IMPORTANT: Levels 21 through 26, set in Cairo, are interconnected. Some backtracking among them is needed to find all the necessary items. This walkthrough covers what I hope is the most direct route including all kills, pick-ups, and secrets. I have also included a CAIRO OVERVIEW outlining the basic path through the levels. This chart contains minor spoilers, such as keys and puzzle items, so you may want to avoid it unless you get lost/confused. The walkthrough also contains notes on what to do if you missed any crucial items.
LEVEL 25: STREET BAZAAR
Updated: 5/5/19(†)
Kills: 3 (6) Items: 8 (6), plus Mine Detonator Body, Car Jack Body, Handle, Mine Position Data Secrets: 1*
NOTE: Three of the kills counted above are technically in other levels. Near the end of the STREET BAZAAR you briefly pass through the TRENCHES and CITADEL GATE again in order to reach the next level, the CITADEL. This is covered near the end of the walkthrough below. Also, due to a bug, two of the items are missing from some versions of the game. See the section on the ROOM WITH VAULTED CEILING, CRATES, AND BALCONY, below, for details.
GARAGE WITH DYING SOLDIER: You first enter this level via the ladder above the sand pile in the TRENCHES. The sounds of a storm brewing and the skirmishes in the streets are a bit unsettling, and once again, you've temporarily lost control of the Look button so it's hard to tell what lies ahead. The room below is safe, but it's a long drop. Walk carefully to the edge, turn around, and climb down the ladder. Then drop to the floor. (screenshot) Turn around and approach the dying soldier lying on the ramp. (screenshot)
Cutscene: Lara and the soldier draw their weapons. She tells him to put his gun away and explains that Sergeant Aziza sent her for help disabling the mines. He gives her the detonator but explains that a fellow soldier, Saida, had the codes inside his head, which was taken by some monster. (A transcript is included in the Cinematics section.)
Pick up the MINE DETONATOR BODY. (screenshot) While you're at it, search the garage to find the CAR JACK BODY behind the blue taxi (screenshot) and the HANDLE lying on the table below the ladder (screenshot). Press the red button to open the two doors. Then exit through the door at the top of the ramp. (screenshot)
NOTE: You'll go through the door at the bottom of the ramp at the end of the level. Right now you're still missing an important item.
CLIMBING TO THE GARAGE RAFTERS: Crawl into the raised opening for a large medipack. Crawl back out and climb the ladder next to the crawlspace. Follow the passageway to an opening overlooking the garage. Take a standing jump to the bottom of the stairs on the right. (Or, jump forward to grab the bars on the ceiling, traverse to the right, and drop to the stairs.) Climb through the raised crawlspace on the right to a small room with a padlocked grate in the ceiling. Climb onto the corner block. Open your inventory, combine the CAR JACK BODY and the HANDLE, and use the CAR JACK on the low stone wall to pop the grate. Pull up through the opening onto the roof. (screenshots)
ROOFTOP WITH LIGHTNING ROD NEAR BRIDGE: While exploring this area, take care to avoid the metal plate which functions as a lightning rod. As you move away from the trapdoor, a swarm of locusts spawns off to the east and homes in on Lara. Save and reload to make them disappear, or crouch in the corner near the low step to minimize the damage. Then, when the swarm disperses, squeeze past the metal box into the area behind the metal plate. Here you'll find a second metal box and some kind of contraption with a wooden top. (screenshots)
IMPORTANT: Do not move either of the boxes onto the metal plate. If you do, you probably won't be able to move it off again in order to continue, since Lara's box-pulling animation is too slow to avoid the lightning strikes. Instead, grab the box near the metal plate and pull it once, away from the plate. Go around or over it and push it into the north alcove to get it out of the way. Pull the contraption out of its alcove, then go around it and push it onto the metal plate. (screenshots)
Cutscene: This causes the plate to sink. Now the lightning strikes the ROOF BRIDGE, destroying half of it.
