Love it or hate it, Cairo is unique. A cacophony of noises, smells and sights, the Arab world's leading city has been an important place for thousands of years and dominates modern Egypt. Few other places mix ancient and modern so closely, with 5,000 year old monuments next door to modern apartments and daily shopping done in a 700 year old 'mall'.
Any visitor to Cairo has to visit the Pyramids at Giza, the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, and one that has been around for almost 5,000 years. Today, the Pyramids jostle for space with the growing city, and the Pharaoh Cheops may be turning in his mortuary chamber to know that KFC is now his neighbour.
Discovering 'modern' Cairo is a bit of a misnomer in a city with such a long history. Closer to the banks of the Nile, the hustle and bustle of downtown Cairo kicks in, where office blocks and hotels overlook highways. Nearby, though, an older side of the City is easy to explore. Islamic Cairo is a myriad of mosques, souqs and the citadel, with over 800 monuments (but only a handful of signposts), the visitor is suddenly transported back in time again - perhaps not as far as the times of the Pyramids, but maybe somewhere in the Middle Ages. This truly fascinating area of Cairo is almost a city in itself, and is well worth exploring for a day or two - even then, you'll only just scratch the surface.
If you've been to Egypt but not been to Cairo, you haven't really been to Egypt. This city is the heart of the Country like no other. |
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