Cairo

Guide for dating in Cairo helps you to meet the best girls. This dating guide gives you tips how to date Egyptian women. You will learn rules where and how to flirt with local Egyptian girls. We advise how to move from casual dating to the relationship and find the real love. We also tell the best dating sites in Cairo. In this article below you will find more information where to meet and date girls in Cairo, Egypt.

A group of hot girls at the golden pharoah club in cairo

Girls in Cairo:

Looks of girls: 4 / 5

Attitude of girls: 4 / 5

Loyalty of girls: 4 / 5

Education level of girls: 3.5 / 5

Dating in Cairo:

Chance of arranging dates: 3 / 5

Casual dating culture: 2 / 5

Online dating popularity: 2 / 5

Sex in Cairo:

Women's sexual activity: 2 / 5

One-night stands: 2 / 5

More about Cairo:

Nightlife in general: 3 / 5

Locals' English level: 2.5 / 5

Moving around the city: 3.5 / 5

Budget per day: US$X20 - $1000

Accommodation: US$10 - $500

Dating

Cairo is the capital city and commercial hub of Egypt. With a population of more than 17 million people, Cairo is only rivaled by Lagos as the cities with the largest populations in Africa. The civilization of this city can be traced back to more than 3000 years. Egypt is considered to be some of the earliest settlements of human beings.

Egyptian girls are generally beautiful with a light skin complexion as is the case in many Arab nations. These girls are sharp and easy to get along with. You only need to be willing to learn and understand the culture of the people of this city and you should be on your way to having a good time with the ladies here.

Egypt may geographically be in Africa but it is considered to be a part of the Middle East. This has resulted in its social and cultural ideologies being influenced by the Arab League. As you get into this country and before you hook up with a girl from this country, you need to understand this so as to ensure that your time with these girls is the best ever.

Dating Culture

Egypt may be one of the oldest countries in the world and one of the most developed in Africa but its dating and hookup culture are largely conservative. This is mainly because of the strong Islam presence in the country. However, this does not mean that the dating culture here is totally grounded. The huge population of the city and its position as a key city in Africa and the Middle East brings along many young beautiful women from within and outside the city who are looking for a good time and a good man. While public display of affection may be uncommon and frowned upon, Cairo has a lot to offer in terms of dating and hookups.

Sugar Dating

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Online Dating

Dating in Cairo can be a bit tricky due to not knowing if you have a solid connection, so your best bet is to sign up for a dating site before you venture to the night club or bar, so you can meet a few locals ahead of time. AdultFriendFinder.com lets you meet local members in Cairo and get to know them on a personal basis before you meet in person. Take advantage of site features like live chat and member to member webcams so you can begin flirting before arranging a face-to-face meeting.

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Women

With a population of more than 17 million people, it follows that Cairo has a large pool of women from different backgrounds and with different characteristics. These women are very beautiful and cultured and if you can hook up with one, your time in Cairo will be enjoyable. Unlike many cities around the world where hooking up with girls is relatively easy due to modernization and the western influence, strict Islamic laws have made it an uphill task to get a woman that you can hook up with casually. The best chance that a tourist has in the city of Cairo is with foreign women or the few liberal locals who do not subscribe much to the Islamic culture.

One type of women that you are bound to find in Egypt is the women who are strict adherence to Islamic laws. These women wear either the niqab or the hijab. The niqab is a veil that is worn by ultra-conservative Muslim women and it covers the face leaving only the eyes exposed. On the other hand, a hijab is worn by the less conservative Muslim women and women in the western world.

Cairo receives more than 10 million tourists every year from who come to savor the country’s attractions. This group mainly comes from the developed countries of Europe and America and here we have our second category of women. These women are more liberated than the local Egyptian women and most of them do not ascribe to the Islam faith. Local regulations limit their expressiveness in terms of mannerism and dressing. However, these women dress less conservatively, without the burkas and hijabs worn by the locals. They will be found in loose trousers and simple blouses and cover their eyes with sunglasses. As a tourist looking for a quick hookup, these are the women that are more readily available as compared to most locals.

