São Paulo – Egypt is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and for a good reason. The country offers visitors a window into over 5,000 years of history and different civilizations that spread on the fertile banks of the Nile. In the next paragraphs, readers may learn a little more about Cairo, the country capital.
Giza
Giza Plateau, in the area surrounding the capital, is one of the most visited tourist sites in the world and must be seen especially by those visiting Egypt for the first time. That is where the great pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos. Built 4,500 years ago, the gigantic pyramids are the only of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.
To date, the monuments are astounding. To give an idea, the most ancient one, Cheops, was the tallest manmade structure up to the construction of the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, in the late 19th century.
Seeing the pyramids for the first time is touching, but there is much more: the Sphynx, the toms of queens, nobles and high-level workers and even a wooden boat that, it is believed, carried the body of Cheops himself during his funeral procession along the Nile.
Saqqara and Dahshur
In Ancient Egypt, when the constructors of the great pyramids lived, the Egyptian capital was Memphis, close to modern day Cairo. On the other bank of the Nile, to the West, is Saqqara, the necropolis of the ancient royal city and, since the 19th Century, a true treasure for archaeological discoveries.
There, you may find the first pyramids in steps of pharaoh Zoser, considered the first in Egypt. The area is a true garden of pyramids and graves. Some of these ruins show incredible relief and paintings, showing scenes of daily life, like those of Mastaba of Ti, and the so-called Texts of the Pyramids, hieroglyphs painted on all sides of Unas and Teti Pyramids.
In the area surrounding Saqqara is Dahshur, where you may visit the Red Pyramid, built by Pharaoh Sneferu, Cheops’ father. It is considered the first “true” pyramid in the country, i.e., right-angled. A curiosity: Sneferu was, probably, the busiest pyramid builder, having made several attempts before reaching the correct design. One of them, the Bent Pyramid, may also be seen from Dahshur.
Cairo Museum
Cairo Museum, due to its size, number of items and disorganization, surely deserves over one day of visitation. Two of the main highlights are the fabulous treasures of the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun and two rooms for royal mummies, where it is possible to come face to face with Ramsés II, the Great, who reigned for over 60 years and ordered the construction of some of the most important and beautiful monuments of the country. The museum is close to Tahrir Square, where there were recently protests that, early this year, ousted Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak.
Ancient Cairo
This neighbourhood is from a time in which Cairo itself did not exist. The current capital of Egypt was established in the 10th Century, by the Fatimid Dynasty, but the region had been inhabited since ancient times. In the area, the romans built a fortress called Babylon (nothing to do with the Mesopotamian city) and its towers, erected by Trajan, in the 1st Century B.C., are still there showing the power of the Roman Empire.
The neighbourhood is also called Coptic Cairo, where the Egyptian Christians have lived since the early Christian Era. One of the main attractions is the Hanging Church, built in the Middle Ages on Roma ruins, hence its name. There is also the Church of St. Sergius, where there is a crypt in which, supposedly, the Holy Family stayed after their journey into Egypt. The neighbourhood also includes the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As, the conqueror of Egypt in the 7th Century AD. It is the first mosque of Egypt, erected much before the establishment of Cairo, though little is left of the original structure.
Islamic Cairo
It is the Medieval Cairo, with its alleys, markets, mosques, hostels, cafes and people, many people. The best known part is o Khan Al Khalili, the bazaar visited by 10 out of 10 tourists that visit Egypt. But there is much more, and ambling around the alleys opened by the Fatimids is, undoubtedly, one of the main attractions of the Egyptian capital, except for the constant harassment by peddlers.
In the evening, a good idea is to walk North along Sharia (street) Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah to the ancient city wall. The colourful lighting of the minarets and the cupolas of the mosques are a spectacle in themselves. In the area surrounding Khan Al Khalili it is possible to visit many workshops that supply the bazaar, purchasing products for a much cheaper price. In the market, you must also sit for a tea at Café Fishawi, open 24 hours a day for over 200 years, so they say.
*Translated by Mark Ament
