Places to visit in Cairo

We spoke before about places to go in winter in Egypt outside Cairo,This time we will tell you about places inside Cairo.

Follow the following lines and you will enjoy your trip inside Cairo.

1.    Pyramids of Giza
 

Right on the edge of the city, on the Giza Plateau, these fourth  funerary temples have been wowing travelers for centuries and continue to be one of the country's major highlights.

The Pyramid of Cheops (also called the Great Pyramid or Pyramid of Khufu) is the largest pyramid of the Giza group, and its interior of narrow passages can be explored

Directly behind the Great Pyramid is the Solar Boat Museum, which displays one of the ceremonial solar barques unearthed in the area that has been painstakingly restored to its original glory.

Farther south on the plateau is the Pyramid of Chephren (also known as the Pyramid of Khefre), with an internal tunnel area, which can be entered, and the smaller Pyramid of Mycerinus (Pyramid of Menkaure).

Guarding these mortuary temples is the lion-bodied and pharaoh-faced Sphinx; one of the ancient world's iconic monuments

2.   The Egyptian to be:

Is one of the world's great museums. You would need a lifetime to  see everything on show.The museum was founded in 1857 by French Egyptologist August Mariette.

The Egyptian Museum sits right beside Midan Tahrir, the central square of Downtown Cairo.

If you're pressed for time, make a beeline straight for the Tutankhamun Galleries.The treasures displayed here were all found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, son-in-law and successor of Amenophis .

Highlights include Tutankhamun's death mask and sarcophagi (Room 3), the pharaoh's lion throne (Room 35), and his fascinating wardrobe collection (Room 9).

Afterwards, don't miss a wander through the Egyptian jewelry collection (Room 4), which contains more bling than you'll ever see again in one lifetime.

          3.Al-Azhar Mosque:

Al-Azhar Mosque is the finest building of Cairo's Fatimid era and one of the city's earliest surviving mosques, completed in AD 972.

It's also one of the world's oldest universities - Caliph El-Aziz bestowed it with the status of university in AD 988 (the other university vying for "oldest" status is in Fes) and today, Al-Azhar University is still the leading theological center of the Islamic world.

The main entrance is the Gate of the Barbers on the northwest side of the building,

Leave your shoes at the entrance and walk into the central courtyard, from there you get the best views of the mosque's five minarets, which cap the building.

Across the courtyard is the main prayer hall, spanning a vast 3,000 square meters.

Al-Azhar Mosque is right in the heart of the Islamic Cairo district and easy to reach.

Al-Azhar Street runs east from Midan Ataba in the downtown area right to the square where the mosque sits.

Address: Al-Azhar Street, Islamic Cairo District.

           4.Coptic Cairo:

The Coptic Museum  contains a wealth of information on Egypt's early Christian period and is home to one of Egypt's finest collections of Coptic art.

Next door, the 9th-century Hanging Church contains some beautiful examples of Coptic architecture. Founded in the 4th century, the church was originally built over the Roman gate towers  and was substantially rebuilt during the 9th century.

Just outside the quarter, you can also visit the Mosque of Amr Ibn al-As; the first mosque built in Egypt.

Coptic Cairo is easiest reached by taking the Cairo Metro to Mar Girgis station.

Location:  Mar Girgis, south of Downtown

                 5. Coptic & Dahshur:

The Step Pyramid is Saqqara's most popular tourist attraction, but the entire area is littered with gorgeously painted tombs, which are well worth spending a few hours exploring.

Just down the road is Dahshur's Red Pyramid and Bent Pyramid, which shouldn't be missed. Expect even the shortest itinerary here to take at least half a day.

                  6 . The Royal Mummies at NMEC:

Unlike many of Cairo's other major museums, which all concentrate their exhibits on one specific era, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilizations (NMEC) is dedicated to telling the entire story of Egypt's human history under one roof.

The museum partially opened in 2017 and has been slowly building up its exhibits. Its star attraction arrived in April 2020, when the Royal Mummies Collection found its new permanent home here.

Although the museum's full collection is in no way yet complete, this is where you now come to view Egypt's most famous Pharaonic mummies.

