Friday kicks off the weekend for most of Egyptians and is considered a day of rest. Besides Friday prayer, which shuts down the city midday for a few hours, Cairenes spend the day enjoying several different activities. Among wealthier Cairenes bicycling is slowly becoming more popular as a way to get around the city’s notorious traffic. Others are more traditional and one of many coffeehouses in the city where they drink coffee or tea, play backgammon, and smoke the water pipe called shisha. The coffeehouses have long been a place for discussion, recitation or the Koran, and the telling of tales by storytellers. Hamada Elrasam speaks to Cairenes from all walks of life about how they are spending their day of leisure.
Friday Prayers in Cairo, Egypt
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Undertaker Fathy Salama says “Friday is the best day for my business during the week. Mourners come to visit their relatives and they leave me some small tips, which makes up for low pay during the rest of the week.” 27 May 2016, Cairo. (Photo: Hamada El
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At Sayeda Aisha tombs, also known as the City of the Dead, mourners visit recently dead relatives’ tombs on Fridays. 27 May 2016, Cairo. (Photo: Hamada Elrasam for VOA)
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In Maadi, a wealthy Cairo suburb, bicyclists organize a weekly Friday ride, hoping the growing popularity of the support may help to reduce Cairo’s notorious traffic and pollution. 27 May 2016, Cairo. (Photo: Hamada Elrasam for VOA)
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The main reason I do it, I think it’s true for the majority of us, is that we want to fight pollution and traffic. Who knows? Maybe in few years you see no cars on the streets. We will all be cycling.” 27 May 2016, Cairo. (Photo: Hamada Elrasam for VOA
