About
Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Arab world, with a metropolitan population of over 20 million. It sits at the head of the Nile Delta, 10 km from the Giza pyramids — which dominated the western skyline of a city that didn't yet exist when they were built. It was founded by the Fatimid Caliphate in 969 CE and became the Islamic world's cultural center.
Islamic Cairo — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — contains over 600 medieval mosques, including the Al-Azhar Mosque (972 CE), one of the world's oldest universities. The Egyptian Museum (Tahrir Square) houses the world's greatest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts including Tutankhamun's gold mask. Cairo's street life, Khan el-Khalili bazaar, and Nile-side cafes make it one of the world's most viscerally alive cities.
# Top 10 Cairo Egypt facts
- 1Cairo's Al-Azhar University, founded in 972 CE, is one of the world's oldest continuously operating universities
- 2The Egyptian Museum holds 120,000 artifacts — including Tutankhamun's solid gold death mask weighing 11 kg
- 3Cairo's Tahrir Square became the epicenter of the 2011 Arab Spring revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Cairo's Al-Azhar University, founded in 972 CE, is one of the world's oldest continuously operating universities
- ◆The Egyptian Museum holds 120,000 artifacts — including Tutankhamun's solid gold death mask weighing 11 kg
- ◆Cairo's Tahrir Square became the epicenter of the 2011 Arab Spring revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak
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