About Cairo

Public Holidays:

• New Year's Day (1 January)
• Coptic Christmas (7 January)
• Eid Al Adha - the Great Feast (February)
• First Sunday in Lent (February)
•  Islamic New Year's Day (March)
• Sinai Liberation Day (25 April)
• Easter (March/April)
• Sham Al Nessim - Smell of the Breeze (March/April) . May Day (1 May)
• Moulid Al Nabi - birthday of Mohammed (May/June)
• Revolution Day (23 July)
• Feast of the Assumption (15 August)
• National Day (6 October). Ramadan (Oct/Nov)
• Eid Al-Fitr (Nov/Dec)

Shopping In Cairo

Cairo offers a vast range of multi culture shopping opportunities, from modern shopping centers to the famous markets (Souks).

The old and most famous bazaar, Khan El Khalili, is arguably one of the most interesting places to shop and bargain over spices, perfume, gold and silver jewelry, leatherwork, brass and copperware. Bargaining or haggling is a part of life in the Cairo markets and bazaars, and virtually everything is open to negotiation.

Another place that gets good reviews for souvenir shoppers is the Khan Bin Toulon also located in medieval Cairo, just in front of the Mosque Bin Toulon. You probably aren't seriously considering buying a 'ship of the desert' but just wait until you see these lovely beasts at the camel bazaar (souk al-gemal). Not only can you get everything but you can watch most of it gets made; what could be more fun?

Here are some bargaining tips that will come in handy at the bazaars:

• Feel free to accept tea from the shopkeeper if it is offered, it doesn't obligate you to buy and it's a nice custom.
• Halve the first asking price and start from there.
• Stay polite and have a sense of humor while bargaining, it is supposed to be fun.
• Walking away is a good way to get the price down quickly.
• Convert the asking price in to your own currency before you end up haggling like crazy over what turns out to be a few pennies.
• Pay what you think the item is worth and don't worry too much if others have paid less.
• If the price is too high or you don't want an item just leave, there will be plenty more opportunities just around the corner.
  

The Pyramids

There are no more famous ancient sites within Egypt, or for that matter elsewhere in the world, than the Great Pyramids at Giza. They are, without question, the icon most associated with Egypt. They have been both the main destination for tourists and a source of imaginative thought to the world for over three thousand years.

However, there are actually over 100 pyramids in Egypt, many of which are relatively unknown to anyone who is not an ancient Egypt enthusiast. All but a very few are grouped around and near the City of Cairo, just south of the Nile Delta. Otherwise, only one royal pyramid is known in southern Egypt (at Abydos), that being the one built by Ahmose, founder of the 18th Dynasty and Egypt's New Kingdom. It may have also been the last royal pyramid built in Egypt. While pyramids were, for the most part, tombs for the Pharaohs of Egypt, one must nevertheless question the reason that Egyptian rulers chose this particular shape, and for that matter, why they built them so large. Today, we believe that they chose the shape in order to mimic the Benben, a pyramid shaped stone found in the earliest of temples, which itself is thought to symbolize the primeval mound from which the Egyptians believed life emerged. This also connected the pyramid to the Sun God, as it was he, according to some of the ancient Egypt mythology, who rose from the primeval mound to create life.

As far the great size of many of the pyramids in Egypt, we can really only surmise that the Pharaohs were making a statement about their own power and perhaps, about the glory and strength of their country. However, it should also be remembered that many of the latter pyramids were not nearly as large as the Great Pyramids at Giza (and elsewhere). However, some mysteries remain, even in some of the best well known Pyramids. The most famous of them all, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, continues, year after year, to give up a few more secrets, and there doubtless remains much to learn from these Egyptian treasures. There may even be one or more pyramids yet to be discovered.

The Opera House

All Egyptian artistic groups admire the main Opera hall. It is certainly the largest, most beautiful and the most sophisticated of all theatres in Egypt. One can gain access to it through different entrances. Designed to seat 1,300 spectators, the hall rises on four levels, with two upper circles, one grand circle and seats near the stage, as well as a presidential box on the third level, which the guests of honor can reach by elevator from the entrance hall.

The seats in the stalls rise in tiers, at regular intervals, to the projection and control room, equipped for the screening of 16 and 35 millimeter films and allowing the installation of TV-cameras. Circles and boxes are not only elegantly designed, but also ensure excellent vision of the stage, from which none of the 1,300 spectators is at a distance exceeding 25 meters.

Sphinx

The Sphinx is one of the best known monuments on Earth and dates back over 4,500 years to the Old Kingdom and the time of King Khafra'a - builder of the second largest pyramid on the Giza plateau on Cairo's outskirts. The head of the Sphinx probably depicts Khafra'a, while the body is that of a recumbent lion. The Sphinx is about 73.5 meters in length. It was originally sculptured from a limestone outcrop and, for most of its history; the Sphinx has been at least partly covered in sand.

The first recorded clearing took place in the 18th Dynasty when a prince, who later became the pharaoh Thutmose IV, ordered that the sand be removed. This happened after he supposedly had a dream in which he was told that he would become pharaoh if he cleared the Sphinx. In front of the Sphinx is its temple, while adjacent to it is the better preserved Valley Temple of Khafra'a. A causeway, behind the Sphinx, connected Khafra'a Mortuary Temple next to his pyramid with the Valley Temple. At night, Sound & Light shows are performed at Giza and the audience is seated.

Egyptian Museum

The Egyptian Museum was first built in Boulak. In 1891, it was moved to Giza Palace of "Ismail Pasha" which housed the Palace of "Ismail Pasha" which housed the antiquities that were later moved to the present building. The Egyptian Museum is situated at Tahrir square in Cairo. It was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in 1897, and opened on November 15, 1902, it has 107 halls. At the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamun treasures and the mummies.

The Museum also comprises a photography section and a large library. The Egyptian museum comprises many sections arranged in chronological order

• The first section houses Tutankhamun's treasures.
• The second section houses the pre-dynasty and the Old Kingdom monuments.
• The third section houses the first intermediate period and the Middle Kingdom monuments.
• The forth section houses the monuments of the Modern Kingdom.
• The fifth section houses the monuments of the late period and the Greek and Roman periods.
• The sixth section houses coins and papyrus.
• The seventh section houses sarcophagi and scarabs.
• A hall for the royal mummies was opened at the museum, housing eleven kings and queens.

Cairo Citadel

Another one of Cairo's most popular tourist attractions is the Citadel, located on a spur of limestone that had been detached from its parent Moqattam Hills by quarrying. The Citadel is one of the world's greatest monuments to medieval warfare, as well as a highly visible landmark on Cairo's eastern skyline. Particularly when viewed from the back side (from the north), the Citadel reveals a very medieval character.

The area where the Citadel is now located began it's life not as a great military base of operations, but as the "Dome of the Wind", a pavilion created in 810 by Hakim Ibn Hartama, who was then governor. Indeed this area was well known for its cool breeze. These early governors, not realizing its strategic importance, simply used the pavilion for its view of Cairo.

Legend has it that Salah Al Din chose the site for its healthy air. The story goes that he hung pieces of meat up all around Cairo. Everywhere the meat spoilt within a day, with the exception of the Citadel area where it remained fresh for several days. But in reality this location provides a strategic advantage both to dominate Cairo and to defend against outside attackers. Salah El Din had come from Syria where each town had some sort of fortress to act as a stronghold for the local ruler so it was only natural that he would carry this custom to Egypt.