“Coptic Cairo” – Egypt

The city of Cairo, and the country of Egypt, is predominately Islamic.  However, there is a small minority population of Coptic Christians which have a rich history in the city.  In fact, there is an area of the city referred to as “Coptic Cairo” as it is the heart of this minority community.  On a hot summer afternoon Lindsay and I decided to go and explore this unique section of the city.  The first thing we did was walk a few blocks from our hotel to the catch the Metro as Coptic Cairo was only a few stops away.  To be honest, our Metro ride was probably the most memorable part of the day.  The Cairo Metro actually has dedicated train cars for women and men.  However, since we were westerners we simply boarded the “men’s car” together.  Although our destination was only a few stops away it felt like an eternity.  First of all it was extremely hot, and second, every single man in the entire train car was staring at us.  This didn’t bother us in the least but we found it extremely funny.  It was literally like a movie scene as all of the men (their bodies swaying as the train rumbled on) just stared at me and Lindsay without hardly blinking.  I can honestly say it was one of the most awkwardly uncomfortable moments of my life and it was probably ten fold for Lindsay.  Again, we were not threatened at all but it was just hilarious as none of them ever took their eyes off of us.  We eventually made it to Coptic Cairo and began exploring this unique looking part of the city.  The area is defined by narrow alleyways, numerous markets and beautiful old Christian Churches.  Lindsay and I just wandered around taking in the neighborhood but quickly wore ourselves out because of the heat.  It was a short excursion to Coptic Cairo that day but it was something that we will always remember…if nothing else just for the awkward Metro ride. :)