A glimpse on magical time in Cairo
A glimpse on magical time in Cairo
On the Nile river, Cairo is famous for its own history, preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city and Coptic sites in Old Cairo. The Egyptian Museum in the centre of town is a must see, with its countless Acient Egyptian artefacts, as is shopping at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. No trip to Cairo would be complete, for example, without a visit to the Giza Pyramids, and to the nearby Saqqara Pyramid Complex, where visitors will see Egypt's first step pyramid built by the architect Imhotep for the third dynasty Pharaoh, Djoser.
Cairo is the capital of Egypt. The city's metropolitan area is one of the largest in Africa, the largest in the Middle East, and the 15th-largest in the world, and is associated with ancient Egypt, as the famous Giza pyramid complex and the ancient city of Memphis are located in its geographical area. Located near the Nile Delta, modern Cairo was founded in 969 CE by the Fatimid dynasty, but the land composing the present-day city was the site of ancient national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo.
Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab world, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, Al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city; the Arab League has had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.
Though firmly attached to the past, Cairo is also home to a vibrant modern society. The Midan Tahrir area situated in downtown Cairo area, built in the 19th century under the rule of Khedive Ismail, has strived to be a "Paris on the Nile". There also are a number of more modern suburbs including Ma'adi and Heliopolis, while Zamalek is a quiet area on Gezira Island, with upmarket shopping. Cairo is best in the fall or spring, when the weather isn't so hot. A felucca ride on the Nile is a good way to escape from the busy city, as is a visit to Al-Azhar Park.
Accessible from Cairo are a number of other pyramids beyond the Great Pyramids of Giza. Consider visiting the Pyramid of Meidum(~100km south of Cairo) and the complexes at Dahshur (Red Pyramid, Bent Pyramid & Black Pyramid) and Saqqara (Imhotep Museum and Egypt's oldest pyramid, the Step Pyramid). Hiring a driver and car for the day should cost the equivelant of around $30 and you should specify that Meidum is to be included as it is not often visited.
Cairo has an extensive road network, rail system, subway system and maritime services. Road transport is facilitated by personal vehicles, taxi cabs, privately owned public buses and Cairo microbuses. Cairo, specifically Ramses Square, is the centre of almost the entire Egyptian transportation network. The subway system, officially called "Metro", is a fast and efficient way of getting around Cairo. Metro network covers Helwan and other suburbs. It can get very crowded during rush hour. Two train cars (the fourth and fifth ones) are reserved for women only, although women may ride in any car they want. Trams in Greater Cairo and Cairo trolleybus are former modes of transportation but were closed. An extensive road network connects Cairo with other Egyptian cities and villages. There is a new Ring Road that surrounds the outskirts of the city, with exits that reach outer Cairo districts.
Cairo has a hot desert climate like most of Egypt's interior. The best time to visit the city is from November to March when days are pleasantly warm and nights are relatively cool. A warm jacket should be brought as temperatures can fall below 10°C (50°F) after sunset and in rare cases, below 5°C (42°F).
The Khan El-Khalili bazaar is a giant souq in Islamic Cairo. The merchants here are ravenous and skilled, so don't fall for the hard sell and be prepared to haggle. This is a great place to buy rustic glassware and perfume bottles. Be choosy. This is a must see and fun place to walk around. Keep your haggling in good spirits - remember that most of the shopkeepers are good and well educated middle class families. Despite being a part of the tourist economy, they are friendly, funny, and genuine as traditional of Egyptian culture. Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation with a shopkeeper who certainly want to sell you their items.
Cairo has an enormous number of restaurants, catering to most needs. Ironically though, one may want to avoid any restaurants listed in popular guidebooks. Egyptian restaurants have a habit of after being listed, cooking up a special English menu with vastly inflated prices. That said, cheap food can be found everywhere in street restaurants and snack stalls. The top notch restaurants are often, but not always, found in hotels and Nile boats. The borders between restaurants and cafes are not crystal-clear in the Egyptian capital. In many places it is perfectly acceptable to just have a drink or sheesha. Medium and high-range outlets might have a minimum charge. Cheaper restaurants will normally not serve alcohol as well as some more expensive outlets. Recently, food tourism has started becoming more trendy and you can also go to a food tour to experience authentic Egyptian food in a short window of time.
In general, downtown is good for budget eating, while for higher quality eating you should head to Zamalek, Mohandiseen or any of the other more affluent parts of town.
Midan El Tahrir is the very centre of the modern city: big hotels, transport nexus and the Egyptian Museum, with downtown extending through Midan Talaat Harb up to Midan Ataba.
Midan Ramses c
ontains Cairo's main railway station and a burgeoning retail and accommodation zone.
Garden City is
a suburb close to the city centre and the Corniche el-Nil, a good option for central accommodation.
The centre of historic Cairo, located east of downtown; contains the Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Khan el Khalili (the main bazaar or souq), historic mosques and medieval architecture, as well as some of Cairo's turkish baths or Hammams.
Old Cairo is l
ocated south of downtown, includes Coptic Cairo, Fustat (Cairo's historical kernel) and Rhoda Island.
Upmarket suburb on the Gezira island in the Nile, with hotels, the Cairo Tower, the Opera House, as well as some nice shopping, restaurants, cafes, and accommodation. Also, is where the Gezira Sporting Club is located.
Giza district is a sprawling western district of the city overlooking the Nile where the Giza Zoo is located as well as a few other attractions. Giza Governorate contains the Haram district where the Giza Pyramids are located. The Governorates of Cairo and Giza have more or less merged into the same city of Greater Cairo, although originally they were two different cities. The term Giza commonly refers to the district of Giza which is within Cairo, not the actual location of the pyramids.
Heliopolis is an older district where well-to-do Egyptians and higher class people live, built by a Belgian architect. Nasr City is newer, and contains City Stars, Cairo's biggest and most modern shopping mall, and retail social complex. The airport is actually located a bit further east of this area out in the desert near Masaken Sheraton.
Ma'adi is a
more quiet residential suburb catering to many foreign expatriates, located southeast of Cairo, where upper-class Egyptians live.
A lot to see in Cairo such as :
Giza Necropolis
Egyptian Museum
Khan el-Khalili
Cairo Citadel
Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Cairo Tower
Pyramid of Djoser
The Hanging Church
Islamic Cairo
Coptic Museum
Al-Azhar Park
Mosque of Ibn Tulun
Al-Azhar Mosque
Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan
Cairo Opera House
City of the Dead
Pharaonic Village
Gezira
Abdeen Palace
Muizz Street
Manial Palace
Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church
Bab Zuweila
Gayer-Anderson Museum
Giza Zoo
Museum of Islamic Art Cairo
Mokattam
Baron Empain Palace
Sultan Al-Ghuri Complex
Al-Hussein Mosque
Qasr El Nil Bridge
Bayt Al-Suhaymi
Mosque of Amr ibn al-As
Al-Hakim Mosque
Aquarium Grotto Garden
Al-Rifa'i Mosque
Islamic Cairo
Orman Garden
Bab al-Nasr
Bab al-Futuh
6th October Bridge
Al Haram
Al-Muizz li-Deen Illah
Al-Gawhara Palace
Child Museum
Aqmar Mosque
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
Giza Pyramids
( Cairo - Egypt ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Cairo. Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Cairo - Egypt
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