Cairo is the heart of Egypt for more than 1000 years. It's in Cairo where the medieval world and the contemporary western world come together in a confusion of earthen houses and towering modern office buildings, of flashy cars and donkey-drawn carts. Nobody really knows how many people live in Cairo, but estimates put it at about 16 million, and the city's many squatter camps and slums alone accommodate around 5 million people. The Cairo Tower (Gezirah), over 180 meters high, it is the most outstanding attraction of modern Cairo. The first of the top two storeys has a rotating restaurant and cafeteria. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Cairo from the observation platform.
Islamic Cairo is the old medieval quarter, and stepping into its neighbourhoods is like moving back six or seven centuries. Some of Islamic Cairo's highlights include the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, dating from the 9th century and the city's oldest intact and fully functioning Islamic monument; the 15th-century Mosque of Qaitbey, considered the jewel of Mamluk architecture; Al-Azhar Mosque, the keystone of Islam in Egypt; and the Citadel, an awesome medieval fortress that was the seat of Egyptian power for 700 years.
Coptic Cairo was originally built as a Roman fortress town and was home to one of the world's first Christian communities and is also a holy place for Jews and Muslims. The sole remaining section of the Fortress of Babylon includes two towers which were built in AD 98 and originally overlooked an important port on the Nile before the river changed course. The Coptic Museum includes religious and secular art, stonework, manuscripts, woodwork, glass and ceramics.
Giza is on the west bank of the Nile and takes in an 18 km swathe that includes the Great Pyramids. The pyramids were one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and despite the crowds that visit every year, they are still a truly overwhelming sight. They have survived the rise and fall of great dynasties and conquerors, and share the flat desert surrounds with the Sphinx and a number of smaller pyramids and temples.
The three pyramids are actually tombs of three pharaohs of the Old Kingdom with as largest the pyramid of King Cheops. The second pyramid, the tomb of King Chephren, appears to be the largest, but actually it was constructed on a plateau. King Chephren tried to cast his tomb with granite; however, the job was not completed. The third pyramid belonged to King Mycerinus.
The Sphinx is one of most famous monuments in the whole world. It is believed to be a valley temple of King Chephren with the body of a lion and a human head representing King Chephren. It is 70 m long and 20 m high.
Cairo is accessible from Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh by buses or planes which run every day. |
