Coffee house hour

The ahwa is Cairo's living room — plastic chairs, tea glasses, backgammon slap, and conversation that needs no monument to justify its anthropology.

Choose a neighborhood café away from pure tourist lanes if possible. Order tea or Turkish coffee; sit minimum forty-five minutes. Phones down — watch gesture, listen to argument rhythm even without Arabic.

Etiquette

Do not photograph faces without permission. Tip modestly if served well. Gender seating customs vary — observe before choosing table.