Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed “The City of a Thousand Minarets” for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region’s political and cultural life. Even before Cairo was established in the tenth century, the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the Great Sphinx and the pyramids in nearby Giza.

Egyptians today often refer to Cairo as Miṣr, the Arabic name for Egypt itself, emphasizing the city’s continued role in Egyptian influence. Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World, as well as the world’s second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, and the Arab League has been based in Cairo for most of its existence.

With a population of 6.8 million spread over 214 km2 (83 sq mi), Cairo is by far the largest city in Egypt as well as one of the most densely-populated cities in the world. With an additional ten million inhabitants just outside the city, Cairo resides at the center of the largest metropolitan area in Africa and the eleventh-largest urban area in the world. Cairo, like many large cities in developing countries, suffers from high levels of pollution and traffic, but its metro – currently the only on the African continent – also ranks among the fifteen busiest in the world, with over 700 million passenger rides annually.

Cairo is the most populous city in Egypt and the largest in the Arab World. It has 214 kilometers squared and currently a developing country in the world. Cairo is marked by wide boulevards, public gardens and open spaces. It’s also the home of multiple famous attractions such as Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, Citadel, Ibn Tlun and Al-Azhar Park.

The Lifestyle
Cairo, Egypt is a great city for its lifestyle. When you need a break from the city life, try a round of golf on the famous Mena House course overlooking the Pyramids, watch the horse racing at the Gezira Club or visit the Cairo Zoo and the Botanical Gardens. Take a trip on the Nile in a felucca or ride on horseback from the Giza Pyramids to Saqqara. For a day trip outside the city visit Haraniyya village and see the beautiful tapestries and weaving produced by local people. If you wish, you may get away from it all at the top of the Cairo Tower, a modern 187 meter-high tower with views of the city from all sides, topped by a revolving restaurant.

Cairo, Egypt comes alive at night, which is the best time to shop, eat delicious Middle Eastern cuisine, or simply watch the world go by from a pavement cafe. You can dine in a floating restaurant on the Nile, sample an apple-flavored shisha waterpipe at a coffee-shop or see oriental dancers and cabarets at a luxury hotel. The splendid Cairo Opera House complex houses several galleries (including the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo), restaurants and concert halls. Listening to Arabic music under the stars, in the open-air theater, is a magical experience. At El-Ghuriya, in the heart of Islamic Cairo, one can watch folk musicians and whirling dervish dancers. And don’t forget the most essential after-dark experience, the Sound and Light show at the Pyramids, a dramatic fusion of light and music recounting the story of Egypt.

Visiting Cairo is going to the city of the thousand Minarets. It’s a vibrant modern society where men and women dress in modern clothing. One is not allowed if you walk around and reveal your thighs, upper arms, backs and cleavage. Especially inside the mosques, it’s truly a disrespectful demeanor once you wear shoes.

Activities and Attractions
There are numerous interesting activities you can do once you’re in Cairo. Apart from its rich and abundant form of lifestyle, you can walk around the city’s recreational places, the most popular being the Al-Azhar Park. This park is a good placeto relax. It has a landscape garden that overlooks the grand castle known as Citadel.
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