Cairo Tour
Phoranic Cairo
The great pyramid: The pyramid of (Cheops). (the great of ancient Egypt is structures and a pinnacle of architectural grandeur). Its fine proportions and the harmony of its lines allowed it to be taken the first place among the seven wonders of the world .Its present height is 173 meters over an area of 13 feddans with a square base each side of which is 226.5 meters long .This vast monument holds 2.300 limestone blocks each weighting between 2.5 and 15tons. One hundred thousand workers toiled on this structure for three months every year during the inundation for twenty years.
The second pyramid: the pyramid of (Chephren) limestone structure 135 meters high with each side 212 meters long. It has two entrances: The first 15 meters up ,and the second 12.5 meters below the first .the external cladding of the pyramid can be seen covering the apex of this particular one, while the rest has been eroded by time.
The third pyramid: the pyramid of (Mycerinus Menkaura) south west of the second pyramid. With an area less than half that of the great pyramid the length of its side is 108 meters at the base, and it is 61.5 meters high and clad in granite.
The Sphinx
King of the desert and the guardian of the kingdom of the immortal. It is a large piece of rock forming part of the pyramid plateau, the body carved in the form of a lion with the head of a man, to provide a symbol of power and wisdom. It is about 70 meters in length and 15 meters across, between it's front paws a granite Stella on which thutmoses IV of the 18th the dynasty had inscribed (dream of a hunting trip), which he relates that the sphinx appeared to him while asleep, asking him to remove the sand from around its body, and promised him the crown of Upper and lower Egypt. Tutmoses did what he was asked the sphinx fulfilled its promise, and tutmoses became king over the whole of Egypt. The sphinx was worshiped during the new kingdom as the god (hor-em-akhet) hours of horizon.
Egyptian Museum
The greatest collection of Egyptian antiquities is, without doubt, that of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It is a place of true discovery and, even after many visits, I continue to make new and delightful discoveries every time I venture into its many galleries.
However, the negative side is that the environmental and display conditions aren't perfectly well. There are labels on some exhibits date from early in the century and many items have no labels at all. Guidebooks are available at the museum, although they are limited to some of the major items.
To be sure, the museum can be daunting in the sheer numbers of its antiquities on show, but there is an order within its layout bandit is a dream come true for anyone wanting to study Egyptian antiquities.
Coptic Cairo
- AL-Kaneesah Al-Mu'allaqah Church (Hanging Church)
Dating to the late 4th and early 5th Century, this basilica was named "Al-Mu'allaqah" It was called the Hanging Church because it is built over the Roman fortress on top of which has been put palm trees wood and stones to be the ground of the church. The roof of the church was made of wood in the shape of Noah's Ark. The interior is beautifully decorated with pointed arches, cedar paneling and translucent ivory screens. It is considered the oldest church in the area of Al Fustat .
- The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus(Abu Serga)
The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (Abu Serga) is a 4th century church and today is considered to be the oldest of Cairo's Christian churches. It is dedicated to two early martyrs and traditionally believed to have been built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress. This crypt contains the remains of the original church where tradition says the Holy Family lived .Unfortunately, this area of the church has sometimes been inaccessible due to the presence of subterranean water. Originally this crypt, which is under the modern sanctuary, was itself the sanctuary of the church, but became the crypt after the larger church was built.
Islamic Cairo
- Mosque of Amr lbn Al-'Aas (Al-Fustat)
Originally the mosque was built as a place where the Arab troops could pray and was not very large. Throughout the centuries,however, the empires and dynasties that followed enlarged and modified the mosque significantly. The mosque's original area had been approximately 17x20 meters, today it measures 100x115 meters, it has a court-yard and minarets and is embellished with gold and silver. The result of these restorations is that today, only one wall of Amr Ibn Al Asmosque belongs to the original construction and thus it is not so representative of the earliest phase of Islamic architecture because of the changes that took place in the later years of Egypt's Islamic history.
