This week we are heading to Egypt to explore Cairo and the Giza Necropolis. Egypt is steeped in history, and it is a wonderful destination for archaeology and history lovers. We are trying to make sure the content we suggest is accessible in different ways. Although it can be difficult to find websites that are fully accessible, we review many to offer you the ones that are the most accessible. As always, if you find barriers or have suggestions please reach out to us at info@bluetrunk.org and let us know so that we can improve!
Visit the Museums and Sites
When visiting Cairo the must-see site is the Giza Pyramid Complex, also called the Giza Necropolis. Google Arts and Culture has a collection of resources about the Giza Necropolis. You can also explore the Pyramid Complex and the Sphinx through street view. If you want a more in-depth and academic resource about the pyramids, check out The Giza Project from Harvard University.
Although the Giza Necropolis may be the most well-known site, Cairo is host to many other museums. The Egyptian Museum houses over 100,000 Egyptian antiquities. Although they don’t have an extensive online collection, you can enjoy a video walking tour of the museum on YouTube. The video can be found in two parts, the first floor and the second floor. There is only ambient noise in these videos, no narration. Another museum in Cairo is the Museum of Islamic Art, which has their collection available on their webpage.
Tune in to Shows and Documentaries About Egypt
To get acquainted with Cairo as a tourist destination you can tune in to Lonely Planet’s Cairo City Guide (auto-generated captions available) and Expedia’s Site UnScene video on Cairo (auto-generated captions available). To learn more about the food culture you can turn to The Food Ranger for his exploration of street food in Cairo (captions available). Lastly, you can watch BBC Travel Show’s episode on Egypt, and the host of this show is a wheelchair user (auto-generated captions available).
For history and archaeology enthusiasts there are many shows and documentaries to choose from. PBS has a free documentary, Decoding the Great Pyramid, available on their site. Both captions and a full transcript are available. National Geographic’s series Lost Treasures of Egypt, on Disney+, focuses on Egyptologists and archaeology (captions available). Disney+ also has National Geographic’s documentary Egypt’s Treasure Guardians (captions available). This documentary is about Egypt’s modern history and how archaeology can play a role in reviving tourism.
Get Lost in Books About Egypt
There are several books about Egypt and The New Yorker published two lists of suggested titles, one list of fiction and one list of nonfiction. Of those suggested on the fiction list, three are available on Kindle and one is available on Audible. Of those suggested on the nonfiction list, seven are available on Kindle and one is available on Audible.
Bring Cairo to Your Kitchen
To bring Egyptian food to your table we have one savory dish and one sweet dish to suggest. Baba ganoush is a delicious dip made of grilled or roasted eggplant. For a classic recipe check out Cookie and Kate. Similar to hummus, it is often made with tahini, however if you are allergic to sesame seeds here is a list of substitution ideas. Also, if you are allergic to eggplant you can try out this recipe which uses zucchini instead.
For dessert try your hand at umm Ali, an Egyptian bread pudding, which can be traced back to the 12th century. There are many variations, and this recipe lists some of those variation ideas at the end. Umm Ali is notably nut heavy, however you can omit the nuts or consider subbing in other ingredients to make it allergen friendly. The Spruce Eats has a list of nut substitute ideas for baked goods.
Where to Next?
Thanks for wandering Cairo and the Giza Necropolis with us virtually. Join us next time as we explore Cambodia!