CAIRO MAIN SITES
The Egyptian Museum The Egyptian museum is the most important depository of Egyptian antiquities anywhere in the world. It features artifacts from the Pharaonic and GraecoRoman periods, including the celebrated mummies of ancient Egypt's kings and Tut Ankh Amun treasures.
The Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza - The pyramids of Cheops, Chephran and Mycerinus were reckoned by the Greeks to be one of the seven wonders of the world. A single pyramid is built of 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and onehalf tons. In the face of such immensity, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is especially interesting, since its interior burial chambers are open for inspection by the public. Not far from the pyramids ist he Great Sphinx of Giza, which dates from the time of Chephren (2620 BC). Hewn from natural yellowish limestone and standing 65 feet high and 187 feet long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body.
The Citadel and Khan El Khalili - Situated on a spur of the Muqattam Hills, the citadel dominates Cairo's skyline and was the nerve center of the city and Egypt for almost 700 years. Its construction was initiated in 1 176 by Saladin and completed by Muhammad Ali. Mameluke sultans and Turkish governors later on made it their residence, building palaces and mosques within the Citadel walls. Facing the citadel is the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, built between 1356 and 1363 and perhaps the most majestic monument of Arab architecture in Egypt. The tour also includes a visit to Khan El Khalili, a famous Cairo bazaar dating back tothe late 14th century.
Old Cairo, the Coptic Museum, and Ben Ezra Synagogue - The famous Coptic museum is built on the site of the Roman fortress of Babylon, constructed about 30 BC under Augustus and Memphis rebuilt in the time of Trajan. Inside the fortress are several Coptic churches and the richest collection of Coptic art in the world. The Ben Ezra Synagogue stands in a pleasant shady garden in the center of Cairo. Its long existence is attested to by the accounts of many travelers who visited it over the centuries, including Benjamin of Tudela in the 13th century, who records that he saw the Torah of Ezra the Scribe there. The first Jewish synagogue was destroyed when the Romans occupied Egypt and was later rebuilt by Abraham Ben Ezra, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. It contains a number of artifacts, including a Torah on gazelle skin dating from the 5th century BC, a drawing of a seven‑branched candelabra on deer skin, and the manuscript known as the "Atlas of Moses".
Memphis and Sakkara - Memphis served as the capital of Upper and Lower Egypt some 5,000 years ago during the 1 st Dynasty. Menes, the first pharaoh of this dynasty, built a great, white‑walled palace and the Temple of Ptah here. Sakkara is one of the most exciting historical and archaeological areas in all of Egypt, situated about 12 miles South West of Cairo. The site is dominated by the famous step pyramid of King Zoser. It was the first pyramid to be built in ancient Egypt, preceding those at Giza by many centuries, and is the work of the famous pharaonic architect, Imhotep.
Abou Sir and Dahshour - The necropolis of Abou Sir, located between Giza and Sakkara, is the site of three funerary complexes of the 5th Dynasty. This burial place of King Sahoura, King Niouserre and King Merira dates back to 2450 BC. Dahshour, the necropolis of the 4th Dynasty (2780 BC), whose founder was King Snefru, the father of King Cheops, is situated 8 kilometers from Sakkara,. The complex consists of the necropolis of Dahshour and four royal pyramids, the most important of which are the two pyramids of Snefru: the Red Pyramid, the first true pyramid in the history of ancient Egypt, and the Rhomboidal Pyramid, often called the "Bent Pyramid" because the angle of inclination changes halfway up its sides.
The Manial Palace, the Nilometer and the Papyrus Institute - The Manial Palace, a residence of the 19th century Ottoman royal family, contains a collection of Ottoman period exhibits and artifacts of the former royal family. The Nilometer, which dates from 861, is a stone‑lined pit that descends well below the level of the Nile. In the center of the pit, is a column with 16 cubit markings (a cubit is equal to about 21 inches). When the Nile's waters rose at flood time, the early Egyptians could tell by the water's highest point on the column what the level of the Nile would be that year. At the Papyrus Institute, workers replicate the process used by ancient Egyptians to produce writing material from the papyrus plant.
The Islamic Museum, El Seheimy House and Ibn Tulun Mosque - The Islamic Museum is a noted depository of Islamic art from Egypt, Turkey and Persia dating from the 7th to 19th centuries. It was founded in the El Hakim Mosque in 1880 and moved to its present location in 1903. Seheimy House is a char ming example of a typical Cairo home during the 16th and 17th centuries. Formerly a merchant's house, it includes a pleasant interior courtyard with trees, flowers, a well, and a flour mill. Completed in 879, Ibn Tulun Mosque covers 8.5 acres of land and is designed in the classical courtyard style. It is well known for its pointed arches, beautifully carved stucco, and Koranic inscriptions in sycamore wood.