Advice for Families
Going to Egypt with your spouse and children to learn Quran and Arabic is an
excellent way of developing your faith and relationships within the family. Even
if your children don’t learn that much, seeing their parents seeking knowledge
will inshaAllaah be a good example for them to hold on to later in their lives.
Unless the parents are planning on working in Egypt, it is likely that you will
spend more time with each other which should help to develop a closeness that
is sometimes difficult in the normal rat race culture. Although going with the
family will present challenges, we should remember that the reward is often
proportionate to the difficulty we face.
Many families are only able to go for the summer holidays because parents don’t
want to take their children out of school or because they cannot take more time
off from work. Even these four to six weeks in the summer can be really
beneficial in terms of improving one’s tajweed, Arabic and memorization of
Quran. Moreover, spending time in a more Islamic environment, hearing the
adhan, spending time with good people, praying in the mosque regularly and
having more time to reflect on one’s life will invariably help both parent and
child alike. If you are able to take more time out and spend a year or more, that
would obviously be even more beneficial inshaAllaah.
Accomodation
Most families end up living in Cairo as it has by far the most number of teachers
and Western students studying and living there. As it is the capital, it can also
give you a level of luxury and comfort that may be difficult to find in smaller
cities or towns. If you are willing to pay enough, you can get apartments that
offer a level of luxury similar to Western standards but you have to remember
that the roads will still be dirty, buildings within touching distance of each other
and non-existent pavements. After all, this is still classed as a poor country from
an economic point of view.
Nasr city is the most popular area for students to stay in as it contains a plethora
of Arabic institutes as well as private teachers who are willing to come to your
house. It is divided into different districts (8 th , 9 th , 10 th etc). The 9 th district is probably the best place to live in, especially from a family’s point of view,
because it is the cleanest and least densely populated of all the districts. It also
contains several of the major Arabic institutes (eg Kalima/ Lisaan ul arab and
Fajr). There are several nurseries and Quran schools where children and adults
can learn Quran. If there isn’t a proper mosque within a two minute walk from
your house, chances are that there will be a small musalla close by.
Please see the map below for further details.
Map showing Nasr city, Al Rehab compound and the New Cairo (Tagamo) area all within Greater Cairo
Map showing the 9th District of Nasr City and some of the Arabic institutes and nurseries
Rehab and Tajammu 5 (The 5th Settlement) are two of the more upmarket areas in Cairo. Both areas are at least a 20 minute drive from Nasr city. Most teachers may not be keen on coming to these areas as most students are in Nasr city but you should be able to find someone although you may pay a slightly higher rate. There is a Quran markaz (al Masarawi) in Rehab but not many if at all any other Arabic and Quran institutes.
The advantage of living in these two areas is that they are much cleaner, more
organized and family friendly than the other suburban areas including Nasr city.
It is like living in the West with manicured gardens, pavements and proper
roads. There is also a large sporting club in Rehab which offers swimming and
other sporting activities. You will not find as many mosques or musallas as Nasr
city but depending on where you live a mosque should be within a ten minute
walk away from your accommodation. Unless you are close to a shop and the
masjid, it is more likely that you will need a car to get around.
If you know someone trustworthy who knows your tastes and who is already in
Egypt, they can possibly find something for you before you arrive. However, my
advice would be to either go early yourself as a single man and arrange suitable
accommodation, or reserve some accommodation on AirBnB for a few days and
then look at different properties with your family once you arrive. These latter
two options would mean that you avoid any nasty surprises when you arrive
because often the pictures and videos that people may send you may not be fully
representative of the flats in real life.
Cairo is a densely populated city. Buildings are often within touching distance of
each other and there seems to be no planning of residential areas or roads.
Pavements are often non-existent. People who have only lived in the West can
sometimes find it difficult acclimatizing to this new environment and this can be
the same for older children. However with some patience and tolerance, the
great blessing in seeking knowledge, hearing the Quran being played in the
street and in shops and listening to the adhan should mean that the positives of
living in Egypt greatly outweigh the difficulties.
If money is no concern, then you can live in Egypt like a king. Due to the
weakness of the Egyptian pound, even what would be classed as a low wage in
the West would allow you to live in relative comfort in Egypt. You can get most if not all the luxuries in Cairo that you can in the West. Foods imported from the
West can be much more expensive than in the West but often you can find
similar Egyptian products for less.
