Also known as ‘El Gezira’ the Zamalek neighborhood is located in western Cairo on the northern part of Gezira Island in the Nile River. Though the name derives from the Kurdish word meaning ‘straw hut’ it has become an upscale neighborhood full of foreign dignitaries (it contains more foreign embassies than any other area of Cairo). Here you can find a variety of charming antique stores, bookstores, restaurants, cafés, shops, and hotels, representing the best that cosmopolitan Egypt has to offer.
