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00:03Welcome to one of my favorite countries in the world, Egypt.
00:08Egypt is a place that takes my breath away.
00:12I'm traveling the length of the country,
00:15following the Great River Nile,
00:17visiting some of the most extraordinary sights on Earth,
00:21and getting under the skin of this amazing country.
00:29From ancient tombs and pyramids,
00:32to camel rides and luxury steamers,
00:35I am seeing and doing it all.
00:55I've already seen the wonders of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings,
01:00and gone way down south to Aswan.
01:04Now my journey ends here in Egypt's capital city, Cairo,
01:08an incredible full-on mix of ancient and modern,
01:12all capped off by the most famous wonder of the world, the pyramids.
01:19So I've gone for a little stroll out of the hotel.
01:21You are immediately fixed a bit of a challenge, which is Cairo traffic.
01:24I'm heading to the old market.
01:27No lane markings, I notice.
01:30And no one seems to be slowing down.
01:33The trick, I'm told, is carefully adjusting your speed
01:36to the six lanes of oncoming traffic.
01:40Lovely. Oh, I think I'm clear. I'm in the clear. I'm in the clear.
01:43Ah. And breathe.
01:45That's exciting.
01:48Whoo!
01:49Cairo is Africa's largest city.
01:53All of life is here. It's absolutely humming.
01:55With a population of at least 23 million people,
01:59it's more than twice the size of London.
02:03It's also one of the youngest cities on Earth.
02:06Half the people living here are under 25 years old.
02:12It helps make it one of the world's liveliest capitals.
02:16To me, this is overwhelming.
02:18For the people of Cairo, this is just a Tuesday afternoon.
02:23Hey, buddy.
02:31Cairo's Souk is a 600-year-old market, a maze of narrow lanes,
02:36where you can find everything from copper pots to intricate lampshades,
02:42Tutankhamen death masks, and even Mo Salah figurines.
02:47There's some magic here.
02:49I can't help imagining your Indiana Jones
02:52sort of searching through this marketplace,
02:54looking for treasures in the middle of some adventure.
03:01But right now, I'm looking for a famous Cairo landmark,
03:05hidden deep within this maze of alleys.
03:08Is that a fish away or this way?
03:10Yeah, shall we last?
03:12Okay.
03:13Left. Right, sorry.
03:14Okay, thank you, thank you.
03:15Last, right.
03:16Thank you so much.
03:17Have a nice day, my friend.
03:17Welcome.
03:18Well, thank you.
03:23Fantastic place.
03:28As-salamu alaykum.
03:29Yes, as-salamu alaykum.
03:30How you do? You have coffee? Yeah, coffee.
03:31Yeah. Mas-mult, a little bit of sugar.
03:33Mas-mult.
03:33Yeah, okay. Thank you.
03:34Good. Thank you.
03:35So this place is a Cairo institution.
03:38I've been desperate to find it,
03:39because it has been open since 1797.
03:43And I mean open, as in has not closed.
03:47Al Fisherway is the oldest cafe in the city.
03:51In fact, it's a good moment for me to, um,
03:55get a bit nostalgic as well.
03:57A little bit of a trip down memory lane.
03:59Because I have been to Egypt before.
04:01In fact, I came as a kid, as a tweenager.
04:06Must have been about 11 or 12.
04:08My mum and dad decided it was a...
04:10We were old enough, me and my sisters,
04:13to go on our first sort of adventure.
04:14A place where everything would be a first.
04:20And it certainly was a first.
04:21First time we'd ever seen the desert,
04:23or palm trees, or all that kind of stuff.
04:26And experienced a completely different culture.
04:29So I'll never forget it.
04:30And I've got a classic photo here.
04:32My sisters and I at the pyramids.
04:35I do remember the thing I was most excited about.
04:37I was getting a kind of desert-colored trousers and shirt.
04:40I thought I looked like some sort of Special Forces guy.
04:43There's my dad.
04:44My mum.
04:46Sphinx.
04:47Me.
04:48Very pleased with myself.
04:49There you go.
04:50It felt like a real adventure.
04:52I'd never been anywhere like this.
04:54I really remember that.
05:00And I think my fascination with really old, spectacular things.
05:05I think it probably began.
05:08Al Fishaway is famed for making its coffee in a very special way.
05:13But I'm invited to have a look.
05:16Oh, this is where the magic happens.
05:18Look, there's a kitchen.
05:20OK, so you put sugar in.
05:23You put coffee.
05:26And then how do you heat that?
05:27You heat it up.
05:28Look at that.
05:29Is that hot sand?
05:30Yeah.
05:30Hot sand.
05:31Hot, hot.
05:33The coffee pot is placed into sand, heated by the burner beneath.
05:38Hot, hot.
05:38The sand works like an oven.
05:42Look how hot it is.
05:44Steaming.
05:45There you go.
05:45Volcanic heat.
