#1 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Khan el Khalili
Cairo
~0.46 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Khan el Khalili
Khan el-Khalili (Arabic: ??? ????????) is a major souk in the Islamic district of Cairo. The bazaar district is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike.
The souk dates back to 1382, when Emir Djaharks el-Khalili built a large caravanserai (??? khan in Arabic) in Cairo under the Burji Mamluk Sultan Barquq; the eponymous khan is still extant. By the time of Barquq, the first Circassian Mamluk Sultan (1382- 1399 A.D.) much reconstruction needed to be done within the walls of the city in order to repair the damage incurred as a result of the Black Death. When Barquq started his madrassa in Bayn el-Qasrayn, markets were rebuilt, and Khan el-Khalili was established. It was also known Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman Empire.
In addition to shops, there are several coffeehouses (???? maqha or ???? qahwah, depending on dialect), restaurants, and street food vendors distributed throughout the market. The coffeeshops are generally small and quite traditional, serving Arabic coffee and usually offering shisha. The al-Hussein Mosque is also in Khan el-Khalili; Al-Azhar University and its mosque are not far away, Another famous place to hang out in Khan el Khalili is "Qahwet el Fishawy" this place is incredeble for everyone, they serve one of the best shisha in Egypt .
Naguib Mahfouz's novel Midaq Alley (1947) is set in an alley in Khan el-Khalili.
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#2 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Museum of Islamic Art
Cairo
~1.09 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Museum of Islamic Art
Although recognition of Pharonic art was signaled in Cairo by the establishment in 1858 of the Department of Antiquities and the Egyptian Museum, the appreciation of Arab and Islamic Art lagged behind. The Khedive Ismail approved a proposal to establish a Museum of Arab Art in the Courtyard of the Mosque of Baibars, but this was not carried out until 1880 when Khedive Tawfiq ordered the Ministry of Endowments (ar: ??????? - Awqaf) to set it up.
Julius Franz, an Austrian Scholar of Hungarian Descent, the Head of the Technical department at the Awqaf, proposed in 1881 that the ruined Mosque of the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim, adjacent to the Bab Al-Futuh, to be a provesional seat for the Museum. A Gallery was accordingly furnished there in the eastern arcade, consisting initially of 111 architectural pieces taken from other Monuments.
Matters improved the same year when Khedive Tawfiq approved the "Committee of Arab Antiquities", whose duties included running the Arab Museum, and providing it with objects as well as preserving the monuments. As a result, the arcades of the mosque were filled to overflowing. in 1884 a two story structure was built in the courtyard to house the collection of 900 objects, although its staff consisted of only one curator and a door keeper.
in 1887 Max Hertz, also Austro-Hungarian, replaced Julius Franz, and began making many changes, he suggested the name of the Museum back then as the gallery of Arab Antiquities (ar: ??? ?????? ??????? - Dar Al-Athar Al-Arabiya), by 1895 the collection numbered to 1,641, and the new building became too crowded, he requested the Awqaf to build a larger Museum, and so in 1899 the Foundations of the present larger Building in Bab Al-Khalq.
The new and current Building was designed by Alfonso Manescalo, and was completed in 1902 in neo-Mamluk style, with its upper story housing the National Library. The old Museum in al Hakim was demolished in the 1970s during refurbishment of the Mosque.
As of October 2009 the museum is closed for renovations and has been closed since the summer of 2006. It will not reopen until late 2009 at the earliest.
The Museum entirely faces Historic Cairo. It has two entrances; one on the north-eastern side and the other the south-eastern side. A beautiful garden with a fountain once led to the first entrance but was later removed. The entrance on Port Said Street features a very luxurious facade, rich with decorations and recesses inspired by Islamic architecture in Egypt from various periods. The Museum is a two-story building; the first floor comprises the exhibition halls and the second floor comprises the general stores. The basement contains a store connected with the Restoration Section.