With its 29 universities and many tertiary education institutions, we have a large group of girls who are students in these schools. Many of them reside within the school and step out during the weekends and recesses. Just like the second group above, some of the students have been exposed to a mixture of cultures as the universities have both locals and foreigners in their ranks. Since many of them are still under their parents, they will be careful not to appear to be outgoing during the day as they go about their studies. This greatly changes on the weekend nights as they drop their innocent looks and venture into the vibrant nightlife of Cairo.

While the above category may mainly come from the relatively well of families, girls from the lower class seldom go beyond secondary school. Many lower-class families prefer marrying their women off early to other lower-class men as such men always opt for such women rather than the educated ones who have been exposed to a lot of modernism.

While each of the above categories has its own traits, we can also look at the women in Cairo based on their age.

Egyptian Girls (age 18 - 29)

Just like their age mates from anywhere else in the world, these girls are at the age of transition where girls leave teenage and get into adulthood. This transition and relatively young adult age make girls here to be the most beautiful. At this point, estrogen is released into the body of these girls. The action of this hormone results in the development of secondary sexual features in women. The breasts which were hitherto flat protrude and become round and supple while the hips and buttock grow in size.

For most conservative Egyptian girls, the dress of choice is the hijab and other loose clothes to hide the prominent features. In Egypt, it is considered immoral for you to be in tight trousers and dresses or short skirts. While a few progressive parents may allow their daughters to step out like this, which is rarely the case for the majority.

As the girls at this age are finishing their education, it is generally accepted that the next phase is marriage and so some may end up getting married straight away. The manner of married may be either consensual between the girl and the man or it can be arranged. Though they are less common nowadays, arranged marriages are favored by the wealthy families who seek to establish connections with each other.

Unlike some countries where some women prefer to move out of their family homes once they grow older, Egyptian girls rarely out of their parents' homes unless they are moving to their matrimonial home. Because of the highly patriarchal nature of Egyptian families, a girl is expected to be under a male figure at all points of her life hence the move from the care of her father and brothers directly to the care of a husband. In the same way, in the unfortunate event of a divorce or the death of the husband, the girl is free to move back to her father’s home. From there, she is allowed to get married after an appropriate period of transition.

For the girls coming from the lower class, many of them get to this age having been married. Many men in Egypt prefer marrying women who have not gone to higher levels of education as they deem them to be spoilt. In an attempt to ensure that their daughters are still desirable, many men pull off out of school at this point and have them assist in house chores as the till they are of age. Another reason that the men marry off their daughter is usually because of poverty. Since the dowry paid by the men before marrying a girl comes to her family, many fathers opt to marry off their daughters early when they are still young and likely to fetch more in terms of dowry.

Egyptian Women (age 30 - 45)

Most women of this age anywhere else in the world would be settling in their careers and marriages and many of them preparing to get into either of the two. However, this is hardly the case in Egypt as most women in this age are never working but are fully committed to their homes as housewives.

Statistics show that only 20% of Egyptian women pursue a career after completing their studies.

This means the woman that you will come across this age will most like be married with children as many of them get married earlier in life. If you get lucky and get one who is not yet married, she will be looking for a husband and is where you may come in. this can only work if you agree to act as the prospective husband as the law discourages women interacting with unrelated men unless it is one is planning to marry them.

These women are slightly more mature and so know how to conduct themselves without arousing any suspicion. She may even be knowing the hand gesture that is used by lovers to converse without other people understanding anything.

Egyptian Ladies (age 45+)

However beautiful a girl may have been in her early years, women above 45 years tend to have lost most of their spark. She will be struggling with many personal complications and those on the older side may be having health issues as well.

In Egypt, such women have often gone through a lot in terms of discrimination and may not provide you with the excitement that you may be seeking. While those unmarried may be readily available for you to sample, the very fact that she is still single maybe as a result of a blemish that you may have to live with.

On the other hand, you may come across a divorced woman above 45 years who through sheer luck may have kept herself well and may be ready for a relationship. You will have to prepare to go the long haul with her as anything short of that may end up making her look like an adulteress and face the wrath of the locals.

Foreign Girls (tourists, expats, students, etc.)

