Africa Travel Newsletters > Cairo - Egypt
1. Cairo Egypt - Africa's Largest CityCairo is a huge, sprawling and chaotic metropolis. The city pulses with life,
over almost all
the hours of day and night.
Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Middle East, and is also one of the world's
largest.
The
metropolitan region hosts a population estimated at 11 million. The
city rests along the banks of the Nile, extending southwards
from the
lower tip of the Nile Delta. Cairo is Egypt' capital city and is the
usual gateway to the country for the international
visitor.
The
biggest draw for visitors to an
Egypt Tour is the amazing abundance of
historical treasures-
temples, pyramids and museums. The rise of Egypt
as a significant power in the ancient world was marked by the
unification of the Kingdoms of Lower and
Upper Egypt around BC 3180.
This event is credited with Menes, who was the first Pharaoh. Menes
established a new capital at Memphis, just to the south
of where Cairo
stands today.
For the next 3,000 years and under 30 dynasties of
the Pharaohs, a dynamic and culturally sophisticated
civilization
flourished. It was not however smooth sailing for the descendants of
Menes and power was for short periods in the hands of foreigners.
In
525 BC, Persians conquered Egypt and controlled the country from a
settlement north of Memphis called Babylon-on-the-Nile. The Greeks,
with
Alexander the Great at their head, became overlords over Egypt in
332 BC. He founded that city that bears his name, Alexandria.
The
Greeks
ushered in a period of comparative prosperity and stability
under descendants of Ptolemy- the Macedonian general appointed by
Alexander as governor. As
the Greeks declined, the Romans rose, and
they too cast a covetous eye upon Egypt. The last of the Ptolemy's was
the notorious Cleopatra, lover to
both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
The Roman Empire too declined Egypt was torn apart by hordes of foreign
armies.
The most significant event
in this period was the
invasion of the Arabs in 640 AD. Though other foreigners including
Ottoman Turks, French and British, subsequently ruled the
country, it
is the Arabs who brought Islam whose legacy has been the most enduring.
Cairo
is a corruption of the Egyptian Arabic word Al-Qahira -that means "The
Triumphant". Al-Qahira - as Cairo is officially called- was founded in
969 AD as an imperial capital during the
Fatimid era. Under the
Fatamids, the city survived at various times bad governance, bloodshed,
restlessness, and raging fires.
Al-Qahira
gradually expanded
westward, and various localities near and within today's Greater Cairo
were the seat of the powers that ruled Egypt in the past.
This includes
Memphis, Heliopolis, Babylon-in-Egypt, Al-Fustat, Al-Qatai, Al-Askar,
and Al-Qahira.
Though
bearing the scars of age and turmoil, the city
stands as one of the
modern world's great conurbations. The remnants of each era, dynasty
and ruling tyrant are clearly evident in the city's vast
layout. Across
Cairo, you will see strong Pharaonic, Jewish, Greek, Roman, Arabic,
Islamic, Coptic Christian, central Asian, Ottoman, Fatimid, French
and
British influences. This creates a marvellous mosaic effect that draws
millions of curious travellers to Cairo each year.
Cairo's
top
attractions include pyramids, ancient temples and Christian churches,
tombs, and Islamic monuments. The city's central district is located
to
the west of the city, on the east bank of the River Nile. It extends
northeast from Midan Tahrir to the boisterous mercantile Downtown
district.
This is generally the contemporary side of Cairo with more
modern buildings, but with touches of antiquity. The wide streets and
buildings of Downtown
Cairo are a spiting image of 19th century Paris.
Within
this locale, there are many worthwhile attractions, the most important
of which is the
Egyptian Museum. Established in 1835, the museum is
built in neo-classical French style. No doubt one of the world's
big-league museums, it holds some
of the most important relics and
artefacts from Egypt's long and eventful past. With over 120,000 collections, the exhibition is themed with relics from
the pre-historic epoch to the Greco-Roman era.
In
the Egyptian Museum, you will find numerous objects of interest such as
sculptures,
jewellery, sarcophagi, eerie mummifications and other
interment artefacts.
But the most significant objects are of the
Tutankhamun collection.
The unrivalled objects in this collection were
discovered almost completely intact from the tomb of King Tutankhamun
in the Valley of the Kings in
1923. Though historically not a
significant figure, this boy-king is today the most well known Pharaoh,
and is popularly called King
Tut.
While in central Cairo, other
attractions you can visit include: the Ramses Railway Museum; the
Townhouse Gallery -which exhibits
contemporary arts and performances;
the State Theatre for Drama; and Garden City -a former British enclave.
Fine restaurants and cafés,
theatres, cultural spots, and opportunities
for great shopping complement all these attractions.
To the east
of Central Cairo is Islamic
Cairo- founded in the 10th century, and an
important UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area of narrow streets is
the home of ancient mosques and
minarets. Touring Islamic Cairo, you
take a trip back in time to the Mamluk era- AD 1250 -1517, when former
slaves became kings. On your visit, be sure
to respect Islamic
sensibilities by dressing modestly. When entering a mosque, remember
that shoes must be removed, and women must cover their
heads.
While
in Islamic Cairo, be sure not to miss the 900-year old Bab Zuweila
Islamic Monument; ancient markets; The Islamic Museum; Mosque
-Madrassa
of al-Ghouri and his mausoleum; and Wikala of al-Ghouri -an ancient
concert hall. You will also find the famed Al-Azhar Mosque -which
has
one of the world's oldest universities, and the Islamic Art Museum with
its collection of 7th to 19th century artifacts.
To commemorate
your visit to Islamic Cairo, visit the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. The
Bazaar has been open for business since the 14th century, and a visit
here is a time
travel adventure for nothing much has changed.
The
wide array of souvenirs on sale at the bazaar includes jewellery, gold,
brass, silver and
copperware, carpets, perfumes, leatherwork, ceramics,
alabaster and soapstone carvings.
Slightly south of Islamic
Cairo is the Citadel, built
under Saladin, who is celebrated in the
Muslim world for having recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders. This
is one of the city's landmarks and a
popular attraction, which offers a
perfect viewpoint over Cairo.
The heavily fortified Citadel was
built on an elevated area near the Mugattam
Hills, and is a reminder of
the turbulent times of the late 12th Century. At the Citadel, also see:
The Military Museum, Al-Gawhar Palace Museum, and
visit the Mohamed Ali
Mosques among other attractions.
In the same area, you find the
legendary "City of the Dead"; the ghostly
graveyards that are home to
millions of Cairo's poor. Egyptian's traditionally interred their dead
in burial sites akin to small houses, in which
they could also live in
the 40-day mourning period. The poor find these structures very useful,
taking them as ready-made shelter. While here, you can
follow in the
tradition of Cairo's residents; taking a tour around the massive
graveyard, followed by a picnic on the graves.
Help and More Information for Egypt!
Are you planning to go for a tour of Cairo Egypt?
Contact us
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will assist you in picking and booking the best Cairo hotel and
flights, and all your other Egypt travel arrangements.
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