Cairo
This vast collection of 20th- and 21st-century Egyptian art is set in the green, well-groomed Gezira Exhibition Grounds, across from the Cairo Opera House…
Must-see attractions in Cairo
Cairo
One of several formal gardens in the Gezira area that are popular strolling spots for couples in the evening. This one’s small, but adjacent to the Nile,…
Cairo
Downtown’s two main streets, Sharia Talaat Harb and Sharia Qasr El Nil, intersect at the roundabout of Midan Talaat Harb, where cars whizz around a statue…
Cairo
This traffic-clogged area of park, markets and transit hub is the transition point from European-built Cairo, particularly its theatre and entertainment…
Cairo
To get away from the chaos of Cairo, do as the locals do and escape to Wadi Degla on the southern outskirts of the city. Set off on a hike through the…
Cairo
The section of Sharia Al Muizz north of Khan Al Khalili’s gold district is called Bein Al Qasreen (Palace Walk), a reminder of the Fatimid-era palace…
Cairo
This Roman Catholic basilica's architecture is based on Istanbul's famous Aya Sofya; but on a more modest scale. Baron Empain is buried here.
Cairo
The first mosque built in Egypt, this structure was established in AD 642 by the general who conquered Egypt for Islam. Built on the site where Ibn Al As…
Giza
You approach the Sphinx through this temple that once sat at the edge of a small artificial lake, connected to the Nile by a canal – it was in this way…
Mr & Mrs Mahmoud Khalil Museum
Cairo
In 2010 this museum gained global notoriety when art thieves nicked Van Gogh's Poppy Flowers (valued at US$50 million) right off the wall in broad…
National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
Cairo
This megalithic new building, sitting behind a massive white-stone plaza, is intending to walk visitors through the vast breadth of Egyptian civilisation…
Cairo
Beit Zeinab Al Khatoun is a small but interesting Ottoman-era house with a rooftop affording superb views of the surrounding minaret-studded skyline. The…
Khanqah & Mausoleum of Sultan Beybars Al Gashankir
Cairo
Built in 1310, this khanqah (Sufi monastery) is one of the city’s first. It’s distinguished by its stubby minaret, topped with a small ribbed dome. The…
Cairo
Located at the eastern end of Ramses Station, this newly renovated museum is heaven for railway geeks and model-building hobbyists. While the prize of the…
Cairo
Emir Khayrbek, governor of Aleppo under Sultan Al Ghouri, defected to the Ottoman side in 1516, which effectively ended Mamluk rule. He then became the…
Cairo
The street between Al Ghouri’s mosque and the mausoleum, and the area around, was historically the city’s silk market. While it isn’t a particularly great…
Cairo
This museum has been closed for renovation for the past few years. When it reopens, it’s worth a peek for its collection of colourful plates, tiles and…
Cairo
Mohammed Ali’s one-time Harem Palace is now the lavish National Military Museum. It was closed for restoration on our last visit though unlike the other…
Mosque-Madrassa of Umm Sultan Sha’aban
Cairo
With its towering red-and-white-striped facade and entrance trimmed with a triangular arrangement of muqarnas vaulting, this complex is more interesting…
Cairo
One of the few remaining testaments to Cairo’s once-thriving Jewish community, this art-nouveau-meets-ancient-Egypt Sephardic synagogue is very seldom…
Site of the Massacre of the Mamluks
Cairo
From the terrace near the Police Museum you can look down into the narrow entrance where 470 Mamluk beys (governors) were killed by Mohammed Ali's troops…
Cairo
Built with help from North Korean artists, the October War Panorama is a memorial to the 1973 ‘victory’ over Israel. A large 3D mural and diorama depicts…
Cairo
Uruba Palace was once the grand Heliopolis Palace hotel, opened in 1910 and graced by the likes of King Albert I of Belgium. During the world wars the…
Cairo
Most of Cairo's surviving sabils (public fountains) are found in Islamic Cairo, but this gloriously ornate – though heavily dilapidated – example, built…
Cairo
This elegant 1820 sabil (public fountain) was the first in Cairo to have gilded window grilles and calligraphic panels in Ottoman Turkish. It has been…
Cairo
Shagaret Al Durr never got to be laid to rest in this mausoleum. After the death of her husband, Sultan Ayyub, she assumed the role of sultana but her…
Cairo
A quirky, old fashioned two-room museum home to dusty cases of highly detailed models of post offices and tiny dioramas of postal services throughout the…
Cairo
This theme park is cheesy but offers a child-friendly glimpse of what life in ancient Egypt would have been like, with a boat trip past actors in…
Cairo
Walking west along busy Sharia Al Saliba eventually leads to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. A short detour north on Sharia Suyufiyya brings you to this restored…
Cairo
Groppi’s high point was more than 50 years ago when it was one of the most celebrated patisseries this side of the Mediterranean. It has unfortunately…
Shrines of Sayyida Atika & Mohammed Al Gaafari
Cairo
This twin-domed shrine is dedicated to Sayyida Atika (thought to be the aunt of the Prophet Mohammed) and Mohammed Al Gaafari (one of this descendants)…
Cairo
At the Sabil-Kuttab of Kathkuda, take the little alleyway that leads to Qasr Beshtak (Palace of Amir Beshtak), a rare example of 14th-century domestic…
Giza
Head east from the Pyramid of Menkaure to visit the ruins of Menkaure's valley temple. Excavations here unearthed many statues of Menkaure and also…
Giza
Along the Great Pyramid of Khufu's east face, three small structures some 20m high resemble piles of rubble. These are the Queens’ Pyramids, the tombs of…
Cairo
This is one of the most important shrines in the Al Khalifa area, dedicated to Sayyida Ruqayya, the Prophet's granddaughter. Inside, the stucco mihrab …
Cairo
Napoleon’s commanders took the liberty of naming the towers of Bab An Nasr (Gate of Victory) after themselves – and carved their names into it. The entire…
Garden of Freedom & Friendship
Cairo
Across Midan Saad Zaghloul from the Andalus Garden, on the southwest side, is the entrance to the grandly named Garden of Freedom and Friendship, much…
Cairo
This Florentine-style Roman Catholic church is a major landmark along Sharia Mohammed Farid. It dates from 1909 when Cairo was home to a sizeable Italian…
Giza
Just outside the Pyramid of Menkaure you can see the excavated remains of Menkaure’s Funerary Temple with its courtyard leading onto a sanctuary…
Giza
To the south of the Pyramid of Menkaure is a set of three small Queens’ Pyramids. Archaeologists presume they were intended as the tombs for Menkaure's…
