Cairo Travel Guide

Cairo, the city that has never known how to sleep, isn’t only Egypt’s capital, but it’s the budding heart and the exuberant side of the serene land of the Nile. When you visit Cairo, you will never run out of things to do and see, as this city never fails to surprise its visitors. It is the ultimate blend of the grandeur of one of the world’s oldest civilizations and the modern day’s activities. As soon as you get there, the first thing you will be doing is joining the bee-lines that are formed around the Pyramids; but don’t waste the whole time there, as this city has much more beyond these remarkable edifices.

A large portion of the cultural and historical heritage of Egypt revolves around old Cairo; so when you’re there, don’t miss the opportunity of being taken on an enchanting tour to envision the glorious times of a once by-gone era. From the narrow streets of old Cairo, Coptic treasures, and Islamic Monuments and historical buildings which are punctuated by mosques, edged by the city gates and presided over with the Citadel. Cairo also never runs out of plentiful must-see sights.

As the sun sets, the River Nile lights up with cruising restaurants and feluccas (sail boats), and the boisterous city starts to unleash its nightlife surprises. The city has dozens of nightspots and a variety of settings where you can enjoy your night. Cairo’s bustling nightlife is diverse and has something for everyone, from quite intimate nights to those wild ones and from the austere dinner experiences to the posh five star service overlooking the Nile at a grand city hotel. Whatever your choice is, you can be sure to enjoy a night out. Lovers of traditional folklore may enjoy performances by talented artists at the Cairo Opera House. Cairo caters to all tastes, so if you are well cultured, and if exploring new cultures is part of your journey, then El Sawy Wheel  makes an idyllic place for you. That isn’t all what the sprawling metropolis has to amuse you, as it invites you to relive the legend of the mysterious pharos at the Sound & Light shows by the plateau of the great pyramids of Giza.

Dining in Cairo is a culinary adventure, as it offers a variety of the finest restaurants that serve different international cuisines, but if you really want to get introduced to the genuine taste of Egypt, you have to try its local cuisine. The Egyptian cuisine isn’t about tossing up delicious recipes, but it has something that suites that palate of one and all.

When your visit comes to an end, don’t pack up and fly back just yet, as there are some places where you need to stop by and grab a reminder of your holiday in Egypt. In addition to Khan El Khalily, Cairo boasts an extensive collection of shopping outlets from where you can buy souvenirs and gifts for your loved ones.

Old Cairo is the land of unspeakable greatness. It's not just the Pharaonic monuments that have drawn travelers to this city since long before the birth of Christ - it's the legacy of the Romans and early Christians, and the profusion of art and architecture accumulated from centuries of successive Islamic dynasties. Old Cairo is the living proof that Egypt is the mother of the world. Once you get into that ancient city, you will notice a magnificent portrait of religious harmony, as mosques are standing next to churches. Whomever you are, Muslim or Christian, a historian or just a tourist, being in Old Cairo, namely the area that is now called Mogamaa El Adian (multi-religions compound) will just overwhelm you.

Coptic Cairo

Coptic Cairo is one of Old Cairo’s most archaic parts, and it is the original site of the Roman built Babylon. Some of these Roman walls still exist. Later, it became a Christian stronghold, with as many as 20 churches built within an area of one square mile. There are only five remaining, but these are certainly a must see when visiting Cairo, home of the oldest churches in the world. Its Roman remains and old cobbled alleys are capable of leaving any historian speechless.

The Hanging Church

The Hanging Church or St. Mary’s Church is possibly the most famous Coptic Christian as well as the first built in the Basilican style and simply one of the oldest in Egypt dating back to the 7th Century on the site of the site of an older 3rd and 4th century church. The church got its name for its location, suspending over a passage above the gatehouse of the Roman fortress of Babylon. Entrance to the Hanging Church is via a beautifully-decorated gate leading into an open courtyard, flanked by mosaics, from which there are 29 steps to the church, the thing that made travelers in the olden days call it the Staircase church. At the top of the stairs are three wooden doors decorated with geometric patterns, framed with decorative carvings in the stone wall. The church is known for its beautiful collection of restored ancient icons, the oldest of which dates back to the 8th century, and an old iconostasis inlaid with ivory and ebony. Many other artifacts from this church are now displayed in the Coptic Museum, including a lintel showing Christ's entry into Jerusalem that dates from the 5th or 6th century.

In the 11th century, it became the official residence of Alexandria’s Coptic patriarchs. When you visit this church, your soul will be captured by its impressive marble podium, icons, and friezes.

The Monastery and Church of St. George

There are two churches with the same name, Mar Girgis or St. George Church both commemorating Christianity. One is a Greek Orthodox Church which was built in the 10th Century atop a Roman tower, that lends it its unique round shape, was torn down by fire and rebuilt in 1904.