The Museum is considered one of the greatest in the world with its exceptional collection of rare woodwork and plaster, as well as metal, ceramic, glass, crystal, and textile objects of all periods, from all over the Islamic world. It houses more than 102,000 objects. The Museum carries out archaeological excavations in the Fustat Area and has organized a number of National and International Exhibitions.
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#3 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Midan Hussein Mosque
Cairo
~1.17 miles from Cairo city center
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Attraction type: Town center/square/plaza/architecture/religious
Address: Cairo
Egypt
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#4 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Abdin Palace
Cairo
~1.17 miles from Cairo city center
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The Abdin Palace, once open to the public but now housing goverment offices, is a vast complex on the outskirts of the old city of Cairo.
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#5 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Coptic Museum
Cairo
~1.21 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Coptic Museum
The Coptic Museum is a museum in Coptic Cairo, Egypt with the largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world. It was founded by Marcus Simaika Pasha in 1910 to house Coptic antiquities.[1] The museum traces the history of Christianity in Egypt from its beginnings to the present day. It was erected on 8,000 square meters offered by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria under the guardianship of Pope Cyril V.
The Coptic museum houses the world's most important examples of Coptic art
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#6 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Al Azhar University
Cairo
~1.24 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Al Azhar University
The world's oldest university and Sunni Islam's foremost seat of learning.
http://www.azhar.edu.eg
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#7 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Egyptian Museum
Cairo
~1.32 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Egyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museums, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms. Coordinates: 30°2'52?N 31°14'0?E
The museum's Royal Mummy Room, containing 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times, was closed on the orders of President Anwar Sadat in 1981. It was reopened, with a slightly curtailed display of New Kingdom kings and queens in 1985. Today there are about 9 mummies displayed. One of them is the newly discovered mummy of Queen Hatshepsut.
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#8 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Tahrir Square
Cairo
~1.38 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Tahrir Square
Midan Tahrir (Ar. Liberation Square) is a major public square in central Cairo, Egypt. The square was originally called "Midan Ismailia", named after Khedive Ismail, but the name was changed to Midan Tahrir after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952.
Cairo Metro's Sadat Station serves Midan Tahrir, providing links to Maadi, Giza, and other parts of Cairo. The area around Midan Tahrir includes the Egyptian Museum, Arab League headquarters, the Mogamma Building, the American University in Cairo's downtown campus, and the Nile Hotel.
Midan Tahrir has been the site for numerous major protests and demonstrations, including in March 2003 when people came out to protest the War in Iraq
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#9 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
American University of Cairo
AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74 Cairo - 1.212.730.8800
~1.44 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to American University of Cairo
The American University in Cairo was founded in 1919 It was established by Americans devoted to education and community service in the Middle East.
http://www.aucegypt.edu
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#10 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Al Azhar Park
Cairo
~1.71 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Al Azhar Park
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#11 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Cairo Tower
Cairo
~1.82 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Cairo Tower
The Cairo Tower (Arabic: ??? ????????, burj al-qahira, colloquially burg al-qahira) is a free-standing concrete television tower in Cairo, Egypt. It stands in the Zamalek district on Gezira Island in the River Nile, close to the city centre. At 187 m (610 ft), it is 43 metres (140 ft) higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza, which stands some 15 km (9.3 mi) to the southwest. It is one of Cairo's most famous and well-known landmarks.
The Cairo Tower was built from 1956 to 1961, reportedly to convince a sceptical world the nation had the capability to construct the Aswan Dam.[citation needed] Designed by the Egyptian architect Naoum Chebib, the tower's partially open lattice-work design is intended to evoke a lotus plant. The tower is crowned by a circular observation deck and a rotating restaurant with a view over Cairo. One rotation takes approximately 70 minutes.
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#12 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
El Rifai Mosque
Cairo
~1.96 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to El Rifai Mosque
The El-Rifai Mosque is located on the east side of the spacious Midan Mohammed Ali next to Sultan Hassan Mosque in Salah El Din Square near the Citadel.
