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Cairo, “Al Qahira", is Egypt's capital and usually the starting and ending point of all itineraries. The largest city in Africa, Cairo is home to 17 million people. Although today’s modern bazaars are but a pale reflection of former worldwide trade, the city remains a crossroads between Africa and Arabia, as well as a meeting ground for Europe and Asia, thereby playing a crucial role in East-West relations. Today the city throbs with ever increasing energy and has a booming western-style nightlife with a wide variety of restaurants and bars, as well as more traditional entertainment such as local coffeehouses and Arabic nightclubs with belly dancers.
Key attractions in Cairo
Pyramids & Sphinx
The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx are Egypt's most visited monuments, ranking among the world's greatest tourist attractions. The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the only surviving “Wonder of the Ancient World”. For centuries the great pyramids have intrigued and puzzled visitors, and even in the 20th century it is difficult to stand before them and not be overwhelmed.
For 4½ millennia, surviving the rise and fall of great dynasties, and outlasting Egypt's many conquerors, they have shared the desert plateau of Giza with other monuments: smaller attendant pyramids, some for royal wives; rows of mastabas, the tombs of 4th and 5th dynasty princes and nobles; and the imposing figure of the enigmatic sphinx
Also located at the pyramids is the impressive Solar Boat Museum beside the Great Pyramid of Cheops, considered to be the single most important archaeological find in Egypt since the Tomb of Tutenkhamun. Discovered in a pit by the Great Pyramid in 1954, the entire boat was carefully reconstructed and placed in the museum you see today.
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Memphis & Sakkara
The ancient city of Memphis and the necropolis of Sakkara are also not to be missed. At vast Sakkara, you will see the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the first freestanding stone structure in the world.
Your Egyptologist will guide you to some tombs belonging to the nobles of the past. They show the beauty and excellence of Ancient Egyptian art on their walls and give an insight into the daily life of Ancient Egypt. At the site of Memphis, you will see the ancient capital that once stood as a flourishing metropolis during the time of the Pharaohs. The place is thickly surrounded by lush palm groves and bushes, isolating the site of the old city from modern civilization.
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Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
Although located in the heart of Cairo, this turn-of-the century museum has a pleasantly calm atmosphere once inside its formal gardens. To enter the museum is to take a tour through over 7,000 years of Egyptian history, starting from the Archaic Pre Dynastic Period to the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms. The museum houses the world’s most important collection of Egyptian antiquities from 2700 BC to the 6th century AD. There are thousands of statues, jewels and artefacts from nearly every period of ancient Egypt.
Admire the amazing treasures of the young king, Tutenkhamun, including his famous mask made out of solid gold and in a perfect state of preservation. There are 12 rooms filled with treasures from King Tut’s tomb, which was discovered in 1922 virtually untouched.
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Islamic Cairo
The Citadel dominates Cairo from it’s high vantage point on the Mokattam Hills and was the heart of the city beginning in 1176 for more than 200 years. The Citadel was erected by Salah El Din, the legendary Saladin who conquered the Crusaders in Palestine. This fort was later occupied by Napoleon and the reigning Royal Family. The last great phase of the Citadel was accomplished by Sultan Mohammed Aly, as it was his permanent residence.
The fascinating Khan El-Khalili Bazaar is reputed to be the largest bazaar in the Middle East. Originally founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th century, the bazaar has now grown to vast proportions. As you wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets you will find workshops and stalls selling all manner of things from woodwork, glassware
and leather goods to perfumes, fabrics and Pharaonic curiosities.
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