05:47Boom.
05:48There it goes.
05:51This is coffee.
05:52Coffee?
05:53Yeah.
05:54OK.
05:55Let's try it.
05:59Mmm.
06:00Love it.
06:00It's hot.
06:01It's good.
06:01Yeah.
06:02Hot.
06:03Hot.
06:03Bit of hot.
06:04It's hot and it's sweet.
06:07And it's chewy and a lot of coffee in it.
06:08A cappuccino?
06:10It isn't.
06:11Oh.
06:12And that's all from the sand.
06:13It's hot.
06:17Deep in the market, it's easy to forget that a few streets away is the reason that this city,
06:23this country exists, the river Nile.
06:27On this adventure, I've seen how it is still Egypt's lifeline.
06:32I've sailed for Lucas on it.
06:35Marvelled at the ancient structures on its banks and travelled along it on a luxury vintage steamship.
06:42From the great temples in the south of the country to the mighty pyramids, none would have been possible without
06:47this river.
06:50By the time the Nile reaches Cairo, it's fair to say.
06:53It's less picture postcard and more big city.
06:57It's about here.
06:59Come on.
07:02Well, this is one of the best ways to see Cairo.
07:05You also feel like this is the way you should see it because you're on the Nile.
07:09This is the reason Cairo's here.
07:12Amazing to see ancient and modern rubbing along with each other.
07:15You've got a fishing boat here, all powered, putting their nets out in the Nile.
07:19Those people have been in for thousands of years.
07:20Right in front of a massive international hotel.
07:23Rowing against the current of the Nile.
07:25That guy deserves a medal.
07:26Great to see.
07:28It's a good sign.
07:28I'm glad to see there's still fish in this river.
07:31Some of the earliest images we have in Egyptian civilization are images of boats.
07:36Boats were everything.
07:37The Nile is everything.
07:39And yet the river was a great mystery.
07:42It's an amazing thing.
07:43The ancient Egyptians revered this river.
07:45They depended on it and lived on it.
07:46But they didn't know where it came from.
07:48It was just this never-ending wall of water that came down.
07:52Only fairly recently, the last couple of hundred years, have we worked it out.
07:54I mean, we now know it is over 4,000 miles long.
07:58Longest river in the world.
08:00I mean, it is a natural wonder of the world.
08:02Incredibly, 95% of Egypt's 120 million people live on the banks of the Nile.
08:10Clinging to a narrow strip of fertile land in the middle of the desert.
08:15Seen from space at night, Egypt looks almost empty.
08:19Vast stretches of darkness.
08:21But running through the country from end to end is a thin band of glowing lights.
08:27Egypt literally is the Nile.
08:33For lots of Cairo people, this river is still right at the heart of their life.
08:38They come here for fun, for recreation, to eat, drink, a bit of exercise.
08:43It's good to see.
08:46OK, we've got a lot of kayakers here.
08:48Something like they're running out of steam.
08:50They're paddling against the current, against the wind.
08:53That is a brutal day out.
08:55Come on, yalla!
08:57It's good!
08:58Come on, yalla, yalla!
09:01Come on!
09:02You can do it!
09:05I'll tell you what, I used to do a lot of rowing.
09:07I rode in the Thames and the Tyne and the Trent.
09:09I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to take on the Nile.
09:14It's impressive.
09:15Really impressive.
09:16They're doing a good job.
09:17People have been rowing on this river that we know about for sure for well over 5,000 years.
09:27That's a cool tradition.
09:29Very good.
09:32Oh, that brings it back.
09:34She's really good, that number three.
09:37It's so great to see all the activity going on the banks, on the water.
09:41The Nile is still alive.
09:43It's great.
09:44What a memorable way to finish my first day in the city.
09:57Dawn the next day, and I'm back on the move again.
10:00One of the many ways that I drive my family and friends mad is when we're on holiday.
10:06I love an early start.
10:07Love it.
10:07Get out of bed before the sun comes up.
10:09Best hours of the day.
10:11You're out of the heat of the day.
10:12You get the amazing museum or world heritage sites yourself for the crowds.
10:18You get the beautiful morning lights.
10:20So I'm always dragging people out of bed.
10:22And to be honest, they hate it.
10:24I'm heading west, hidden somewhere behind these tower blocks.
10:29Something very special.
10:32There they are.
10:34It's just so exciting seeing them for the first time.
10:36They're magical in the haze.
10:37They just loom out of the haze.
10:39It takes your breath away.
10:40There is nothing in the world like it.
10:43The most famous buildings, really, in the world.
10:46But it's one thing to see them looming over Cairo's suburbs.
10:50I want to get up close.
10:57The mighty Pyramids of Giza.
11:01Some of the greatest monuments on Earth.
11:04Four and a half thousand years ago.
11:06About the time Stonehenge was being hauled into position.
11:10And there were still mammoths left on Earth.
11:12These were built.
