Hijab in Cairo?

[keith_leonin]

I know that it is not required, and especially not for tourists. However, as

a street photographer, I need to be as inconspicuous as possible -- albeit

with a camera in hand.

 

My wife would prefer not to wear one, especially with the warm/hot weather

(we're be there in late May), but she'll agree to do it if I absolutely insist.

 

We're only there for a few days, and will only likely go to "touristy" areas --

i.e., some of the places described in the DK Eyewitness Guide.

 

My question is: would we stick out (more than we already would as non-locals)

if my wife were not to wear a hijab?

 

Thanks,

 

Keith

[acbeddoe]

I don't think the two of you are likely to be inconspicuous, except to be just another tourist, unless you disguise yourselves.

[Spearhead]

The best way to be inconspicuous in a Muslim country is to not walk near your wife. A non-local couple is immediately spotted by anyone wanting to sell anything, or be your "guide." A man alone is a poor target for sales.

 

It will help if your wife just wears a scarf and keeps her arms and legs covered, it will make her less obvious.

 

Once my wife and I started walking separately, we were never bothered or looked at. She has the advantage of being very dark-skinned and was of zero interest to anyone. I was obviously not local but also of no interest, and shot more or less freely.

[mariosforsos]

I agree with Jeff. Unless you actually either look like an arab or are dressed completely like

locals (I'm talking about the whole hog here, not just an item here and there),

unfortunately, they're going to spot you a mile away! Putting on an item or two will do

nothing - it might get you a couple of smiles but nothing more than that! Personally I

wouldn't go as far as to walk separately from my wife - true, they will hassle you for a bit,

but not enough to be seriously annoying and you can always do more wonders with a

smile and a polite wave rather than with anything else.

 

People in Cairo do not have problems with their picture taken - not the same everywhere

else in Egypt, but that does not mean you should snap away completely indiscriminately.

Choose your moments, be quick and you'll be fine.

[JDMvW]

My daughter and I were in Egypt last March. Before we went, at her own request we did buy a couple of stylish hijabs. In fact, on the beaten track we never saw a tourist with a hijab, nor did my daughter ever wear one. No one locally seemed to expect it from tourists. If you were really off the beaten track in back streets and so on, a hijab might or might not help. I think it's far more important to get even a little phrasebook Arabic. A friend who grew up in the Arab world, was kind enough to teach me some Cairo street Arabic (which is the equivalent of teaching an Arab visitor to the States, Bronx English, I think). The fact that I made the effort was an incredible door opener. At the Luxor airport, a scowling police guard beamed and escorted my daughter and I to the head of the line (in front of the French tourists who had pushed in) when I greeted him in my patois. Of course, even greeting them in English would be nicer than most people are to them.

[JDMvW]

Oh yeah, but shorts and lots of skin showing, are as Jeff says, are definitely NOT so good, although I did see some tourist women dressed that way. Things were very different at Sharm-es-Sheikh, where even the Arab women were dressed in quite daring garb.

[aaron l]

Dress modestly. Wearing a Hijab won't cut down questions unless you're dressed all the way, including shoes. Note that I had great experiences with people in Cairo. Complete strangers saved me more than once from being lost in the slums.

[robertjewett]

My wife and I will be there this year as well. She will wear a hijab as we always dress as close to the locals as possible. However, we do have friends here and there that will show us how to do it just right.

 

We always make every effort to blend locally. I was in Kabul, AFG (not with her) last October taking pictures and we were dressed to a ?t?. Chawar Chamise, Dusmall, etc. everything was just perfect even down to the stains. Anyway. Some little kids saw us from about 200 yards away and immediately knew we were foreigners and ran up to beg from us. : ) They always know. But, I have found that the effort, along with language learning has always got me much father than my friends. I have pictures they do not, and if it takes a silly hair scarf, we?ll do it. If you are going to stick to tourist areas, you?ll get tourist pictures. If you do not stick to tourist areas, the clothing helps.

 

Here is a trick I use. Sometimes the smallest things can make a big difference. Think about what our culture thinks of a wedding ring. I knew one recent immigrant from Somalia, who bought his first suit for a job interview. However, he wouldn?t listen to me, and went to the interview with the cloth tag still attached. He thought it was part of the suit because it was sewn on the sleeve.

 

One example is a friend of mine who found out that the exact number of bangles on his wife?s arm in Nepal meant different things. We always take the first day or so, sit and have tea, and count how many people wear white shirts, black pants, etc. before we decide what to wear ourselves. We always go with the majority.

 

We ALWAYS ask before we take pictures of people in Muslim countries. Remember, it is considered rude for a man to take a picture of a woman. I set the camera up, them hand it to my wife for the shot. Saves us a lot of grief.

[robertjewett]

Sorry, forgot to add: No shorts for either of you under any circumstances.