Cairo - Do & See
- Nearby guides:
- Eilat
- Sharm el-Sheikh
- Hurghada, Luxor and Marsa Alam
- Paphos
- Cyprus
- Antalya
- Rhodes
- Marmaris
- Kos
- Bodrum
- Other guides in Egypt:
- Hurghada, Luxor and Marsa Alam
- Sharm el-Sheikh
- More
The Pyramids at Giza have been the longtime favourite tourist attraction of greater Cairo, but with the rich textured religious history of this city, there are many sights and areas of town worth exploring.
The Pyramids of Giza
On the outskirts of Cairo, these pyramids are the sole survivors of the Seven Wonders of the World. The archeological site on the Giza Plateau is called the Giza Necropolis, and includes, apart from the three pyramids, the sculpture of the Sphinx and several cemetaries.
Solar Boat Museum (at the Pyramids of Giza)
Houses the barques (boats) that were most likely used to bring the mummies of dead Pharaohs across the Nile to the temple tomb chambers.
Egyptian Museum
More than 12,000 artefacts from every period of Egyptian history are housed in this sprawling structure.
The Citadel
A series of palaces and mosques which housed Egyptian rulers for more than 700 years make up a compound which offers fabulous views of the city.
Museum of Islamic Art
This sometimes overlooked museum houses one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic Art. The museum holds a collection of over 10,000 pieces, mainly Egyptian, but also from elsewhere in the Islamic world. The exhibits show every era of development, from Ummayad to Abbasid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk works. The are all kinds of artworks, including woodwork, stucco, intarsia, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles, and carpets.
Coptic Cairo
This compound is home to Egypt’s Christian community as well as being the oldest area of Cairo. It is a wonderfully interesting place to explore the juxtaposition of an ancient Christian community in an Islamic country.
Coptic Museum
This museum dating from 1908 is home to Coptic Art from Greco-Roman times to the Islamic era.
The New Camel Market
About 35 km northwest of Cairo, Egypt’s Largest Camel Market - Birqash Camel Market is held. This is a wild sight to behold. Sudanese traders haggle over the sale of camels in a carnival-esque atmosphere. The best day to visit is supposed to be Friday. Get there in the morning, between 7.00-11.00 is the best time.
It is difficult to find so arrange transport through a travel agency or your hotel. This market used to take place in Imbaba but is now moved to the suburb of Birqash, which is at the edge of the Western Desert.
Northern Cemetery / City of the Dead
An unusual area where thousands of Cairo natives, both living and dead are “housed”. The popular ancient routine of building entertainment rooms alongside of the tombs, have become spaces inhabited by transients.