11:14They are so recognizable.
11:16They are so iconic.
11:17You've seen this view a million times on the TV and in books.
11:22And yet when you're here and you look at them,
11:25it is totally overwhelming.
11:31Just impossibly old.
11:33Impossibly large.
11:36They were building these massive structures here
11:39while everywhere else in the world,
11:41people are scratching out a living in caves, virtually.
11:45They're like nothing else.
11:52The largest stands nearly 150 metres tall.
11:56That's the equivalent of a 45-storey building.
11:59And is more than 200 metres wide.
12:03I mean, they look impressive from here, about half a mile away.
12:05And then you look at the people around their base.
12:08They look like ants.
12:09That really drives home just how massive they are.
12:15Just totally epic.
12:17Coming up, I get special permission to venture deep inside the Great Pyramid after hours.
12:24Through ancient tunnels into breathtaking inner chambers.
12:28This is one of the most remarkable things I've ever done.
12:31And come face to face with a pharaoh's tomb.
12:35It's just a sarcophagus.
12:37It is.
12:37Yeah.
12:50I'm finishing my Egyptian adventure in Cairo.
12:54And I've reached the biggest site of them all.
12:56The pyramids.
12:57There are three main pyramids here at Giza.
13:01Built around 4,500 years ago as giant tombs for pharaohs from the same ruling family.
13:07I have lots of questions.
13:10But luckily for me, my old friend and favourite Egyptologist, Dr. Chris Norton, is in town.
13:17Chris, I've got to start with just saying, why?
13:20Why on earth did they do this?
13:23I think you have to remember pharaoh is a god.
13:28So for the Egyptian people, you need to invest everything you possibly can in commemorating his life.
13:36And so you build on as grand a scale as you can.
13:40Chris, how do they build something so huge?
13:42If you want to build big, the easiest way of doing it is just to build slightly smaller.
13:47Sort of layers one on top of the other and keep going.
13:49It's hundreds of little layers just going all the way up.
13:53Yeah, exactly.
13:54You know, eventually you get a stepped monument.
13:56And from there, you can almost see the cogs whirring.
13:59It's a great big triangle, isn't it?
14:01It's surprisingly hard to tell which pyramid is the biggest.
14:05It's actually this one, known as the Great Pyramid.
14:10Built for one of Egypt's early pharaohs called Khufu, around four and a half millennia ago.
14:15It's the oldest of the seven ancient wonders of the world, and the only one still standing.
14:23For nearly 4,000 years, this was the tallest building on earth.
14:28It's made up of around 2.3 million massive stone blocks, each the weight of a car.
14:35All moved into position without a single crane.
14:42Are these taking a long time to build, or have they just got lots, so they're throwing a lot of
14:47labour at it?
14:47Well, both, both.
14:49So, probably, for a building of this size, we might be looking at 20 years.
14:52But even then, that's not half a dozen guys working for 20 years, that's probably hundreds, thousands of guys.
14:58It's the whole country pulling together.
14:59So, quicker than HS2?
15:02That's probably.
15:03The maths is astonishing.
15:05To build the Great Pyramid in just 20 years, the workers would have had to lay one colossal block, roughly
15:12every two to three minutes.
15:14Twelve hours a day, every day for 20 years.
15:18An extraordinary feat of organisation, engineering and human effort.
15:24And it wasn't just scale that was important to the ancient Egyptians, but the finished look, too.
15:29And you can see the top of that one is all smooth, so would these all have been smooth sided?
15:34So, the top of the middle pyramid comprises this, what we call casing stone, bright white limestone.
15:41They would all have been cased in there, the idea being that you see an absolutely perfect gleaming white pyramid.
15:48So, if we'd been here four and a half thousand years ago, they're all brand new, it would have been
15:54mind-blowing.
15:56They're extraordinary to us today.
15:57And I love the idea of a tour like Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, they're coming in.
16:00They would have been marvelling at this.
16:03And here's an incredible fact.
16:07Cleopatra lived two and a half thousand years after the pyramids were constructed.
16:13Cleopatra lived closer in time to the invention of the iPhone than the building of these giants.
16:20Back then, they would have stood alone on the edge of the desert, in splendid isolation.
16:26But Cairo has grown so vast that the pyramids are almost part of the city's suburbs.
16:34Tourists have always been drawn to the pyramids.
16:37Today, around 15 million come every year.
16:42From Barnsley to Beijing, people travel thousands of miles to stand here.
16:48This isn't just a backdrop.
16:51It's a four and a half thousand year old tomb.
16:57The crowds are heading back to the hotels.
17:00But I have one big treat left in store.
17:04Chris and I have been given very special permission to explore deep inside Khufu's pyramid on our own.
17:12On a mission to find his burial chamber.
17:16What should I, do I have to look out for?
17:17Is it, is it, am I going to get claustrophobic?
17:19Is it a...
