7 Good Reasons To Travel To Cairo, Egypt
There are many reasons to travel to Cairo, starting with its proximity to some of Egypt’s greatest attractions, such as the pyramids of Giza. However, the city itself hides a lot of charms that are worth visiting. Do you dare to know what they are?
1. The Egyptian Museum, one of the reasons to travel to Cairo
One of the great reasons to travel to Cairo is to visit this museum. It contains the largest collection of objects (more than 136,000) from Ancient Egypt. Some of these pieces are the coffin, the throne or the funerary mask of Tutankhamun; the sphinx of Hetepheres II; Narmer’s Palette or Amenemhat III’s Pyramidion.
2. More reasons to travel to Cairo: its mosques
In the heart of Cairo there are several temples of great interest. The Sultan Hasan Mosque is one of the most important Islamic monuments in the world. It was built in the 14th century, following a Mamluk style. It occupies an area of almost 8000 m² and its tallest minaret rises up to 68 meters.
Right opposite is the Al Rifa’i Mosque. It is also known as the Royal Mosque because it houses the remains of members of the royal family, something rare in Muslim religious buildings.
Equally recommended is the Ibn Tulun Mosque. It is the oldest in the city of Cairo, since it was built between the years 876 and 879. It still retains its original characteristics, to which are added elements added later, such as a minaret dating from 1296 and that is wrapped down an outside staircase.
3. For its citadel
The three previous constructions are in the Saladino Citadel, as well as the Gawhara Palace, the Carriage Museum or the Military Museum. It is bounded by an imposing wall and surrounded by defensive towers. For all this, it is not surprising that it is one of the main points of interest in the capital of Egypt.
4. By the Cairo Tower
It is also known as the fork of beauty for the many restaurants it houses. At 180 meters high, it offers unsurpassed views of the city of Cairo. As if that were not enough, it has a privileged location: next to the Nile River.
5. The pyramids of Giza, three great reasons to travel to Cairo
Just 20 kilometers from Cairo is Giza. It is there where the most famous pyramids in the world are found: Khafre, Menkaure and Cheops. The latter, known as the Great Pyramid, stands out above the rest for its size and because it is the oldest of the seven wonders of the world.
The Great Sphinx is also located in the place. It is a monumental sculpture 20 meters high that presents the body of a lion and a human head. It was carved out of limestone rock in the 26th century BC, during the 4th dynasty of Egypt.
6. For Saqqara and Memphis
On the outskirts of Cairo you can visit other wonders. Saqqara is the most important necropolis in ancient Memphis. It highlights the stepped pyramid of Djoser, considered the first in the world and the oldest stone structure that is preserved.
The now defunct city of Memphis is an open-air museum. Here you can visit other monuments of great importance such as the colossus of Ramses II, thirteen meters high; and the Alabaster Sphinx, which surely belongs to Queen Hatshepsut.
7. By the Khan El Khalili market
Finally, to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Cairo, there is nothing like strolling through the stalls of the Khan El Khalili market. In it, in addition to acquiring a product or souvenir , you can enjoy Egyptian cuisine thanks to the traditional establishments that settle their facilities. The most famous is El Fishawi.
