| Cairo One of the largest cities in Africa. Cairo is a city that never sleeps. Its entertainment are legion, its charms beguiling, and its temptations many. All year round the city hums with activity. The museums, Pyramids (one of the Seven Wonders of the World) and Mosques. The Pyramids There are three, built by Cheops, Chepren and Mycerinos, the largest being over 137m (450ft) high and containing some three million huge blocks of stone. Sphinx In a depression to the south of Chephren's Pyramid sits a creature with a human head and a lion's body. The sphinx appears to have started in Egypt in the form of a sun god. The sphinx is usually a head of a king wearing his head dress and the body of a lion. The Great Sphinx is to the north east of Chephren's Valley Temple. Where it sits was once a quarry. Chephren's workers shaped the stone into the lion and gave it their king's face over 4,500 years ago. The sphinx faces the rising sun with a temple to the front, which resembles the sun temples, which were built later by the kings of the 5th Dynasty. The body is 60m in length and 20m tall. The face of the sphinx is 4m wide and its eyes are 2m high. Part of the uraeus (sacred obra), the nose and the ritual beard are now missing. The beard from the sphinx is displayed in the British Museum. It is possible that it is Chephren. If that is so, it would then be the oldest known royal portrait in such large scale. Sakkara and Memphis Where you can see colossal statue of Ramses II, the great Alabaster Sphinx and step Pyramid of King Zoser, the oldest pyramid in the world. The Egyptian Museum One of the world's most famous museums contains the largest, and one of the most impressive, collections of Pharaonic and Byzantine art and sculpture from the surrounding area. The magnificent collection of Antiquities includes the priceless treasures from Tutankhamun's Tomb, The Mummies, Sarcophagi… Coptic Cairo and Hanging Church Coptic (Christian) Cairo is home to the famous hanging church, which originates from the 4th century and was rebuilt in the 9th century, over the ruins of the Fortress of Babylon, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Church of St. Sergius, Church of St. Bacchus, which is a 5th century basilica, built over a grotto where the holy Family is stayed. The Church of St Mercurius, the Convent of St. George and The Coptic Museum where you can find the finest collection of Coptic art and antiquities in the world. Mohamed Ali Mosque Built between 1830-1848, also referred to as The Alabaster Mosque, is situated at the Citadel of Salah El Din The Citadel One of Cairo's most popular tourist attraction, located on a spur of limestone and provides a panoramic view of Cairo from the Moqattam Hills. The Citadel was not a great military base of operations, but as the "Dome of the Wind", a pavilion created in 810 by Hatim Ibn Hartama, In 1176, Salah ad-Din fortified the area to protect it against attacks by the Crusaders, and since then, it has never been without a military garrison. The Citadel actually consists of three main sections, surrounded by their own walls with towers and gates. These consist of the Lower Enclosure (El-Azab), the Northern Enclosure (El-Ankishariya) and the Southern Enclosure which is the Citadel proper (El-Qal'a). The two main gates are on the north (Bab el-Gadid) and south (Bab el-Gabal). Particularly when viewed from the back side (from the north), the Citadel reveals a very medieval character. Khan el-Khalili Khan-el-Khalili Bazaar, where one can bargain for traditional leatherwork, brassware and excellent inexpensive tailor-made clothing. It is set in an area of narrow winding streets where the local inhabitants will always approach the traveller in the hope of doing a little business. This market is situated at one corner of a triangle of markets that go south to Bab Zuwayla and west to Azbakiyyah. The Khan is bordered on the south by al-Azhar Street and on the west by the Muski Market. Alexandria The second largest city in Egypt, and has an atmosphere which is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern. And can be visited in a day's sightseeing. Alexandria is a year round beach resort with long white beaches and blue sea. Alexandria, the bride of the Mediterranean was founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, as the capital for his Egyptian Kingdom. This second largest city in Egypt, has and identity of its own. Separate from the image of ancient Pharaohs and Pyramids, it is the brainchild of one of the world's greatest military figure, home of the largest library and greatest center of learning the ancient world. In addition to founding Alexandria's famed library, Ptolemy ordered the construction of the Pharos lighthouse that counted among the Seven Wonders of the World. Greeco Roman Museum The collection, which covers the period from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD, includes frescoes, coins, mummies, papyruses, vases, ums and a large number of sculptures. The Catacombs of Kom El Shoukafa Kom El Shoukafa is underground wonder world of ornate carvings and paintings and mixture of Roman and Egyptian designs. It is the Largest Roman Funerary complex in Egypt and dates from the second century AD. Pompeiy's pillar This 25m column of red Aswan granite overlooking the city, was once the center of the ancient site of Mark Antony and Cleopatra's second library. Standing 27m high with a circumference of 8m, it was erected in honour of the Emperor Diocletian, originally from the Temple of Serapis, once a magnificent structure rivalling the Soma and the Caesareum. Fort Qaitbay This citadel is the furthermost edifice on the harbour arm. The Fort is on the original site of Pharos, Alexandria's ancient lighthouse, built in 279 BC to a height of 125 meters and ped with a statue of Poseidon. Although Pharos was restored at various times it had finally crumbled by the time the original Fort was built here, in 1480's. This magnificent structure houses Fort Qait Bey's naval Museum. The Roman Theatre Discovered in 1964, after 30 years of excavation, this well-preserved ancient Roman Theatre with marble seats, galleries and sections of mosaic flooring, was probably a roofed theatre used for musical performance and based on the inscription carved on the seats, wrestling contest. The theatre had a capacity of 700-800 seats and in Ptolemaic times it was the Park of Pan, a pleasure garden surrounded by Roman villas and baths. Hurghada This sea side optimal conditions for windsurfing, scuba diving and deep sea fishing. Hurghada is ringed by mountains, desert, a clean sandy shore and a clear blue sea. The coral reef is beautiful Hurghada has become the foremost tourist resort of the Red Sea coast. Most water sports facilities are available. The unique underwater paradise offshore are some of the finest in the world. Luxor Luxor, once the ancient capital of Thebes, now has the most spectacular collection of antiquities in the world. It is the greatest open-air museum in the world, filled with monuments of ancient civilisation. The town it self is centred on the remains of Luxor and Karnak Temples. |
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