The other Church of St. George was founded in 684 and rebuilt later after a fire tore it down in 1857. The only surviving chamber holds some real works of art, like the ceiling with colored frescos. It’s also believed that the Holy family rested where the church is standing, during their journey to Egypt.

The St George convent is an ancient nuns convent and inside it there is a huge shrine commemorating the martyr and is dated back to the tenth century, and its gate is about seven meters high.

The Coptic Museum

Visiting the Coptic Museum cannot be missed while visiting old Cairo, as it has largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world. It was founded by Marcus Simaika Pasha in 1910 to house Coptic antiquities. The museum traces the history of Christianity in Egypt from its beginnings to the present day. It was erected on 8,000 square meters offered by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria under the guardianship of Pope Cyril V.

The world’s Islamic Beacon

Old Cairo embraces between its walls the world’s oldest and most renowned mosques. These mosques were constructed since the declaration of Islam as a new faith, and still standing till now proving their magnificence.

Al Hussein Mosque 

The mosque was named after grandson of Prophet Muhammad, Hussein Ebn Ali, whose head is believed by some to be buried on the grounds of the mosque. The mosque, considered to be one of the holiest Islamic sites in Cairo, was built on the cemetery of the Fatimid caliphs, a fact that was later discovered during the excavation. The Mosque hosts some very sacred items like the oldest believed complete manuscript of the Quran.

Mosque of Amr Ebn El-Aas

It’s the first mosque that was ever built in Egypt and Africa. It was constructed by the commander of the Muslim army that conquered Egypt and introduced the new faith of Islam. The mosque served as an educational institution and a court of setting religious and civil disputes, besides being the house of worship. The mosque was demolished and rebuilt twice. Due to extensive reconstruction over the centuries, nothing of the original building remains, but the rebuilt Mosque is a prominent landmark. It is an active mosque attended by earnest worshippers, and when prayers are not taking place, it is also open to visitors and tourists.

Ibn Tulun Mosque

The second oldest mosque still standing in Cairo, Ibn Tulun Mosque, was built between AD 876 and 879 and modeled on the Kaaba in Mecca (Saudi Arabia). At the time it was built, it was the largest mosque in existence.

The Main Court's colonnades have plentiful surviving fragments of intricate frieze work on display and open onto a series of narrow-fronted halls. The main prayer hall (on the southern side of the court) still holds onto fragments of its older decoration of carved stucco and wood, and the mihrab here has remnants of its original gold mosaic decoration.

On the mosque's northern side is the 40-meter-high minaret with a fine horseshoe arch over the entrance and a spiral staircase swirling through the interior. It is modeled on the minarets of the Great Mosque of Samarra on the Tigris. If you climb the 173 steps up to its upper platform there are superb views extending over the sea of houses to the north, and to the Mokattam Hills in the east.

Al Azhar Mosque

Al-Azhar Mosque is the finest building of Cairo's Fatimid era and one of the city's earliest surviving mosques, completed in AD 972. It's also one of the world's oldest universities — Caliph El-Aziz bestowed it with the status of university in AD 988 (the other university vying for "oldest" status is in Fes) and today, Al-Azhar University is still the leading theological center of the Islamic world.

The main entrance is the Gate of the Barbers on the northwest side of the building, adjoining the neo-Arab facade built by Abbas II. Leave your shoes at the entrance and walk into the central courtyard. To your right is the El-Taibarsiya Medrese, which has a mihrab (prayer niche) dating from 1309. From the central courtyard, you get the best views of the mosque's five minarets, which cap the building. Across the courtyard is the main prayer hall, spanning a vast 3,000 square meters.

Al-Azhar Mosque is right in the heart of the Islamic Cairo district and easy to reach by taxi. Al-Azhar Street runs east from Midan Ataba in the downtown area right to the square where the mosque sits.

Al Azhar Park

Al Azhar Park, the largest green space built in Cairo for over a century, was constructed to act a window from which visitors can relive the Islamic Medieval Era. It provides an impressive view of the long standing Fatimid mosques, madrasas, and mausoleums form the west, overlooks the Citadel from the south, and to the east lays the infamous City of the Dead, a dense neighborhood within cemeteries. It wasn’t designed to provide a meditative landscape that overlooks the historic monuments only, but it also serves as the “green lung” that was much needed for a crowded city like Cairo. The park encompasses shaded walkways, marvelous lakes, and water fountains, kids’ area, a museum, a hilltop restaurant, and lakeside cafes.

