I’ve been in Egypt for about six weeks, but I mostly stayed in Cairo and Maadi. The capital city is incredibly vast lively and diverse, but I didn’t fall in love with the country. Too dusty, maybe. Harassment probably did not help as well. I have been in countries where being a young white foreign girl made me a target and a walking wallet but this time was different. I reckon it is because, walking in the touristic areas of Cairo and Giza, I could fell the despair of those who lost their main source of income: tourism. Shops are closed and sellers’ calls are distraught. I know I will come back, I made good friends and I have to see Luxor and Sinai, but I thought the country was not appealing me anymore. However, about two days before I left for France, I decided to go with a friend to the Sufi Tanūra show in al-Ghūriyyah.

And I was fascinated as seldom before.

It is often how you get to know the best things to do: word-of-mouth. A friend told me about it (thanks Amy!) and during my stay in Egypt I happened to learn about Sufism.