17:20You know, zombies, you know, marauding mummies.
17:23I first came to the pyramids when I was 12, but I've never been inside.
17:29It's exciting.
17:30In we go.
17:31Yeah.
17:31Can't believe it.
17:33Well, it gives you a sense of how it's built, doesn't it?
17:35Yeah, exactly.
17:36Massive block.
17:37Exactly.
17:39Watch your, er, watch your head down.
17:43These ancient tunnels are leading us through about a hundred metres of stone.
17:48I'm going to recommend that you perhaps leave your bag here.
17:51All right.
17:52I think it's also going to get a bit hot.
17:53We're going to have to do a bit of climbing, so I think it starts off as well.
17:58At least the passageway isn't too narrow.
18:01Or steep.
18:03Oh, hang on.
18:05Watch your head down.
18:06Yeah, I'm on all fours here.
18:08Yeah, okay.
18:11We're now climbing through a tunnel built over 40 centuries ago.
18:17I can't believe they managed to engineer something this straight and true into the heart of this massive structure.
18:24Were they doing it by eye?
18:26No, they were very competent in maths.
18:28Very, very competent in using the stars to align things.
18:30Just that all we've got is the end product, not the working out.
18:34It's easy to forget.
18:35Building the pyramids didn't just require muscle power.
18:38It took brain power too.
18:40Remarkably, the ancient Egyptians used geometry, advanced arithmetic and even astronomy to build with astonishing precision in spaces like this.
18:51It's so hot and airless, there's like a sauna in here.
18:54I can't imagine working in this environment.
18:57Luckily, the tunnel is opening up.
19:00This is one of the most spectacular spaces anywhere in the country.
19:09Oh, my.
19:10We were not joking.
19:11In the country, in the world.
19:12Yeah.
19:12Right.
19:13That is astonishing.
19:14The Grand Gallery.
19:17Amazing, right?
19:18The Grand Gallery is a vast sloping corridor deep inside the pyramid that leads up to Khufu's burial chamber.
19:27It's an engineering masterpiece.
19:30And huge, huge, huge space.
19:32It's a beautiful space because look at the way it narrows in these steps.
19:35Yeah.
19:36All the way up to the top.
19:37Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
19:38Look at the artwork.
19:39And very, very practical as well.
19:41Distributing the force of the vast weight that's above us, don't want to scare you, around the sides of this
19:49passageway that's leading upwards.
19:53The gallery is made up of seven stepped levels, getting narrow the closer it gets to the top.
20:00It's the height of a three-storey building, nearly 50 metres long.
20:06These steps stop the millions of tonnes of rock above us collapsing on our heads.
20:11If we went into a building designed in 2026 and it looked like this, we'd be blown away.
20:16We'd be blown away.
20:17Yeah, yeah.
20:18What a marvel.
20:18Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
20:19And we're looking at one of the oldest surviving structures in the world.
20:23Yeah, yeah.
20:24Hot, though.
20:25It is.
20:26Yeah, I did tell you.
20:27Do you want to...
20:27Keep going?
20:28Keep going, yeah.
20:30At least there's more headroom here.
20:32Yeah, there is.
20:32Yeah, yeah.
20:33This cathedral-like space was never repeated in any other pyramid.
20:37It's unique in the world.
20:40So I've never been anywhere like it.
20:42They had to just come up with this design from scratch.
20:44Yeah.
20:45Yeah, exactly.
20:46Genius engineers.
20:47Yeah, we're talking about Leonardo da Vinci.
20:49He was nothing compared to these guys.
20:53This is one of the most remarkable things I've ever done.
20:57Uh-oh.
20:58Another tight passage.
20:59Yeah, I'm sorry, Dan.
21:00Yeah, but this one's quite...
21:01It's quite short, this one.
21:03Watch your head.
21:04OK.
21:05After a final crawl, we approach the very heart of the pyramid.
21:11OK.
21:13Here we go.
21:13It's opening up.
21:14This is it.
21:16Yes.
21:16The main event.
21:21Khufu's tomb, the king's chamber.
21:24The top of the pyramid is over 90 metres above us.
21:28Unlike the rest of the limestone structure, this room is all granite.
21:33Each block weighs more than a fully loaded lorry and was transported here from hundreds of miles away.
21:39That is the size of these blocks on the ceiling and on the floor.
21:44Absolutely enormous.
21:45Is this the sarcophagus?
21:47It is.
21:48Yeah, it is.
21:48So the body of the pharaoh would have been in here.
21:49This is where Khufu would have been.
21:50Yeah.
21:51And that wouldn't fit up there.
21:53So presumably this was pretty much built in situ.
21:56This one, there was daylight once and they covered it all up and...
21:58Yeah, it's very possible.
21:59You know, you don't need to introduce the mummy until the very end.
22:02Yeah.
22:03The sarcophagus maybe, though, can go in, you know, as part of the construction process, as you say.