NOTE: If you've accidentally moved one of the boxes onto the metal plate and come to this walkthrough looking for help, the only solutions I know of are to reload an earlier save and try again, download one of my save files, or use the level skip cheat, which I don't recommend except as a last resort. See the warning on the cheats page for more info.
Walk out onto the broken bridge and take a running jump to grab the climbable wall on the next building. Climb around to the left and drop onto the ledge. (screenshot)
NOTE: If you miss the ladder and fall to the ground, you'll find yourself in the COURTYARD BELOW THE ROOF BRIDGE, which is covered below. Either reload your last save and try again, or pick up the Uzi ammo under the colonnade below the ladder. Then kill the soldier lurking behind the palm tree in the northeast corner. Open the door in the southwest corner to get back to the GARAGE, and kill another soldier who tries to follow you inside. Then go through the door at the top of the ramp, climb back up to the ROOF BRIDGE, and try again.
ROOFTOP SECRET: For now, ignore the opening in the corner near the ladder. Turn around (to face north) then angle Lara a bit to the right and take a standing jump over the sloping ledge onto the walkway leading off to the east. Continue forward then right to find a SECRET (60/70), a large medipack, poisoned arrows, and flash grenades, with a special bonus swarm of locusts! Again, try saving and reloading to get rid of the insects, or if you prefer, run/jump or crouch/crawl around until they disperse. (screenshots)
Make the pick-ups and return the way you came to the edge of the roof. Walk carefully forward onto the sloping ledge at the end of the walkway, but avoid the steeper slopes to the left and right or Lara will slide off the roof. Turn left and jump over the slippery slope onto the ledge near the ladder. (screenshots)
DESCENDING: Climb into the opening to the left of the ladder. Walk forward to the edge, turn around, and drop back to grab the edge. Release and re-press Action to drop onto the slope below, slide back, and grab once more. Then let go to drop onto the slope below and slide safely to the ground. Follow the hallway to the right. Then turn right again and head down either of the two ramps into the room below. (screenshots)
ROOM WITH VAULTED CEILING, CRATES, AND BALCONY: Depending on which version of the game you have, there may be 3 metal crates here, which you can't stand on, move, or destroy with weapons. Or, there may only be a container of flares sitting on the floor near the small corner ledge on the right. If that's the case, pick them up now. (See the bug note below for more info.) (screenshots)
Go down the ramp in the northwest corner and take the MINE POSITION DATA from the headless Saida. Then return up the ramp to find an ARMORED BULL, just like the GUARDIAN OF SEMERKHET, coming down one of the other ramps. Like the previous guardian, he can't be killed, but you can use him to do the heavy work. (screenshots)
If your game does have the 3 crates, jump up onto the square ledge in the southwest corner, behind two of the crates. If you just wait in this safe spot, the bull will eventually charge and break open both of the crates. You can then hop down and pick up flares and a small medipack after he moves away. The third crate is a bit trickier. You may be able to run across the room and stand in front or to the left of the crate, lure the bull toward it, and then quickly jump out of the way. Or, run up the left ramp to lure him that way. Then continue back down the other ramp, jump over the crate, roll, and wait for the bull to approach. As he rams the crate, hop back or side flip out of the way. This one contains Uzi ammo. (screenshots)
BUG NOTE: In the Steam and GOG games, these crates are missing. The flares are sitting on the ground, but as far as I know, there is no way to get the medipack and ammo that normally spawn when the other crates are broken.
In all versions, you'll need to trick the bull into opening the exit for you. It's behind the stack of smaller wooden boxes in the southeast corner. This can be a challenge due to the fixed camera angle. Try standing on the ledge, just to the right of the boxes, facing the wall. Hop back to land on the floor. Then when the bull charges, vault up onto the ledge out of harm's way. It may take a few attempts, but eventually he'll shove the crates aside so you can exit. (screenshots)
Go through the doorway that was hidden behind the boxes. Follow the ramp up to the balcony. Turn left and kill the soldier in the corner. Go past where he was standing to the doorway under the jagged hole with the sunbeams. Slide down the chute into the TRENCHES. (screenshots)
NOTE: At this point you return briefly to the TRENCHES, then the STREET BAZAAR, the TRENCHES again, and finally the CITADEL GATE. Rather than making separate walkthroughs for these short sections, all are included here.
