Sightseeing OverviewWith its layers of history and density of streets, one could spend months in Cairo and still not manage to see (or even find) all of its mosques and minarets, Coptic churches, souks, small museums and other places of interest. Just to visit the top attractions will require a stay of several days. Some sections of the city are attractions in themselves: the narrow streets of Old Cairo and Islamic Cairo are lined with ancient homes and buildings that can provide hours of fascinating (if frenetic) wandering. The
Khan al-Khalili, the city’s main market (see
Shopping), with its silk and spice merchants, haggling and steady stream of Cairenes from all walks of life, is one of the best places to soak up the local color. People-watching is one of the most rewarding activities. Western women may feel self-conscious at the many sidewalk cafés, as Egyptian women do not frequent them (apart from those in the market), but there are plenty of restaurants with outdoor dining that afford a respite from the bustle of the streets and the chance to watch the world go by.
The
Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is located downtown near the central square, Midan Tahrir. To the north is
Bulaq, a district with interesting mosques and medieval back streets along the Nile, which butts up against the modern offices of the World Trade Center. To the south is the suburb of
Garden City, a tree-lined former British enclave in the wartime years. Most of the main attractions are situated in
Old Cairo, the Coptic quarter where the
Coptic Museum and
Hanging Church are located, and
Islamic Cairo, a huge maze-like medieval quarter peppered with domes and minarets that lies to the east of central Cairo and downtown. The towers of
Bab Zuwayla, the
Citadel, the
Gayer Anderson House and the
Islamic Art Museum are among the sights here. There is an official website for Cairo’s Islamic monuments (website:
www.cim.gov.eg).
The famous Pyramids are located in
Giza, 18km (11 miles) from the city center. Other areas worth exploring include the two Nile islands.
Roda includes the residential Manial district on its northern end, while
Gezira, the largest island, is split into two distinct districts: Gezira proper with its Opera House and art museums, and Zamalek, home to diplomats, wealthy foreigners, luxurious villas and trendy bars and restaurants.
Public transport on the overcrowded Cairo buses (see
Public Transport in
Getting Around) is not recommended and, as such, no transport details for the attractions are given below. Unfortunately, the metro does not serve most of the main tourist spots. Sadat is the metro stop for Midan Tahrir in downtown Cairo; Mari Girgis is the stop for Old Cairo. It is quickest and easiest to take a taxi to the first destination of the day and walk to nearby sights from there. Note that most museums are closed during midday prayers on Fridays, approximately 1130-1330.
Tourist InformationEgyptian Tourist Authority 5 Sharia Adly, Midan Opera
Tel: (02) 391 3454.
Website:
www.egypttreasures.gov.eg or
http://touregypt.netOpening hours: Daily 0830-2000 (0900-1700 during Ramadan).
There are also offices at Cairo Airport (all terminals), the Pyramids, Pyramids Street (tel: (02) 383 8823) and Giza and Rameses Railway Stations.
There is no tourist office for Cairo itself. Please not that there is a dedicated Tourist Police hotline: 126
PassesThere are no dedicated tourist discount passes in Cairo.
Key Attractions:Egyptian Museum of Antiquities With more than 120,000 artifacts spanning Egyptian history from the earliest dynasties to the Roman era, the
Egyptian Museum represents the largest collection of its kind in the world. It would take several months to see every exhibit. A minimum of three to four hours is necessary to take in the highlights and, if time allows, the museum is best appreciated on successive half-day visits. The collection was first assembled by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in 1858. The top attractions are the
Tutankhamun Galleries, which display the gold and gem-inlaid funerary mask and 1,700 other treasures found in the tomb of the Boy King (restricted access), and the
Royal Mummy Room, which contains the corpses of 11 of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs including Seti I and his son Ramses II.
Room 27 displays intricate models of ancient life on the Nile during the Middle Kingdom, while the
Old Kingdom Rooms contain beautiful statues and death masks from Giza and Saqqara. The
Akhenaten Room, Jewelry Rooms and animal mummies are also fascinating.
Midan Tahrir
Tel: (02) 579 6974/6948.
Website:
www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg Opening hours: Daily 0900-1845.
Admission charge (additional charge for Mummies’ Hall); photographic charge.
