Solar Boat Museum (beside Cheops Pyramid, Al Haram, Giza, Cairo) — Ancient Egyptians used to bury a “solar barge” near the tomb of their pharaoh because they believed that their ruler needed transportation in the afterlife. In 1954, the parts of a cedar-wood barge were found in five pits near the Great Pyramid of Khufu. […]
Sabil Umm Abbas (Saliba Street at corner of Al-Siufiya, Cairo) — A rather “recent” landmark stands tucked in between the old Mamluk mosques and buildings on Saliba Street in Cairo: it’s Sabil Umm Abbas, a fountain that was built in the mid-19th century by the mother of Abbas II, the last Khedive of Egypt who […]
Red Pyramid of Dahshur (40 minutes driving distance south of Cairo) — Located at a short distance from Saqqara, the Red Pyramid at Dahshur was built for the pharaoh Snefru, father of Khufu for whom the Great Pyramid of Giza was built. The Red Pyramid is the first “true” pyramid and it has the second […]
Pyramid of Menkaure (Giza plateau, near Cairo) — The “little” Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus), standing a respectable 62 meters (203 feet) high, was unfinished at the time of the King’s death, and completed by his son. The nasty gash on the north face was caused by earlier explorers trying to dynamite through in order to […]
Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops)( Giza Necropolis, Nazlet El-Semman, Al Haram, Giza Plateau, Cairo) — Soaring at nearly 147 meters (482 feet), the massive granite Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), is the largest and the most enigmatic in Egypt. The smooth Tura limestone that once encased the granite structure is no longer intact, and the pyramidion (capstone) […]
Pyramids of Abu Sir (Saqqara Road, Abu Sir) — Located between Giza and Saqqara, the pyramids of Abu Sir are part of a 5th dynasty necropolis. Although the pyramids are not well preserved, the whole Abu Sir site is worth a short trip from Cairo. There is a lot to see in Abu Sir, including […]
Old Cairo, or Masr el-Qadima, provides a historical link between Pharaonic times and the Islamic period. This district was the center of Cairo during Roman times, until after the Arab invasion. The historical sites in this area, which has been continuously inhabited for around 2000 years, are surrounded by modern residences. Old Cairo is easily […]
Nilometer (2 Al Malek Al Saleh St., Rhoda Island, Cairo) — Located on the lower end of Rhoda Island, in Cairo, the Nilometer was used to measure the level of the river in times past. The structure consists of a measuring device, or a graduated column sitting below the Nile’s level, reached by steps that […]
Maidum Pyramid (100 km. south of Cairo) — Built by the pharaoh Snefru, the Father of Khufu, the pyramid of Maidum seems to stand alone on the edge of the desert, close to several smaller mastabas. The eight layers structure is believed to be the first attempt at a true pyramid and it is the […]
Madrassa and Mausoleum of Sultan al-Zahir Barquq — In the late 14th century, Sultan Barquq decided to build a complex in the coveted surroundings of the Qalawunid monuments on the famous Mo’ezz Li Din-Illah Street in Cairo. Barquq was of Circassian origins, he was acquired by the Turkish Bahri Mamluks and after regaining his freedom […]