Modern Cairo is a dazzling varied metropolis humming with activity all year round. A City of contrasts, it is a place where a thousand minarets adorn the skyline alongside a sea of skyscrapers.
Each of the Pagan, Christian and Muslim civilizations which Cairo has hosted has left its imprint in the form of customs, celebrations, monuments and artifacts. Monuments such as the Pyramids, Sphinx lively bazaars, famous Islamic Mosques and ancient Coptic Churches open a window to a glorious past.

A center of cultural, social, intellectual, economic and political activity, Cairo also holds a diversity of world famous hotel chains, glittering nightclubs, casinos and discos. Cairo is known as "the city that never sleeps", being the cultural and commercial center of the Arab world and the largest city in Africa and the Middle East.

In short, Cairo is Egypt's capital, where East meets West, combining the exoticism of one and the sophistication of the other.

The Pyramids & Sphinx Of Giza

The Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus were reckoned by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A single pyramid is built with 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and a half tones. In the face of such immensity, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is more interesting, because its interior burial chambers are open for inspection by the public.

Not far from the pyramids is the Great Sphinx of Giza, which dates from the time of Chephren (2620 B.C). Hewn from natural yellowish limestone and standing 65 feet-high and 187 feet-long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body.



Memphis : Served as the capital of Upper and Lower Egypt some 5,000 years ago during the First Dynasty. Menes, the first pharaoh of this dynasty, built a great white-walled palace and the Temple of Ptah.

Sakkara : One of the most exciting historical and archeological areas in Egypt is Sakkara, situated about 12 miles southwest of Cairo. The site is dominated by the famous step pyramid of King Zoser. It was the first pyramid built in ancient Egypt, preceding those at Giza by many centuries, and is the work of the famous Pharaonic architect, Imhotep.

Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids
Every evening guests enjoy a fabulous 45-minute show at the feet of the Pyramids of Giza. English speaking shows are on everyday except Sunday. French speaking shows are on everyday except Thursday and Saturday. German speaking shows are only shown on Sunday and Wednesday. Italian speaking shows are on Tuesday and Saturday. Spanish speaking shows are on Monday and Saturday. Arabic and Japanese speaking shows are on Thursday. The Russian speaking show is only shown on Saturday.


The Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum is the most important depository of Egyptian antiquities anywhere in the world. It features artifacts from the Pharaonic and Greco-Roman periods, including the celebrated mummies of ancient Egypt's kings as well as Tutankhamon's treasures.




The Citadel & Khan El-Khalili
Situated on the spur of Muqattam Hills, the Citadel dominates Cairo's skyline, and was the dense center of the city and Egypt for almost 700 years. Its construction was initiated in 1776 by Saladin and completed by Mohammed Ali. Mameluke sultans and Turkish governors later made it their residence, building palaces and mosques within the Citadel walls.


Facing the Citadel is the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, built between 1356 and 1363, perhaps being the most majestic monument of Arab architecture in Egypt. The tour also includes a visit to Khan El-Khalili, a famous Cairo bazaar dating back to the late 14th century.

Old Cairo

The Coptic Museum, and Ben Ezra Synagogue
Coptic Museum : The famous Coptic museum is built on the site of the Roman fortress of Babylon, constructed about 30 B.C under Augustus and rebuilt in the time of Trajan. Inside the fortress are several Coptic churches and a remarkable collection of the most well preserved Coptic art in the world.
Ben Ezra Synagogue : The Ben Ezra Synagogue stands in a pleasant shady garden in the center of Cairo. Its long existence is attested to by the accounts of many travelers who visited it over the centuries, including Benjamin of Tudela in the 13th century, who records that he saw the Torah of Ezra-the Scribe there. The first Jewish synagogue was destroyed when the Romans occupied Egypt and was later rebuilt by Abraham Ben Ezra, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem. It contains a number of artifacts, including a Torah on gazelle skin dating back from the 5th century B.C, a drawing of a seven-branched candelabra on deerskin, and the manuscript known as the "Atlas of Moses".

The Manial Palace & The Nilometre
Manial Palace : A residence of the crown Prince Mohammed Ali of the royal family, it contains a collection of Ottoman period exhibits and artifacts of the former royal family.
Nilometre : Dates from 861 A.D., a stone-lined pit that descends well below the level of the Nile. In the center of the pit is a column with 16 cubit markings (a cubit is equal to about 21 inches). When the Nile water rose during flood times, the early Egyptians could foretell the level of the Nile that year by observing the water's highest point on the column.

The Islamic Museum, El-Seheimy House & Ibn Tulun Mosque
Islamic Museum : Is a noted depository of Islamic art form in Egypt, Turkey and Persia dating from the 7th to 19th centuries. It was founded in El-Hakim Mosque in 1880 and was moved to its present location in 1903.
El-Seheimy House : Is a charming example of a typical Cairo home during the 16th and 17th centuries. Formerly a merchant's house, it includes a pleasant interior courtyard with trees, flowers, a well and a flourmill.

Ibn Tulun Mosque : Completed in 879A.D, Ibn Tulun Mosque covers 8.5 acres of land and is designed in the classical courtyard style. It is well known for its pointed arches, beautifully carved stucco, and Koranic inscriptions in sycamore wood.



The Gates, the Anderson Museum
The Gates : Its surrounding is what we call now the Old Cairo. The Fatimid walls were built by Badr El-Gamali between 1087 and 1092. Their famous East and West gates, Bab El-Nasr (Gate of Victory) on the East, and Bab El-Fotouh (Gate of Conquests) on the West, are of special interest. The mechanism used to open and close Bab El Nasr was used 100 years earlier in Egypt than it was in Europe. Inscribed on the walls are the names of French officers who came to Egypt with Napoleon Boanaparte's expedition.
The Anderson : This museum is actually a combination of two different styles. The 18th century houses were joined together and finished by Major Gayer-Anderson, an Englishman. It is one of the best preserved and furnished houses of historic Cairo and gives a good idea of the degree of comfort and luxury enjoyed by wealthy Cairenes 200 years ago. Of particular interest is the large reception room and balcony, which is enclosed with a wooden Mashrabiyah screen that allowed the ladies of the harem to look down on male visitors and festivities.
City of the Dead : The City of the Dead is Cairo's sprawling northern cemetery where the Mamelouk sultans built their fine tombs, surrounding them with thousands of mausoleums and burial plots. Little houses were built as places of visitation, enclosing or adjoining family plots.

Noteworthy Churches Of Cairo

Church Of Abu Serga : The basilical Church of Abu Serga was constructed above the cave in which the Holy Family took refuge.

Al-Mo'alaqa Church : Built in the fifth century over the Southern gate of fort Babylon, the basilical style church of Al-Mo'alaqa is rich in antiquities from the early Christian era.

Church of The Virgin : This eighth century church contains a number of valuable icons.

Church Of St. Barbara : Completed in the fifth century and rebuilt in the 10th century, the Church of St. Barbara is still surrounded by its original wooden portal.

Church Of Mary Guirguis : The basilical style church was built over the ruins of an older church and includes a rare hall that dates back to the 13th century.

St. Mark's Cathedral : Recently built in the Abbasia area, St. Mark's Cathedral is the largest church in Africa. The remains of St. Mark, the first apostle to spread Christianity in Egypt, have been transferred to the cathedral.