Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة, also called Al-Qāhirah) is the capital and largest city in Egypt. Its name means "the one who won" or "the Conqueror". Cairo is a huge city with about 7.9 million people living in it. If you include the surrounding urban area, the population grows to about 17.2 million.
Map of Egypt
Cairo boasts a population of 16 million and covers an area of 214 square kilometers (82.6 square miles). Steeped in a 5,000-year history that encompasses Egyptian Pharaohs, ancient wonders, Roman Emperors, and bloody conquests, Cairo, Egypt, sits on the Nile River about a hundred miles south of the Mediterranean Sea.
Exploring the Timeless Beauty of Historic Cairo
Historical Overview
The area that would become Cairo was part of ancient Egypt, as the Giza pyramid complex and the ancient cities of Memphis and Heliopolis are near-by. Located near the Nile Delta, the predecessor settlement was Fustat following the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641 next to an existing ancient Roman fortress, Babylon. Subsequently, Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in 969. Cairo has since become a longstanding centre of political and cultural life, and is titled "the city of a thousand minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture.
Cairo Collage
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Early Settlements
However, the origins of modern Cairo are generally traced back to a series of settlements in the first millennium AD. Around the turn of the fourth century, as Memphis was continuing to decline in importance, the Romans established a large fortress along the east bank of the Nile. The fortress, called Babylon, was built by the Roman emperor Diocletian (r. 285-305) at the entrance of a canal connecting the Nile to the Red Sea that was created earlier by Emperor Trajan (r. 98-117). Further north of the fortress, near the present-day district of al-Azbakiya, was a port and fortified outpost known as Tendunyas (Coptic: ϯⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲁⲥ) or Umm Dunayn. While no structures older than the 7th century have been preserved in the area aside from the Roman fortifications, historical evidence suggests that a sizeable city existed.
Islamic Cairo
The Muslim conquest of Byzantine Egypt was led by Amr ibn al-As from 639 to 642. Babylon Fortress was besieged in September 640 and fell in April 641. In 641 or early 642, after the surrender of Alexandria, the Egyptian capital at the time, he founded a new settlement next to Babylon Fortress. The city, known as Fustat (Arabic: الفسطاط, romanised: al-Fusṭāṭ, lit. 'the tent'), served as a garrison town and as the new administrative capital of Egypt.
In 969, the Fatimid Caliphate conquered Egypt after ruling from Ifriqiya. The Fatimid Caliph al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah instructed his courtier and general Jawhar al-Saqili to establish a new fortified city northeast of Fustat and of former al-Qata'i. It took four years to build the city, initially known as al-Manṣūriyyah, which was to serve as the new capital of the caliphate. When Caliph al-Mu'izz arrived from the old Fatimid capital of Mahdia in Tunisia in 973, he gave the city its present name, Qāhirat al-Mu'izz ("The Vanquisher of al-Mu'izz"), from which the name "Cairo" (al-Qāhira) originates.
The city formally named Cairo was founded in 959 AD by the Fatimid army. They built it as a separate city with palaces and government buildings. It was surrounded by walls, and parts of these walls still exist today. One of the most important places from the Fatimid period is the Mosque of al-Azhar, founded in 970 AD. It is one of the oldest universities in the world. Today, Al-Azhar University is a leading center for Islamic learning.
Many beautiful buildings in medieval Cairo are from the Mamluk period (1250 to 1517 AD). The Mamluk rulers built many religious and educational centers. These often included a mosque, a school (madrasa), and a tomb for themselves. The Mamluks also built wikalas or caravanserais. These were like hotels for merchants and their goods. The Wikala of Al-Ghuri is still standing today and hosts performances.
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Cairo Citadel
Cairo Citadel
The Cairo Citadel is a strong fortress started by Saladin in 1176 AD. It was built on a hill to protect Cairo. Today, the Citadel is a popular place for tourists. It has the National Military Museum. You can also see the 14th-century Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque and the 19th-century Mosque of Muhammad Ali.
Khan el-Khalili
Khan el-Khalili is a very old bazaar (marketplace) next to the Al-Hussein Mosque. It started in 1385 when a large caravanserai (a hotel for traders) was built there. Many old parts of the market, like the beautiful Mamluk-style gateways, are still there.