It is a modern construction built in two phases over the period between 1869 and 1912, when it was finally completed, on the model of the Sultan Hasan Mosque, to house the tomb of Khedive Ismail.
The ex Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi (1919-80), is buried here.
You may find the exact direction and watch my Google Earth Panoramio El-Rifai Mosque and El-Rifai Mosque outside
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#13 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Sultan Hussan Mosque
Cairo
~1.97 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Sultan Hussan Mosque
The Sultan Hassan Mosque is considered stylistically the most compact and unified of all Cairo monuments. It is one of the masterpieces of Mamluk architecture. The building was commissioned by Sultan Hassan bin Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun in 1356 AD as a mosque and religious school for all four juristic branches of Sunni Islam. It was designed so that each of the four schools of thought - Shafi, Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali - has its own area while sharing the mosque.[1].
Construction started in 1356 AD and ended 7 years later in 1363 AD. Building materials used were harvested from the casing stones of the Giza Necropolis. One of the minarets collapsed during construction killing 300 people. The state was able to fund the massive structure through the properties that were left behind by the victims of the Black Death. The Sultan was assassinated before the mosque was completed and his body was never recovered. The magnificent burial chamber that was intended for him holds his two sons instead.
The facade is 76 meters long and 36 meters high. The cornices, the entrance portal, the burial chamber, and the monumental staircase are particularly noteworthy. Verses from the Quran in elegant Kufic and Thuluth scripts adorn the inner walls.
The mosque is featured on the Egyptian one-hundred pound note.
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#14 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Cairo Opera House
Cairo
~1.99 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Cairo Opera House
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#15 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Ibn Tulun Mosque
Cairo
~2.16 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Ibn Tulun Mosque
The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Tulun (Arabic: ???? ???? ?? ??????) is located in Cairo, Egypt. It is arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form, and is the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of land area.
The mosque was commissioned by Ahmad ibn Tulun, the Abbassid governor of Egypt from 868–884 whose rule was characterized by de facto independence. The historian al-Maqrizi lists the mosque's construction start date as 876 AD[1], and the mosque's original inscription slab identifies the date of completion as 265 AH, or 879 AD.
The mosque was constructed on a small hill called Gebel Yashkur, "The Hill of Thanksgiving." One local legend says that it is here that Noah's Ark came to rest after the Deluge, instead of at Mount Ararat.[2]
The grand ceremonial mosque was intended as the focal point of Ibn Tulun's capital, al-Qatta'i, which served as the center of administration for the Tulunid dynasty. The mosque originally was backed by ibn Tulun's palace, and a door adjacent to the minbar allowed him direct entry to the mosque. Al-Qatta'i was razed in the early 10th century, AD, and the mosque is the only surviving structure. The mosque was constructed in the Samarran style common with Abbassid constructions. The mosque is constructed around a courtyard, with one covered hall on each of the four sides, the largest being on the side of the qibla, or direction to Mecca. The original mosque had its ablution fountain (sabil) in the area between the inner and outer walls. A distinctive sabil with a high domed roof was added in the central courtyard at the end of the thirteenth century by the Sultan Lajin.
Plan of the Mosque
There is significant controversy over the date of construction of the minaret, which features a helical outer staircase similar to that of the famous minaret in Samarra. Legend has it that ibn Tulun himself was accidentally responsible for the design of the structure: supposedly while sitting with his officials, he absentmindedly wound a piece of parchment around his finger. When someone asked him what he was doing, he responded, embarrassed, that he was designing his minaret. Many of the architectural features, however, point to a later construction, in particular the way in which the minaret does not connect well with the main mosque structure, something that would have been averted had the minaret and mosque been built at the same time. Architectural historian Doris Behrens-Abouseif asserts that Sultan Lajin, who restored the mosque in 1296, was responsible for the construction of the current minaret.[3]
The mosque has been restored several times. The first known restoration was in 1177 under orders of the Fatimid wazir Badr al-Jamali, who left a second inscription slab on the mosque, which is noted for containing the Shi'i version of the shahada, adding the phrase "And Ali is the wali of God" after acknowledging the oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad. Sultan Lajin's restoration of 1296 added several improvements. The mosque was most recently restored by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities in 2004.