Synagogue of Ben Ezra

The 9th century Synagogue is one of the oldest in Egypt and occupies the shell of a 4th century church. It was renovated by a rabbi from Jerusalem, Abraham Ben Ezra, after whom it got its name. One of the legends that marks the place is about the prophet Jeremiah who gathered the Jews there, after the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. A spring nearby is said to be where Mary washed Jesus, and where the Egyptian princess found Moses in a basket. The synagogue was the hideout of many manuscripts. These manuscripts included the Hebrew- Arabic documents, dating back to the Fatimid Era, and portrayed the conditions of Jews living under the Arab rule and described the different Jewish sects and the relation between them. A rare interpretation of the Old Testament was also unleashed, in addition to describing the relationship between the Jews and the Muslim Authorities.

Al- Ghori Mausoleum

The elegant Mausoleum of Al Ghori is the red – checkered minaret among the 1000 minarets of the city of Cairo. Its minaret along with grand Mosque-Madrassa of al Ghori forms an exquisite monument to the end of the Mamluk era. Qonsouah al Ghori, the penultimate Mamluk sultan, ruled for 16 years. At the age of 78, he rode to Syria at the head of his army to battle the Ottoman Turks. The head of the defeated Al-Ghori was sent to Constantinople; his body was never recovered. This ancient mausoleum that dates back to 1505 includes the body of Tumanbay, his short lived successor, hanged by the Turks at Bab Zuweila. It’s distinguished by its beautifully decorated interiors and soaring ceiling, in addition to its minaret that is possible to be climbed.

Mohamed Ali Mosque

Mohamed Ali Mosque, Cairo’s skyline, consists of a square prayer hall, roofed by a large dome supported by four columns. There are also four semi-domes at the sides and other small domes above each of the four corners of the mosque. Above the northern wall of the mosque rise two slim, elegant minarets in the Ottoman style.

Mosque of Qaitbey

This mosque lends Cairo its uniquely Muslim atmosphere with its dazzling façade. This façade features bold stripes and a lattice screened windows. With its loads of marbles this mosque is considered the most pleasant places in Cairo to sit for a while and relax. It was built by the Sultan Qaitbey, the last Mamluk leader with real power in Egypt. Its adjacent tomb contains his cenotaphs and his two sisters, as well as two stones that supposedly bear the footprints of the Prophet. The true glory, however, is above, where the dome was carved with interlaced star and floral designs; its intricacy and delicacy were never surpassed in Cairo or anywhere else in the Islamic world - climb the minaret for the best view.

Bab Zuweila

All of the Islamic Cairo district's gates, Bab Zuweila is the most interesting. You can climb to the top of this medieval era relic (built in the 11th century) for some amazing rooftop views over Islamic Cairo. The gate itself has two minarets and is the last southern gate of the old town still standing. Right next door is the red-and-white stonework of the Sheikh al-Mu'ayyad Mosque, and a few steps farther away are the fascinating artisan stalls of the Street of the Tentmakers, where Egypt's bright fabric used for weddings and other special occasions is sold in bulk. It is the last remaining southern gate from the walls of Fatimid Cairo in the 11th and 12th century.

Al Baron Palace

Al Baron Palace, one of Cairo’s legendary and fascinating landmarks, was built by a French architect for the Belgian Baron Édouard Empain between 1907 and 1910. It has become the subject of urban legends since its construction. It gets its fantastical look from its Hindu style edifice. Its garden embraces a multiplicity of effigies of Buddha, Shiva, and Krishna, as well as statues of many exotic beasts. The palace is surrounded by terraces, each abound with distinct marble statues and exotic vegetation. The founder of Heliopolis, a Belgian industrialist Baron Empain is buried in the small replica of Aya Sofya, the Basilica nearby the palace in the Heliopolis district.

Egyptian Museum

Housing more than 120,000 artifacts in 107 halls, the Egyptian Museum is the home to the most extensive collection if ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world. This is what makes it hard to get around everything in one visit. If you’re itinerary is hectic, and you scheduled only one visit for the museum, then you concentrate in some astonishing highlights which are; the Amarna Room, devoted to Akhenaten, the 'heretic king' portrayed with Mick Jagger-like lips; the Graeco-Roman Mummies; the glittering galleries that display an astounding array of finery extracted from New Kingdom tombs found at the Delta site of Tanis; and the larger-than-life-size statue of Khafrea (Chephren), which many consider to be the museum's masterpiece. Two more things that you cannot deprive your eyes from are the shimmering treasure of the young new kingdom pharaoh Tutankhamun and the amazing solid- gold death mask.

Cairo Tower

Cairo Tower also known as Gezira Tower isn’t only the city’s splendid tower that lights up the Nile, but it’s also its most renowned landmark after the Pyramids. Built in 1961, the Gezira tower represents a 185m-high wicker work tube. You can observe the restless Cairo through its 360- degree spectacular views. Dining in the tower is exceptional, as you can experience an exotic meal in its revolving restaurant, or just pause at its cafeteria.