Modern Era
Until his death in 1848, Muhammad Ali Pasha instituted a number of social and economic reforms that earned him the title of founder of modern Egypt. The British departed Cairo following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, but the city's rapid growth showed no signs of abating. Seeking to accommodate the increasing population, President Gamal Abdel Nasser redeveloped Tahrir Square and the Nile Corniche, and improved the city's network of bridges and highways.
Key Attractions and Landmarks
The Egyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, also known as the Egyptian Museum, holds the largest collection of ancient Egyptian items in the world. It has 136,000 items on display. Many more are kept in its storage rooms. Much of the Egyptian Museum's collection, including the Tutankhamun items, will move to the new Grand Egyptian Museum. This new museum is being built in Giza.
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Cairo Tower
The Cairo Tower is a tall tower with a restaurant at the top that slowly spins. From there, you can see amazing views of Cairo. The tower is 187 meters (614 feet) tall. This makes it 44 meters (144 feet) taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Old Cairo
This part of Cairo is called "Old Cairo" because it has remains of the ancient Roman fortress of Babylon. Old Cairo includes Coptic Cairo, which has many old Christian churches. Examples are the Hanging Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. Most of these are inside the old Roman fortress. This area also has the Coptic Museum, which shows the history of Coptic art. North of this Christian area is the Amr ibn al-'As Mosque. It was the first mosque in Egypt, built in 642 AD.
Islamic Cairo
Cairo has many historic buildings from the Islamic era. These areas are often called "Islamic Cairo". The first mosque in Egypt was the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is the oldest mosque that still looks like it did when it was built. It was built in 876-879 AD. It is one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in Cairo. Another old building is the Nilometer on Roda Island, built in 862 AD.
Islamic Cairo
Transportation
Cairo has many ways to get around, like roads, trains, and a subway system. You can travel by car, taxi, public bus, or small vans called microbuses. The Cairo Transportation Authority (CTA) runs Cairo's public transport. The Cairo Metro is a fast way to travel around the city. The metro can get very crowded, especially during busy times. Two train cars are usually just for women. Long ago, Cairo also had trams and trolleybuses. But these were stopped in the 1970s. In 2017, plans were made to build two monorail systems. Two major roads that cross Africa start in Cairo. These are the Cairo-Cape Town Highway and the Cairo-Dakar Highway. A new Ring Road goes around the city. It has exits to reach different parts of Cairo. There are also many bridges, like the 6th October Bridge. Cairo traffic can be very busy and crowded. Drivers are often aggressive, but they usually take turns at intersections.
Climate
Cairo has a hot desert climate. This means it is hot, sunny, and dry for most of the year.
Culture and Lifestyle
Many people in Cairo cook at home using fresh food from local markets. The city also has many restaurants. The fanciest restaurants are often in Zamalek and near the luxury hotels along the Nile River.
Tahrir Square
Tahrir Square was created in the mid-1800s. After the Egyptian Revolution of 1919, people started calling it Tahrir (Liberation) Square. Many important buildings are around the square. These include the American University in Cairo, the Mogamma government building, and the Egyptian Museum. Tahrir Square has been a key spot for major protests. In 2020, a new monument was put in the center of the square.
Demographics
Between 1947 and 2006, the population of Greater Cairo went from 2,986,280 to 16,292,269. The population explosion also drove the rise of "informal" housing ('ashwa'iyyat), meaning housing that was built without any official planning or control.
Urban Challenges
Today the city faces a challenge unlike any other in its distinguished history. The only arable regions in Egypt are the green floodplains that line the Nile River. This region, however, is also where most new urban development and population expansion is occurring. Researchers in and outside of Egypt fear if this trend continues the country will no longer be able to sustain itself agriculturally.
Cairo Facts Table
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Population (Cairo Governorate, 2017) | 9,539,673 |
| Urban Agglomeration Population (2017) | 19,295,000 |
| Area (Cairo Governorate) | 83 square miles (214 square km) |
| Cairo Tower Height | 187 meters (614 feet) |
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