Cairo
Cairo is the largest city in the Arab World and is the capital of Egypt. It sits on an area of eighty-two square miles and has a population of almost seven million people. It is a city that is dominated by Islamic influenced architecture and is also the city that is greatly associated with Ancient Egypt. This is primarily due to its important stature in world literature and because of its close proximity to the Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx. Although the area upon which Cairo was built has always been home to many different nomadic tribes, the true importance of the area wasn’t realized until the fourth century when the Romans established fortifications there. Today, Cairo is known for its beautiful views and historic landmarks.
Cairo is considered to be the educational hub of Egypt, and as such has an extensive system of schools and universities. Some of the more prominent ones include Hayah Academy, Oasis international schools, Zohour al yasmeen language school, Cairo University, Misr University for Science and Technology and Lycée français du Caire.
One of the problems that Cairo is currently going through is one that it has in common with other industrialized cities, pollution. Due to its relatively small land mass and large number of traffic through the city, Cairo is currently having problems with air and water quality, as well as major traffic congestion.
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Cairo is the Mohammed Ali Mosque. This mosque is located in the Cairo Citadel and was built in 1848. This Ottoman style mosque is one of the most recongnizable in the entire city. This mosque has a central dome surrounded by four small domes and also four semicircular domes. The height of the building is about one hundred and fifty feet and the dome is about sixty-three feet in diameter. This mosque also has twin minarets with balconies and is composed mostly of limestone. One of the oldest mosques in the entire country is the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. This mosque was commissioned in 884 by the Abbassid governor Ahmad Ibn Tulun. This mosque has been restored several times during its long history. The first restoration was in 1177 and subsequent ones were in 1296 and 2004.
Another prominent attraction in Cairo is the Egyptian Museum, or as its known formerly, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. This museum has over one hundred and twenty thousand artifacts, most of which are stored away and not on actual display. The most popular room in this museum is the mummy room, which contains nine mummies from pharaonic times. The large square name Midan Ramses, or Ramesses Square, not only contains Cairo’s railway station, Ramses Station, but also refers to the streets that surround the area. It is not one of the most beautiful parts of the city because it is highly congested with traffic and is the transportation hub of the entire city. But, there is one sight that everyone should take a look at. Its the large statue of Ramesses II that is located here. This statue is a sight to behold and was originally found in 1882 at the site of Ancient Memphis. It was found in six pieces. It wouldn’t be restored until 1955 when it was fixed by inserting iron bars into it. It has been standing at this location ever since.
A must see museum for any visitor to Cairo is the Museum of Islamic Art. The building was erected in 1902 and houses over one hundred thousand objects. This museum is currently a World Heritage Site and contains Islamic art from all over the world.
One of the most beautiful attractions in Cairo is the The Mausoleum of Sultan Qalawun. This mausoleum, which is a part of the Qala’un complex, was built using marble and granite taken from the Salih Najm Ad-Din Castle in Rhoda and was finished in 1304. Another great place to visit is Abdeen Palace. It was constructed in 1874 by the French architect Rousseau. This palace was the center of the royal court but is today a museum. The top floors of this palace is off limits to the general public because its reserved for visiting dignitaries. The lower floors are open to the public and contain the Silver Museum, the Arms Museum, the Presidential Gifts Museum and the Royal Family Museum. The Historical Documents museum is also located here. One of the documents in the collection is Imperial Ottoman decree.
Cairo is also home to some very important churches. One of these is the St. Mercurius Church. This church is over ninety three feet long and sixty three feet wide. It was built in the fourteenth century to serve as the Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria. Another coptic church in the area is the Al-Adra or Church of the Virgin. This church was built during the first century and many consider it to be Egypts oldest coptic church. Also located in Coptic Cairo is the Babylon Fortress. This fort contains a variety of copic churches, most of them built into its walls. These include the Greek Church of St. George and the Hanging Church or El-Muallaqa.
Another prominent location in this city is the famed Cairo Bazaars. These are massive shopping districts that are filled with throngs of people looking for a good deal. The bazaars sell just about anything you can imagine including rugs, pottery and craft items. And the price is always flexible as haggling is not only acceptable but expected. Cairo also has restaurants and cafes and other interesting locations such as the Katameya Heights Golf and Tennis Resort, Sayyed Zeinab Cultural Park and the Cairo Zoo. There are also some very fine restaurants and hotels in the greater Cairo area.