22:07I love the way it glistens here.
22:08You can see these little fragments.
22:09Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
22:10And if you just look inside...
22:14Oh, my goodness.
22:14...where it catches the light, see, it's super polished inside.
22:18Absolutely perfect.
22:20And it's still polished, you know, best part of 5,000 years later.
22:24When this room was built, Britain was still in the late Stone Age.
22:28And the great civilisations of Rome and Greece were still hundreds of years in the future.
22:34So this is where the most powerful man in the world ends his days.
22:38Exactly.
22:38It's funny, isn't it?
22:40You know, it all boils down to this.
22:42This enormous pyramid, this whole huge effort.
22:44And in the end, there is just a guy.
22:45Just a guy in a box.
22:46Yeah, exactly.
22:47I think I owe you a beer.
22:49That would be good, Dan.
22:50Let's crawl out, get back to the fresh air.
22:53What a place.
22:57That was a memorable day.
23:03So, as another busy day of exploring draws to a close, I take a moment to reflect on what a
23:09wonderful and surprising city Cairo is.
23:12So this city looks pretty amazing at dusk.
23:16Just as the sunlight is fading from that horizon and all the lights are coming up.
23:21As the sun was going down, it was illuminating the pyramids just over there.
23:26That's the thing.
23:27I'm beginning to think Cairo has it all because it's got that energy.
23:30It's got the old city here.
23:31And then, not far away, one of the most spectacular structures on Earth.
23:37Love going to see those just truly, truly wonders of the world.
23:44Coming up, I discover a surprising historical connection between Cairo and Britain.
23:50This is where the SAS were formed.
23:54Some awesome local luxury.
23:56What a contrast.
23:58Not a car horn or a car engine to be heard.
24:01An investigator.
24:02One of Egypt's most iconic faces.
24:06It's the Sphinx.
24:18I've seen the pyramids and sailed down the Nile.
24:22But if you spend any time in Egypt, you soon realise food is a national obsession.
24:28And so I want to try out some of Cairo's finest.
24:32Who better to help me than Leila Hassabala, who runs her own food tour company.
24:38We're kicking off at a Cairo institution.
24:41This dish is, you know, the one dish you absolutely have to try when you come to Egypt.
24:48Koshari is Egypt's national dish.
24:50A mix of pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas and onions mixed with a rich tomato sauce.
24:57It's fast, cheap and filling.
25:00The nation's favourite comfort dish.
25:03And Amutareg is the place to come and try it.
25:07It's just such a great way to get to know a place.
25:09Especially when you're eating amongst the locals or what the locals actually eat.
25:14Koshari is loved by everyone.
25:16From builders to bankers.
25:18But what will I make of it?
25:20I feel it's a lot of a big audience here.
25:23I feel it's a big moment.
25:25Okay, stand by.
25:25Yes.
25:26There you go.
25:27Ready.
25:28Nice big spoonful of koshari.
25:34Delicious.
25:35Isn't it so good?
25:36Amazing.
25:37Yeah.
25:38And you can smell the sauce, like, in the place.
25:40You can smell how everything's like, you know, you've got the garlic and the onion and the tomato.
25:44Wow, yeah, you can.
25:45It's the ideal fusion of east and west.
25:48What a thing.
25:49Yeah.
25:49Yeah.
25:49As we're eating upstairs, the queue for takeaways downstairs just grows bigger.
25:54Every lunchtime, this is one of the best shows in town.
26:04Overlooking diners is the handsome face of Abu Tarek, the man who gave this multi-storey restaurant its name.
26:11He started out with just a humble food cart in the 1950s and finally became the king of koshari.
26:19It's still run by his family.
26:20So this is a real institution in Egypt?
26:24Absolutely.
26:25I mean, the locals love this dish.
26:28It's part of, you know, street culture here.
26:31We're so proud to have it.
26:32It's up there with fish and chips.
26:35Well, after my tasty lunch, I need to burn off some of those carbs.
26:39I'm not sure what I was expecting in Cairo, but I don't think it was this.
26:44It's beautiful.
26:47A century and a half ago, Egypt's ruler visited Paris and came home determined to recreate it here.
26:54The result?
26:55Wide boulevards, grand apartment blocks, and a slice of Europe on the Nile.
27:05Love this part of downtown Cairo, all these old buildings, their balconies and shutters.
27:10But 80 years ago, these streets would have been crawling with men in uniform.
27:15I'm letting my imagination run wild because Cairo was the centre of the British war effort for the Middle East
27:22and North Africa during the Second World War.
27:24Cairo was critical, standing between the advancing Germans and the Suez Canal.
27:31This is where the SAS were formed and went on those first daring missions behind enemy lines in North Africa.
27:40It was here in Cairo that David Stirling, a young Scots Guard officer, reportedly came up with his radical idea
27:48of a small mobile unit that would cause havoc deep behind enemy lines.