Pyramids of Giza One of the seven wonders of the ancient world and now one of the wonders of the modern world too, the
Pyramids of Giza are Egypt’s prime tourist attraction. First impressions can disappoint, partly because many visitors find them smaller than anticipated. But the longer the visit, the more powerful the pyramids become.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops (aka Khufu) was completed in about 2600BC and is the oldest on the site, and the largest in Egypt. It stands 136.4m (447.5ft) high and is made from an estimated 2.5 million limestone blocks. It was built to house the sarcophagus of King Cheops (or Khufu to give him his proper Egyptian name), although it is not known whether he was ever actually buried here. Nearby are three smaller pyramids built for the king’s queens, and beyond are the two other large pyramids, those of Chephren and Mycerinus. Chephren was the son of Cheops and popular belief has it that he had the idea of building the Sphinx, to stand close by his own tomb and that of his father. Some archaeologists say that this is not the case, and the Sphinx may even be some 2,600 years older than the pyramids themselves. Surrounding the pyramids are many smaller tombs and while there, one should also visit the Solar Boat Museum, which houses a superbly preserved wooden boat found near the Great Pyramid. There are daily sound and light shows (tel: (02) 385 7320; website:
www.egyptsandl.com), check times for different languages.
Pyramid Road, 18km (11 miles) southwest of central Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1930; daily 0830-1600 (pyramid chambers).
Admission charge.
Coptic Museum Situated in a lovely garden within the former Roman fortress of Babylon-in-Egypt, the
Coptic Museum features Coptic art from the Christian era (AD300-1000). Among the highlights are the exquisite Coptic textiles, carved ivories,
papyri (ancient paper) with text from the Gnostic gospels of Nag Hammadi, and Nubian paintings from the flooded villages of Lake Nassar. The ornate rooms are decorated with beautiful
mashrabiyya (carved wood) screens, fountains and painted ceilings.
Sharia Mari Girgis, Old Cairo
Tel: (02) 363 9742
or 362 8766.
Website:
www.copticmuseum.gov.eg Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission charge.
el-Muallaqa Church (the ‘Hanging Church’) Possibly dating back as far as the fourth century,
el-Muallaqa is the oldest Christian place of worship in Cairo. It is called the ‘Hanging Church’ because it is built on top of a Roman gate and reached by a stairway that leads to the courtyard. The beautiful interior features three barrel-vaulted aisles, altar screens of inlaid ivory and bone and an exquisite, carved marble pulpit supported by 13 pillars representing Christ and his disciples.
Sharia Mari Girgis, Old Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-1600; Coptic masses Fri 0800-1100 and Sun 0700-1000.
Free admission, donations welcome.
Bab Zuwayla The southern gate of
Bab Zuwayla is all that remains of the Fatimid city of el-Qahira. Executions took place here in Mamluk times but in the 19th century it acquired a happier reputation when a local saint, Mitwalli, performed miracles near the gate. To this day, people seeking healing nail a lock of hair or piece of clothing to the gate in hopes of receiving divine aid. Rising above the gate are the minarets of the
Mosque of el-Muayyad, which offer some of the finest panoramic views in Cairo from the top. The mosque contains the mausoleum of the Sultan el-Muayyad and his son, who began building the mosque in 1415, as well as a shady courtyard.
Sharia Darb el-Ahmar, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk (mosque).
Admission charge for the mosque;
baksheesh for the minarets.
Bayn al-Qasryn In medieval times,
Bayn al-Qasryn was the leading public square in Cairo, bustling with market stalls and entertainers. Today, it is lined with three Mamluk palace complexes, which form a harmonious and impressive façade. The finest, the
Madrassa and Mausoleum of Qalaun, is also the earliest, completed in 1279. The mausoleum is stunningly decorated with an elaborate stucco arch bearing stars and floral motifs, ornate coffered ceilings and stained glass. The
Mausoleum of an-Nasir Mohammed (1304) and the
Madrassa and Khanqah of Sultan Barquq (1386) also boast fine architecture and decoration. Incidentally, a
madrassa is a theological school, while a
khanqah is a monastery.
Sharia el-Muizz, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk.
Admission charge.