During the medieval period, several houses were built up against the outside walls of the mosque. Most were demolished in 1928 by the Committee for the Conservation of Arab Monuments, however, two of the oldest and best-preserved homes were left intact. The "house of the Cretan woman" (Beit al-Kritliyya) and the Beit Amna bint Salim, were originally two separate structures, but a bridge at the third floor level was added at some point, combining them into a single structure. The house, accessible through the outer walls of the mosque, is open to the public as the Gayer-Anderson Museum, named after the British general R.G. 'John' Gayer-Anderson, who lived there until 1942.
Parts of the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me were filmed at the Mosque of Ibn Tulun and in the Gayer-Anderson Museum.
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#16 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Gayer Anderson Museum
Cairo
~2.17 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Gayer Anderson Museum
The Gayer-Anderson Museum is located in Cairo, Egypt, adjacent to the Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood. The museum takes its name from Major R.G. Gayer-Anderson Pasha, who resided in the house between 1935 and 1942 with special permission from the Egyptian Government. It is noted for being one of the best preserved examples of 17th century domestic architecture left in Cairo, and also for Gayer-Anderson's vast collection of furniture, carpets, curio, and other objects.
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#17 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Saladin Citadel
Cairo
~2.22 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Saladin Citadel
The Saladin Citadel of Cairo (Arabic: Qala'at Sala' ad-Din) is a fortification in Cairo, Egypt.
The location, part of the Muqattam hill near the center of Cairo, was once famous for its fresh breeze and grand views of the city, and was fortified by the Ayyubid ruler Salah al-Din (Saladin) between 1176 and 1183 AD, to protect it from the Crusaders.
Only a few years after defeating the Fatimid Caliphate, Saladin set out to build a wall that would surround both Cairo and Fustat. Saladin is recorded as saying, "With a wall I will make the two [cities of Cairo and Fustat] into a unique whole, so that one army may defend them both; and I believe it good to encircle them with a single wall from the bank of the Nile to the bank of the Nile." The Citadel would be the centerpiece of the wall. Built on a promontory beneath the Muqattam Hills, a setting that made it difficult to attack, the efficacy of the Citadel's location is further demonstrated by the fact that it remained the heart of Egyptian government until the nineteenth century. The citadel stopped being the seat of government when Egypt's ruler, Khedive Ismail, moved to his newly built Abdin Palace in the Ismailiya neighborhood in the 1860s.
While the Citadel was completed in 1183-1184, the wall Saladin had envisioned was still under construction in 1238, long after his death.
To supply water to the Citadel, Saladin built the Well of Joseph, which can still be seen today. This well is also known as the Well of the Spiral because its entrance consisted of 300 stairs that wound around the inside of the well. Once water was raised from the well to the surface, it traveled to the Citadel on a series of aqueducts. During the reign of al-Nasir Muhammad, the Well of Joseph failed to produce enough water for the numerous animals and humans then living in the Citadel. To increase the volume of water, Nasir built a well system that consisted of a number of water wheels on the Nile, the water from which was then transported to the wall and subsequently to the Citadel, via the aqueducts Saladin had constructed.
The improvements to the Citadel's water supply were not Nasir's only additions to the Citadel, which was subject to a number of different additions during the Mamluk period. Nasir's most notable contribution was the Mosque of Nasir. In 1318 Nasir rebuilt the Ayyubid structure, turning it into a mosque in his name. The structure underwent further additions in 1335. Other contributions to the Citadel during Nasir's reign include the structure's southern enclosure (the northern enclosure was completed by Saladin) and the residential area, which included space for the harem and the courtyard. Prior to Nasir's work on the Citadel, the Baybars constructed the Hall of Justice and the "House of Gold."
