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Egypt
is the cradle of civilization, the beacon of religion and the gateway
to Africa. Cairo is the foremost capital on the African continent
and lies at the center of all routes leading to, and from the capitals
of the three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe.Egypt, for over fifty
centuries,engendered the development of culture and civilization:
Pharaonic, Christian and Islamic; and, all during those long years,
has generously contributed, (and received) to Europe.Consequently,
when in Cairo - the capital of Egypt - you will never, not even for
a moment, feel a lonely traveler! In fact, you will enjoy travelling
through time, from one period to another, exhilarated by the history
of those who remained immortal, though their bodies were laid to rest
thousands of years ago.Cairo, which has enfolded various civilizations,
does not concede to mortality, which it has overcome.Cairo, the city
where past and present meet, invites you to come and enjoy its beautiful
all-year weather, and visit the immortal monuments and relics, especially
the ancient pyramids, in Giza, which comprise: |
| Pharaonic
Monuments |
Memphis
:
Memphis,
the oldest capital of Egypt, was built by King Menes, and lies 24
kms southwest of Cairo, in AlBadrasheen.
Saqqara : Saqqara is the oldest Ancient Egyptian cemetery. It lies
on a desert plateau, southwest of Cairo. Above rises the step-pyramid
and mortuary compound, built by the engineer lmhotep for King Zoser
the first of the Ill Dynasty pharaohs. It is of the mastaba-type.
The pyramid is composed of six receding mastabas on top of each other.
The later pyramid builders developed this concept into the familiar
even-sided pyramids. The step-pyramids measures 123.5 by 107 ins,
at the base and about 59 ms in height. |
|
The
Pyramid of Unas :South
of the Step-Pyramid, lies the Pyramid of Unas, last of the V Dynasty
pharaohs. This pyramid is noted for its tomb chamber, whose walls
are inscribed with what is known as the "Pyramid Texts",
and whose ceiling is decorated with stars that seem to sparkle above
the royal mummy. Near to the Pyramid of Unas lies the Persian Shaft,
a tomb of XXVI Dynasty known as the "Persian Dynasty". The
Shaft is 25 ms deep and at the bottom lie several tomb chambers. |
The
Serapeum :Only
the lower corridors remain, measuring several hundred metres, in length,
and containing the tombs of the sacred bull, Apis.
It was first begun by the XVIII Dynasty. Close to the Serapeum lies
the Greek Philosophers Circle, which contains statues of Plato, Heraklites,
Pythagoras and Pindar. |
|
The
Mastabas :Saqqara
is noted for the mastaba-type tombs of the nobles, the most prominent
of which are the tombs of V and VI Dynasty nobles. The tomb walls
bear inscriptions showing the daily life of Ancient Egyptians, such
as: farming, animal breeding, hunting, as well as religious rites
and the offering of sacrifice to the dead. |
The
Pyramids of Giza
Lie
about 10 kms from Cairo, and comprise: |
|
The
Great Pyramid :The
most famous structure in the world was built by King Cheops (IV Dynasty)
around 2650 B.C., on an area of 13 feddans. Its height now is 137
ms (original height:146 ins). Almost 2.5 million blocks of stone were
put into building this pyramid, which measures 230 ms square at the
base. All this, however, dwindles when compared to the precision and
astounding ability of the ancient Egyptian in building this pyramid.Close
to the eastern flank of the Pyramid of Cheops lie three small pyramids
dedicated either to his wives or family members. |
|
The
Second Pyramid :
Built
by Kephren, south-west of his father's pyramid though lower in height:
136 ins, it still retains, on some of its upper parts, the remains
of the limestone that had once covered it all. At the base, it measures
215.5 ms square. Its interior is simple, with two entrances on the
north side. The Second Pyramid, like all other pyramids, had an exterior
covering of fine-grain limestone. Now, only a small part of this covering
remains.The visitor can also still see the remains of his mortuary
temple, the Temple of the Valley, and rising causeway. These temples
witnessed the religious rites during the embalming of the body. |
|
The
Third Pyramid :
Built
by Mycerinus (Menkaure), SOuth-west of the Great and Second Pyramids
it is much smaller than either one (62 ins). It is distinguished by
the fact that the lower part of its sides still retain their granite
slab coverings.The Ancient Egyptians, it must be noted, built the
pyramids to be tombs to preserve the bodies of their dead kings, especially
that they believed in resurrection and immortality.The three Pyramids
of Giza are Surrounded by several small pyramids, and hundreds of
mastaba-tombs of the royal family, nobles and high-ranking people. |
|
The
Solar Boats (The Boats of Cheops) :
The
Ancient Egyptians carved spacious areas in the rock, near the Pyramids.
There they placed wooden boats, to be at the disposal of the King
when he went on his journey of Day and Night with the sun god, Ra,
in the after world.Early excavations have discovered three such sun
boat sites, on the east side of the Great Pyramid. Two other sites
were discovered on the south side. When the huge stone slabs were
removed, they revealed parts of a large boat, made of cedar wood,
in very good condition. There were also other implements, such as
oars, ropes and a kiosk for sitting. The boat was 43.5 ms long, the
prow and stern were 5 ms and 7 ms high respectively. The boats are
now housed in a special museum, south of the Pyramid of Cheops. The
museum is open from 9-4 daily, for a fixed fee. |
|
The
Sphinx :
On
the way to the Temple of the Valley, (of the pyramid of Kephren),
lies the large statue of the Sphinx, It is one of most famous monuments
in the whole world. It is, indeed, a legendary statue for it has the
body of lion and the face of a man. It is 70 ms long and 20 ms high.