- Al-Azhar Mosque
The first Fatimid mosque in Cairo, was founded in Midan Hussein by Gawhar al-Sikilli in 971 AD (361 H) as both a mosque and school( after (Fatma al-Zahraa), the daughter of the"Prophet Mohammed"(peace and blessing be upon him). It is considered to be the oldest Islamic University, the first lecture having been delivered in 975 AD.
It has become the most well-known mosque in the whole Muslim World, and the oldest university ever for both religious and secular studies.
Historians differ a how the mosque got its name. Some hold that it is called so because it was surrounded by flourishing mansions at the time when Cairo was founded. Others believe that it was by then considered as a good men of the high status which the mosque was going to attain asa result of the flourishing mentioned below studies being conducted in the mosque. A third group believe that it was named after "Fatimaal-Zahraa" the daughter of "Prophet Mohamed" (peace and blessing be upon him) to glorify her name. (This last explanation sounds the most likely as Fatimids themselves were called after her) badly formed.
Modern Cairo
Although Egypt has the most old and civilized cultural, but now Egypt has a modern face of civilization which can be seen along the Nile, source of life in Egypt.
Opera House
Location: El Dokky, Cairo, Egypt
The new 7 -story opera house at the Gezira Exhibition Grounds was inaugurated on October, 3, 1988. Designed by a team of Japanese and Egyptian architects, it is an architectural masterpiece of Islamic design.
Cairo Tower
The Cairo tower was built in 1961. It tands in the middle of Cairo, over looking the city from 185meters high.
When you are at the top of the tower you can have an impression of the enormous city of Cairo, the city of almost 20 million people. Either by day or night the views are stunning and it is very relaxing to eat and/or drink in the rotating restaurant and watch Cairo alive beneath you.
Downtown
There is a good chance that most tourist and businessmen visiting Cairo will end up in central Cairo which is located on the east bank of the Nile. Standing on the 6th of October bridge, one may see both the Ramses and Nile Hiltons, the Intercontinental (5) on the east side and the Cairo Sheraton and Cairo Marriott on the west, as well as many other smaller hotels. Today, parts of this area are bustling with tourists, students, and Egyptians both at work and leisure because here one finds clusters of eating establishments including western fast foods, clubs and bars (particularly in the hotels),movies, banks and all manner of shops, along with the press district about half way between the Egyptian Museum and Ramses Station.
Khan El Khalili
The best tourist market in Egypt. Variety of goods and products is available at Khan El Khalili. And the atmosphere of the market certainly has some life to it. Though there is more than a few tourists milling about. The narrow streets, medieval gates, Smokey cafes, and Mosque minarets towering above certainly gave this part of Cairo a more authentic feel. And by comparison to their Luxor counterparts, the sellers here are positively mannered. The roots of the largest Bazaar in the world started in 1382 by Garkas el Khaili. The Bazaar started life as a small Caravan trading place, and gradually grew to the immense market place it is today.
http://www.touregypt.net
Felucca Ride
No One can come to Cairo and miss that magnificent ride in the beautiful Nile. In the charming cool weather of Cairo by night.
Al-Azhar Park
A paradise in the heart of Cairo. You can enjoy the incredible scenery and views of the citadel and Old Cairo Mosques hearing to the voice of water going through the lake.
That park was at first a landfill site. But the government had made a renewal campaign to it giving that magnificent park.
For more information please visit: www.alazharpark.com
Sala El Din Citadel( Al Qaala)
The citadel was built in the ages after the Fatimeds by the Arabic knight “Salah El Din El Ayoobii”. He built this citadel to protect old Cairo—which was the main city at that time—from the invaders.
The Citadel is located in Old Cairo on a very high hill.
Culture Wheel (Saqeit El Sawy)
This place hosts a lot of cultural events as concerts, seminars, workshops and more.
It is located in Zamalek.
For More Information please visit: www.culturewheel.com
Dandy Mega Mall
A splendid new shopping mall with all services in it (Hyper market, Food Court, Cloths Shop…..etc).
The Mall is on Cairo-Alex Highway which is far from the conference site with 10 minutes.
