There is a lot more to Cairo than Giza and knowing what I know now I wish I had scheduled an extra day or two in this amazing city. As it was, I had only a day to cram as much as possible and cram I did, my watch clocked over 27,000 steps!

My lovely guide, Engi, an archeologist took me deep into the past of the city, starting with a visit to the Old City, where it is possible to find the remains of an old Roman fortress, of the old Coptic and Muslim civilisation pre dating the birth of the city proper side by side. It’s mesmerising.

The Hanging Church is a most sacred place for Egyptians Coptic Christian.

‘It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on the southern gate of the Roman Fortress. Logs of palm trees and layers of stones were constructed above the ruins of the Roman fortress to be used as a fundament. The Hanging Church is a unique church and has a wooden roof in the shape of Noah’s ark. From the 7th century to the 13th century, the Hanging Church served as the residence of the Coptic Patriarch. Al-Moallaqa has witnessed important elections and religious ceremonie’s.

The Church is full of ancient icons and has incredible inlaid stone mosaics.

I had no knowledge of Coptic Christianity and a visit to the museum was really interesting. It is also housed in a wonderful traditional building that what was once a private dwelling, worth a visit just on its own.

I was fascinated by the highly elaborate lattice windows. Women were not allowed out in the streets and the only way they could see out of the house was through these… While in Cairo I read Palace Walk by the Egyptian Nobel Prize Winner Naguib Mahfouz, and they featured prominently in the story. The museum houses the largest collection in the world of early christianity artefacts.

Next we visited the El Geniza (or Ben Ezra) Synagogue.

‘Just outside the walls of the Coptic enclave, the 9th-century Ben Ezra Synagogue occupies the shell of a 4th-century Christian church. Tradition marks this as the spot where the prophet Jeremiah gathered the Jews in the 6th century after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Jerusalem temple. The adjacent spring is supposed to mark the place where the pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in the reeds, and also where Mary drew water to wash Jesus’.

There was no time to visit the antic souk Khan el Khalili unfortunately but walking the small alleyways you did get the feeling of stepping back in time. I would love to go back and take it easy… I really must go back !

The Egyptian Museum, however, was not to be missed. Even the husband – fighting a losing battle with a bout of ‘Ramses’ revenge (I’ll leave it to your imagination) – left the hotel for this. The ‘old/original’ Egyptian Museum was inaugurated in 1902, and it is a grand dame of a building in Neo-classical style. It contains over 120,000 artefacts in reassuringly old fashioned rooms and corridors full of aged wooden cabinets. I loved it. Tutankhamen’s treasure occupies two rooms upstairs and it desperately needs more space. In fact a lot of the treasure it is not even on display. No photos are allowed but rest assure the it is the real deal, no matter how prepared you are, how familiar you may be with the face of the young pharaoh… when you stand in front of that gold mask the chills runs down your spine. It is not just about the stupefying amount of gold, it is deep time that masked has stared into space, it feels like eternity. The hype is absolutely justified.

The last stop of my whistle stop tour was the Citadel with the magnificent Alabaster Mosque. Stunning. Built by Saladin to protect the city from the Crusaders it has magnificent views all the way to the pyramids (impossible to get tired of that sight).

The rest of the day was spent literally wondering around Cairo on foot, eating delicious food and drinking coffee with the locals. A (tiring) perfect day.

One of my favourite discovery is how much people in Cairo love books. There are stands everywhere, and they stay open till late at night. And after they simply cover their merchandise with loose tarps and go. They have a saying in Egypt: those who read, don’t steal. And those who steal, don’t read. Isn’t it wonderful?

Egypt has built a new administrative centre 30 miles east of Cairo: New Cairo. The city will have houses for 6 million people, government headquarters, banks etc. A model city for a modern Egypt. It makes you question what will happen to this Cairo, with his history and personality, his many religions living side by side, the small alleys, the markets and the cafes the noise, the bookstands … I sincerely hope it won’t disappear. We will be all poorer if it does.