The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

By far, probably the most prestigious, stylish and well-stocked English language bookshop in Cairo is located inside the Downtown campus of the American University in Cairo;  the exquisite two-storey English bookstore is open to anyone, not just students and faculty members.

Just provide some ID at the entrance and the security guard will direct you through the university grounds to the  shop.  Though heavily guarded and shielded from view from the outside, the university grounds feature an enchanting green garden that is incredibly tranquil and carefully tended to by the gardeners. The quiet, green area is dotted with  wooden seating, so you can sit and relax in a place of beauty and peace.  Inside the building, the silence is everywhere, and that must be respected by all visiting.

The book prices are on the expensive side, however; Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret, for example, costs 100LE, while a beautiful and large hardback copy of the Qur’an (in English) costs 330LE.

Though a range of different books can be found, a strong emphasis is placed on subjects corresponding to fields of study at AUC.  Some of the clearly labelled sections within this immaculately organised vicinity include: Learning Arabic, Poetry and Drama and Classics, which contain books by William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway and Charles Dickens.

A tiny area also focuses on colourful children’s books which are very beautifully bound and carefully presented; there are some wonderful pop-up books, too, which would make wonderful gifts.  Another area has a small selection of stationary with journals, notebooks and sketchbooks; one A4 sketchbook costs 40LE and one, A5 leather bound journal costs 100LE.

Should you wish to take a moment to browse through some books, there are a couple of wooden chairs and tables available in the far side of the book shop and there will always be somebody available should you have any queries or concerns.