Learning Arabic and Quran for wife and children
Please see the separate blog post regarding learning Arabic and Quran. From a
family’s point of view of learning, having small children would often mean that
the mother is unable to go to a markaz to study. This is not normally a problem
because there are female Quran and Arabic teachers who are willing to come to
your house to teach. It is my experience that the quality of female teachers who are willing to come home is not as high as male teachers who do similar. If you
are going to be in Egypt for more than a few months, it is my personal advice that you should trial a few lessons from a few different teachers at the beginning so that you can contrast and compare their teaching abilities and professionalism.
One teacher may boast a PhD but their ability to teach basic Arabic to a foreigner
may be really poor.
Teaching children is trickier because the method of teaching for many Egyptian
teachers is still based on ‘traditional’ learning methods of rote learning and one-
way communication. Although this type of teaching has many benefits and may
suit some, many Egyptian teachers may not be able to connect to your child on a
personal level or make the lesson interesting for them. It is best to ask the advice
of other parents before sending your child to any particular teacher or school.
It is important you have a look at the nursery or Quran school carefully before
sending your child to study in it. Some nurseries may not have the level of
cleanliness or modernity that you would expect in the West. They may have a
few old toys and the teachers may seem harsh in their dealings with the kids.
Often you may find that families from the West will send their children to the
same institute. This may delay their Arabic speaking skills as they will speak
English with the other kids.
Unfortunately, it appears that some parents send their children to Egypt because
they are misbehaving in the West. Often the father may return back to the West
to earn money leaving the poor Mum unable to control the children on her own. I
have seen a young boy misbehaving badly in the masjid and causing damage
whilst his father was abroad. It is important to realize that this attitude is only
going to make things worse in the long run and it may also negatively affect
other children.
Jannati – Nursery that concentrates on Fushah and Hifz. Mainly for girls but will
take small boys as well.
Dar ul Qalam – specializes in Hifz for children but also caters for adults.
Raudatul Fushah – Nursery that is similar to Jannati but caters for both boys and
girls equally.
Activities for children
I feel that there are less activities for children to do in Cairo than there are in the
West. Unless you live in Rehab, there are hardly any well-maintained grassy
areas for children to play in in the city. If there are any, you may find broken
pieces of glass and dogs roaming around. There is a swimming school in wafaa al amal sporting complex in Nasr city.
A lot of the large malls may have some activities for children such as Kidzania,
Little Explorers and Magic Planet. The Mall of Egypt has a snow park and
penguins and slides. Adults can also ski and have lessons. Family park in Rehab
is a popular weekend attraction for families with young children. They have
about 10 basic games and rides which will keep young children entertained as well as a small zoo which includes lions, a camel, crocodiles and monkeys. The
park itself is well maintained and clean and also contains a large outdoor play
area for young children. You can easily keep your children entertained here for
half a day.
Azhar garden is also a well-maintained large garden with a small lake, kids
playground and sandy area.
1. Magic Galaxy at City Stars Shopping Mall over 2 floors for under 12s but some rides for all
2. Ezone for older kids/teens has bowling in City Stars Mall
3. International Bowling Centre in Nasr City
4. Family Park in Makram Abed not so good. Ok for picnics. Avoid children
playground for safety reasons and take care on the grass areas for pot holes.
5. International Park (Hadiqah Ad Dowliya in Abbas Al Aqqad) good for picnics and open space. Next door is Wonderland - a small theme park
6. Genina Mall has ice skating rink
7. SKI EGYPT in 6th October for beginners to advanced
8. Dreamland is a good theme park
9. Kidzania in Settlement 5
10. Billy Beeze Cairo Festival City Mall but the Billy Beeze in 6th October is much better
11. Magic planet at Cairo Festival City
12. Gravity Code trampoline in Settlement 5
13. Bounce Egypt trampoline in Settlement 5
14. Airzone Egypt trampoline in Settlement 5
15. Pharonic Village
16. Fagnoon for Village life, arts and crafts, BBQ and some farm animals
In addition to the standard ‘Western’ restaurants and fast food outlets like
McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut etc, there are also some restaurants such as Spice 77
and Chicken Tikka which sell tasty Indian food. Due to the weakness of the
Egyptian pound, it is possible to eat your fill and the cost would still only be a
fraction of the cost of that in the West. For example you could get a large chicken
or meat pizza from Pizza Hut for £5 GBP.
Medical care
Familes have raised concerns around health care for children in terms of a lack of
knowledge of available services, quality of Egyptian medicine and a feeling that
medical centres are more interested in making money. It is a good idea if you went to see a doctor who is personally recommended by someone. Please see the
healthcare related page on the website for further details.
