|
The Ramses Station area is the northern ganglion of Cairo's transport system. Splayed flyovers and arterial roads haemorrhage traffic onto darting pedestrians, keeping Midan Ramses busy round the clock. Its main focus is Ramses Station itself, a quasi-Moorish shoe box to which a major post office and the Egyptian Railways Museum are appended. The museum (Tues-Thurs, Sat & Sun 8.30am-1.30pm, Fri 8.30am-noon & 2-4pm; GBPE1.50, GBPE3 on Fri & public holidays), at the east end of the station, houses a cast of antique steam engines, headed by Ismail's private train. In ancient times, when the Nile ran further east, Ramses was the site of Tendunyas, the port of Heliopolis. Renamed Al-Maks (the Customs Point) by the Arabs, it was incorporated within Cairo's fortifications by Salah al-Din, whose Iron Gate was left high and dry as the Nile receded westwards, and was pulled down in 1847 to make way for the station. A nine-metre high red granite Colossus of Ramses II , moved here from Memphis in 1955, now stands diminished by the Heliopolis flyover and an overhead walkway; it is becoming so corroded by pollution that experts have long been insisting it be removed. It was due to be transported to the junction of Pyramids Road and the Alexandria Desert Road, out by the Giza Pyramids, despite lobbying from local Egyptologists to have it returned to its original site - pehaps this wrangling is why it's still slowly dissolving in situ. A modern replica of this colossus stands beside the airport road. Near Ramses Station, there are two main inter-city bus terminals - Koulali and Ahmed Helmi - and several service taxi depots (see "Travel details"). Koulali Terminal is off the road beneath the 6th October flyover; to get to Ahmed Helmi Terminal, you have to cross the humpbacked iron bridge. This used to overlook Cairo's army surplus market, which had to be removed to prevent fundamentalists from donning uniform in order to impersonate military officers. The Fontana, a hotel south of Midan Ramses, deserve a mention for its facilities: it lets non-residents use its rooftop swimming pool.
Your Tip for Ramses Station
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Ramses Station - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Ramses Station - visit the main Ramses Station forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Ramses Station webguide section below! Thanks.
|
