Things to do in Cairo

The national capital marks the point at which Islam carried Egypt's story forward from the pharaohs, where the Nile Valley widens into the flat, fertile delta cheap airport car hire spain. It is the largest city in Africa (home to 13 million), and one of the most densely populated places on the planet, with an average of75,000 people per square mile (or 29,000 per square kilornetre).Here, by the side of the slow, silent flowing Nile, a bewildering multitude of people live to gather in an intense bustle of activity.

The heart of the modern me triploids lies on the east bank of the Nile and extends on to the two islands of Gezira and Roda. Large, luxury hotels rise up on the river banks in this area, and Garden City's cooling greenery stretches along the waterfront.No fewer than four bridges span the waters between the landmark of Tele vision Building to the north and the southern tip of Roda Island. One of the busiest, Tahrir Bridge (Kubry AI Tahrir/Kasr EI Nil), crosses the main branch of the river from Gezira Island and enters the heart of the city, Tahrir Square. Microcosm of Cairo's daily life, Tahrir Square (Midan Tahrir) throbs and rumbles all day long and half the night as well.

The tremendous traffic roundabout is a rabbit warren of underground tunnels connecting pedestrian walkways and the metro system (built by the French and still being ex tended).In the square, peddlers and vendors take up time-honored battle stations each morning, waiting for the day's army of potential customers to hurry by. Here and there the occasional open space is filled with long queues of endlessly patient Cairenes waiting for overstuffed buses in which there is often no room to arrive and depart.
Some of Cairo's most prestigious institutions surround Tahrir Square, including the renowned Egyptian Museum , Ministry of Foreign Affairs, American University, and the Nile Hilton, with its perfect people watching cafe. Leaving the square, Talaat Harb Street leads to the beginning of Cairo's chic shopping and business street, Kasr EI Nil. Cinemas, cafes, teashops and restaurants abound along these thoroughfares, providing refuge from the bustle of day time commerce.

At night the main streets are brightly lit and thronged with window shoppers, strollers and young Cairenes on their way to the theatre or cinema. If it all becomes overpowering, try escaping to the delightful Nile side prom enade of Cairo's El Corniche, which you'll find due west of any point in the city centre.

Wherever you go in Cairo, the fantasy architecture of mosque domes and minarets rises up above the jumble of rooftops. The city preserves a rich tradition of Islamic artistry, and even the dark veneer of time cannot rob these imaginative structures of their charm.Go east from Tahrir Square, past the large, 19thcentury Republic (Abdin) Palace to Ahmed Maher Square, and from there through a busy market area to reach the massive, cylindrical bastions of Bab Zuweila, an imposing gate set in the medieval city walls. Many a condemned criminal or opponent of the ruler has been hanged from this gate in times past. The two minarets on top of the gate actually belong to the adjoining mosque.

This was finished in 1420 by the Mameluke Sultan EIMoayyad. Fol lowing a spell spent in Bab Zuweila's infamous prison, he vowed if he was ever freed he would build a mosque. Once released, he designed a particularly beautiful building with outstanding stonework and a pretty courtyard garden.

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