus tea known as Karkadeh Obavezno probajte tradicionalni egipatski čaj od hibiskusa karkadi
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