Egitto — uncrowded destinations

The Mevlevi Sama Khane of Cairo: the circular theatre of the dervishes behind a small door in al-Darb al-Ahmar

In Cairo, behind the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, a circular wooden hall where the Mevlevi dervishes danced: the Mevlevi Museum.

Jun 28, 2026

Roda Island, Cairo, Egypt

Archaeological sites

The Nilometer of Roda in Cairo: descending beneath the Nile to read its floods

On Roda Island in Cairo, a well dating to 861 AD, fitted with a graduated column, once measured the Nile's floods. Its history, what to see, and how to get there.

Jun 28, 2026

Darb al-Asfar, Islamic Cairo, Cairo, Egypt

City corners

Bayt al-Suhaymi: the Ottoman courtyard house hidden away in Darb al-Asfar, Cairo

A few steps from al-Muizz Street, a 1648 mansion with a green courtyard, a fountain and mashrabiya. The Islamic Cairo that almost no one steps inside to see.

Jun 28, 2026

Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt

Churches and cathedrals

Heliopolis Basilica: Baron Empain's 'Little Hagia Sophia'

The Basilique Notre-Dame d'Heliopolis in Cairo: a Byzantine dome, Baron Empain's crypt and the Art Nouveau boulevards of the district he founded.

Jun 28, 2026