Scholars and scientists are of the opinion that the face of the Sphinx
closely resembles that of King Kephren. The Sphinx, and the Three
Pyramids, are regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A
small fee is to be paid when visiting the Pyramids area. |
| Christian
Monuments |
AI-Mu'allaqah
Church (Hanging Church) : Dating to the late 4th and early 5th Century,
this basilica was named "AI-Mu'allaqah" because it was built
on top of the south gate of the Fortress of Babylon.
Church of Abu Sergah (Church of St. Sergius): Dating back to the beginning
of the 5th Century, this basilica is built on the cave in which the
Holy Family stayed and is regarded by visitors as a source of blessing.
Church of Sitt Barbara (Church of St. Barbara)
Church of St. Mina
Church of Al-A dra (Church of the Virgin)
Church of the Virgin in Zaytoun
The Virgin's Tree
Church of Marie Guirgis (Church of St. George)
The Cathedral of St. Mark : This, the largest church in Africa, was
built recently in Abbassia and reflects the evolution of the art of
architecture. The remains of St. Mark, the first to preach Christianity
in Egypt, were moved to this Cathedral. Most of the old churches are
located in the Old City on the ruins of the Fortress of Babylon.
St. Marcarious Church (Abu Sefein) |
| Islamic
Monuments |
Mosque
of Ahmed Ibn TuIoun : The third mosque built in Egypt, it is characterized
by its spacious grourilis and its unique minaret, spiral and a large
collection of gypsum decoration.
Mosque of Amr Ibn AI-'Aas (AI-Fustat) : It was the first mosque build
Egypt. It is simple in design and represents schools architecture
from differ periods.
AI-Azhar Mosque : The first Fatimid mosque in Cairo, it was founded
in Midan Hussein by Gawhar al-Sikilli in 971 AD (361 H) as both a
mosque and Madrasah (school), after Fatma al-Zahraa, the daughter
of the Prophet Mohammed. It is considered to be the oldest Islamic
University, the first lecture having been delivered in 975 AD.
Mosque of AI-Muayid
Mosque and Madrasah of Sultan Hassan
The Blue Mosque
The Alabaster Mosque (Mosque of Mohammed Ali)
Fortress of Salah al-Din al-A yyubi (The Citadel) : Built by Salah
al-Din al-Ayyubi in 1183 AD overlooking the city of Cairo from the
Muqattam Hills, it houses a number of important monuments including
the Mosque of Soliman Pasha, the Alabaster Mosque, the 90-meter deep
Bir Yusuf (Joseph's Well) and AI-Gawhara Palace.
House of Gamal al-Din al-Dhahabi : Located in AI-Ghoureya, it is an
example of Arab buildings of the early 17th Century AD.
House of AI-Seheimi : Located in Darb al-Asfar, it was founded in
1796 and constitutes another example of Islamic architecture. |
| Attractions
of Modern Cairo |
National
Cultural Center (Opera House) :The new 7-storey opera house at the
Gezira Exhibition Grounds was inaugurated on 3. 10. 1988. Designed
by a team of Japanese and Egyptian architects, it is an architectural
masterpiece of Islamic design. It is equipped with the most sophisticated
audio-visual system and comprises:
1. The Main Theater, a closed hall comprising 1200 seats, is used
for opera, ballet and classic music performances.
2. The Second Theater is also a closed hall comprising500 seats and
is used for various purposes including filmfestivals and conferences.
3. The Third Theater is an open one comprising 1000 seats. There are
other halls, some of which are used for training and rehearsals, in
addition to the Museum and the Library containing references pertaining
to the most significant artistic works.
Cairo International Center for Conference : Located in Nasr City,
it comprises three main conference halls, a fourth for receptions
and a fifth for exhibitions. In addition, there are fully equipped
secretarial offices and press center.
- Main Hall: 2,500 sq.m., 2,500 seats.
- Second Hall: 840 sq.m., 800 seats.
- Third Hall: 900 sq.m., 600 seats.
- Receptions Hall: 1,600 sq.m., 1,250 seats.
- Exhibition Hall: 2,500 sq.m.
Cairo Tower (Gezirah) : Over 180 meters high, it is the most outstanding
attraction of modern Cairo. The first of the top two storeys has a
rotating restaurant and cafeteria. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic
view of Cairo from the observation platform.
Sound and Light Show : In an enchanting atmosphere, with sound, light,
and music, the show captivates audiences and makes re-live ancient
times, the history of the Pyramids and the glory of the Pharaohs.
The show is presented in six languages: Arabic, English, French, German,
Spanish, and Italian.
Pharaonic Village : Historical spectacle reflecting the style of life
of ancient Egyptians. Visitors witness the daily activities of the
ancient Egyptian who has known the oldest civilization. The Village
also contains a papyrus museum and offers adequate services to its
visitors. The visit lasts two hours.
The Egyptian Museum (Tahrir Square) : It is regarded as one of the
most prominent museums in the world for it offers visitors a chance
to aquaint themselves with Egypt's ancient history over a period of
50 centuries. Its most significant showpiece is the magnificent Tutankhamun
collection.
The Coptic Museum (Old Cairo) : The museum houses a rare collection
of ancient Christian relics including remains of architectural works,
textiles, icons and old manuscripts reflecting the history of Coptic
civilization.
The Museum of Islamic Art (Bab al-Khalq Square) :It is regarded as
the largest museum in the Middle East, housing 80,000 rare objects
dating from the dawn of Islam to the Ottoman period.
The Khan KhaIiIi Bazaar and Sagh : Comprising an array of shops dating
to the 14th Century AD, Khan Khalili is renowned for its indigenous
character and the magnificent variety of gold and silver works, embroidered
clothing, leather goods and ivory-inlaid woodwork in addition to the
many other attractive handicraft.
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