I thought I'd blog on some of the aspects of Cairo tourists never see. I'll do this once a week or so.This city has some amazing stories to tell in its 1000 year history.
On the eastern side of the city, close to the famous citadel, and in the Moquattam hills, lies the City of the Dead. This is a vast area of cemeteries and small mosques that has existed for as long as the city has been here. As you pass the city you will note two things: Mile upon mile of boarded up or walled grave yard. Through a gap you may see a tomb. Some of the mausoleums can be seen from the road and some are ornate, others plain. Look closer and you will see people living there. In fact it is estimated that over a million people live in the city of the dead. They co-exist with graves, tombs and mausoleums of long-dead ancestors. These people have nowhere else to go and so they live in close proximity to the departed.
Peer down a street as you pass by and you will see vehicles parked there, small stalls selling veg and fruit , cigarettes and drinks. To add to this incongruity let me tell you that DHL has a collection point in this morbid place. Many Cairenes shun this place and denigrate its dwellers (it is a slum, after all), but one has to remember that death is not anathema to many Egyptians. Rather, they are doing what Egyptians have done for thousands of years: Ensuring that the dead rest forever in peace and are comfortable in the hereafter.
There are many other unsung stories about Cairo so I shall post again.