Some places to see outside of Cairo:
Ain sokna
Sharm el sheikh
Hurghada
Sinai- moses mountain
Dahab
Alexandria
Luxor
Siwa
Fayoum
Marsa matrouh
Aswan
excellent way of developing your faith and relationships within the family. Even
if your children don’t learn that much, seeing their parents seeking knowledge
will inshaAllaah be a good example for them to hold on to later in their lives.
Unless the parents are planning on working in Egypt, it is likely that you will
spend more time with each other which should help to develop a closeness that
is sometimes difficult in the normal rat race culture. Although going with the
family will present challenges, we should remember that the reward is often
proportionate to the difficulty we face.
Many families are only able to go for the summer holidays because parents don’t
want to take their children out of school or because they cannot take more time
off from work. Even these four to six weeks in the summer can be really
beneficial in terms of improving one’s tajweed, Arabic and memorization of
Quran. Moreover, spending time in a more Islamic environment, hearing the
adhan, spending time with good people, praying in the mosque regularly and
having more time to reflect on one’s life will invariably help both parent and
child alike. If you are able to take more time out and spend a year or more, that
would obviously be even more beneficial inshaAllaah.
Accomodation
Most families end up living in Cairo as it has by far the most number of teachers
and Western students studying and living there. As it is the capital, it can also
give you a level of luxury and comfort that may be difficult to find in smaller
cities or towns. If you are willing to pay enough, you can get apartments that
offer a level of luxury similar to Western standards but you have to remember
that the roads will still be dirty, buildings within touching distance of each other
and non-existent pavements. After all, this is still classed as a poor country from
an economic point of view.
Nasr city is the most popular area for students to stay in as it contains a plethora
of Arabic institutes as well as private teachers who are willing to come to your
house. It is divided into different districts (8 th , 9 th , 10 th etc). The 9 th district is probably the best place to live in, especially from a family’s point of view,
because it is the cleanest and least densely populated of all the districts. It also
contains several of the major Arabic institutes (eg Kalima/ Lisaan ul arab and
Fajr). There are several nurseries and Quran schools where children and adults
can learn Quran. If there isn’t a proper mosque within a two minute walk from
your house, chances are that there will be a small musalla close by.
Please see the map below for further details.
Map showing Nasr city, Al Rehab compound and the New Cairo (Tagamo) area all within Greater Cairo
Map showing the 9th District of Nasr City and some of the Arabic institutes and nurseries
Rehab and Tajammu 5 (The 5th Settlement) are two of the more upmarket areas in Cairo. Both areas are at least a 20 minute drive from Nasr city. Most teachers may not be keen on coming to these areas as most students are in Nasr city but you should be able to find someone although you may pay a slightly higher rate. There is a Quran markaz (al Masarawi) in Rehab but not many if at all any other Arabic and Quran institutes.
The advantage of living in these two areas is that they are much cleaner, more
organized and family friendly than the other suburban areas including Nasr city.
It is like living in the West with manicured gardens, pavements and proper
roads. There is also a large sporting club in Rehab which offers swimming and
other sporting activities. You will not find as many mosques or musallas as Nasr
city but depending on where you live a mosque should be within a ten minute
walk away from your accommodation. Unless you are close to a shop and the
masjid, it is more likely that you will need a car to get around.
If you know someone trustworthy who knows your tastes and who is already in
Egypt, they can possibly find something for you before you arrive. However, my
advice would be to either go early yourself as a single man and arrange suitable
accommodation, or reserve some accommodation on AirBnB for a few days and
then look at different properties with your family once you arrive. These latter
two options would mean that you avoid any nasty surprises when you arrive
because often the pictures and videos that people may send you may not be fully
representative of the flats in real life.
Cairo is a densely populated city. Buildings are often within touching distance of
each other and there seems to be no planning of residential areas or roads.
Pavements are often non-existent. People who have only lived in the West can
sometimes find it difficult acclimatizing to this new environment and this can be
the same for older children. However with some patience and tolerance, the
great blessing in seeking knowledge, hearing the Quran being played in the
street and in shops and listening to the adhan should mean that the positives of
living in Egypt greatly outweigh the difficulties.
If money is no concern, then you can live in Egypt like a king. Due to the
weakness of the Egyptian pound, even what would be classed as a low wage in
the West would allow you to live in relative comfort in Egypt. You can get most if not all the luxuries in Cairo that you can in the West. Foods imported from the
West can be much more expensive than in the West but often you can find
similar Egyptian products for less.
Learning Arabic and Quran for wife and children
Please see the separate blog post regarding learning Arabic and Quran. From a
family’s point of view of learning, having small children would often mean that
the mother is unable to go to a markaz to study. This is not normally a problem
because there are female Quran and Arabic teachers who are willing to come to
your house to teach. It is my experience that the quality of female teachers who are willing to come home is not as high as male teachers who do similar. If you
are going to be in Egypt for more than a few months, it is my personal advice that you should trial a few lessons from a few different teachers at the beginning so that you can contrast and compare their teaching abilities and professionalism.