The Citadel is sometimes referred to as Mohamed Ali Citadel (Arabic: ???? ???? ???? Qala?at Mu?ammad ?Ali), because it contains the Mosque of Mohamed Ali (or Muhammad Ali Pasha), which was built between 1828 and 1848, perched on the summit of the citadel. This Ottoman mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali's oldest son, who died in 1816. However, it also represents Muhammad Ali's efforts to erase symbols of the Mamluk dynasty that he replaced. When Ottoman ruler Muhammad Ali Pasha took control from the Mamluks in 1805 he altered many of the additions to the Citadel that reflected Cairo's previous leaders. One obvious change that Muhammad Ali enacted pertained to the uses of the Citadel's northern and southern enclosures. During the Mamluk period the southern enclosure was the residential area, but Muhammad Ali claimed the northern enclosure as the royal residence when he took power. He then opened the southern enclosure to the public and effectively established his position as the new leader.
The mosque is the other feature of the Citadel that reflects the reign of Muhammad Ali. This feature, with its large dome and overtly Ottoman influenced architecture, looms over the Citadel to this day. Recently destroyed Mamluk palaces within the Citadel provided space for the formidable mosque, which was the largest structure to be established in the early 1800s. Placing the mosque where the Mamluks had once reigned was an obvious effort to erase the memory of the older rulers and establish the importance of the new leader. The mosque also replaced the mosque of al-Nasir as the official state mosque.
There are two other mosques at the Citadel, the 13th/14th c. hypostyle Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad from the early Bahri Mamluk period, and the 16th c. Mosque of Suleyman Pasha, first of the Citadel's Ottoman-style mosques.
The citadel also contains Al-Gawhara Palace, the National Military Museum and the Police Museum.
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#18 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Ain Shams University
Abbassia 11566 Cairo - (202) 6831231
~2.37 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Ain Shams University
Ain Shams University was established in 1950, it is the third oldest university in Egypt.
http://net.shams.edu.eg
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#19 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
City Centre Cairo
Imbabah
~2.78 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to City Centre Cairo
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#20 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Arab Contracter's Stadium
Cairo
~2.81 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Arab Contracter's Stadium
Mal'ab al-Muqawilyn al-'Arab) is a multi-use stadium in Cairo, Egypt. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the home stadium of Al-Mokawloon al-Arab, Itesalat, Ittihad El-Shorta.
http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/1428708
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#21 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Giza Zoo
Cairo
~3.25 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Giza Zoo
The Giza Zoo is Egypt's largest zoological garden. Located in the city of Cairo, it is one of the few 'green' areas in the city, and includes Cairo's largest park. The zoo has an area of almost 100 acres (0.40 km2), and harbours many endangered species as well as a selection of endemic fauna. There is a reptile house and taxidermist's building on site, and the park contains a suspension bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel. To permit the poorer citizens of Cairo to visit the city's only green park, the entrance fee is a very small amount and is not enough to cover the costs of running the zoo. The zoo's main goal is to entertain, rather than to educate - however many rare species have been successfully bred in the zoo - including the first Californian Sea Lion to be born in the Middle East in 2002.
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#22 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Cairo University
Cairo
~3.33 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Cairo University
The university was founded on December 21, 1908, established as a national center for educational thought.
Cairo University (Arabic: ????? ????????, previously Egyptian University and later Fuad University) is an institute of higher education located in Giza, Egypt. Cairo University includes a School of Law and a School of Medicine. The Medical School, also known as Kasr Alaini (??? ??????, Qasr-el-'Ayni), was one of the first medical schools in Africa and the Middle East. Its first building was donated by Alaini Pasha. It has since undergone extensive expansion.
http://www.cu.edu.eg/english
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#23 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Mosque of Amr ibn al As
Cairo
~3.58 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Mosque of Amr ibn al As
The Mosque of Amr ibn al-As (Arabic: ???? ???? ?? ??????), also called the Mosque of Amr, was originally built in AD 642, as the center of the newly-founded capital of Egypt, Fustat. The original structure was the first mosque ever built in Egypt, and by extension, the first mosque on the continent of Africa.
