القاهرة

القاهرة

EG
Population9,120,350
Cairo ( KY-roh; Arabic: القاهرة, romanized: al-Qāhirah, Egyptian Arabic: [el‿ˈqɑːheɾɑ] ) is the capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world, and the Middle East. The Greater Cairo metropolitan area is one of the largest in the world by population with over 22.1 million people. 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. It later superseded Fustat as the main urban centre during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods (12th–16th centuries). 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's historic center was awarded World Heritage Site status in 1979. Cairo is considered a World City with a "Beta +" classification according to GaWC. Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industry in the Arab world, as well as Egypt's oldest institution of higher learning, Al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city; the Arab League has had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence. Cairo, like many other megacities, suffers from high levels of pollution and traffic. The Cairo Metro, opened in 1987, is the oldest metro system in Africa, and ranks amongst the fifteen busiest in the world, with over 1 billion annual passenger rides. The economy of Cairo was ranked first in the Middle East in 2005, and 43rd globally on Foreign Policy's 2010 Global Cities Index.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in القاهرة

قصر الأمير بشتاك

قصر الأمير بشتاك

The Beshtak Palace or Qasr Bashtak ("Palace of Bashtak") is a historic palace and museum in Cairo, Egypt, built in …

كنيسة القديس جورج

كنيسة القديس جورج

The Church of St. George (Greek: Εκκλησία Αγίου Γεωργίου; Arabic: كنيسة القديس جورج) is a Greek Orthodox church within the …

الكنيسة المعلقة

الكنيسة المعلقة

Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic: ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉⲑⲉⲟⲇⲟⲕⲟⲥ ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ ϧⲉⲛ ⲃⲁⲃⲩⲗⲟⲛ ⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ Church of Mother of God Saint …

المتحف القومي للحضارة المصرية

المتحف القومي للحضارة المصرية

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) is a large museum located in Old Cairo, a district of Cairo, Egypt. …

المتحف القبطى

المتحف القبطى

The Coptic Museum is a museum in Coptic Cairo, Egypt with the largest collection of Coptic Christian artifacts in the …

متحف محمود خليل

متحف محمود خليل

The Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum is a museum in Giza, Egypt. It is located in a palace built in the …

كنيسة المغارة والشهيدين سرجيوس وواخس

كنيسة المغارة والشهيدين سرجيوس وواخس

Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Coptic: ϯⲉⲕⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲛⲓ⳥ ⲥⲉⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲛⲉⲙ ⲃⲁⲭⲟⲥ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲥⲡⲉⲗⲉⲱⲛ, The Church of Martyrs Sergius and …

بانوراما حرب أوكتوبر

بانوراما حرب أوكتوبر

The 6th of October War Panorama is a museum and memorial to the 1973 October war, located in Heliopolis, Cairo. …

متحف أحمد شوقي

متحف أحمد شوقي

Ahmed Shawki Museum is a writer's house museum dedicated to Egyptian poet and dramatist Ahmed Shawki (1869–1932).

متحف محمود مختار

متحف محمود مختار

Mukhtar Museum is a museum in Cairo, Egypt, housing the sculptures of Mahmoud Mokhtar (May 10, 1891 – March 28, …

الجندي المجهول

الجندي المجهول

The Unknown Soldier Memorial in Cairo is a pyramid-shaped monument in Nasr City. Its construction was ordered by president Anwar …

قلعة صلاح الدين

قلعة صلاح الدين

The Citadel of Cairo or Citadel of Saladin (Arabic: قلعة صلاح الدين, romanized: Qalaʿat Salāḥ ad-Dīn) is a medieval Islamic-era …

قصر السكاكيني

قصر السكاكيني

Habib Pasha El Sakakini Palace (Arabic: قصر السكاكيني) is a palace located in the El Sakkakini district of Cairo, Egypt. …

متحف أم كلثوم

متحف أم كلثوم

Om Kalthoum Museum is a biographical museum on Roda Island, Cairo, Egypt. The Om Kalthoum Museum is dedicated to Umm …

المتخف الجيولوجي المصري

المتخف الجيولوجي المصري

The Egyptian Geological Museum is a museum in Cairo, Egypt. The museum was established in 1901 as part of the …

قصر بارون أمبان

قصر بارون أمبان

The Baron Empain Palace (Arabic: قصر البارون إمبان, "Qasr el Baron Emban"), also known as Le Palais Hindou (lit. 'The …

متحف جاير أندرسون

متحف جاير أندرسون

The Gayer-Anderson Museum is an art museum located in Cairo, Egypt. It is situated adjacent to the Mosque of Ahmad …

الجامع الأزهر

الجامع الأزهر

Al-Azhar Mosque (Arabic: الجامع الأزهر, romanized: al-Jāmiʿ al-ʾAzhar, lit. 'The Resplendent Congregational Mosque'), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is …

نيلوميتر

نيلوميتر

باب زويلة

باب زويلة

Bab Zuwayla or Bab Zuweila (Arabic: باب زويلة) is one of three remaining gates in the city walls of historic …

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