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Tourist Places in Cairo |
Sphinx Cairo
 Of all Egypt's
monuments, none is as majestic and haunting as the Great Sphinx. It
was named as such by the Greeks, because of its physical similarity
to a mythical creature with a lion's body and woman's head who devoured
passers-by unable to answer her riddle. Arabs know it as Abu el-Hol
(Father of Terror). Carved out of a limestone outcropping in front
of the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx is 50 meters long and 22 meters high.
Conventional archaeologists attribute its construction to the IV Dynasty
pharaoh Khafre (who built one of the three pyramids behind it), but
others suggest it may be much older. The nose and beard were later
shot off by Mameluke troops who used the Sphinx for target practice.
Visitors cannot climb on the monument, but there is a viewing platform
accessible through the granite mortuary temple to one side.
Cairo Tower
 Built
during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser with Soviet assistance,
this 187m-high slender tower on an island in the Nile offers spectacular
views of Cairo. Its concrete lattice work with a fluted lotus flower
finial is unique, but makes the tower look somewhat like an elongated
rubbish bin. There is an overpriced restaurant that occasionally revolves,
but its better to skip it altogether in favour of the roof deck and
its fantastic panoramic views. Telescopes are available.
Egyptian Museum
 Founded
in 1858 by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette (whose tomb is in
the museum's garden), the giant salmon-colored building was built
in 1902 under Khedive Abbas II Helmi. Housing one of the world's greatest
collections of Egyptian artifacts, it boasts more than 136,000 artifacts
from every period of pre-Islamic Egyptian history. It would be impossible
to see everything in one go (allowing 60 seconds at each exhibit it
would take nine months to see them all), so it is best to plan several
visits if time allows. The exhibits on the ground floor are arranged
more or less chronologically running clockwise with an ecclectic sample
of Pharaonic highlights in the atrium. Don't miss the highly-lauded
Amarna collection tucked away at the back. Upstairs are priceless
treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun, the museum's crowning glory.
Also on the top floor is the Mummy Room, which reopened in 1994 after
years of controversy and contains the mummies of Egypt's mightiest
Pharaohs.
Pyramid of Cheops ( Khufu )
 The
most famous site in Egypt, and the one that appears on almost every
tour package, this is the oldest and largest of the pyramids on the
Giza Plateau. Built by the IV Dynasty pharaoh Khufu (better known
as Cheops) around B.C. 2570, this 140-meter-high monument contains
an estimated 2.3 million blocks averaging 2.5 tons. Its purpose is
controversial: Many believe it was the ancient burial chamber of the
pharaoh and his queen, while others suggest it had astronomical functions.
As no inscriptions or mummies were found inside, speculation continues.
It is now illegal to climb the pyramid, but you can go inside. After
a descent at a crouch, a steep ascending passage leads to the Grand
Gallery and two chambers. The King's Chamber contains a lidless granite
sarcophagus while the so-called Queens Chamber was found empty. The
ticket for the Giza Plateau (about USD6) covers entrance to the site.
A separate ticket is required to enter each pyramid and the Solar
Boat Museum.
Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrassa
 If
you're only going visit one mosque in Egypt, then consider this one.
Built in 1356 under the orders of Sultan Hassan bin Mohammed bin Qualaun,
it was designed to serve not only as a mosque, but also as a religious
school for all four Sunni Muslim sects (Shafite, Malakite, Hanefite
and Hambelite). The four sects shared the mosque, each teaching their
students in one of the four liwans that form a cruciform, but all
praying together. While the mosque is beautifully constructed, it
had a few hitches. One of the minarets collapsed during construction
killing 300 people, another toppled a few centuries later, and the
dome later collapsed. A nominal admission fee is charged.
Step Pyramid of Saqqara
 Designed
by Imhotep, chief architect of the III Dynasty pharaoh Djoser, this
six-tiered funerary chamber was the first pyramid. Prior to its construction,
pharaohs were buried beneath rectangular mastabas. Imhotep created
a pyramid by stacking six increasingly smaller mastabas on top of
each other. Later pharaohs took it a step further to create the pyramids
seen at Giza and elsewhere. An extensive funerary complex surrounds
the pyramid. It is a very atmospheric place and the highlight for
many is wandering through the hypostyle hall and Great South Court,
part of which has been rebuilt. Special permission is needed to enter
the pyramid.
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