27:53The original rogue heroes.
27:56The original rogue heroes.
27:57And it wasn't just the SAS that planned missions from this city, but also British-run secret agents.
28:03This building, I think, here was actually taken over by the SOE, Churchill's secret army, the secret operations executive.
28:11And they would put agents into all the Nazi-occupied countries of North Africa and Europe, try and carry out
28:19sabotage and gain intelligence.
28:22A lot of very, very brave agents would have passed through these doors and received their instructions here.
28:29And many of those men and women would never have made it back to allied lines.
28:41The Second World War shook Cairo, but for most of Egypt's past, the real drama wasn't war.
28:48It was the ebb and flow of the Nile.
28:51For thousands of years, everything in Egypt depended on the annual flood of the river for a good harvest.
28:57But the water level was critical. Too low meant famine. Too high, disaster.
29:04So the clever ancient Egyptians built an ingenious device to help them predict the upcoming water levels.
29:11And it wasn't just the farmers who wanted to know. It was the local officials, too.
29:17It's absolutely massive. You can hardly see the bottom.
29:21I had no idea it would be so deep.
29:25That is huge. Let's go take a look.
29:30This is called a nilometer. It was connected to the Nile by underground tunnels.
29:35When the annual floods came, water would flow naturally into this space and start filling it up.
29:41The central column measured the water level of the river, a bit like a massive dipstick.
29:47This nilometer is more than a thousand years old.
29:49But we know the ancient Egyptians were using something similar 4,000 years ago.
29:56Wow. It goes on forever. It's great.
30:00And as you get lower and lower, you can see where the Nile has flooded each year and it's left
30:08out sediment on these walls.
30:10Look at this, these little tiny steps here. I love it.
30:15Of course, these days, it's bone drying here.
30:19Since the Aswan Dam was built back in the 1960s, the Nile no longer floods.
30:24But at the time of the pharaohs, a nilometer was critical.
30:28The Nile would have flowed up through here, rising and falling in the seasons.
30:32These are the units of measurement. These must be cubits.
30:36The ancient Egyptians used the cubit, the length from your elbow to your fingertips, as their basic units of measurement.
30:43And it was used to build everything from temples to pyramids.
30:46Or in this case, to measure the height of the flood water.
30:50And so you go, well, one, and then two, three, four, all the way to the top.
30:55It was very precise. If the river was at 14 cubits, that was barely enough.
31:01Anything less than that disaster, it's going to be a drought. The fields aren't going to get irrigated.
31:07Then 15, 16, 17, good harvests. 17, bump a year. 18 cubits, too high.
31:14Because you're going to get widespread flooding, towns and villages.
31:17We should say, this wasn't being done from the goodness of their hearts.
31:21You know, just for scientific interests.
31:22This would be the pharaohs and the rulers of Egypt, all the way through its history.
31:27They want to know how much money they could tax the farmers.
31:30So they could say, hey, it's been a good year. We know it's been a good year.
31:33The Nile was at that level. So pay up.
31:37So there you go. It's always about tax, isn't it?
31:43Back up all those steps again.
31:45I'm ready for a drink and a sit down.
31:48So I'm heading across town to one of Cairo's quieter quarters.
31:52The diplomatic quarter, home to embassies, officials and a hidden gem.
31:59Villa Belle Epoch proudly claims to be Egypt's first boutique hotel.
32:04Opened since 2009, the gardens are full of mango trees, olives and palms.
32:10The main building dates back to the 1920s and was apparently once home to a British lord.
32:17The rooms certainly have a colonial feel to them.
32:20Next time, I think I'm going to stay here.
32:21But for now, I'm just going to enjoy the tranquility away from the hustle and bustle.
32:34What a contrast. An oasis surrounded by flowers and birdsong.
32:40Not a car horn or a car engine to be heard.
32:45Just a little corner of quiet in a city of tens of millions of people.
32:49You go from having your senses assaulted to having a quiet drink in a beautiful garden.
33:02Feeling suitably recharged and with the heat of the day passed, I'm heading out towards the desert again for an
33:08appointment with a well-known face.
33:13Just when you think the pyramids have stolen the show, there's another giant here quietly keeping watch.
33:19It is one of ancient Egypt's most enigmatic objects.
33:23A beautiful, mysterious sculpture that has entranced visitors to the pyramids for thousands of years.
33:32It is a riddle. It's the Sphinx.
33:36It can be a bit overshadowed by the pyramids behind it, but the Sphinx is a remarkable monument in its
33:42own right.
33:4270 metres long, 20 metres tall, the size of a passenger jet.
33:48With a face as big as a car, it's the largest ancient sculpture of its kind on Earth.
33:54Unlike the pyramids, it wasn't built out of massive blocks.
33:59The intriguing thing about the Sphinx is that it is one piece.
34:03It is carved in its entirety from the limestone bedrock, from the living rock.
