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Hurghada: A real taste of Egypt

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Feeling the winter chill and overdue a change of scene, I booked my very first trip to Egypt.

I didn’t choose the Pyramids or a Nile Cruise, but the upmarket sun-kissed Red Sea resort of El Gouna.

But I craved a taste of real Egypt and booked a day trip to the nearby city of Hurghada.

Was this an eye-opening contrast to the beach and sun loungers? READ MORE BELOW

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My day was spent in the company of tour guide Mostafa, an enthusiastic and friendly young guy with a detailed knowledge of his home city.

We visited the city’s impressive waterside mosque, but this was Friday and time for prayers – the biggest event of the week.

Sitting with a throng of male worshippers, carefully following their every move and listening in awe to the Imam’s sermon was a great privilege, thanks to Mostafa.

We moved from one part of Egyptian life to the nearby fish market, bedecked with seafood and locals carefully selecting their catch of the day.

Mike and guide Mostafa taking in the sights

The marina area has been redeveloped for the tourist trade, with a slew of restaurants where Westerners would certainly feel at home.

I asked to head away from here and we went to an ordinary neighbourhood distant from the seafront, with a busy outdoor market and a colourful array of shops and cafes.

It was filled with a hotch-potch of architecture, with some buildings in need of some TLC. But this area of Hurghada felt authentically unmanicured.

A stop for a refreshing sugar cane juice and then mint tea at a sprawling street cafe – the domain of Egyptian men – added a further sense of authenticity to this experience.

My El Gouna base seemed much smoother around the edges but lacking that fizz of excitement when I returned – I’m glad I had this brush with real Egypt.

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Astana: Pride of Kazakhstan

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After a 15-hour journey from my home in Manchester, I arrived in Astana, the shiny purpose-built capital of Kazakhstan.

This first taste of Central Asia promised to be far from the myths created by Borat.

Astana became the Kazakh capital and seat of government in 1997, a thousand miles north of biggest city Almaty.

It bristles with tall, ambitious landmark buildings and wide avenues. Is Astana a strange folly or an architecture fan’s wet dream? CONTINUE READING BELOW

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My initial impression of Astana was like any other big city – snarled up with traffic. A light monorail is being built to take some pressure off the roads.

Some of Astana’s landmarks loomed large on the drive to the hotel, including the huge gold orb of the totemic Bayterek Tower.

My first little trip out with my camera ended stickily. I was photographing the blue dome of the Presidential Palace and was promptly apprehended by a police officer, asked for my passport and told to delete the image.

Nur-Astana mosque has to be visited

But me and my camera were never questioned again, which was welcome in this sparklingly photogenic new capital city.

It’s hard to walk around Astana without looking up at the vast collection of lofty architecture, from the symbolic to government ministries and very large modern apartment blocks.

Meanwhile, a visit to Nur-Astana mosque outside of the centre is a must with its many domes, palatial hallways and an awe-inspiring prayer room prompting more looking up.

Mike Osborn in Independence Square in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

Independence Square is a place for peering up

Astana may seem like an architectural playground, but is the heart of Kazakhstan’s government and the people who keep it running and live there.

There are plenty of restaurants and cultural amenities to visit in the evening, while the city is fond of its caffeine with coffee shops in abundance. It’s a fully fledged metropolis less than 25 years after it took shape.

As a visitor it feels fresh, new and exciting. But it has some big distances which you might prefer to cover with a trusty taxi app. Worth the lengthy journey to get to this capital city on the steppes? That’s a yes from me.

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Mosque magic

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Blue stuccoYou have to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at least twice on a visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. By the dazzling light of day, this beguiling building teems with visitors and can be hot work. But it remains open until long after sunset, and is transformed by illuminations which unveil a magical spectrum of colours, shimmering reflections and accentuate the wonderful lines and shapes created by this wonder of architecture.

After dark, the visitors have thinned out and lurk as silhouettes, and you can find stretches of the mosque are your own. The grounds are lit with warm, golden lamps which add to the atmosphere. And as for night photography, the lighting means that a tripod isn’t essential or even necessary. You must definitely take a night stroll around this building if you’re ever in this Middle Eastern city.

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Mosque

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Crescent domeLondon’s Central Mosque overlooks Regent’s Park in the heart of the city. It has a copper dome – now a little tarnished – and a concrete minaret. The building is modern and functional, but its principal prayer room dazzles with riches.

I visited just in time for Friday lunchtime prayers, one of the most important gatherings of the week. The faithful were thronging to the mosque. I held back and just watched.

The ceremonials are fairly brief, followed by congregating and socialising in the large courtyard. I went in, removed my shoes and marvelled at the opulent gold chandelier beneath a dome decorated with inscriptions and intricate patterns.

Many men remained there, some quietly chatting, others in their own acts of worship. One studied the Qur’an on his iPad. I seemed at ease to quietly take photographs of this place – perhaps my own religion. The faithful were not photographed, that felt like an invasion of their space.

Any unease I felt about being here then melted away. A man approached me, offered me his tray of dates and said: “Welcome to mosque.”

What a touching gesture to cap a memorable visit.

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Beneath the dome

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Beneath the domeA beautiful centrepiece in this place of worship. Glowing, golden, symmetrical and lined with the intricate swirls of classical Arabic text and embossed patterns.

It could be the United Arab Emirates, Egypt or Morocco. More on the story of the dome in days to come…

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