Cairo, the jewel of the Orient, is the capital of Egypt. Greater Cairo extends on the banks of the Nile River, and contains several historical buildings and sites such as the Great Pyramids, the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel, in addition to Old Churches & Mosques. Indeed, a journey through Cairo is a journey full of fun & interest.

The River Nile:
The Nile River is possibly the most famous river in history. It was by its banks that one of the oldest civilizations in the world began. Not surprisingly, the Nile teems with life. Many different types of animals, birds, and fish all call the Nile River home. Hundreds of years ago, even hippos and lions could be found here in the Nile Valley.

Pyramids & Sphinx:
The engineering and design skills required to develop the perfect form has surrounded the pyramids with an aura of mystery and made them the only wonder surviving from the Seven Wonders of the World. Over 4500 years old, they were built by Kings Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure originally to be a burial places for the ruling Pharos during the Old & Middle Kingdoms. Several points of interest are contained on the site including the Boat Museum, housing the transport for treasures and possibly bodies to the pyramids, the Eastern Cemetery and the Great Sphinx. The Sphinx stands as an ever-lasting guardian of the Pyramids, which is a mythical statue with the body of a lion and a human head.

Citadel – Mohamed Ali Mosque:
Old fortress built by Salah El Din Al Ayoubbi, founder of the Auobbi Dynasty (1171 to 1250). It’s too vast to be explored in one day, but you can have a quick look around. The Citadel embraces the great mosque of Mohamed Ali, the magnificent architectural masterpiece the Madrasa ”School” of Sultan Hasan ( Quoranic school) and the Police and Military Museum. There is also the Well of Yousef, 90 meters deep, which supplies the water for the whole of the Citadel. You would feel the wonderful weather and the pure air. That’s because the location was carefully picked. Utilizing the few resources possessed at that age, Salah El Din hanged portions of meat in various locations in Cairo. The chosen spot was where the meat took a longer time to perish. No wonder that it’s still alive.

Egyptian Museum:
The Egyptian Museum was first founded in Boulak. In 1891, it was moved to Giza Palace of "Ismail Pasha" and then to its present location at Tahrir square in Cairo. It was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi 2nd in 1897, and opened on November 15th, 1902. This unique museum, with well over 100,000 exhibits in 107 halls and galleries, contains a lot of the world's finest ancient Egyptian relics. The golden sarcophagus and treasure of Tutankhamun has the power to hold visitors in quiet contemplation for hours. One day's viewing cannot do justice to the vast amount of splendid collections on display.

Cairo Tower:
The Cairo Tower was built between 1957 – 1962. Over 180 meters high, it is the most outstanding attraction of modern Cairo. The first of the top two stores has a rotating restaurant and cafeteria. Visitors can enjoy a spectacular view of Cairo from the observation platform.

Step Pyramid of Zoser:
The step pyramid was built for king Zoser, the second king of the 3rd Dynasty by the famous architect Imhotep between 2667 - 2648 BC. Imhotep began by building a single stone Mastaba, the traditional funerary monument, then added 4 and then another six smaller Mastabas. The finished structure is a stepped pyramid covered in a shiny white limestone. The eastern side gives the best view, but it can be seen from the northern and southern side as well.
The statue of Zoser is located in the Egyptian Museum, it was originally found in the Tomb Chamber, damaged but yet intact. Pyramid of Zoser is not only the first pyramid to be build, but a changing point in the world of Architecture.

Khan El Khalili:
Khan el-Khalili, this blend of bazars, is now usually just called the 'Khan', named for the great Caravansary, the market was built in 1382 by the Emir Jarkas el-Khalili in the heart of the Fatimid City. Together with the al-Muski market to the west, they comprise one of Cairo's most important oriental shopping areas. But the more, they represent the market tradition which established Cairo as a major center of trade.

Abdeen Palace:
Abdeen Palace was built in 1863 on a 25-feddan area by Khedive Ismail and designed by several Egyptian, Italian, French and Turkish architects. The palace was named after Abdeen Bay, one of the army commanders under Mohamed Ali Basha. In 1872 the lush and luxurious palace became the seat of the government till 1952. During such eventful period of time, Abdeen Palace witnessed unforgettable events that undoubtedly affected Egypt’s modern and contemporary history.

