First installment of pictures

This is my sixth day in Cairo. In these past few days I have explored the city a lot, so I am posting some pictures from trips to the Pyramids and Islamic Cairo below. However, I hope to have this blog be focused more on important events in Egypt, rather than my personal expeditions, so I am making this one exception to unload some photos.

This is koshary. It is Egypt's staple dish consisting of macaroni, lentils, fried onions, tomato sauce and garlic vinegar. It is a bizarrely delicious comfort food and this one is from Abu Tareq restaurant, the most famous in Cairo.

I have been cautiously photographing some of the revolutionary street art near Tahrir Square (apparently this is frowned upon by local officials). These are a couple interesting pieces where many faces were painted over. I imagine that this is the result of extreme conservatives objecting to depictions of humans. In the piece that shows a mother holding a picture of her son, there is the emblem of the Muslim Brotherhood stenciled over it with the Jewish Star of David which reads "They are not our Brothers, they are not Muslims."

This is Talaat Harb Square, designed in the neoclassical style reminiscent of squares in Paris. My hostel is nearby, northeast of Tahrir Square.

The pyramids and sphinx, of course, and below is Islamic Cairo including the Citadel of Saladin, 1176, a mosque downtown, and Khan alKhalili.

And finally, this gem that is a block away from my hostel.