WHERE TO TRAVEL: EGYPT

Cairo

"The Egyptian capital, named from the Arabic “Al-Qahira” (the Triumphant), is one of the most vibrant cities in the Middle East. It is also one of the most historic with the first known settlement in the area flourishing around 3100 B.C. Built at the site of the established meeting point between Lower and Upper Egypt, Greater Cairo is divided by the River Nile into East (Cairo) and West (Giza) banks. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities is probably the city’s most celebrated attraction. It houses the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts including the exquisite golden treasure of Tutankhamen, and a room containing Royal Mummies. The fact that Cairo contains one of the greatest concentrations of medieval buildings in existence may come as a surprise, yet, its towering mosques, mausolea, religious schools, and caravanseris number among the finest ever built. The labyrinthine cobbled lanes of the Khan el Khalili bazaar and Islamic Cairo showcase a Cairo where seemingly little has changed since the Middle Ages. In the bazaar the profusion of goods on display is staggering. Here among other highlights you will also find the imposing Sultan Hassan Mosque and the Cairo Citadel which dominates the city’s skyline. To escape from the beaten track and see some of Cairo’s finest Islamic architecture a heritage walk from the gate of Bab al-Zwayla along Al-Muezz street to Bab al-Futuh is highly recommended as it a visit to the Gayer-Anderson House Museum, or Bayt al-Kiritliya, a hidden gem consisting of two beautifully decorated Ottoman houses. To the south of the city centre is Old Cairo, the former Babylon of the ancient Persians, and now an important Coptic Christian area containing several notable churches, a synagogue and the Coptic museum. Allow at least a full day to fully explore the combination of Old and Islamic Cairo.