Cairo

The province

Get to know Cairo

Cairo is the capital of Egypt and stretches along both banks of the Nile, just before the river fans out into the Delta. The governorate covers the east bank and the islands of Zamalek and Roda; the west bank, with the pyramids, belongs to the neighboring Giza governorate. Together the two form a single urban area, connected by bridges and by the metro.

The historic center, listed by UNESCO as Historic Cairo, preserves a thousand years of mosques, religious schools and city gates. Saladin’s Citadel, on top of the Muqattam hill, houses the Muhammad Ali Mosque, clad in alabaster, and offers a view over the city. Below it are the 9th-century Ibn Tulun Mosque, Al-Azhar Mosque and Al-Muizz Street, which leads to the Khan el-Khalili market and the Bab Zuweila gate.

In the south of the city, the Coptic quarter brings together the Hanging Church, built over the towers of the Roman fortress of Babylon, the Ben Ezra synagogue and the Coptic Museum. Nearby, in Fustat, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization displays the royal mummies in a dedicated hall. In Tahrir Square, the Egyptian Museum houses statues, sarcophagi and objects from all periods of ancient Egypt.

The Nile is part of the experience: feluccas, the traditional sailing boats, depart from the banks late in the afternoon, and the Cairo Tower in Zamalek offers a bird’s-eye view of the city. At night, the cafés in Khan el-Khalili and along the riverbank fill up, especially during the weeks of Ramadan, when the city livens up after sunset.