One teacher may boast a PhD but their ability to teach basic Arabic to a foreigner
may be really poor.
Teaching children is trickier because the method of teaching for many Egyptian
teachers is still based on ‘traditional’ learning methods of rote learning and one-
way communication. Although this type of teaching has many benefits and may
suit some, many Egyptian teachers may not be able to connect to your child on a
personal level or make the lesson interesting for them. It is best to ask the advice
of other parents before sending your child to any particular teacher or school.
It is important you have a look at the nursery or Quran school carefully before
sending your child to study in it. Some nurseries may not have the level of
cleanliness or modernity that you would expect in the West. They may have a
few old toys and the teachers may seem harsh in their dealings with the kids.
Often you may find that families from the West will send their children to the
same institute. This may delay their Arabic speaking skills as they will speak
English with the other kids.
Unfortunately, it appears that some parents send their children to Egypt because
they are misbehaving in the West. Often the father may return back to the West
to earn money leaving the poor Mum unable to control the children on her own. I
have seen a young boy misbehaving badly in the masjid and causing damage
whilst his father was abroad. It is important to realize that this attitude is only
going to make things worse in the long run and it may also negatively affect
other children.
Jannati – Nursery that concentrates on Fushah and Hifz. Mainly for girls but will
take small boys as well.
Dar ul Qalam – specializes in Hifz for children but also caters for adults.
Raudatul Fushah – Nursery that is similar to Jannati but caters for both boys and
girls equally.
Activities for children
I feel that there are less activities for children to do in Cairo than there are in the
West. Unless you live in Rehab, there are hardly any well-maintained grassy
areas for children to play in in the city. If there are any, you may find broken
pieces of glass and dogs roaming around. There is a swimming school in wafaa al amal sporting complex in Nasr city.
A lot of the large malls may have some activities for children such as Kidzania,
Little Explorers and Magic Planet. The Mall of Egypt has a snow park and
penguins and slides. Adults can also ski and have lessons. Family park in Rehab
is a popular weekend attraction for families with young children. They have
about 10 basic games and rides which will keep young children entertained as well as a small zoo which includes lions, a camel, crocodiles and monkeys. The
park itself is well maintained and clean and also contains a large outdoor play
area for young children. You can easily keep your children entertained here for
half a day.
Azhar garden is also a well-maintained large garden with a small lake, kids
playground and sandy area.
1. Magic Galaxy at City Stars Shopping Mall over 2 floors for under 12s but some rides for all
2. Ezone for older kids/teens has bowling in City Stars Mall
3. International Bowling Centre in Nasr City
4. Family Park in Makram Abed not so good. Ok for picnics. Avoid children
playground for safety reasons and take care on the grass areas for pot holes.
5. International Park (Hadiqah Ad Dowliya in Abbas Al Aqqad) good for picnics and open space. Next door is Wonderland - a small theme park
6. Genina Mall has ice skating rink
7. SKI EGYPT in 6th October for beginners to advanced
8. Dreamland is a good theme park
9. Kidzania in Settlement 5
10. Billy Beeze Cairo Festival City Mall but the Billy Beeze in 6th October is much better
11. Magic planet at Cairo Festival City
12. Gravity Code trampoline in Settlement 5
13. Bounce Egypt trampoline in Settlement 5
14. Airzone Egypt trampoline in Settlement 5
15. Pharonic Village
16. Fagnoon for Village life, arts and crafts, BBQ and some farm animals
In addition to the standard ‘Western’ restaurants and fast food outlets like
McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut etc, there are also some restaurants such as Spice 77
and Chicken Tikka which sell tasty Indian food. Due to the weakness of the
Egyptian pound, it is possible to eat your fill and the cost would still only be a
fraction of the cost of that in the West. For example you could get a large chicken
or meat pizza from Pizza Hut for £5 GBP.
Medical care
Familes have raised concerns around health care for children in terms of a lack of
knowledge of available services, quality of Egyptian medicine and a feeling that
medical centres are more interested in making money. It is a good idea if you went to see a doctor who is personally recommended by someone. Please see the
healthcare related page on the website for further details.
Some places to see outside of Cairo:
Ain sokna
Sharm el sheikh
Hurghada
Sinai- moses mountain
Dahab
Alexandria
Luxor
Siwa
Fayoum
Marsa matrouh
Aswan
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