Cairo, Egypt.

Two museums, the former military Citadel, and a grand bazaar dating back to the 1300s were our historical highlights of Cairo. For a modern day treasure, we were lucky to catch up with friends now living in Cairo - Daniel and Catherine and their two boys. Adults caught up and laughed over drinks, the boys played video games together. Perfect!

The Museum of Civilizations is excellent. It’s small enough to avoid overwhelm and retain bits of information, it holds tons of beautiful pieces, plus there are over 20 mummies! (Though, no mummy photos allowed.)

An administrative center and military fortress, the Citadel was built starting in the late 1100s. Buildings have been added over the centuries, perhaps the most grand is the alabaster Muhammed Ali Pasha mosque in 1845 (not named after the boxer, we decided).

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is kind of a mess (due to many of its treasures being relocated to the new Grand Egyptian Museum opening in late 2024), but is filled with halls and halls of ancient instruments, make-up, tools, sarcophagi, and King Tut’s tomb treasures. Absolutely mind-blowing!