About Cairo

Cairo is a City of Contrast

Cairo is the sleepless city, the metropolitan, the contrast, the richness, the poverty, the well-organized, and the chaos. Cairo is the world’s 3rd largest capital with approximately 28 million inhabitants. But still bears the city a feel and a scent of 1001 night fairy tale with a unique combination of 5,000 years of history. Blended with the exotic East and the civilized western new fashion, Islamic minarets and Coptic Church towers. Dimensions are unimaginable – from the Great Pyramids to the city’s scope. Cairo, the victorious city, Egypt’s glorious capital, cradle of culture and religion guardian.

It is the largest city in the Middle East and all of Africa, it is also the hub of the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe with its great trade business since the ancient days. The greater Cairo extends to the Nile River banks in Delta’s southern part. Here, the Nile into two outlets: Rosetta and Damietta. This is the city where past and present meet. In the eastern part, there is visible evidence of the still thriving 2,000 year old Islamic, Christian and Jewish culture.

The Giza Pyramids

The 4500 year old pyramids of Giza, are the biggest and one of the most visited cultural heritage attractions in the whole world. The mystery of the Pyramids has, to this day, puzzled generation after generation of archaeologists and researchers. Although Egypt has more than 90 Pyramids, four or five of them are the most visited. This can give us indications of how those Pyramids look like in comparison to those of Giza, Dahshur Bent Pyramids, and world’s first stone constructed Sakkara step Pyramid. The three Giza Pyramids are the most well known and visited as we mentioned. The Pyramids were built from 2,860 BC until the 2,450 BC. Cheops Pyramid is the greatest and highest of the three.

It took almost 23 years to build the 146 meters high and 230 meters x 250 square meters. Cheops Pyramid has 2.3 million blocks of stone that weigh between two to nine tons. Kefren’s pyramid was opened in 1818 and Pharaoh Kefren’s large granite sarcophagus is still in the burial chamber inside the Pyramid.

Mykerino’s Pyramids is the smallest of the three Giza pyramids; it is only 66 meters high and was built about 2480 B.C. By the front of Kefren’s pyramid burial temple is the Sphinx with its 70 meter long and 20 meter high lion body and human head.

These three pyramids are surrounded by several smaller pyramids belonging to royal families and high officials from the ancient times. At the Cheops pyramid, was a Sun boat found in good condition in 1954, and is today, a museum in front of the Cheops Pyramid. This boat is made of cedar wood. Maybe the Pharaoh would use this on a journey with the Sun God Ra. There are thousands of theories.

Sound and light shows at the pyramids every night is an experience rarely forgotten. There are many others given in different languages and cultures.

Citadel Fortress and Mohamed Ali Mosque

Cairo’s second most powerful landmark for the pyramids and the great fortress citadel. Salah el Din built the citadel in 1100. Inside this area, Mohamed Aly built the beautiful alabaster mosque which was completed in 1856. It is one of the most beautiful mosques in Cairo, also called the city of the thousand minarets. From the top of the Citadel, you can look out over the city. Mohamed Aly ruled the country in the 1800s and built, among other things, railways, schools, and water systems. The Citadel campus also has four other ancient mosques and the great military museum, showing war with Israel from 1967 to 1972

Khan El Khallili Bazaar

Khan El Khallili Bazaar is one of the Middle East’s most famous and largest bazaar (souk). This was built by Prince Al Garka Khallili in 1382, and looks the same today as it did then. The bazaar is surrounded by magnificent mosques, many cafes and festivities taking place 24 hours a day. Cairo is a city that never sleeps, it is said. Near the bazaar is Al Azhar mosque and university built in the 900 ‘s AD and is the oldest university in the world

Old Cairo

In the district of “Old Cairo”, we find Egypt’s oldest churches dating back to the 5th century A.D. Abu Sarga is the oldest church in Egypt and was constructed over the crypt the Holy Family stayed for three weeks during their escape in Egypt.

According to a biblical narration by evangelist Matthew (Chapter 2), Virgin Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus fled from Palestine to Egypt out of fear from the persecution of the Jewish King Herod the Great. The Holy Family traveled as far as Assiut (“Deir el Muharraq”) and on their way back home spent some weeks in Old Cairo.

Abu Sarga is dedicated to the two Saints Sergius and Bacchus who served as soldiers in the Roman Army. They were faithful followers of the Lord Jesus and refused to worship the Roman gods. For their Christian belief, Sergius and Bacchus eventually suffered martyrdom in Syria in 296 during the reign of the Roman Emperor Maximinus. Their relics are partly kept in Abu Sarga and others are buried in Syria. Abu Sarga is based on a basilica structure once kept Egypt’s oldest altar which was transferred to the Coptic Museum.

Al Moallaqa Church

Al Moallaqa Church is also referred to as the Suspended Church or the Hanging Church. It is called the Hanging Church because it was built on the southern gate of the Roman Fortress. Logs of palm trees and layers of stones were constructed above the ruins of the Roman fortress to be used as a fundament. The Hanging Church is a unique church and has a wooden roof in the shape of Noah’s ark. From the 7th century to the 13th century, the Hanging Church served as the residence of the Coptic Patriarch. Al-Moallaqa has witnessed important elections and religious ceremonies.