TRENCHES (again): The chute from the STREET BAZAAR deposits Lara in the SANDY STREET just east of the big PALM TREE. Go through the doorway opposite the chute and continue straight ahead (west), past the palm tree and the entrance from the CHAMBERS OF TULUN. When you reach the far wall, turn right and go down the hill toward the TWO STAIRWAYS. Continue up either staircase to get back to the big sand pile. Climb onto the newly exposed ledge at the bottom right of the sand pile. Walk to the left corner of this ledge, turn to face the brick ledge to the right of the pile, and take a standing jump to grab the edge. Pull up near the base of the ladder. Check to make sure the motorcycle isn't blocking the metal door in the corner, since you'll need to come through there later. Then climb the ladder to get back to the STREET BAZAAR. (screenshots)
STREET BAZAAR – GARAGE AND COURTYARD BELOW ROOF BRIDGE: Turn around, climb down the ladder, and drop to the floor of the GARAGE. Exit through the door at the bottom of the ramp. Follow the hall to a blue door, which you can kick open by pressing Action. Run through and kill the soldier waiting outside on the left. Pick up some Uzi ammo beneath the overhang with the columns. Then run to the northeast corner to find another soldier lurking there behind a big palm tree. Lara can't fire through the fence surrounding the tree, so you'll need to run around it to get a clear shot. Exit through the doorway in the northwest corner, where you can see barricades with skulls and crossbones, to re-enter the TRENCHES from a different angle. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you explored this area earlier by dropping down from the ROOF BRIDGE, you will have already killed these enemies and picked up the ammo.
TRENCHES – MINEFIELD: Just beyond the red-and-white barricades is the minefield Aziza warned you about. If you jump over the barrier without first disabling the mines, Lara will be killed. So, open your inventory and combine the MINE DETONATOR BODY and the MINE POSITION DATA to make the MINE DETONATOR. Use it near the barrier to set off the mines. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you are missing either of the components for the MINE DETONATOR, you'll need to backtrack to get them now. See the footnote for details.
Once you've detonated the mines, jump over the barrier and press the red button. This opens the metal door just around the corner to the left. Go through to find the motorcycle where you (hopefully) left it earlier. Now you can get the motorcycle and drive it through the small door. Continue around the corner to the left (away from the minefield) and run over a soldier. Drive up the hill to re-enter the CITADEL GATE level. (screenshots)
NOTES: The metal door should open even if the motorcycle is blocking the door from the other side, but I've heard from a few players who had trouble with this. If you run into problems, see the second footnote below. If you left the motorcycle elsewhere in the TRENCHES, see the third footnote.
CITADEL GATE – FROM THE PIT BACK TO SERGEANT AZIZA: You re-enter this level on the motorcycle after having detonated the mines in the TRENCHES. You may want to stop and dismount so you can scout the way forward and scan the bug note below before attempting to jump the motorcycle across the deep pit. (screenshots)
When you're ready, drive around the first corner, staying close to the left wall. Then turn sharply right and hold Action + Sprint/Dash to activate the nitro so you can race up the hill and over the pit. When you land on the other side, cut to the right and accelerate along the rim so you don't slide into the pit. Drive up the slope toward the ledge with the taxi. Then make a U-turn to the left. From here on, you don't need to go too fast. Just keep moving and drive carefully. Run over 2 crocodiles in the misty area ahead. (screenshots)
NOTE: You can stop here to get the CITADEL GATE secret if you missed it earlier. Check that walkthrough for details.
