48 Hours in Cairo
Text by Anna Louie Sussman

Eight experiences that span history in Egypt's dynamic capital.

Fast and furious, filthy and fascinating, Cairo is known to locals as Umm al-Dunya, or "Mother of the World." Multiple strata of history shingle the city, home to anywhere from 11 to more than 20 million people, depending on who you ask. Lately, she's been looking to host a few more, upgrading the Cairo International Airport and building the 550-million-dollar Grand Egyptian Museum, due to open in 2011 near the Pyramids. Indulge in some leisurely era-hopping: Take in 5,000-year-old artifacts, wander the medieval suqs, then fast-forward to a sushi dinner at a white-hued restaurant by the Nile.

1. Dally with Antiquity No one leaves Egypt without gawking at the Pyramids of Giza, built about 4,600 years ago, and their enigmatic guardian, the Great Sphinx. Meet the mummies at the Egyptian Museum—and then go back for more. "Visit the Egyptian Museum twice," counsels Max Rodenbeck, Middle East bureau chief for The Economist. "The second time, you're used to the hassle and the crowds, and you can just find the most beautiful things."

2. Scour the Suqs In the heart of the Khan el Khalili, Cairo's most famous bazaar, Saladin Abdelaziz of Atlas Silks custom-makes traditional hand-embroidered robes and caftans from the finest silks and cottons. "Everyone goes to him," says socialite Zizette Serry. Al Khatoun (3 Mohamed Abdo St.) behind Al-Azhar Mosque sells classic Egyptian craftwork, like hammered copper bowls and block-printed textiles, updated to modern tastes. The truly intre-pid will enjoy browsing Friday's raucous Suq al-Goma'a (take a taxi to Sayyeda Aisha, south of the Citadel), an enormous flea market that sprawls into the City of the Dead, a labyrinthine neighborhood of tombs now occupied by the living.

3. Inhale Tradition Take a break to smoke the sweet, fruit-scented tobacco that burns atop a shisha, or water pipe. Although the streetside caf&s are filled with paunchy men whose numbers double if there's a soccer match on TV, women pick up the pipe as well at places like Al Fishawi in the Khan. William Wells, the owner of Cairo's top contemporary art space, Townhouse Gallery (10 Nabrawy St.), recommends Sequoia (end of Abu el Feda St.), a chic Nile-side restaurant and shisha bar on the island of Zamalek.

4. Catch the Sunset Cairo is never more magical than at sunset, when the pollution that ordinarily hangs gray over the city is suffused with pink and orange. Rent a felucca in front of the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza, and enjoy the view from the water. Or, settle in with a cocktail at the newly opened El Mojito, on the roof of the Nile Hilton.