Islamic Art Museum:
The museum of Islamic art is genuinely a wonderful bouquet of Islamic antiquities. It has a vast collection of about 10200 artifacts arranged chronologically in 23 rooms that one cannot explore in a single day. The museum displays arts from the different Islamic eras that Egypt passed through. From the Fatimid Period, one can find a fine collection of wooden panels, which are the only surviving pieces of the Western Palace of Al Kahira Palace. The craftsmanship of the Mihrabs of the tombs of Sayeda Ruqayya and Sayeda Nafeesa have amazed people through the years.
These antiquities are only a fraction of the most prominent relics in the museum. The museum of Islamic Art is in Bab El Khalq Square in the Egyptian library.
The museum is open throughout the week from 9 am to 4 p.m. except on Fridays, when it is open from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and from 1:30 p.m. to 4p.m.

Coptic Museum:
A museum that most people miss on their trip to Egypt is the Coptic culture. Coptic was the word the Arabs used, taken from the Greeks, to describe Egyptians. They are part of one of the most ancient branches of Christianity. The first floor has carved stone and stucco, frescoes, and woodwork. The second floor includes textiles, manuscripts, icons, and metalwork. Housing the world's largest collection of Coptic Christian artwork, this museum provides a link between ancient and Islamic Egypt.

The Hanging Church:
Known in Arabic as al-Muallaqah ("the suspended"), the church is consecrated to the Blessed Virgin. Originally built in the 9th century on top of a gatehouse of the Roman fortress, the Hanging Church has been rebuilt several times, like most of Cairo's churches. Only the section to the right of the sanctuary, above the southern bastion, is considered original. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most impressive churches in the city, remarkable for its marble pulpit, inlaid screens, and paintings. Call ahead to determine if restorations will affect your visit.
COST: Free. Daily 9-4 (except during services).

El Khayamiya:
Egypt has always been famous for its handicrafts. Carpets and appliqués are one of the most wonderful crafts to look for in Cairo. The best natural showcase for that art work is the “Tentmakers Bazaar” located outside Bab Zuwayla. The appliqué tents are typically Cairene, used for weddings and funerals. (You don’t have to buy a whole tent, as appliqué comes as cushion covers as well.)

Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum:
Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil was one of the public figures who significantly affected the fine arts movement during the second quarter of the 20th century.
Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil’s palace was constructed in Giza around 1920, on the French style (Ardico), which was well known in France at that time. The eastern side of the palace, overlooking the Nile, carries some features of the (Arnoveau) Style that appeared in France in 1875, as evident from the metal and glass skeleton above the entrance of the palace. The surface area of the palace is 1400 squared meters, and the palace has four levels. The palace was inaugurated for the first time as a museum on July 23rd,1962. The museum was moved to the Prince Amr Ibrahim’s palace in Zamalek, Cairo in July 1971. After remodeling, the museum was moved back to Mr. Khalil’s palace in September 1995.

Wessa Wassef Arts & Crafts Center:
This art center was founded by the late Egyptian Architect and Educator Ramses Wessa Wassef in the early 1950s. He set out with a goal to prove his idea that any human being using his natural creativity is able to produce art when provided with suitable circumstances. Through this art establishment, Wessa Wassef began realizing his dream and offering people such opportunities.
The vast grounds of Wessa Wassef art center include workshops and showrooms. Also a pottery and sculpture museum where the works of his father in-law, Habib Gorgi are displayed. And finally houses and farm buildings providing the workshops with all the necessary materials.
This unforgettable unique experiment had different successful impacts in various ways; apart from ensuring the revival and preservation of old crafts, it offered worldwide fame to the Haraneya village where the hand made carpet industry has expanded in the whole area.

Qalawun, el-Nasir & Barquq Complex:
The complex of Sultan Qala'un was built along the Shari' el-Muizz (street) in 1284 by Sultan el-Mansur Qala'un. It comprises a mosque-School, a mausoleum and a mauristan (which was replaced by a modern hospital in the 1920s). The complex is the earliest example of a new Syrian style of those times, and displays typical Mameluke architecture. The exterior windows are columned and reminiscent of Gothic style, which Qala'un was certainly familiar with from the Crusader's churches. The entrance design is of interlaced polychrome masonry ablaq, while the square bottom and middle stories of the minaret reflect the Syrian design. This opens into a long corridor with its original beam and coffered ceiling, from which, to the left is the mosque-School, and to the right, opposite the School, is the mausoleum. The mauristan was located at the end of the corridor, which today, supports a modern eye clinic.