El Manial Palace

The vividly painted architecture lining in the walls of El Manial palace may be the most famous feature of it, and the stunning harmonious combination of the Ottoman, Moorish, Persian and European rococo that can ever be seen in the world. Today the palace houses an assortment of collections in five buildings, including a Hunting Museum housing Farouk's huge horde of dusty stuffed hunting trophies - not recommended for animal lovers. It was built in the early part of the 20th century as a residence for Prince Mohamed Ali Tawfik. The main palace encompasses giant rooms that are authentically furnished. The prince’s private museum displays some of his manuscripts, clothing, silver objects, furniture, writing implements and other items dating from medieval times to the 19th century. Stroll through the beautiful gardens afterwards, planted with rare tropical plants and marvelous palms collected by the prince on his travels. 

Cairo is even livelier at night than it is during the day. They may be famous for their ability to barter, exchange, and haggle and socialize but the Cairenes have always known how to enjoy themselves too!  Shopping, socializing and drinking coffee are all activities of the day. As the sun goes down the people come out to begin the serious business of eating, drinking and dancing. Cairo’s nightlife goes on for as long as you can stand the pace and even though most places wind down around 3.00 or 4.00 in the morning, you will still find some that are open 24 hours. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best days for big nights out.

Although Egypt is a Muslim country and many Cairenes can enjoy themselves all night long by only drinking soft drinks, alcohol is not difficult to come by for those who want it. Some Muslims are more devout than others, but if you are with Egyptian friends or acquaintances and they decline your offer of a drink, they’re not being rude and you should be sensitive to their religious beliefs. A large selection of international beers, wines and cocktails is freely available in the bars and restaurants of most of Cairo’s hotels and many will also stage lavish cabarets and live shows that mean you don’t need to go outside the confines of the hotel to get a flavor of the city.

The sound and lights shows grant you with the opportunity to attend the reawakening of the pyramids, as history comes to life with each show and provides the audience with a magical experience of learning about ancient Egypt. We don’t promise you that these shows will tell you how these magnificent pyramids were exactly built. Don’t also expect that you will find the solution of the Sphinx unsolved mystery, but all we can guarantee is that these glorious towering structures will manage to humble you with their size, at the same time as they testify to the great human spirit that created them.

Khan El Khalily

Khan El Khalily is one of the world's great shopping experiences. This Middle Eastern souq (bazaar) is a labyrinthine collection of skinny alleyways established as a shopping district in AD 1400, which still rings with the clang of metal workers and silversmiths.

The main streets have long ago given themselves over completely to the tourist trade (with plenty of cheap papyrus pictures and plastic pyramids on display), but divert off the main drag into the surrounding alleyways, and the tiny stores and cluttered workshops are some of the best places to pick up traditional products in Egypt. Here, you'll find everything from antiques and gorgeous metal lampshades to locally woven textiles.

While here stop at Cairo's most famous coffee shop, Fishawis, where syrupy Arabic coffee and sweet tea are dished out to tourists and local merchants alike at a rapid-fire pace.

The main souq road is Al-Muski Street (called Gawhar al-Qaid Street at its eastern end) for shoppers, the gold and silver workshops mostly congregate just north of this street's intersection with Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Street, while the spice market section is just to the south. The market is hemmed in on its eastern side by the Neo-Gothic bulk of the Sayyidna el-Husein Mosque, built in 1792 to honor the Prophet Muhammad's grandson.

Al-Muizz li-Din Allah Street

Al-Muizz li-Din Allah Street The northern section of Al-Muizz li-Din Allah Street is rimmed by fine Mamluk buildings, which have been painstakingly restored to their former glory. The Madrassa of as-Salih Ayyub, built in 1247, is a showcase of the tranquil simplicity of Islamic architecture.

Directly across the road from the madrassa is the drop-dead gorgeous Madrassa of Qalaun, rightly considered one of the Mamluk period's greatest architectural triumphs. It was completed in 1293 by Qalaun's son, Muhammad al-Nasir, and has an interior packed to the brim with intricate tile work, fine marble, mother-of-pearl mosaics, and stained-glass windows. Qalaun's madrassa also functioned as a hospital when it first opened.

A little farther north is the younger (built in 1309) Madrassa of an-Nasr Mohammed with plenty of ornate detailing to admire, before you come to the fabulous Egyptian Textile Museum with a collection that spans the Pharaonic era right up to the Islamic period.

The El Sawy Culture wheel, Cairo’s  cultural spirit, is an inclusive cultural center laying on a 5,000 m2 area right under the 15th of May bridge on Zamalek island. It values human beings without any kind of classification. It operates all year round seven days a week from 8 am till the last show ends, offering two to four events a day. It provides culture and art at affordable prices. On an average day about 1,500 people visit, on special days the number may exceed 2,000. This results in nearly 500,000 visitors a year. In 2009 El Sawy Culture wheel organized 25 festivals and contests.