As it has been mentioned earlier, about 14 million foreigners landed in Egypt in 2019. With at least half of these being women and many of them staying in Cairo as they go about their excursions, it follows that Cairo has many foreign girls walking on its streets. It is easy for you to tell the difference between them apart from the local girls mainly through their dressing and general behavior. While the local Muslim girls cover most of their bodies in the religious attire, the foreign girls will be found in loose pants, sleeveless tops and sunglasses.

Another group of foreign girls that you will come across in Cairo is the students who study at the numerous universities in the city. Egyptian universities are considered to be some of the best and most affordable in the world and so many students from all over African and the Middle East come to study there.

Egypt is one of the most developed cities in Africa and the Arab League. This makes many young women come to the city in search of jobs. Those from other Arab countries easily assimilate into the culture of the local girls and so you may not be able to tell them apart. However, for those from sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world will be conspicuous not just from their appearance but also from the way they carry themselves

While these girls are your easiest bet for casual sex, the local traditions still dictate that you cannot openly be seen soliciting for sex as that is highly frowned upon.

Sex

There are few things as hard as having sex with an Egyptian girl who is not your wife. From an early age, these girls are taught about sex and the need to keep one’s virginity until the wedding night. Indeed, in many places, a woman’s first night with her husband is used to determine if she is still a virgin. A marriage can be terminated on its first night if it is found that the bride was not a virgin. This has kept many women away from indulging in premarital sex.

This gives you the amount of effort and discretion that you need to apply if you are to have sex with an Egyptian girl. If you will be able to overcome every obstacle including the language barrier then you will savor the sex.

Sex Culture

The sex culture in Cairo is largely influenced by Islamic laws. These laws forbid any sexual encounter between a man and a woman outside the context of marriage. Though it is less frequent nowadays, honor killing has made young men and women afraid of being caught in any compromising situation with a member of the opposite gender. Honor killing is the act of killing someone on the belief that the person has caused shame and embarrassment to the family or community.

This practice is allowed in Islamic law and has come under sharp criticism from human rights organizations civil society. While the foreigners who are not Muslim may be slightly, just slightly, open-minded in matters of sex, locals are very careful.

One-Night Stands

Cairo, as has been said before, is a predominantly Muslim city and this is the culture that prevails in the city. While still possible, having a one-night stand in the city needs to be very discreet as any woman found having sex with a man who is not his wife is bound to raise eyebrows and risks severe punishment while you also risk expulsion as fornication and adultery are considered to be some of the gravest sins. As you look for a woman available for a one-night stand, you will need to be inconspicuous and away from any eyes.

Your best chance at a one-night stand may be with the university students in the city or the foreign girls who are less hindered by the local traditions. Even as you approach, these or any other girl, you need to stay away from the temptation of publicly displaying your intentions as this may land you in trouble with the authorities. In the open, act as casually as possible as you express yourself to the girl you intend to bed. This discretion should be displayed even when you go to the place of choice.

Egyptians girls may be hard to get to but remember that they are also loyal so you may want to stay away from her after you one-night or else you will find yourself married.

Best Places to Meet Single Girls

While Cairo and Egypt, in general, is predominantly Muslim and much of the way of life is dominated by religious traditions, Cairo still has a lot in terms of places and activities that present an opportunity for you to meet the girl of your dreams.

Whether it is in the city center or on the outskirts, you need to check and identify the best places for you depending on the type of girl you seek and the amount of money in your pockets.

Bars, Pubs and Nightclubs

During the day, Cairo is like any other city in the Middle East. There is very little indication of what the night holds as the locals will be in their traditional religious outfit as they about their local business. As soon as it gets dark, all this changes and the city becomes lively with revelers moving from club to club looking for the best experience to while the time away and have a good time.

Before looking at some of the entertainment joints in the city, it must be pointed out that the political unrest of 2011 and the subsequent uncertainties caused a major interruption in the social lives of the citizens of Cairo. A curfew that was imposed back then brought to a standstill what was a bustling entertainment scene. However, some of the restrictions have been lifted and the nightlife is slowly coming back to its past glory.

The traditions have also meant that, unlike in other entertainment joints around the world, alcohol is not a very integral part of the entertainment. This is because the loss of inhibitions caused by its consumption may result in doing detestable acts here, some of them punishable.

