Destination Egypt
Below is a list of fun things to think about seeing and doing when you are in Egypt. Enjoy your stay in this historic & important city.
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country in North Africa that includes the Sinai Peninsula, a land bridge to Asia.
Egypt is the fifteenth most populous country in the world. The vast majority of its 78.8 million people (2006) live near the banks of the Nile River (about 40,000 kmý or 15,450 sq miles) where the only arabe agricultural land is found.
Large areas of land form part of the Sahara Desert and are sparsely inhabited. Around half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with the majority spread across the densely populated centers of greater Cairo (the largest city in Africa and the Middle East), Alexandria and other major towns in the Nile Delta.
Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most ancient and important monuments, including the Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza; the southern city of Luxor contains a particularly large number of ancient artifacts such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings.
Today, Egypt is widely regarded as a main political and cultural centre of the Middle East.
The Pyramids
The bases of the three Pyramids of Giza together cover more than a million Square feet (90,000 square meters). These pyramids are old, they were ancient even before the Greeks or Romans had a word for ancient, when the Chinese first started lying the great Wall, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, far right, had already stood for, 800 years “Man fears Time,” says an Arab proverb, “But time fears the Pyramid.
Sphinx
The Sphinx is in essence a carving out of the living rock, though parts of it have been repaired (and possibly were originally constructed) with cut blocks of stone. The head is formed of good, hard limestone of the same sort as was quarried all around locks of the pyramids. The hulk of the body, on the other hand, is made of poorly consolidated and therefore readily eroded limestone.
The Egyptian Museum
The greatest collection of Egyptian antiquities is, without doubt, that of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It is a place of true discovery and, even after many visits; one continues to make new and delightful discoveries every time you venture into its many galleries. It has 107 halls. At the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamen treasures and the mummies. The Museum also comprises a photography section and a large Library A hall for the royal mummies was opened at the museum, housing eleven kings and queens.
The Citadel & Mohamed Ali Mosque
Particularly when viewed from the back side (from the north), the Citadel reveals a very medieval character. Legend has it that Salah ad-Din chose the site for its healthy air. The Mohammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque in the Citadel was begun in 1830 (finished in 1857) in the Ottoman style by Mohammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt, and founder of the country's last dynasty of Khedives and Kings. The mosque is the Tomb of Mohammad Ali and is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because of the extensive use of this fine material from Beni Suef. Its two slender 270 foot minarets are unusual for Cairo. From the arcaded courtyard, visitors have a magnificent view across the city to the pyramids in Giza. Just off the courtyard is the vast prayer hall with an Ottoman style dome which is 170 feet above. The parapet to the southwest offers a good view of Cairo.
The Hanging Church (In Old Cairo or Coptic Cairo)
The Hanging Church is the Church of the Virgin. It is known as the Hanging Church because it was built over two towers of the Roman Fortress Babylon. The Church is about 13 meters or 43 feet high. This church is important religiously because it is the site of many great Christian religious celebrations, such as the enthronement of Patriarchs. It is also important because bishops or priests suspected of heresy were judged therein. Historians have written at length about the church's collection of precious items. These include gilded materials, silk clerical vestments, valuable receptacles, and silver and gold censers. The church is in the shape of a rectangle 24.10 by 20.50 meters or 79.05 by 67.24 feet. The church's facade is located on the western side and is two stories high.
Saint Barbara Church (in Old Cairo or Coptic Cairo)
Saint Barbara Church is located within the walls of the Babylon fortress. It is 1.42 meters or 4.66 feet below ground level. It can be reached by descending several stone steps. References in Saint Barbara's biographies mention that she was born at the beginning of the third century AD to a rich pagan family. Saint Barbara adopted the Christian faith at the hands of the Egyptian scholar, Origen. Her father was upset that Saint Barbara had become a Christian and killed her. The church forms a rectangle with a surface of 26.60 meters by 14.45 meters or 87.25 feet by 47.40 feet.
The Coptic Museum
The Coptic Museum lies behind the walls of the famous Roman fortress of Babylon in the ancient district of Cairo (Misr Al-Qadima). The area surrounding the museum abounds in lively monuments in an 'open museum' that depicts the history of the Coptic period in Egypt. Marcus Simaika Pasha founded this museum in 1910 to collect material necessary to study the history of Christianity in Egypt. At that time there were several museums in Egypt: the Cairo Museum for pharaonic antiquities, the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria, and the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. The Coptic Museum was founded to fill the gap in the records of Egyptian history and art. The largest collection of Coptic artifacts and the most significant collection of Coptic art in the world are found in this museum and include 16,000 pieces. The Old Wing of the museum is a fine piece of architecture consisting of a series of large rooms. In 1931, the Egyptian government recognized the importance of the Coptic Museum and attached it to the state. In 1947, a large New Wing was opened, its style similar to that of the Old Wing. President Mubarak opened the restored museum in 1984.
Ancient Churches in Old Cairo or Coptic Cairo
Most of the ancient Coptic churches are located in the Old section of the city, near the ruins of the Fortress of Babylon.
Church of Abu Sergah (St Sergius) Dating back to the beginning of the 5th Century, the basilica is built on the cave in which the Holy Family is believed to have stayed when they came to Egypt. It is regarded by visitors as a source of blessing.
Church of Abu Mina (St Mena) Located in the Old City, the Church was built in the 6th Century AD in memory of Saint Mena, a Coptic martyr.
Church of Abu Sefein (St Macarius) Built in the 6th Century AD, the Church is located in one OT the most ancient areas of Old Cairo. Among its prominent relics is the crypt of St Barsoum Al-Arian, in addition to a well-preserved collection of Coptic icons.
Church of Al-Adra (The Virgin) Dating back to the 8th Century, this church contains some precious icons and has three "haykals" behind ivory-inlaid wooden screens.
Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids
An hour of simplified dramatic Egyptian history overlaid with misty, multi-colored lighting effects, and a laser show projecting hieroglyphic images onto the side of the pyramids.
Ancient Memphis & Sakkara
Sakkara is part of the great necropolis of ancient Memphis. The Step Pyramid of Zose is believed to be the oldest known of Egypt's 97 pyramids, built by architect Imhotep about 2630 B.C.
