Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt. With a population of over 9 million spread over 453 km2 Cairo is by far the largest city in the Arab World. Situated near the Nile Delta , Cairo was founded in 969 AD during the Fatmid Dynasty. The land composing the present day city is associated with ancient Egypt, as the famous Giza Pyramid complex and ancient city of Memphis are located in its geographical area.
City is located in northern part of Egypt, 165 kms sounth of Mediterranean Sea and 120 kms West of the Suez Canal along side the Nile River.
The Climate is a hot desert climate, Wind storms can be frequent, bringing Saharan dust into the city. In summer the temperature rarely surpass 40 C and lows drop to about 20 C. From March to May the air often becomes uncomfortably dry but most of the Summer months have high humidity due to its coastal location . Winter is short, rainfall is sparse and only happen in the colder months. Cairo’s population is predominantly Muslim. Arabic is the commonly spoken language.
Cairo holds one of the greatest concentrations of historical monuments of Islamic architecture in the world. The Citadel is located east of the city centre around Islamic Cairo, which dates back to the Fatimid era. The Fatimids built Cairo as a palatial city which contained their palaces and institutions of government. It was enclosed by a circuit of walls, parts of which survive today at Bab Zuwayla in the south and Bab al-Futuh and Bab al-Nasr in the north. One of the most important and lasting institutions founded in the Fatimid period was the Mosque and University of al-Azhar, founded in 970 AD. The Mamluks, and the later Ottomans, built caravanserais, the most famous example still intact today is the Wikala al-Ghuri, which nowadays also hosts regular performances by the Egyptian Heritage Dance Troupe. The famous Khan al-Khalili is a commercial hub which also integrated caravanserais. Established as a center of trade in the Mamluk era , the bazaar district has since become one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists.
Downtown Cairo has been the urban center of Cairo, since the late 19th century, when the district was designed and built by French architects. It is dominated by wide boulevards, open spaces, and modern architecture and was once home to the prosperous elite of late 19th and early 20th century Cairo.
Qasr El Nil Street is a street in downtown Cairo, is one of the biggest streets in Cairo, with many businesses, restaurants, and an active nightlife. Most popular nightlife activities, include Bellydance performances, and Nile dinner cruise.
The Cairo Tower is a free-standing tower with a revolving restaurant at the top.
The Qasr El Nil Bridge is a famous bridge that connects Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo to the modern Cairo Opera complex toward the southern end of Gezira Island.
The Egyptian Museum, is home to the most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world.
Cairo International Airport is the principal international airport of Cairo and the busiest airport in Egypt.
Ramses Railway Station also called Misr Station is the main railway station of Cairo.
Cairo has an extensive road network, rail system, subway system and maritime services.
In Cairo there's a coffee shop on every corner. Koshary is a uniquely Egyptian street food that is made of a mixture of rice, macaroni or spaghetti, lentils and chickpeas, covered with a spicy tomato sauce.
Egyptian flat bread is called aysh baladi or shami based on whole wheat flour or just flour. Beaf is the most common meat. Fuul is an Egyptian kind of falafel with fava beans, it can be found at nearly every street vendor in Cairo.
Football is the most popular sport in Egypt. Naser Stadium, is the second largest stadium in Egypt.
Cairo in 3 minutes | Capital of Egypt | Cairo City
by Zaheeruddin Babar
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