El Horreya: This joint is themed like an old English tea room with its high ceiling and unkempt yellow walls. It is one of the oldest entertainment joints in Egypt and it has been in existence since 1897. The pub is located on El Sayed El Bakry.

L’Aubergine: This bar occupies two floors with the lower floor being a restaurant that mainly serves vegetarian cuisine while the first floor is a night club complete with a live DJ. It is popular with the young and wealthy. It is also located on El Sayed El Bakry.

Pub 28: While other clubs around have been changing their look over the year, Pub 28 has maintained is laidback demeanor. It has also maintained its clientele which cuts across from the young to the old. If you want to mingle with foreigners from all over, this is the place. It is situated along Sharia Shagaret El Bakry.

Cairo Jazz Club: It is one of the oldest existing live music night clubs in Cairo. The club is arguably the heaven for music lovers and party-goers. It is a lively place where one can enjoy music, delicious food, and bar selections.

El Sawi Culturewheel: This entertainment spot offers the best of lively night performances of classic Arabic, contemporary Egyptian bands and festivals on its five stages. It is located along July Street.

Shahrazad Cairo: Famed for its traditional belly-dancing, this joint is located along El Nil Street near Talaat Street. Its gorgeous interior with red-velvet drapes, astral lighting, and suave Arabic music with flavorsome cuisine and vivacious ambiance, making it a must-visit spot for party lovers.

Crimson Bar and Grill: The club is located on a back street of Zamalek Island; Crimson Bar & Grills offers an unbeatable view of River Nile from its rooftop terrace. The square-shaped bar and high chairs with revelers from across the world allow hanging out with people from different cultures.

Golden Pharaoh Dinner Cruise: This a 14-meter luxury boat that serves the best of traditional dances as you devour the Middle East and Egyptian dishes floating over the Nile River. The best part of this experience is the traditional folk dances beautiful girls gyrating their waists.

Zigzag: This club is for those who prefer R&B, electronica, and hip-hop. Zigzag is located in an old Arabesque restaurant that hosts the bands on weekdays and a DJ on weekends. The club follows a strict entry policy allowing only couples and mixed groups. It is located in Sharia Qasr El Nil in downtown Cairo

The Garden: It's a chill-out spot to experience the true vibe of Cairo nightlife with your significant half. The Garden houses an outdoor patio and an indoor open-fronted bar. Located in Korba, Heliopolis; it is an amazing place to enjoy your favorite drink with live music or DJs. It is unique in that it requires prior booking done on its website.

Amici: The club offers a unique ambiance with expert international mixologists, Thai chefs, and enrapturing music. The bar also hosts karaoke nights on Sundays. It is situated at the junction of El Hegaz and Taha Hussein Streets

Other popular clubs in Cairo are Vent, Almaz, The Lemon Tree, Aperitivo, The New Tamarai, and Graffiti.

Cairo is generally safe to move around but ladies should have a male chaperoning them as an unaccompanied female in a club is not much welcome.

Shopping Malls

Over the past 2 decades, malls have emerged as a great and convenient way to shop. Many people are attracted to the ease of doing all the shopping in one place. Particularly popular with the middle and upper classes, malls also offer great spots to hang out as many of them feature restaurants and open food courts

Some of the malls in Cairo include:

Mall of Egypt

Cairo Festival City Mall

Mall of Arabia

Citystars Mall

City Centre Almaza

City Centre Maadi

Galleria40

Point90 Mall

Dandy Mega Mall

The First Mall

Outdoors

Having been founded more than 3000 years ago, it is only expected that Cairo has a lot of outdoor distractions for you to meet girls. Before looking at some of the places of interest in Cairo, it must be mentioned that with its huge population, Cairo experiences overcrowding and movement within the city center can be quite hectic. In your movement around, you may need to remember that Egypt is predominantly Islam and some places such as mosques may have restrictions and rules governing their access.