34:08It's unlike anything else found in ancient Egypt.
34:12And there's that very, very particular style.
34:16There's the head of a human, the body of a lion sitting prone,
34:21its forelegs stretching out to its paws right in front of it.
34:25It is a marvel.
34:26We think it was built for the pharaoh Khafre around 4,500 years ago.
34:31It's his pyramid that lies behind the Sphinx.
34:34Incredibly, there are still traces of pigment on it
34:37that give us a clue it would once have been painted in bright colours.
34:41But with no inscriptions, we're none the wiser as to why it was built.
34:47This has got to be one of the greatest spots in the world,
34:51literally standing in the shadow of the Sphinx
34:54and the pyramid beyond which the Sphinx guards and watches over.
34:59And what I love about it is that for all the archaeology and all the research,
35:05we're still so unsure about exactly what it is and what it means.
35:10It remains an enigma.
35:14Coming next, the only way is up.
35:17What is it with high historic buildings?
35:20I find myself always heading to the top.
35:23And I'm learning even more about this amazing city.
35:265,000 years of history in one view here.
35:44When we think of Egypt, it's usually the ancient Egyptians we think about.
35:48The temples, the pharaohs, the treasure-filled tombs.
35:52And remarkable though that is, there's so much more to be discovered.
35:57So before I leave Cairo, there is one place I'm desperate to explore more.
36:03The Old City.
36:04A thousand-year-old maze of ancient markets, alleys and workshops.
36:13Magnificent buildings tower above you,
36:15while hiding behind doorways are tranquil courtyard and elegant mansions.
36:21Even today, the Old City is divided into distinct areas.
36:26This alleyway has specialised in textiles for centuries.
36:29Historically, it made the hand-stitched canvas panels used on tents.
36:34And it's known as Tentmaker's Street.
36:37This is so much more fun than going to the supermarket.
36:40There are still a few master craftsmen keeping the intricate tradition alive.
36:46As-Salaam-Alaikum.
36:47As-Salaam-Alaikum.
36:48How are you doing?
36:49I am fine.
36:50Good to see you.
36:51How much is this?
36:52This one, maybe $200.
36:54$200?
36:55Yeah.
36:55Maybe one month's work.
36:57Is that handmade?
36:58Yeah, handmade.
36:58By you, one month?
37:00I am finished now in this one.
37:01Okay.
37:02Is this Egyptian design?
37:04Yeah, yeah.
37:05This Egyptian design.
37:06And I have pharaonic design like this here.
37:07Oh, look at that.
37:08And I have here birds.
37:10Ancient Egypt.
37:11And I have Islamic design.
37:12This was the world until so recently.
37:13It's just amazing, isn't it?
37:14It still exists here in Cairo.
37:15People just making stuff with their hands, making beautiful things.
37:18As I'm watching this, he's just creating the petals of a flower on this fabric.
37:22It's great.
37:24So different from ordering something on the internet or buying something that's been shipped across the world.
37:32Around 700 years ago, Cairo was a booming global trading hub.
37:37And one of the largest, wealthiest cities on earth.
37:40Home to some of the world's earliest universities, mosques, even hospitals.
37:45Medical care was centuries ahead of Britain.
37:49Great walls surrounded the city and imposing gates guarded it.
37:54And some of those ancient gates still stand, including this magnificent entrance known as Babzuela.
38:00For centuries, this gateway marked the southern entrance to the city.
38:04I'm told you get one of the best views of historic Cairo from the top of its towers.
38:09So that's where I'm heading now.
38:12What is it with high historic buildings?
38:14I find myself always heading to the top.
38:23It's quite a climb.
38:24Ooh.
38:26One day, I'm going to learn my lesson.
38:28I'll stop climbing every historic tower I see.
38:32I've got a good feeling about this.
38:33Might be worth it.
38:34Look at that.
38:39I mean, perfect viewpoint.
38:43And this is the oldest part of Cairo now.
38:46The Sultan who built it was once imprisoned in this gatehouse.
38:50The story goes that he vowed should he ever gain power, he would build a mosque on the site.
38:55And he did.
38:57And over the years, rulers would build palaces and build mosques and fancy buildings.
39:03And they'd each have minarets.
39:04And then when European travellers really started to explore, this city got the nickname,
39:09The City of a Thousand Minarets.
39:11And from up here, I can see why.
39:13Today, Cairo still has one of the largest medieval cities left standing in the world.
39:19So after you've had your fill of the pyramids, come and search out this incredible part of the city.
39:32Seeing all this bread fly past is making me hungry, which reminds me that, amazing fact,
39:37loaves of bread were found in Tutankhamen's tomb.
39:40Anyway, time for one more meal stop.
39:46Food expert Leila has invited me for a picnic in one of Cairo's largest green spaces, Al-Azhar Park.
39:55Look at this.
39:57Wow.
40:01Paradise.
40:03Spotless clean.
