Cairo

Welcome To Cairo

Cairo…this sprawling, historic, ancient city is most visitors’ fi rst stop on a trip through Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum top the list for most, but there is a lot more to see and do in this city. To help you plan your visit, here are the best things to do in Cairo.
Not everything on this list is located in Cairo. Several places are located in or near Giza (such as the Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara). I am including them in this article, even though they are not technically located in Cairo,because most people visit these places while staying in Cairo.Cairo is the capital of Egypt. Over nine million people call Cairo home,with an additional 10 million living just outside of the city. This entire metropolitan area is the largest in Africa and the Middle East.

It is located on the Nile River, right where the desert transitions into the Nile delta. Giza sits on the west bank of the Nile River, just 5 km southwest of Cairo, so these two cities seem to blend into one another.
Cairo is called “the city of a thousand minarets,” for its predominance of Islamic architecture. Most people who live in Cairo are Muslim, however,about 10% of the population are Christians who belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Cairo has a hot desert climate. Rainfall is rare but most likely to occur during the winter months. During the summer, daytime highs typically reach 35°C (95°F) with high humidity, due to Cairo’s location near the Mediterranean Sea. It is much more pleasant to visit Cairo in the winter,with daytime highs of 20°C (68°F).