El Mogamma: massive government administration building near Tahrir Square in Cairo

Among (many) other things, this is where foreigners have to go in order to extend their visas. At least, that was the case in 2005. I read in the papers at the time that the Mogamma was going to be closed and its offices divided among several buildings in a new administrative center (with computers instead of the double-thick ledgers that were in use). Of course, I liked that fact.

Services could take so long (and the lines could be even longer) that there is concession service from uniformed waiters in the hallways. A wonderfully rich and convoluted experience, but not for the faint of heart, claustrophobic or those short on time or patience. See this Washington Post story (www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/2... or this Egyptian tourism page (www.touregypt.net/featurestories/mugamma.htm).