The Sites of Cairo: Pyramids and Other Sites

Cairo, Egypt
By Kate Cypcar

Cairo is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa, and the 15^th largest in the world. Its more than 16 million inhabitants live in an area designed for two million. The River Nile traverses its center, and on either bank are remains of civilizations past. Expect to be awed by the way in which relics of old have become intertwined with the dwellings and lives of modern Egyptians. When visiting a city as large as Cairo it is difficult to see everything, so in the interest of quality versus quantity, here are some of the sites that top the Cairo charts:

Pyramids of Giza
The Pyramids are the only remaining of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Those at Giza in Cairo are not the only ones in Egypt, but they are the largest and best preserved.

The Pyramids of Giza are open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The fee to enter the area is E£20 (students E£10). Budget an additional E£20 to enter the Pyramid of Cheops, if you so desire. It costs E£10 to bring cameras inside the pyramids; however, no flash photography is allowed. A camel ride around the pyramids is a fun way to take in their splendor. Offer no more than E£10-15 for a short ride, and pay after you receive the ride you agreed upon. AA and MG stables at the right of the main entrance are recommended in Giza.

Pyramid of Cheops
The Pyramid of Cheops was built between 2589-66 BC. Over 2,300,000 blocks of stone went into its creation. At one time, the 755 x 755-foot pyramid almost reached 500 feet high, but 10 feet have been lost since the encasing marble was eroded or removed. This pyramid is the oldest and largest of the pyramids at Giza. Unfortunately, very little is known about Cheops because his tomb was looted long before archeologists arrived on the scene. He is believed to have been the absolute ruler of a highly stratified society, and just by admiring his extensive burial site you can draw the conclusion that his reign must have been one of great wealth.

The Sphinx
The Sphinx is located to the northeast Khafre’s Valley Temple. No one is entirely certain who it represents, but one possibility is that it is Khafre himself. The world will probably never know the true identity of the creature, but that doesn’t make its presence any less imposing. The fact that it still exists today is lucky to say the least, for had sand not completely covered it for so many years the soft sandstone surely would have disappeared centuries ago. Recent efforts to conserve the Sphinx are nearing completion, but the rising water table still threatens to accelerate the decay. (That means the Sphinx should move up a few notches on all of your travel lists.) An interesting tidbit is that the name ’sphinx’ means ’strangler’. The Greeks first gave this name to a creature with the head and bust of a woman, the body of a lion, and the wings of a bird. The sphinx’s origin in Egypt is most likely some form of a sun god with whom the pharaoh was associated at the time. The Egyptian sphinx is usually portrayed as a lion with the head of a king wearing the characteristic wig-cover; however, there are ram-headed sphinxes associated with the god Amun.

Old Cairo
Old Cairo was constructed by the Persians in approximately 500 BC to guard the junction of the River Nile and the canal linking it to the Red Sea. It has been inhabited since AD 313. During the Christian period the settlement became known as Babylon in Egypt, and grew into a large town. Later the Arabs changed its name to Qasr Al-Sham’ah (Fortress of the Beacon). It is located on the east bank of the River Nile about 3 miles south of Midan Tah Rir. The churches (and there are numerous) do not charge admission and few request tips (baksheesh), but most do have donation boxes. To experience Coptic culture, it is best to visit on a Sunday; however, if you want to explore the sights in peace avoid Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. If time is limited, check out the Hanging Church (Church of the Virgin), the Church of St. Sergius, the Church of St. Barbara, the Ben Ezra Synagogue (Egypt’s oldest synagogue), and the Coptic Museum to get a good grasp of the settlement’s importance to and position in Egypt’s history.

Islamic Cairo
There are literally hundreds of mosques in Cairo. If you find it difficult to know where to begin, a good rule of thumb is to explore away from the city center and the River Nile. The exceptions to this are the Amr Ibn Al-As Mosque, the oldest mosque in the country located near Babylon, and the Mosque of Sinan Pasha, farther north and nearer to the Nile. The rest of Islamic Cairo can be visited by following a series of pedestrian routes, most beginning from the Al-Azhar Mosque:

1. North from Al-Azhar via the concentration of buildings in the Qalaoun/Al-Nasir/Barquq complex, to the Al-Hakim Mosque at the north gates of the old city.
2. South from Al-Azhar to the Al-Muayyad Mosque which stands at the Bab Zoueila gate at the south edge of the old city and the buildings on Sharia Darb Al-Ahmar to the Sultan Hassan Mosque and the modern Al-Rifai Mosque.
3. West from the Citadel, continuing to the mosques and museums in the imposing fortress and the huge ancient Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque.
4. To the mosques and tombs in the City of the Dead which lies in the ‘Northern Cemetary’ to the east of Islamic Cairo.

These routes are simply meant to be a guide, dividing Islamic Cairo into manageable walking sections for your touring pleasure. If you feel so inclined (or inspired), I encourage you to explore the crowded quarter using your own sense of direction and adventure (for some of us that means perpetually finding ourselves lost!).

Khan El-Khalili
Khan El-Khalili refers to a specific street and is also the general name of a district of Cairo that has a large number of individual souks. The Arab/Islamic system of urban planning traditionally divided the souks by professions or guilds. The system is less rigid than before but there remains a concentration of one particular trade in a particular area. On the streets of Khan El-Khalili, gold, silver, copper, perfume, spices, cloth, and other products are sold. Most of the products are manufactured within the souk, in small workshops behind or on top of the shops. Today the main area of the souk is occupied by tourist shops, so head a few streets to the west for a more authentic experience. Don’t be shy when it comes to bargaining – the traders always start at double the price they expect. It is traditional to respond with an offer of one third what they originally quoted. The price of precious metals is not negotiable, however, as they are sold by weight. Prices for gold and silver are posted daily in the newspaper.

Central Cairo
Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum is in the center of Cairo, taking up the north side of Midan Tah Rir. Entry to the museum is from the sculpture garden at the front of the building. It admits visitors daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (last entry permitted at 4:45 pm, but the museum stays open until 6 p.m.).Tickets cost E£20, E£10 for students, E£10 for cameras (no flash photography), and E£100 for amateur videos. There is an additional fee of E£40 for the Royal Mummy Room. Official tour guides are available for E£40 per hour (most are very knowledgeable, and if you’re lucky you will bump into a guide with a sense of humor). Take note that the Tutankhamen exhibit is particularly in demand, so plan to wait in line for entry. From time to time exhibits are closed for repair or the lay-out of exhibits changes. It helps to buy a detailed guide of exhibits (E£5) to help you steer a course through the museum.

With so much to do and see in Cairo, it helps to have a loose itinerary (or at least some idea of the sites you want or do not want to visit) before arrival. The crowds, heat, and occasionally confusing network of streets can cause unwarranted stress if you are already feeling overwhelmed. I wish you luck and an unforgettable visit to an equally memorable city.