Cairo Opera House:
The new 7 -story opera house at the Gezira Exhibition Grounds was inaugurated on October 3rd, 1988. Designed by a team of Japanese and Egyptian architects, it is an architectural masterpiece of Islamic design. It is equipped with the most sophisticated audio-visual system and comprises:
1.The Main Theater, a closed hall including 1200 seats, is used for opera, ballet, and classic music performance.
2.The Second Theater is also a closed hall with 500 seats and is used for various purposes, including film festivals and conferences.
3.The Third Theater is open and embraces 1000 seats.
There are other halls, some of which are used for training and rehearsals. In addition, the Museum and the Library contain references pertaining to the most significant artistic works.

Ibn Tulun Mosque:
The Ibn Tulun Mosque was completed in 879 AD on Mount Yashkur in a settlement named al-Qata'i by the founder of Egypt's Tulunid Dynasty (868-905 AD), Ahmad ibn Tulun. Al-Qata'i was about two km from the old community of Fustat. He was born in Baghdad, the son of a Turkish slave of Mongol origin owned by the Caliph, al-Ma'mun. He later became governor of Egypt after his stepfather, who died in 870, was awarded that position.
It was the third congregational mosque to be built in what is now greater Cairo, and at approximately 26,318 square meters in size, is the third largest mosque in the world.
The Ibn Tulun mosque reflects all the characteristic features of Abbasid art within the realm of architecture, and was obviously influenced, particularly with regards to the minaret, the great rectangular piers with engaged corner columns, the decorative motif and other features by the famous Samarra mosque in present day Iraq.

Al Azhar Mosque & Madrasa:
The Al-Azhar Mosque (the most blooming), established in 972 (361 H) in a porticoed style shortly after the founding of Cairo itself, was originally designed by the Fatimid general Jawhar El-Sequili (Gawhara Qunqubay, Gawhar al-Sakkaly) and built on the orders of Caliph Muezz Li-Din Allah. Located in the center of an area teaming with the most beautiful Islamic monuments from the 10th century, it was called "Al-Azhar" after Fatema al-Zahraa, daughter of the Prophet Mohamed (Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him).
Al Azhar has remained a focal point of the famous university which has grown up around it. It was under Yaqoub Ibn Cals that the mosque became a teaching institute. This is the oldest university in the world, where the first lecture was delivered in 975 AD. Today the university built around the Mosque is the most prestigious of Muslim schools, and its students are highly esteemed for their traditional training. While ten thousand students once studied here, today the university classes are conducted in adjacent buildings and the Mosque is reserved for prayer. In addition to the religious studies, modern schools of medicine, science and foreign languages have also been added.

Bab el-Futuh, Bab el-Nasr & City Wall:
Prior to about 1087, Cairo was not really much of a fortified city with its sun dried brick walls, though this weakness had demonstrated itself on occasions. That year, Badr ad-Din el-Gamali, the visor of El-Mustansir, employed three Syrian brothers from Edessa to build the three main gateways of the Fatimid wall made of stone which was to provide fortification. These massive gates are called the Bab (gate) el-Futuh, Bab an-Nasr and Bab Zuwaila.
The Bab el-Futuh, or Gate of Conquest consists of a huge vaulted opening carved from a massive block of stone and flanked by two rounded towers. The masonry is considered to be finer than that of the southern gate (Bab Zuwaila). It marks the northern boundary of the old Fatimid City. In past times, the great caravan of pilgrims returned each year from Mecca, entering this gate and making their way to the Citadel. Today, the entrance appears squat, but this is due to the base of the gate being sixteen feet below street level. The interior of the gate is accessible, and one may traverse the wall either on top, or from within to the more eastern Bab al-Nasr.

Bayt el-Suhaymi:
The Bayt Al-Suhaymi is an excellent example of a private, though wealthy, Egyptian home of the 17th century, and shows most of the features which made living in Cairo's arid climate tolerable in prior ages.
Not that the Bayt Al-Suhaymi is unique, but this house does provide an interesting perspective of history in general, a concept which might be brought out here more easily than in other places. The concept is two fold. First, ancient arts and wisdom are lost due to modern invention and progressions, and second, that the ancient world, because of this, was a much more pleasant place to live than many believe (at least for those with some wealth). Bayt Al-Suhaymi is a case in point.
The house was purchased in 1796 by Sheikh Ahmed as-Suhaymi, who extended it by integrating several of the adjacent houses. There are various separate staircase entries, and about thirty chambers, or qaa, on various levels. On the street side of the house, windows including that of the women's bedrooms, have mashrabiyya screens, while in the rear screened and latticed windows and arched galleries overlook the garden courtyard. The harem reception room is particularly lovely, overlooking the garden, its floors of marble, its walls covered with the most delicate green and blue plant patterned enamel tiles.

