Cairo, Egypt, known officially as al-Qahirah is one of the world's largest urban areas. It is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa and lies at the centre of all routes leading to, and from the three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.
Egypt is the cradle of history and human culture, for this the country where papyrus was discovered revealing a civilization which bears witness to man's resourcefulness and ingenuity. Today, as it was thousands of years ago, Egypt is a land of learning, where visitors contemplate and enjoy in awe, remnants of pharonic, Coptic, and Islamic eras.
Cairo is the capital of Egypt and, close by, is almost every Egypt Pyramid, such as the Great Pyramids of Giza on the very edge of the city. There are also ancient temples, tombs, Christian churches, magnificent Muslim monuments etc within or nearby the city. Cairo provides great culture, including art galleries and music halls, such as the Cairo Opera House.
Cairo, Egypt is an amazing city full of life. Cairo offers an incredible selection of shopping, leisure and nightlife activities. Particularly good buys are spices, perfumes, gold, silver, carpets, brass, copperware, leatherwork, glass and ceramics. Cairo also provides some of the grandest accommodations and restaurants in the world.
Cairo, which Egyptians proudly call the ‘Mother of All Cities’, spreads along the banks of the River Nile for 40km (25 miles) north to south, the largest metropolis in Africa. Travellers through the ages have been fascinated by Cairo. The Pyramids of Giza, however, are on the west bank of the river, some 18km (11 miles) from the centre. Old Cairo lies south of central Cairo, while Islamic Cairo encompasses a large area to the east. The city is growing rapidly, both in terms of population and geographical area, with new suburbs expanding on its outskirts, especially into the Eastern Desert. Northwest of the city centre, near the airport, Heliopolis is home to many of Cairo’s wealthy (and the Presidential Palace), while to the west, the middle-class suburb of Giza has expanded to within sight of the Pyramids.
Cairo is also called the ‘City of 1000 Minarets’ and it is the exotic skyline of graceful domes and towering minarets that casts a spell of magic over the grinding reality of the metropolis. Most visitors come to see the great Pyramids of Giza, the treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb and other wonders in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, as well as to shop in the sprawling Khan al-Khalili marketplace. There are also dozens of mosques, Coptic churches, smaller museums and winding streets to explore.
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