Any visit to Cairo would be incomplete a trip to the Pyramids of Giza found in the southwest of the city. The pyramids are the only survivor from the famous Seven Wonders of the World. They served as the burial grounds for the Pharaohs who ruled Egypt. The pyramids are built on a plateau about 12 kilometers from the city center. The site can be accessed by taxi or by joining the numerous tours that leave the city every day. The Pyramid of Cheops, also called the Great Pyramid or Pyramid of Khufu is the largest pyramid of the Giza group, and its interior of narrow passages can be explored, although there isn't much to see.

Founded in 1857, the Egyptian Museum is one of the most visited in the world. One of the highlights of this museum is the Tutankhamun Galleries that bear treasures and artifacts that were retrieved from the tomb of King Tutankhamun who ruled in the 14th Century BC. It is believed that this is the largest collection of treasure ever gotten from an Egyptian tomb. The Egyptian Museum sits right beside Midan Tahrir, the central square of Downtown Cairo.

The Al-Azhar Mosque is a must-visit for anyone interested in the history of Islam. It is one of the first mosques. The mosque incorporates what is arguably the oldest university in the world that was bestowed with that status in 988 AD. The university continues to be the most important Islam theological center in the world.

The second oldest mosque in Cairo is the Ibn Tulun Mosque which was built between 876 and 879 AD. The mosque is fashioned on the Kabba in Mecca which is the center of Islam. At its completion, the mosque was the largest in the world and its 40-meter tall minaret can still be visible from a long way off. It is located along Al Saliba Street.

Zamalek District is found on the Nile Island on Gezira. The center is home to Cairo's top restaurants while its ornate mansions are now occupied by various embassies. Much of the southern side of Gezira is taken up by tennis courts and riding stables of the Gezira Sports Club, but towering above all the lush greenery is the 187-meter-high Cairo Tower, built in 1961 by President Abdel Nasser South of the Gezira island is the Monastirli Palace. The palace hosts Cairo’s Nilometer. Built in 861 AD, this is a device used to check the ebb and flow of the Nile and act as a warning signal for impending floods.

Another place of interest is the Citadel. In addition to being one of the very few car-free places in town, it is also a great place to enjoy a view over the city, stretching all the way to the Pyramids on a clear day. The Citadel was built on top of a hill during the 12th century by Saladin, the ruler of the city, to protect it from Crusader attacks.

Universities and Colleges

With its rich history, Egypt boasts of the largest education systems in both North Africa and the Middle East. About 30% of the population of Egypt goes to university and many more proceed to other tertiary institutions. The universities are also considered to be some of the most affordable in the world.

Cairo is home to some of the oldest and most-respected higher learning institutions in the world giving the learners a timeless experience through the ages. The city has about 29 universities and many more colleges. Some of these include:

Cairo University

Nile University

Misr University for Science and Technology

Canadian International College

Al-Azhar University

The German University in Cairo

Higher Technological Institute

Egyptian Military Academy

Heliopolis University

Narmer American College

St George’s College, Cairo

Relationship

As pointed out before, Cairo is largely dominated by Muslims and thus a large part of the lives of the citizens are influenced by religion. This has the effect of the residents having a conservative approach to matters of socialization and relationships. While many countries in the developing world adopted the culture and language of their colonizers, Egypt has maintained much of its traditional setup in effect minimizing the influence of western cultures.

This, however, does not mean that it is all gloom when it comes to matters of having a relationship in Cairo. The huge population of the city presents a proportionately big chance for you to get into a relationship with an Egyptian girl in Cairo. You only need to be able to understand and accept the local culture and your chance of getting a girl will significantly increase

Holiday Romance

Despite having gone through a rough patch in the period around the revolution of 2011, Cairo has regained its place as one of the most visited cities in the world. In 2019, Egypt received about 12 million tourists most of whom came through or visited Cairo in the period of their stay. The above attractions and many others attract many foreigners who come to enjoy the ancient world in a modern setting.

It is this number, added onto the local population of local girls, which gives a clear indication of the amount of opportunity for hookups that exists in Cairo. Due to strict traditions, the number of girls who would readily get into a relationship with you may be few as compared to other cities around the world. You will need to adjust to the situation and be patient as the women in Cairo will only give you a chance if they believe that you are going to be there for the long haul.