Bayt el-Suhaymi Behind an unassuming façade is one of Cairo’s finest houses,
Bayt el-Suhaymi. Dating from the Ottoman era, it offers a glimpse of the lifestyle of well-to-do merchants during the 16th and 17th centuries. The maze of rooms on different levels feature an ornate first-floor harem with
mashrabiyya screens overlooking the garden and an impressive ground-floor reception room where men were entertained with music and dancers.
19 Haret Darb el-Asfar, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600.
Admission charge.
Citadel (el-Qal’a) Nothing remains of Salah ad-Din’s original 12th-century palace but the mosques and palaces atop this limestone outcrop reflect 700 years of Cairo history. The fortifications were first built to repel the Crusaders and became the royal residence for sultans well into the 19th century. The
Mohammed Ali Mosque, with its huge central dome and four semi-domes, towers over the city. The enclosure also contains the
Mosque of al-Nasir, Yusuf’s Well and several small museums. The views over Cairo from the Citadel are outstanding.
Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700 (Oct-May), 0800-1800 (Jun-Sep).
Admission charge.
Gayer-Anderson House (Bayt el-Kritliya) The
Gayer-Anderson House was the home of an English doctor to the royal family, who lived here from 1935-42. He restored two 16th-century houses, joined them together and filled them with exquisite decoration, furniture and oriental objects. The
mashrabiyya-screened women’s gallery overlooks the magnificent reception room with its central fountain, arguably the finest in Cairo.
4 Midan Ahmed Ibn Tulun, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700, closed Friday during midday prayer (1100-1300).
Admission charge.
Ibn Tulun Mosque Of all the mosques in Cairo, this is the one that should not be missed. Completed in 879, it is the oldest intact mosque in the city. The huge structure, built of mud-brick and wood, covers 2.4 hectares (six acres) but is simple in decor. It is a unique example in Cairo of classical Islamic architecture inspired by Iraqi models, having been built by Ibn Tulin, who was sent to rule Cairo by the caliph of Baghdad. The pointed arches are the first of their kind. The views from the top of the spiral minaret are magnificent.
Sharia el-Salibah, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1800.
Admission charge.
Islamic Art Museum This museum houses one of the world’s largest and finest collections of Islamic art, dating from the seventh to the 19th centuries. The rooms contain carved woodwork and columns, mosaic fountains, metalwork and other architectural exhibits salvaged from crumbling mosques and mausoleums throughout Egypt. Some of the finest pieces are located in the central hall.
Midan Ahmad Mahir (Bab el-Khalq), Port Said Street, Islamic Cairo
Tel: (02) 390 1520.
Opening hours: Sat-Thur 0900-1600, Fri 0900-1100 and 1400-1600.
Admission charge.
Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan Covering 7,900 sq meters (85,000 sq ft), this is one of the largest mosques in the world and the finest early Mamluk structure in Cairo. It was built between 1356 and 1363 and encompasses a stunning courtyard, four
madrassas (theology schools) and a mausoleum flanked by huge doors. Visitors should go in the morning when the sun lights up the dark mausoleum.
Sharia el-Qal’a, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700 (until 1800 in summer).
Admission charge.
Further Distractions:Wikala of al-Ghouri A
wikala, also known as a
caravanserai, is a medieval merchants’ hostel that catered for traveling traders. They stabled their animals on the ground floor, slept in the rooms above and haggled with their clients in the courtyard. This is the best preserved of the handful of Cairo’s remaining
wikalas. The stables now house artists’ studios, while the courtyard is used for theater and concerts. Around the corner is the striking striped
al-Ghouri complex, with its mosque-madrassa and mausoleum. Part of the mausoleum now serves as a cultural center, offering twice-weekly Sufi dancing performances.
Sharia el-Azhar, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0800-2400.
Admission charge.
City of the Dead Many tourists may feel squeamish at the thought of visiting the
City of the Dead, but dozens of ‘tomb squatters’ have made it their home and other Cairenes come to visit and picnic at the graves of their relatives, an ancient tradition. This huge necropolis is divided into the northern and southern cemetery on either side of the Citadel and contains some outstanding Islamic architecture. The finest monuments are in the northern cemetery. The
Mosque of Qaitbey, a Mamluk ruler, has an intricately carved dome, the finest in the Muslim world, while the splendidly decorated interior surrounds a peaceful courtyard. Visitors are advised to stick to the main streets in the cemeteries for safety reasons.
Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Free admission, charge for the Mosque of Qaitbey.
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