Continue to the north. Then turn right and follow the locust-infested passageway around to the gray stone archway. Race past the DRAGON and continue along the road back to Sergeant Aziza. You must approach him on the motorcycle to trigger the final cutscene in this level. (screenshots)
Cutscene: Lara drives Aziza to the munitions truck, and he crashes it into the dragon, opening the way into the Citadel. (A transcript is included in the Cinematics section.)
BUG NOTE: In the PC version of the game, you may start the next level, CITADEL, without the use of the F5, F6, and P (pause) keys. Some players have reported that this can be avoided by not using the nitro when racing past the dragon and/or by pausing in the street for a few seconds before approaching Aziza and triggering the cutscene. When I played the CD version, I tried this sequence many different ways and got the bug every time. In the Steam/GOG versions, the bug appears to be fixed. If all else fails, you can skip the cutscene altogether by using the level-skip cheat. This close to the end of the level, cheating should not cause any problems. If you want to see the cutscene, save your game before approaching Aziza. Watch the movie, then reload your save and skip the rest of the level. If the cheat doesn't work for you, I have PC save files for download.
*NOTE ON SECRETS: There are 70 secrets in the entire game. These are marked "(x/70)" in this walkthrough. To check your progress in-game, press Pause (P on keyboard, Start on PlayStation or Dreamcast controller) then choose Statistics. At the end of this level, you should have 60/70.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 1/17/11 - Previous edit, details not available.
5/5/19 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1999. This revision includes many new screenshots as well as various other corrections and clarifications.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup and the old tombraiders.com forum, without whom parts of this walkthrough could not have been written, and to Craig M., Jeff Reid, and Lexy for their tips and corrections for this level.
MISSING MINE DETONATOR BODY OR MINE POSITION DATA: The MINE DETONATOR BODY is given to Lara by the dying soldier in the GARAGE. This happens during the first cutscene in the STREET BAZAAR, but you do need to pick up the detonator from the floor after speaking with him. If you missed it, return through the doorway near the minefield into the STREET BAZAAR level. Cross the courtyard and go through the door in the southwest corner to re-enter the garage. The detonator should be sitting on the floor. (screenshot) If you don't have the MINE POSITION DATA, then you missed a big section of this level. Start at the GARAGE and follow the main walkthrough, above.
DOOR NEAR END OF LEVEL BLOCKED BY MOTORCYCLE: If you have set off the mines and pressed the red button only to find the door blocked from the other side, you'll need to go back and move it. Return across the minefield. Backflip over the skull-and-crossbones barrier (Lara can't clear it if she jumps forward.) Go through the doorway into the STREET BAZAAR. Cross the courtyard and go through the door in the southwest corner to re-enter the GARAGE. Climb the ladder above the worktable to get back to the TRENCHES from the other side. Climb down the ladder and move the bike. Then, if the door doesn't open automatically, return up the ladder and through the GARAGE, the way you just came, and try the red button again.
MISSING MOTORCYCLE: If you come to the area beyond the minefield and the motorcycle is not parked on the sand pile near the metal door, go back and find it now. Then jump it up onto the sand pile as described in the walkthrough for the TRENCHES (revisit). You will need it to carry Sergeant Aziza to the dragon. If you can't do this for some reason, you can download a save file or use the level-skip cheat several times to reach the CITADEL. I do not recommend skipping levels except as a last resort, and I am not responsible if your game bugs out as a result of doing so.
WAS THIS WALKTHROUGH HELPFUL? If not, I apologize and invite you to contact me with any questions. If you need help right away, I recommend the r/TombRaider subreddit. Other fan-run forums are listed at tombraiders.net/stella/community.html. If this site was useful, please consider supporting it financially or in other ways. For details, visit tombraiders.net/stella/support.html. As always, I welcome your corrections/suggestions. Thank you!
Copyright © 1999- Stellalune (). Feel free to copy or print this walkthrough for personal use. By all means, share it with friends, but please include this credit line so people can send me their feedback. No part of this walkthrough may be reproduced on another site without permission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Follow this link for details about this site's advertising and privacy policy.
Stella's Tomb Raider Site: tombraiders.net.