Gayer-Anderson House:
The Gayer-Anderson Museum was founded in 1937 in two ancient residences, the Beit el-Kiridiliya from 1632 and the Beit Amna Bent Salim from 1540. The museum includes the private collection of Major Gayer-Anderson as well as furniture, glassware, crystal, carpets, silks and embroidered Arab costumes. The residences are reached by a private street. The Beit el-Kiridiliya has a sabil at the southwest corner and a maqaad with a monumental entrance. The Beit Amna Bent Salim has a courtyard that is small and a single-arched maqaad. There is a qaa that has an extremely high ceiling that runs the length of the house. Several of the rooms on the third floor have been reconstructed and some contain the collections.

Sultan Hassan Mosque - Madrasa:
Built between 1356 and 1363 by the Mamluk ruler Sultan Hassan, this is one of the largest Islamic religious buildings in the world. Historians believe that its builders may have used stone from the pyramids at Giza. The scale of the masterpiece is so colossal that it nearly emptied the vast Mamluk Treasury.
You enter the complex at an angle, through a tall portal that is itself a work of art. A dark and relatively low-ceilinged passageway to the left of the entrance leads to the brightly lit main area, a standard cruciform-plan open court. Between each of the four liwans (sitting rooms) is a madrasa (religious school), one for each of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, complete with its own courtyard and four stories of cells for students and teachers. The mausoleum, facing the Maydan Salah al-Din, is quite beautiful, particularly in the morning when the rising sun filters through grilled windows. COST: £e12. Daily 8-5, except during Friday prayers.

Amr Ibn el-As Mosque:
This is the first and oldest mosque ever built on the land of Egypt. Erected in 642 AD (21 AH) by Amr Ibn al'As, the commander of the Muslim army that conquered Egypt, the mosque is also known as Taj al-Jawamie (Crown of Mosques, al-Jamie'al-Ateeq (the Ancient Mosque) and Masjid Ahl al-Rayah (Mosque of Banner Holders).
The mosque is said to have been built on the site of Amr Ibn el-As's tent at Fustat, is the oldest existing mosque, not just in Cairo, but the entire African Continent. Located north of the Roman Fortress of Babylon, it is actually on the edge of Fustat, the temporary city founded by Amr, and was an Islamic learning center long before El-Azhar Mosque. It could hold up to 5,000 students

Cairo International Conventions & Exhibitions Centre:
The Cairo International Conference Centre (CICC) is considered one of the largest conference halls in the world.
It was; inaugurated by President Mubarak on November 29, 1989 and located in Nasr City, Cairo.
The main building occupies an area of 58,000 square metres, and green areas of 168,000 square metres including a natural garden having a pool and waterfalls, as well as rest houses.
The CICC offers all kinds of services related to conferences, exhibitions, ceremonies and gala nights.
It is made up of three main halls. The first has a seating capacity of 2500, the second 800, and the third 600 people.
All the halls are provided with simultaneous interpretation booths as well as a closed TV circuit. The CICC has a 3500 square metres exhibition hall. The CICC also hosted dozens of international, regional and local conferences.

Gezira Center for Modern Art:
The idea of establishing a museum to exhibit modern Egyptian art masterpieces was first introduced in 1925 by Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil, a famous Egyptian fine art fan. This headquarters was built in 1936 and designed by renowned architect Moustafa Bey Fahmi. It took the government five years of extensive work to prepare the building for displaying the rare collections of the museum. The building is now contributing to the development of the fine art movement in Cairo and the region.
The Egyptian Museum of Modern Art now displays more than 10,000 paintings and sculptures that represent the development of the Egyptian art movement from the pioneers of the early 20th century to the contemporary art trends.

Bait El Harrawi:
El-Harrawi House was built in 1731 by Ahmed Ben Youssef El –Serafi, it is considered to be one of the fine examples of the Islamic houses representing the Ottoman era. It is named after its last owner, Abd El-Rahman El-Harrawi, who was the Hakim (Doctor) of Qasr El-Ayini Medical School.
Nowadays, it is being used as a Cultural Center where different cultural events, lectures musical gala and artistic expositions take place.