Ramses II and III, Hatshepsut, Amenhotep I, and Seti I and II are among the hugely familiar names of 22 mummies that are displayed in a specially designed Royal Mummies Gallery.

Address: Al Fustat Street, Cairo

               7. Khan El khalili:

Khan el-Khalili is one of the world's great shopping eexperiences ,The main streets have long ago given themselves over completely to the tourist trade (with plenty of cheap papyrus pictures and plastic pyramids on display), but divert off the main drag into the surrounding alleyways, and the tiny stores and cluttered workshops are some of the best places to visit to pick up traditional products in Egypt.

Here, you'll find everything from antiques and gorgeous metal lampshades to locally woven textiles

While here, stop in at Cairo's most famous coffee shop, Fishawis,  For shoppers, the main souq road is Al-Muski Street.

The gold and silver workshops mostly congregate just north of this street's intersection with Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah Street, while the spice market section is just to the south.

Location: Off Al-Azhar Street, Islamic Cairo District

                     8. The citadel:

In a commanding location at the foot of the Mokattam Hills, Cairo's citadel was built by Saladin in 1176.

The original structure he laid out has long disappeared except for the eastern outer walls, but a legacy of rulers has made their own additions here.

The Mosque of Muhammad Ali is the most famous monument and the main reason for visiting. Nicknamed the "Alabaster Mosque," its white stone and tall, disproportionately slender minarets are one of Cairo's great landmarks.

The other big reason to come up here are the views across the city; head to the Gawhara Terrace for the best panorama in town.

Location: Off Midan Salah-ad-Din, Islamic Cairo District

                   9 . The Museum of Islamic Art:

Cairo's Museum of Islamic Art holds one of the most important collections of Middle Eastern artistry in the world, Ottoman tile work, Ayyubid ceramics, frescoes, delicately patterned wood-inlay, coinage, carved marble tombstones, and jewel-toned carpets.

Address: Midan Bab Al Khalq, Islamic Cairo District   

                 10. Al-Azhar Park:

It was opened in 2005 and provides a much needed respite to the overcrowded chaos of Cairo's street hustle.

Inside, the gloriously manicured gardens are a lovely place for an evening stroll, especially as the views over the entire old city are gorgeous from here at sunset.

Address: Salah Salem Street

                  11. the Nile Island District of Zamalek :

 

The Nile island of Gezira is home to the district of Zamalek and the majority of Cairo's arty boutiques and hipster restaurants.

Zamalek is Cairo's top dining destination, but there are also a clutch of art galleries to explore.

The Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, in the Gezira Fair Grounds, has a fine collection of 20th-century Egyptian art, including works by Mahmoud Said and Mahmoud Mukhtar.

Nearby, opposite Cairo Opera House. Also the Cairo tower which is 187 meters high,you can enjoy the sunset over there with the fantastic view of the nile and Cairo.

                       12 . Cairo's Remaining Nilometer

Roda Island - just south of Gezira Island - is home to Monastirli Palace, once the residence of an Ottoman pasha.

Inside the palace gardens, right at the island's southern tip, is Cairo's Nilometer, which was used to measure the ebb and flow of the Nile and predict the annual flood heights.

Also in the palace grounds is the small Umm Khalthum Museum, which celebrates the life of Egypt's famed diva, Inside, the museum holds a collection of the singer's possessions, including her fabulously sequined stage costumes, and there's an interesting black and white documentary on her life (with English subtitles).

                 13 . Al-Fayoum :

The Al-Fayoum depression, 112 kilometers south of Cairo, is a wonderful day out from the city, with plenty of gobsmacking natural beauty and a handful of excellent historic sites .

Lake Qarun and Wadi Rayyan are the main attractions for wilderness lovers, with plentiful birdlife on display, including flamingos.

The sight not to miss while in Fayoum, though, is the UNESCO-listed desert valley of Wadi Al-Hittan, where you can view the 40 million year old basilosaurus and dorodontus (pre-historic whales) skeletons that were unearthed here.

 There are many historical fantastic places in Cairo, we show you some of it as a guide with places you shouldn’miss.

Kayan Car Rent tell you that the most interesting side that you can go all the above places by a car no need for a train or something else, it will be useful for you to rent a suitable car from trusted rental company even with a driver or without.