| Cairo
Information
Founded on the site of Babylon,
near the ruins of ancient Memphis, Cairo has been the largest city
in Africa for centuries. Modern Cairo encompasses many former cities
and their monuments: the pyramids of the pharaohs; early Christian
monasteries and churches; Salah al-Din's Citadel; mosques of the
Mamluke and Ottoman sultans. Five thousand years of culture are
concentrated here, at the center of three continents.
Travel through time in a city that is a living
index to civilization. Enjoy the comforts of a cosmopolitan twentieth-century
capital. Cairo, a microcosm of the greater world.
Today's skyline mixes minarets and palm trees with
art deco villas and multicolored neon - but you can still see the
sunset over the Nile. Cairo has a unique atmosphere: both exciting
and relaxed. The city pulses with life while the Nile flows on to
the sea.
Places of Interest
The Great Pyramids:
"One of the Seven Wonders of the World, King Cheops' pyramid
was built c. 2650 BC "" it is impossible to get tired
of the Pyramids."
Amelia B. Edwards. 1877
Saqqara: The royal
burial-ground during the Old Kingdom (2705-2155 BC). There are so
many periods represented that Saqqara could almost be a book, in
whose pages the story of Egyptian Civilization through the Pharaonic
Greek and Roman periods is told. Discoveries are still being made
today.
Memphis: One of the
oldest cities on earth, legendary Memphis was the capital of ancient
Egypt throughout the Old Kingdom.
The Mastabas of Mereruka,
Ti and Path-Hotep: Carved and painted tombs vividly illustrate
everyday life more than 5,000 years ago.
The Sphinx: "Sacred
symbol of the union of the strongest physical with the highest intellectual
Power on earth,"
Harriet Martineau on the Sphinx 1848
The Solar Barque of King
Cheop: a cedar-wood craft built to take the Pharaoh through
the underworld.
The Step Pyramid:
The first proper pyramid, built for King Zoser in the 27th-century
BC by the architect Imhotep
The Egyptian Museum:
One of the world's most famous museums. The magnificent collection
of antiques includes mummies, Sarcophagi and the fabulous treasures
from Tutankhamun's tomb.
Source: Egypt Tourism Official Website
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