Crate digging in Cairo

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JonnyP

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So I got back from a wee trip to visit relatives in Egypt this evening and whilst there took the opportunity to have some vinyl adventuring.  Inspired by a story a few years ago in the Quietus, I tracked down a few of the vinyl stores in Cairo (and some not so impressive antique/junk stores.

I did my usual taxi into Maadi from my brother's spot (Careem - a version of Uber didn't have any nearby cars), set the price in my basic Arabic (mumkin shariah tessa, kham felous? Ishreen kwais? OK, alatul) and got into Maadi rd 9 (where the expats hang out), grabbed a coffee and got the metro into the city centre)  to put this in context, the taxi ride of about 8km cost about R15 whilst the coffee was R25!

The Cairo metro is fantastic and now running again to Tahir Square (Sadat station), 20km in 15 mins or so for 2LE (about R1.50) later I headed for Talaat Harb St looking for a side street on which Sono Cairo can be found. They were the label back in the day for greats like Omm Kolthoum, and had a press as well as a mosque and shop on site.  Although you can still buy a lot of the more famous artists on CD (and cassette!), their NOS vinyl is apparently sold so after a brief discussion with the owners (and a consideration of an 20CD Omm Kholthoum box set), I had a mission to get to Zamalek for a few more recommendations.

To get to Zamalek I would advise those without an understanding of Cairo traffic take a cab.  I, decided to walk....Crossing 5 lanes of Cairene traffic requires 'the Cairo shuffle'.  Ten years ago I got this right so after checking out a few more side streets I crossed at Rameses Square (next to the sadly always closed 'Museum of STDs' which has always intrigued me but looks to have closed many years ago.  This is behind the Egyptian museum which is darn impressive if you can figure out what you are looking at.

I made it to the Corniche and walked across 6th October bridge to Gezira club and onwards to Zamalek (about 25 mins in all to the main artery running through the area).  For those interested in the esoteric, the Rameses Sq starting point was where Aleister Crowley wrote a number of essays and supposedly channeled Ancient Egyptian Gods whilst looking towards what is now the Marriot Hotel.

After picking up another bottle of water from a kiosk I took the road around the tip of the Island passing the grand old villas which are now mainly embassies.  Eventually I found Ion Electronics which sadly was shut on Sundays (and public holidays if they feel like it).  The weekend in Egypt is Friday and Saturday, but not apparently in Zamalek.  A bit of a shame as although they apparently have little vinyl, they do sell and repair grammaphones and valve radios (as well as VHS players and Hoovers according to their signage!).  So a miss there as well.

Grabbed a bite to eat and more water and had a good time finding Mazeeka.  This is in the back of a block of flats above the Metro Supermarket on Mohamed Ismail St.  Anyone trying to find it should take note that there is a second set of stairs behind the main one and those are the ones to take.  I finally found vinyl (as well as more valve radios and junk electronics, as well as half tonne grammaphones with cast iron horns and massive plinths).  Trouble was.......closed as well.

I had a nice wander back to the metro at Tahir Sq via a few antique shops wherein yet more ancient electronics lay, a few dusty old Omm Kholthoum and Cairene Jazz (overpriced sadly) and a quick checking out of some pubs occurred (Pub 28 is still old money and lovely) before getting a nice air conditioned train back to Maadi, a quick browse at a couple of junk stores (worse than charity shop stuff) and a wander up to the ACE (a club that is really more of a pub) to meet up with mates.

So, no decent vinyl finds but a very nice 5hr wander around the most interesting parts of the city.  Next time I'll go on a Tuesday.....
 
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