Culture of Cairo. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Cairo Catholic Church Cairo offers its visitors to attend various sightseeing objects. Among memorable places of the city travellers will find numerous colorful markets and ancient religious buildings, historic sites, museums, art galleries and unique natural reserves. Birqash Camel Market is traditionally very popular among vacationers. The market is located in Cairo suburbs, in a place called Birkash. The market is a huge field, on which hundreds of camels are sold. These animals are the main product of the market. Buyers and sellers come to the famous camel market from different cities, and travelers visit it as a local landmark.
Located in one of the newer districts in Cairo, CitySyar is a modern shopping center that will conquer the hearts of fashionistas with its gorgeous design and a broad range of branded shops. … Open
Hanging Church is a beautiful architectural monument. The first religious building on the site of the church appeared in the 9th century. The chair of the church is made of marble, and its hall is decorated with unique religious artifacts and icons. Every day hundreds of tourists come to the church to admire the beauty of the building and walk through the picturesque courtyard of the church.
Bab Zuweila is a striking monument of the Middle Ages. The construction of the monument was completed in the 10th century. Visitors of the building are welcome to climb the ramparts or one of the minarets – they feature wonderful panoramic views of Cairo and its suburbs. Townhouse Gallery is an interesting cultural institution. This is a beautiful three-story building, in which six artist studios are open, as well as a bookstore and library. The gallery has become the location of various cultural activities - music and theater performances, exhibitions, workshops, lectures and presentations. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Discovering the architecture of Cairo from bird's eye view! Great Sphinx of Giza, Egyptian Museum, Abdeen Palace, all those monuments are defining the image of Cairo … Open
Egyptian Antiquities Museum has the full right to be called the most interesting museum in Cairo. The building, in which the museum is located, is also of a great cultural value and is considered a true example of neoclassicism. The museum's collection includes more than one hundred thousand exhibits, including works of art, archaeological and historical artifacts, antiques and world-famous collection of Tutankhamun. Your excursion program should definitely include a visit to Bayt el Suhaymi mansion. The building is the best example of the national house in the city. The local residents built mansions of this type starting from ancient times and until the late 19th century. There are small living rooms in the mansion, a hall for receptions, and a beautiful courtyard with lots of plants and flowers.
In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Cairo and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Cairo and surroundings

Plan your own excursion through Cairo: churches, museums and castles

Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The Mosque of Muhammad Ali was built between 1830 and 1848 and is located in the Citadel of Cairo. It was built in memory of his beloved son who died at the age of 22.
»  There is also a tomb of Muhammad Ali himself who died in 1849. His body was moved here in 1857. The burial sarcophagus is made of very valuable Carrara marble imported from Italy.
»  The mosque is located on the highest point of the city and can be seen from any part of the city. It’s a very beautiful colourful construction crowned with a large dome that is 52 metres high and 21 metres in diameter and has two high pointed minarets.
»  There is a huge prayer hall (1,600 square metres) inside.
»  Both the inside and outside of the building are decorated with carved patterns. A clock tower was erected in the courtyard of the temple. This clock was presented by King Louis Philippe of France.
»  The mosque is the main landmark of Cairo, so all tourists, even women, are allowed to enter it, but a certain dress code should be followed.

Egyptian Museum, Cairo

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The Egyptian Museum was built in 1902. 150 000 exhibits are kept in 100 showrooms. These artifacts are aged about 5 000 years.
»  The most precious of them are eleven mummies of pharaohs, items from the tomb of Tutankhamen, and a gilded throne with precious stones. On the throne, you can see pictures of the pharaoh and his wife.
»  In the museum, there are also sarcophagi of high priests, including one made of gold and weighing 110 kilos.
»  The hall that houses mummies found at different times is interesting too.
»  One of the museum founders was the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette who left his job in the Louvre and moved to Cairo in 1850. He was dedicated to his profession and Egypt. In the yard of the museum, there is a monument to this scientist. There is also a sarcophagus with his ashes.
»  Around the monument to Auguste Mariette, there are 23 busts of famous Egyptologists. They include a bust of the Russian archaeologist V. S. Golenischev. It was placed here in 2006.

Abdeen Palace, Cairo

Location on the map:     Facts:
» Abdeen Palace had been built for 10 years upon the order of Khedive Ismail who had been to Paris, saw French palaces there, and wanted to build a more luxurious and more beautiful one in Cairo.
»  It was named after an outstanding commander Abidin.
»  Architects from different countries, such as France, Italy, Egypt, and Turkey, were invited. All the 500 halls of the palace have a luxury interior.
»  There are also rooms designed in the European or Eastern style. For example, the Throne Hall, the most sumptuous room in the palace, is decorated in the tradition of Egypt. Near it, there is a room designed in the style of Louis XVI.
»  The upper floors of the palace serve as the Egyptian President’s residence. The ground floors are allocated for four museums: The Arms Museum, the Historical Documents Museum, the Presidential Gifts Museum, and the Royal Family Museum.
»  One of the most interesting exhibits is a golden sword decorated with diamonds. It was bought at the auction by King Farooq I. You can also see a big box with Farooq’s treasures. It has two locks, so if you insert a wrong key, a gun will come out of the box and go off. Due to a huge number of fantastic exhibits, Abdeen Palace is one of the richest and most luxurious museums in the world.

Al Rifai Mosque, Cairo

Location on the map:     Facts:
» The Al Rifai Mosque is located near the other mosque that is 500 years older. In 1869, the mother of Ismail Pasha wanted to replace and extend a medieval cell of the Islamic theologian Ahmad Ar-rifai. This place was revered by the local population.
»  The construction was completed in 1912. The reason for such a long construction was the death of the architect and Ismail’s abdication from the throne.
»  The construction was resumed in 1905 by a new ruler, Khedive Abbas II, and a Hungarian architect.
»  The mosque is also interesting because there are burials of Ahmad Ar-rifai, Sufi saints, and members of the Royal Family: Ismail Pasha, his mother Hoshiyar Hanim, his sons Fuad I and Farooq I (the last King of Egypt), and his daughter Ferial are buried here too. The last King of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who was in exile and died in 1980 was buried here too.
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What to visit during two-day excursion in Cairo

The Pyramids of Giza
Where: Western edge of Cairo, 10km from downtown., Cairo;
Solar Boat Museum (at the Pyramids of Giza)
Where: South side of the Great Pyramid, Cairo;
Egyptian Museum
Where: Tahrir Square, Cairo;
The Citadel
Where: Sharia Salah Salem, Al-Qalaa, Cairo;
Aqueduct of An-Nasir
Where: Sharia Salah Salem, Al-Qalaa, Cairo;
Museum of Islamic Art
Where: Bab El Khalk Square, Cairo; Telephone: + 2 (0)2 390 15 20;
Coptic Cairo
Where: Southern part of the East Bank of the Nile, Cairo;
Coptic Museum
Where: Sharia Mar Giris, Cairo;
The New Camel Market
Reference information
Map of all art museums
Art galleries in Cairo and around
♥   Art museum 'Museum of Islamic Art' Cairo, 0.7 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'The Townhouse Gallery' Cairo, 1.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Egyptian Museum' Cairo, 1.6 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Prince Amr Ibrahim Palace' Cairo, 2.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Art museum 'Museum of Islamic Ceramics' Cairo, 2.7 km from the center. On the map   Photo

Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Cairo

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