Step into this vast 9th-century mosque and you’ll find sunlit courtyards, weathered stucco arches, and a spiral minaret that winds up like a ramp. Climb to the top for a surprisingly quiet view over Cairo’s rooftops. The Ibn Tulun Mosque isn’t flashy, but that’s part of what makes it so striking — the space, the stillness, the sense of time just sitting in the air.

Hidden in the winding streets of old Cairo, this 17th-century Ottoman house features detailed woodwork, calm gardens, and rooms arranged around courtyards that show how families lived centuries ago.

On the edge of Cairo, the Giza Necropolis is home to the last remaining wonder of the ancient world — the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Alongside it stand the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, part of a vast complex that includes tombs, causeways, temples, and smaller pyramids built for queens and nobles. The scale alone is enough to stop you in your tracks. Just below the pyramids sits the Great Sphinx of Giza — carved from a single piece of limestone, with the body of a lion and the face of a pharaoh, likely Khafre. At around 73 metres long and 20 metres high, it’s one of the largest sculptures in the world.

Despite its name, this isn’t just a cemetery — it’s a vast neighbourhood where thousands of people live alongside mausoleums and tombs. The 'City of the Dead' refers to the large burial grounds, but it’s very much alive, with families building rooms next to graves that have become permanent homes. Markets, mosques, and everyday streets thread through the area, offering a side of Cairo you won’t find anywhere else.