Cairo: Pyramids And Beyond

If you are a lover of history, an archaeologist, if you understand and appreciate architecture or if you are just a travel enthusiast, Cairo is the place for you.

Location

This capital city of Egypt, also known as the mother of all cities by Egyptians, is situated along the River Nile. Cairo is located in the Northern Egypt. It starts immediately south of the point where the river Nile branches into its delta region.  It is to the south of Mediterranean Sea by 165 kilometers and to the west of Gulf of Suez and Suez Canal by 75 kilometer.

With a total area of 214 square kilometers, it is the largest city in Egypt.

Cairo International Airport is located 22km (14 miles) northeast of central Cairo. From London, it takes approximately 5 hours to reach Cairo by flight. It is 11 hours from New York, 15 hours from Los Angeles, 13 hours from Toronto and 21 hours from Sydney.

Climate

As Cairo is situated along the River Nile, it has a desert climate but often with high humidity. The city has scanty rainfalls though that records a maximum of 5mm of rain annually. Winter temperatures range from 13 degree Celsius to about 19 degree Celsius. The summer temperatures reach up to 40 degree Celsius, while it falls down to about 20 degree Celsius in this season.

The best time to visit Cairo is during the fall or spring, when the weather isn’t so hot. This brief period from March to May is pleasant. New Cairo, because of its higher altitude, has a cooler temperature.

Tourist Attraction

Known as The City of A Thousand Minarets, this African city invites the attention of architects as a centre of Islamic architecture. The city was established in the 10th century and has its link with the Ancient Egypt because of the iconic pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx that are close by. The Egyptian Museum in the city’s centre has countless ancient Egyptian artifacts, connecting the present day culture of the city with its culturally rich heritage.

For those who like going on a shopping spree while on a tour, there is Khan al-Khalili bazaar. The Al-Azhar University claims to be an ancient centre of learning. Why, The Cairo University is one of the first universities of Egypt.Felucca ride on the River Nile is something you should look forward to, while planning your itinerary for a tour of Cairo.

You might want to check out www.cairoopera.org and make a note of cultural events to take place that you might want to include in your itinerary. Theatres, films and music across genres mark the cultural scene here. Cairo Opera House is city’s main venue for drama, dance, film, music etc.

While these are the landmarks of the city, you could also immerse yourself into the pleasures of Cairo life by simply walking around the streets, amidst museums, old buildings, shopping streets etc. and get a feel of the place. Going beyond the guidebooks has its own element of fun.

Transport

It is among only two Egyptian cities, the other one being Algiers, to have a metro, which in fact is among the fifteen busiest metros of the world. In Cairo, in fact, metro is the best way to travel. It’s operational from May to September, though it can get really crowded during the Ramdan.

The metro has two lines. One runs along the east bank of the Nile from Helwan in the north to al-Marg in the south, via Tahrir. The other, newer line goes from Shubra in the north to Giza in the west, also via Tahrir where the two lines intersect. More metro extensions are planned, though as of now, the metro does not cover all the tourist area.

Roads are usually busy and not in a condition for a smooth ride. Taking public transport is not a very good option as well, unless you want to experience what Caireans go through as a part of their daily routine! The Cairo Airport Shuttle Bus runs to locations throughout the city.

Tourists could use the guarded ‘tourist trains’ that run along the Nile Valley. Cairo is linked by comfortable, regular and inexpensive coach services to the other main Egyptian cities. An easy, though may be expensive way out could be getting in touch with a local travel agencies or asking the hotels where you are staying for making arrangements for your tour around the city.

What you could also do is hire a taxi fro the nearest destination and then walk around the places nearby.

Cairo has a lot to offer to tourists. It is expected though to just enjoy the place as a visitor and not be very vocal about the political and cultural scene here, which might appear conservative to you.

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