For more than a thousand years, Egypt's densely populated capital has rested just south of the Nile River delta. Over the centuries it has expanded to the north, south and west due to growing population, receding river channels and suburbanization. The city is divided into many different districts, some of which include Modern Cairo, Islamic Cairo, Old Cairo, colonial downtown and the City of the Dead. The history of Cairo's rulers is reflected in the city's urban expansion, as each successive leader chose to develop areas upwind of the last. Currently, a number of slums surround the central, more westernized area of the city. Fifteen miles south of Cairo is Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt and home to the famed Pyramids of Giza.


Two thousand years ago, the Romans occupied the land currently known as Cairo, then called Babylon (Arabic translation: "The Victorious"). Six hundred years later, Arab commander Amr ibn al-As brought Islam to Egypt, and Cairo evolved out of his settlement. This is a surprise to many who assume that Cairo's close proximity to the Pyramids signifies its part in ancient Egyptian history. Up until the mid-1800s, Cairo remained a medieval city, until European-educated leader Ismail began to make over the city. Starting in 1863, the marshes that were flooded each year by the monsoons were built over by world-renowned architects under Ismail's watchful eye. Following the elaborate 1869 celebration of the completion of the nearby Suez Canal (connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas,) tourism exploded in the region. However, Ismail's dramatic spending on Egypt's development wreaked havoc on the entire country's future, since shortly after he was removed from leadership, Britain took control of the country until the debts could be repaid. In 1882 a British protectorate was formed, and military occupation transformed Cairo into a colonial enclave. Following World War I, the British protectorate came to an end and a new Kingdom was formed, though it was it still was under British influence. That all changed in 1952, when a revolution led by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser of the Free Officers took place. The monarchy was brought down, and Nasser himself served as prime minister, then president, until 1970. Anwar Sadat became president following Nasser's death, and by then, Cairo's population had grown exponentially, causing both severe overcrowding and high levels of pollution. Since that time, there have been few developments made in the city's infrastructure in support of the still growing population, but Egypt's rich and vibrant history continues to draw tourists and archaeology buffs to Cairo and the Great Pyramids, located just south of the city.


Citadel
Spectacular views of Cairo are available from the Citadel, an enormous walled fortress built in 1176 by Muslim leader Salah ad-Din Al Ayoubi (Saladin). Home to Egyptian rulers for hundreds of years, the Citadel has been built upon in a number of different styles over the centuries. Three mosques are located on site: the Turkish styled Mosque of Mohammed Ali (built between 1830 and 1846), the Mosque of Sultan al-Nasr Mohammed (built 1335) and the Mosque of Sulayman Pasha (built 1528). Also inside the Citadel's walls are The Madrasa of Sultan Hasan, a school for the study of the Koran, and the Police and Military Museum.

Coptic Museum
In a largely Muslim country, the Coptic Museum traces the roots of the Christian era in Egypt (300-1000 AD) that occurred between the Pharaonic or Greco-Roman periods and the Islamic period. Built in 1910, the museum is located inside the walls of the Roman fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo and includes peaceful gardens and courtyards. Much smaller than the vast Egyptian Museum, this structure holds about 16,000 items, including frescoes, manuscripts, sculptures, metalwork and icons.

Egyptian Museum
Established in 1835 and packed with over 120,000 exhibits, Cairo's Egyptian Museum is well worth a visit, if not multiple return trips. One of the highlights is vast collection Tutankhamen's treasure, including jewelry, chariots, shrines and the famous golden death mask. Sculptures, paintings, mummies, sarcophagi and countless other artifacts dating back thousands of years are only some of the items on view inside the structure, which was built in 1900.

Khan el-Khalili Bazaar
Located in Islamic Cairo, the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar is an expansive street market that has been in operation since 1382. Some say that the Mamalukes in charge of the Khan had so much control over trade (especially in spices) that it encouraged Europeans to search for other sources, leading to the discovery of the New World. Today, the craftsmen and merchants selling their wares are experts in the art of haggling, so tourists should plan to spend some time negotiating prices.

The Pyramids
Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one remains today: the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Along with the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, these remarkable feats of engineering stand as some of the most extraordinary and mysterious buildings in the world. Little is known about the details of their construction and use over 4500 years ago, but it is believed that the Great Pyramid took approximately 20 years to build. The largest of the Pyramids, Khufu, stands about 450 feet high (it has lost about 30 feet over the millennia) and 750 feet on each side of its square base.

The Sphinx
Like the Pyramids, the Sphinx is located on the Giza Plateau, carved into the limestone bedrock of the plateau itself. The familiar visage of the Sphinx is only a part of the picture; the lion-shaped body stretches 150 feet near the Pyramid of Khafre. Theories abound as to the creator of the statue, but it is believed to have been constructed during Khafre's reign, around 2500 BCE. The limestone has eroded over thousands of years, although there are ongoing attempts to restore it as much as possible to its original magnificence.



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