Cairo is the capital of Egypt and is also considered the largest city in the Arab world. The metropolitan area, with a population of over 30 million, is the largest region in Africa, the Arab world, and the Middle East, and the sixth-largest in the world.
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A very impressive collection of monuments in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo makes it one of the largest museums in the world. You will need a lifetime to see everything on display. The museum was founded in 1857 by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette and moved to his current home in central Cairo in 1897. The Egyptian Museum is located next to Tahrir Square, the central square in downtown Cairo. The easiest way to get there is to take the Cairo Metro to Sadat Station (in Tahrir Square) and follow the exit signs to the museum.
Al-Azhar Mosque is the finest building from the Fatimid period in Cairo and one of the oldest remaining mosques in the city, it was completed in 972 AD. It is also one of the oldest universities in the world awarded by the Caliph Al-Aziz in the university center in 988 AD and today Al-Azhar University remains the leading theological center in the Islamic world.
The main entrance is the Barbers' gate on the northwestern side of the building, next to the new Arab façade built by Abbas II. Leave your shoes at the entrance and walk in the central patio. To your right is the Tiberias School, which contains a mihrab (prayer place) dating back to 1309. From the central courtyard, you can get the best views of the five minarets of the mosque, which cover the building. Across the courtyard is the main prayer hall of 3000 square meters. The front half is part of the original building, while the back half is added by Prince Abdel Rahman Katkhuda.
Khan Al Khalili is considered one of the greatest shopping experiences in the world. This market in the Middle East (the bazaar) is a maze of narrow alleys created as a shopping area in the 1400s, which still rings with a group of metalworkers and silversmiths.
The main streets have long since surrendered themselves entirely to tourist trade (with lots of cheap papyrus pictures and plastic pyramids on display), but they turn the main drag path into the surrounding alleys, and small shops and crowded workshops are some of the best places to pick up traditional products in Egypt. Here, you'll find everything from masterpieces and exquisite metal lamps to locally woven textiles.
While shopping here you have to stop at Cairo's most famous cafe, Fishawi, where Arabic coffee and sweet tea are served to tourists and local merchants alike at a fast pace.
In a leading position at the foot of the Mokattam hills, Salah al-Din built the Cairo Citadel in 1176. The original structure that he had built for a long time with the exception of the eastern outer walls disappeared, but the rulers' legacy made their own additions here.
The Mohamed Ali Mosque is the most famous monument and is the main reason for the visit. The Al-Marmar Mosque is called its white stone and it’s tall, disproportionately slender minarets, and is a prominent landmark in Cairo. Another main reason for appearing here is the views across the city. Head to Al Jawhara balcony to get the best panorama in the city.
The northern part of Al-Moez Street is a religion of God surrounded by beautiful Mamluk buildings that have been painstakingly restored to their former glory. The Al-Ayoub School, built-in 1247, is a display of the quiet simplicity of Islamic architecture.
Right across the road from the school is the magnificent parked school in Qalawun, which is truly one of the greatest architectural victories of the Mamluk era. It was completed in 1293 by Qalawun's son, Muhammad al-Nasir, and has an edge-filled interior design with intricate tile work, fine marble, mother-of-pearl mosaic, and stained-glass windows. Qalawun School also worked as a hospital when it first opened.
Al-Azhar Park, which was built above what was originally medieval garbage, is the green lungs of the ancient region. It opened in 2005 and provides a much-needed respite for the crowded chaos of the hustle and bustle of Cairo's streets. Inside, the magnificent manicured gardens are a lovely place for an evening stroll, especially since the views of the entire old city are wonderful from here at sunset. There are also two good restaurants on-site, so it is the perfect place to set your feet after a long day of sightseeing. If you are coming on weekends, the park is full of local families fleeing the roaring roar of traffic that displaces the rest of Cairo.
If you want to catch a feel of Cairo in the late nineteenth century, when the city was dubbed "Paris of the East", take a stroll through the downtown area while shifting your eyes to black car exhaust architecture instead of bedlam at street level. The whole area is full of blocks stuffed with the beautiful yet dilapidated Belle Epoque buildings, which should look amazingly charming when they were first built. Some of the best remains around Talaat Harb Square.
On the western end of the city center, on El Gomhoria Street, Abdeen Palace from the nineteenth century was once the home of Khediwat in Egypt. Today, the former private apartments of the King have been inaugurated as a museum and contain an exotic collection of photos, textiles, and gifts presented to the presidents of Egypt by visiting dignitaries.
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