Holidays provide one of the best experiences for a romantic relationship. As a foreigner in a country that receives a lot of tourists every year, you will have an opportunity to enjoy a relationship with a girl from any part of the world. This gives you the experience of getting a taste of a different culture from your own and different from that of Egypt. As a strict Muslim country with its girls afraid of breaking the culture, the local girls may be hard to hook up with during the holidays. Holidays will bring along girls from other parts of the world many of them more liberal than the locals and so you will have an easier time.

However, whether the girl is local or foreign, holidays have a way of putting g everyone at ease and you will find the even the girls who previously seemed to be unapproachable or hard to hook up with letting down their guard. Even as you proceed with caution in your affair with the local girl, you can be sure that you will have a much easier and enjoyable time during the holidays

Tips for Successful Relationship

Getting into a relationship with any girl requires commitment and sacrifice form both of you. The two of you will need to invest both physically and emotionally for the relationship to blossom and grow into something beautiful. These requirements can only increase when you are getting into a relationship with someone from a conservative society such as the one in Egypt.

Islam is one of the strictest religions and Egypt has some of the staunchest Muslims in the world. The girl that you choose may come from one of these families and this may affect how the two of you interact. It will be important for you to be ready to accept the girl and her cultural background. You will need to be discreet at the onset as reputation is key to Muslim girls and they work hard to protect it.

Honesty is one of the most important pillars of a successful relationship. Everyone has things that they would rather keep to themselves away from anyone else. While this is common, you need to identify those things that will affect your relationship in any way and lay them in the open. This will help you avoid future conflict when the truth is revealed in some other way.

There are no two human beings in the world who have identical. Even though there may be similarities in some physical or even mental characteristics, our interactions and upbringing and how we react to them result in every one of us is unique in their way. This fact is clear and important in a relationship. The two of you come from different places, had different upbringings, and have different interests. The biggest challenge for a couple is to ensure that these two sets of identities complement each other and not conflict. With this understanding, you will be able to have reasonable expectations of each other and not use your own life to gauge your partner.

It is important that as the two of you get into a relationship, you need to remember that just as you are different in your upbringing and your background, so are your needs as a man and a woman. While every person has their own unique preferences, likes and emotional makeup, there are generic needs that define one based on one’s gender. It is said that men are more visual than women. By this definition, men will be turned on by a beautiful spouse and one with a good body figure. This, together with receiving admiration and sexual fulfilment will keep most men satisfied. This is why men are known to turn on the streets and look at other women if they see something that attracts them.

On the other hand, women look for a man who will provide financial security for them and their families. Women are more talkative than men and so a woman will also be looking for someone who is more of a listener than a talker as if the man talks more than he listen, the woman will end up feeling suffocated. By their nature, women are nurturers. A woman will therefore be attracted to a man if she feels like the man will be committed to their family. This is because a woman will not only look out for herself in a relationship but will instinctively want the best for her children and will look for a man who can share with her on this.

Lastly, research has shown that every person subconsciously prefers one of five things from the spouse in a relationship. The five things are commonly referred to as the five love languages. Although a person may like more than one of them, there is always that one thing that ranks above the rest. The five love languages are:

Quality time with each other

Gifts

Physical touch

Acts of kindness

Words of affirmation

Even though everyone has their own love language among the five, for a relationship to work, all the five may be used at point or another. For instance, there are times when a girl may want to spend quality time with you. This cannot be replaced by lavishing her with expensive gifts or even words of affirmation uttered over the phone.

Love

Whether it is in Cairo or anywhere else, the feeling of being in love is something that we all look forward to at a point in our lives. From birth and throughout, we are born with an innate longing to love and to be loved. At times, falling in love may be seen from a distance. However, most times you will never know how things happen but you will find yourself being attracted and later attached to someone who a while back was a complete stranger. With the many activities that Cairo has to offer, being in love here is going to be one of the best things ever.

How to Make Sure She Is the One

While it may not be humanly possible to completely know the type of girl you are getting into a relationship with, it will be helpful to look out for some pointers to help you as you decide to settle down with someone.

The girl that you seek to marry should show compassion and support towards others and their struggles, including yours. You will have down days and you will feel upset, and your partner should be able to support you and relate to you during these times. Even though she may show this support to you out of obligation, she must extend the same to those around her.