The location for the mosque was the site of the tent of the commander of the conquering army, general Amr ibn al-As. One corner of the mosque contains the tomb of his son, Abdullah. Due to extensive reconstruction over the centuries, nothing of the original building remains, but the rebuilt Mosque is a prominent landmark, and can be seen in what today is known as "Old Cairo". It is an active mosque with a devout congregation, and when prayers are not taking place, it is also open to visitors and tourists.
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#24 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Cairo International Stadium
Cairo
~3.78 miles from Cairo city center
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The National Cultural Centre is part of the Ministry of Culture and serves as an umbrella organization for all the music or dance companies, galleries, museums and the educational programs of the Cairo Opera House.
It was established in 1988 with the inauguration of the new Cairo Opera House. Its goal is to promote the arts of music and dance and to preserve and renew traditional Arab music. In order to be more than just a place where music and art are performed the National Cultural Centre wants to give space to learning and inspiration, to the exchange of ideas, the respect of a common cultural heritage, and a shared passion for the arts. It encourages interest for music and art in the younger generation by offering ballet, voice or instrumental classes for talented children or youths.
Performances of ballet, operatic or symphonic works are staged with Egyptian companies or in cooperation with foreign ensembles or soloists. Seminars and cultural conferences covering a wide range of artistic and intellectual issues are held regularly.
Opera House companies are frequently sent on tours to different Egyptian governorates to give the people in urban areas the chance to see national and international art performances.
In March 1985, President Mubarak laid the first corner stone of the new Cairo Opera House which was to be built with the support of JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Careful planning by the Ministry of Culture in Cairo and the JICA produced a design suggestive of traditional Islamic architecture and blending in harmoniously with the surrounding buildings.
In October 1988, President Mubarak and His Highness, Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, the younger brother of the Japanese Emperor, inaugurated the National Cultural Centre “Cairo Opera House” in a remarkable ceremony. It was the first time for Japan to stage a Kabuki show, a traditional popular drama with singing and dancing, in Africa or the Arab World.
Thus, the joint efforts of Japan and Egypt have given rise to a unique landmark of aesthetic and cultural interest.
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#25 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Monastery and Church of St. George
Cairo
~3.88 miles from Cairo city center
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The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church in Coptic Cairo. The church dates back to the 10th century (or earlier). The current structure was rebuilt following a 1904 fire.
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#26 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Babylon Fortress
Cairo
~3.92 miles from Cairo city center
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#27 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Hanging Church
Cairo
~3.96 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Hanging Church
Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church also known as the Hanging Church (El Muallaqa) is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and the history of a church on this site dates to the 3rd century A.D.
The Hanging (The Suspended) Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by 29 steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church." The land surface has risen by some 6 metres since the Roman period so that the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position. The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh century outer porch.
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#28 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Egyptian Presidential Palace
Cairo
~4.11 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Egyptian Presidential Palace
The Heliopolis Presidential Palace, Kasr al-Ittihadiya (Arabic: ??? ????? ??????????) is one of the various Egyptian presidential palaces and houses the executive office for President Mubarak, the 4th Egyptian president. It is located in the upscale Heliopolis, in Cairo.
At the time when Heliopolis itself was being built, the grandiose Palace Hotel was being built in the middle of the desert where the new suburb would rise in 1908-1910.
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#29 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
Great Sphinx of Giza
Giza
~8.91 miles from Cairo city center
Hotels Close to Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue of a reclining lion with a human head that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile, near modern-day Cairo, in Egypt. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 73.5 m (240 ft) long, 6 m (20 ft) wide, and 20 m (66 ft) high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians in the third millennium BCE
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#30 of 30 Things To Do in Cairo
The Great Pyramids at Giza
Giza
~9.18 miles from Cairo city center
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The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface; what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories about the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction hypotheses are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.
There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.
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