Image by Vyacheslav Argenberg on Flickr

Cairo is the capital of Egypt and is also the largest city in Egypt and in all Africa. Its Arabic name القاهرة /Al-Qahira/ literally means ” The Conqueror” as it has conquered all invaders along history. It has the nickname of “The City of the Thousand Minarets مدينة الألف مئذنة “. Cairo is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It has a population of about 8 million people spread over 453 square kilometers. The population number jumps to nearly 20 million  people if we added the superb areas in what is known as The Greater Cairo القاهرة الكبرى . Cairo has long been a centre of the region’s political and cultural life.

        Cairo was founded in the Fatimid Dynasty الدولة الفاطمية in the 10^th century but the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals with remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the ancient cities of Memphis ممفيس , Giza الجيزة and Fustat الفسطاط which are very near to the sphinx and the Giza Pyramids.

       Cairo and its superb areas had long been a focal point of Ancient Egypt due to its strategic location just upstream from the Nile Delta. Around the 4^th century, the Romans established a Babylon Fortress حصن بابليون town along the west bank of the Nile. This fortress remains the oldest structure in the city. The fortress is also situated at the centre of Egypt’s Christian community that separated from the Roman and Byzantine Church كنيسة in the late 4^th century. Many of Cairo’s oldest Christian churches, including the Hanging Church الكنيسة المعلقة , are located along the fortress walls in a section of the city known as Coptic Cairo.

       After the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641, Commander Amr Ibn Al-Aas عمرو بن العاص established Fustat just north or Cairo and Babylon and the Egyptian capital was moved from Alexandria to the new city. Fustat became a regional centre of Islam and home to Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque مسجد ; the first mosque in Egypt. In 969, Gawhar Al-Siqilli جوهر الصقلى ; the Fatimid Caliphate, established a new fortified city northeast of Fustat. The city was named Al-Mansuriyyah المنصورية but later took its modern name; Al-Qahira (Cairo) and was capital of the Caliphate. During that time, Al-Azhar Mosque was constructed and developed to be the third-oldest university in the world.

         Mohammad Ali and his sons started a huge modernization movement all over Egypt but those reforms had minimal effect on Cairo’s landscape. Wide squares and avenues and modern buildings with European styles were built. Gas and lighting were brought. A theatre مسرح and an opera أوبرا house were opened.

         Cairo and the areas around it are considered the heart قلب of Egypt. You can find all aspects of Egypt represented in the area including some of the most famous Pharaonic, Ancient Christian and Islamic monuments آثار . Cairo offers an incredible selection of shopping, leisure, culture and nightlife. It has so many attractions like the Cairo Tower, the Egyptian Museum, the Cairo Citadel and Mohammad Ali Mosque, The khan Al-Khalili خان الخليلى market or bazzar. Cairo comprises an extensive road network, railway system, subway system and maritime services. Cairo traffic is known to be overwhelming and overcrowded especially at rush hours.

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Peace سلام   / Salam/