Honesty is a very important trait in a long-term relationship; if you can’t trust your partner, how can you tell them anything in confidence, or believe anything they said to you? Find someone who respects you enough to be honest with you, even when it is difficult for them.

As well as supporting your dreams and goals, the woman you marry should have her dreams and ambitions, too. She will look to her future regularly and plan how to improve her life, rather than depending on you for a good and fulfilling life. Admiring your partner and her attitude should motivate you to be a better version of yourself. From going to the gym to volunteering at a charity, you should want to be the best version of yourself for her—and yourself.

Marriage

Like in many other countries, the legal minimum age for marriage in Egypt is 18 years. However, underage girls are frequently married in Urfi, an unofficial customary form of marriage. Marriage is one of the most important social events in Cairo comparable only to birth. This is also indicated by the significantly low rate of divorce in Egypt (2%). With 95% of all weddings in Egypt being Muslim, Islamic law defines the requirements of getting into marriage as well as the obligations and responsibilities of each partner in a marriage. Upon marriage, a woman automatically becomes entitled to economic and social protection from her husband.

As a result of this provision, the woman is expected to be under the authority of the husband at all times. The husband has unfettered rights over his wife in marriage. These include his ability to restrict the movement of the wife outside the home for any reason. He can also end the marriage without having to explain the reason to the husband. Over the recent past, there have been changes to some of the laws which have reduced the exceeding authority of the husband and given the wife some rights.

While domestic violence meted on women by their husbands was tolerated by law, women can now file for divorce on such grounds. Men are now also required to file for divorce through a legal process and not unilaterally and if a divorce is granted, none of the parties is given preferential treatment in the settlement.

The road to marriage begins with the man and woman meeting and getting to know each other. Although the two often decide on their terms, some families still practice arranged marriages. Once the two families agree with the choice of their son or daughter, the marriage process begins. Meetings will be arranged between the two families in which a date is agreed upon for the wedding. The groom will visit the bride's family with gifts for them and money for the family known as mahr. Part of this money will be given to the bride for her to buy items for her new house. The groom-to-be also gives his fiancée shakr. These are jewelry gifts some of which will be won during the wedding ceremony.

Wedding

For a foreigner marrying an Egyptian girl, the following are required to be presented to the registrar’s office:

Passport

A written statement declaring that you are not married. If widowed, death certificate of spouse

Five photos each for the bride and groom

Medical certificate proving that you are physically fit to marry

2 male witnesses with proof of identity

For a wedding between two Egyptians, the ceremony takes place in a mosque or a selected location in the presence of the groom, the witnesses and the family of the bride. The ceremony is led by a Maa’zoun. The bride is kept in a secret room and is only consulted before the certificate is signed on her behalf by a member of her family. The groom and the representative sign the certificate and the legal aspect of the wedding are complete. The wedding will also feature other aspects of Islam worship such as the reading of the Quran.

In the case of a foreigner marrying a local girl, the legal part will take place in the government office. While the couple may opt to have a religious ceremony, this will only be ceremonial.

The bride and groom are then presented to their families and friends in a reception. As elsewhere in the world couples cut the wedding cake, which is several layers high and feed each other. The bride then tosses her flower bouquet behind her back to other hopeful females. The wedding celebration is marked by plenty of food and drinking of a traditional sweet drink called “sharbat” which is prepared from various fruits and herbs.

Family Life

Every Egyptian is expected to get married at some point and have children who will carry on with the family name. The Egyptians considered children to be a blessing this was more if the children were male. From a young age, Egyptian children are instructed on the importance of respect to their parents and elders. The children were also introduced to household duties as were taught how to be responsible adults.

Although more and more families are adopting a nuclear set up in the family, the Egyptian understanding of family includes children, parents, grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts, and any other relatives who live under the same roof. While in many cultures the wife becomes primarily a member of her husband's family, in Egypt, she is still considered as a child from her own family maintains close contact and in the unfortunate event of a divorce, that's where she is expected to go back to.

After a divorce or the death of a spouse, both men and women, especially if they do not have children, are expected to return to their parents if they are still alive; otherwise, they are supposed to live with a brother, sister, or any other relative.