40:04Families everywhere.
40:05Neatly mowed lawns.
40:08Hyde Park.
40:09Piccadilly Gardens.
40:11Eat your heart up.
40:12Leila, how's it going?
40:14Fighting my way through the crowds.
40:16Hey, Dan.
40:17Good to see you.
40:17Good to see you again.
40:18And there is a really nice bank holiday vibe in this place.
40:21Today is a public holiday, so everyone's here really.
40:24It just feels like all of Cairo is here.
40:26And the sun is shining.
40:27It's such a really nice day.
40:29All right, where are we going?
40:30All right, so we're going to head up to get one of the best views of the city from the
40:36park.
40:37Looking around now, it's hard to believe, but this was the city's medieval rubbish dump and remained one for 500
40:43years until it was transformed in the early 2000s.
40:49Look at that view.
40:51Now we're getting somewhere.
40:52Yeah.
40:52Holy.
40:535,000 years of history in one view here.
40:56Crazy.
40:57Unbelievable.
40:58From here, I can just see the pyramids hiding behind two tower blocks around 10 miles away.
41:05Incredibly, it was more than 3,000 years after the pyramids were built that Cairo was founded.
41:11At the time of the pharaohs, everything I see in front of me would have been open desert.
41:18Today, it's not just minarets rising above Cairo's skyline, but flocks of pigeons too.
41:25Pigeon keeping is taken very seriously.
41:27The towers teetering over rooftops are pigeon lofts.
41:31People wave flags to train their flocks and help them identify exactly where their home is.
41:38We found our own perch at the top of the park.
41:42I got you some snacks.
41:44No way.
41:45Yes.
41:45That's what I need, some more food.
41:47Okay.
41:49This is...
41:51Fatir.
41:52It's an Egyptian pastry.
41:53It's very, very popular.
41:55Yeah.
41:56Fatir is a flaky, layered pastry.
41:58A bit like phyllo, or a croissant.
42:01So, the thing about this pastry that's cool is that, A, it dates all the way back to ancient Egypt,
42:06which is pretty cool.
42:07Very cool.
42:07Like, one of the oldest foods you can have.
42:10So, you just grab some of the sugar.
42:13Oh, my goodness.
42:14Powder it on top, and then you just go ahead and eat.
42:16Okay.
42:17Yeah.
42:18The ancient Egyptians didn't have sugar, so it would have sweetened it with honey or dates.
42:23That is too good to be true.
42:26Delicious, right?
42:27Oh.
42:27No wonder Egyptians are so happy.
42:30We enjoy good food.
42:31We like to eat a lot.
42:34You couldn't be anywhere else in the world now.
42:35Delicious.
42:36Uh-uh.
42:38Quintessential Egyptian experience.
42:43Delicious.
42:44I can't think of a better way to finish up my time in Cairo.
42:47Yeah.
42:47My last sunset, surrounded by happy families, eating delicious treats.
42:56Cairo is a city that throws everything at you.
42:59In just a few days, I've wandered through buzzing markets that have barely changed for centuries.
43:03I've motored down the Nile, the mighty river that made Egypt possible.
43:09And, of course, the pyramids.
43:11Seeing them was one thing, but exploring inside the Great Pyramid, that's not something I'll forget.
43:20To tell the truth, I was not expecting to love Cairo.
43:22Yes.
43:23I thought it would be a matter of come here to see the pyramids and then sort of survive in
43:28the chaotic streets.
43:30But, actually, I think the opposite has happened.
43:32It's those streets and the alleyways, the parks, the squares.
43:35That's where I've found all the life and the welcome and the food.
43:42The city's got me.
43:43And that brings me to the end of my great Egyptian adventure.
43:48And what an experience it's been.
43:50I've journeyed the length of the night from the wonder of Luxor.
43:54It is magical.
43:56To jaw-dropping Abu Simba.
43:59What an extraordinary thing.
44:00And the buzz of Cairo.
44:03Can't help imagining your Indiana Jones sort of searching through this marketplace looking for treasures.
44:09I've traveled on everything, from felukas, to hot air balloons, to luxury steamers.
44:14As-Salaam-Alaikum.
44:16Enter Thamam.
44:17Thamam.
44:19I've even made friends with a camel.
44:21Well, you're the happiest camel I've ever met.
44:23I first came to Egypt as a 12-year-old, and it sparked something in me.
44:28More than 30 years later, and I still feel I'm just scratching the surface.
44:33I've got a feeling it won't be long before I'm back again in this incredible country.
44:44I'll be there.
44:45With unique courtroom access, we follow an alleged killer's trial-by-jury in brand-new
44:50True Crime, Murder in Shetland, Monday and Tuesday at nine.
44:53Starring Martin Klunes, a disgraced double-life is laid bare in drama, Power, The Downfall of
44:59Hugh Edwards. Stream now on 5. New next A&E After Dark.
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