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Please note: the tour is currently in the
early stages of being compiled online - the whole tour should be available
to view very soon. Sorry for any inconvenience!
Cairo to Luxor tour
Regular contributor Tony High has put together an online tour starting
from Cairo and ending back at Luxor, and taking in all the major monuments
and landmarks:
Cairo - "the mother of the
world"
Al-Qāhirah is the city's official
but less known name. It is the largest city in Africa and the Islamic
world. On the east bank, one will find the oldest part of the city,
formerly known as Kher-aha ‘Place of Combat’, referring to the site where
the epic battles between Seth and his nephew Horus took place. Over the
centuries, Egypt has had numerous capital cities, including Memphis,
Thebes, On, Alexandria and finally Al-Qahira. It has also had a chequered
history, having been occupied by a foreign force since 751 BC; firstly by
the Ethiopian Princes ruling from the south, who in turn were overthrown
by the Persians, the Macedonians (Alexander the Great), the Ptolemies
(Cleopatra) and finally the Romans, whose dominance lasted for some 600
years until the Arabs overthrew the Roman fortresses in 641 AD. The
Mamelukes, Turks, and French then followed the Arabs with Egypt’s
dominance finally ending in 1807 AD when the British handed direct rule
back to Egypt under the pasha Muhammad Ali.
Scenes from "Islamic Cairo" - the medieval
quarter by the Citadel. Some beautiful Mameluke architecture and some of
the best views of the city from the Citadel. Sunset from here,
accompanied by the haunting sounds of the "adhan" (call to prayer) is a
truly spectacular experience.
The Fatimid Caliphs, who came from Baghdad, built the first ‘true’ city in
the 10th century; they built a walled city, which included palaces,
pavilions and sumptuous gardens, in the hope of copying the splendour of
Baghdad. This new city was designed for the sole use of the Khalifa and
his family and was called El-Kahira ‘The Conqueror’. Named after the
planet Mars, (El-Kahir) which legend has it was passing overhead as the
foundations of the city were being laid.
Downtown's famous cafe, Groppi (sells
vibrantly coloured soft drinks of the same name that are traditional at
weddings), bustling
street scenes from "Old Cairo" and another famous cafe, El Fishawy, in
the Khan el-Khalil souq - a great place to stop for a mint tea and
sheesha (not that we advocate smoking of course!).
In AD1171 Salah-al-Din assumed control of the country after defeating the
Christian crusaders, one of his first acts was to expel the royal family
from El-Kahira. He opened the ‘Walled City’ to the public, building them
an impressive mosque, known as the citadel or ‘The Alabaster Mosque’. This
newfound freedom gave rise to expansion allowing the city to become the
cultural and commercial centre of the country, which it remains to this
day.
In 1805, Cairo was at last under the control of an Egyptian, Muhammad Ali.
Eager to ‘drag’ Egypt into the modern world he embarked on a huge building
program introducing railways, canals and factories. Unfortunately, due to
the very rapid population growth and rural migration, the city was unable
to house the ever-increasing population. Originally designed to house 2
million inhabitants, the numbers quickly swelled to over 13 million! The
result is that today the infrastructure is unable to cope, leaving
hundreds and thousands of people to live on the streets, even resorting to
living in old cemeteries; known locally, as the ‘City of the Dead’.
Despite all these hardships, the Cairenes are very friendly and
good-natured people.
The ottoman style mosque of Mohammed Ali
crowns the citadel, views of modern Cairo bisected by the Nile, the
beautiful medieval Mameluke minarets and domes of Islamic Cairo.
The city has so much to offer the visitor:
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There is the Egyptian Museum with its
thousands of wonderful artefacts. Spend at least a day here if you
can, and don't miss the Tutankhaum treasures or the equally beautiful
treasures from Tanis. |
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The spectacular mosques and bazaars. Try "Islamic Cairo"
(don't be put off by the name, it simply refers to the concentration
of
beautiful medieval mosques and vibrant suqs in the area. Don't miss Al Azhar,
Sultan Hassan, Mohammed Ali and the Khan el-Khalili. You will feel like
you've just stepped out into a page of the "Arabian Nights"! |
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The beautiful early Christian churches and the Roman ruins of
Babylon at Old Cairo. Don't miss the "Hanging Church" originally
built in the 4th century AD with an amazing icon collection. Also the
Ben Ezra synagogue where the incredible medieval Geniza records were
discovered. This area of the city is actually below the modern
day street level! |
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And of course the
awe-inspiring pyramids of Giza. Need we say more? |
Driving around Cairo is
undoubtedly a hazardous, yet comical adventure! (We don't recommend you
drive - get a cab or do a coach tour - it's a lot safer). The traffic is a cacophony
of noise, with throngs of cars and donkey carts all jockeying for position.
From the comfort of your taxi or coach, you will come upon what you think will be an immovable
mass of vehicles, all hopes of getting back in time for tea gone. Then
with one long ‘beep’ on the horn the mass opens its ranks likening to the
Red Sea parting for Moses! Your driver will carefully thread his vehicle
through this mass with all the skill and dexterity of a surgeon, missing
donkeys and taxis alike by mere millimetres. After a couple of trips
around Cairo you will come to behold your driver in awe at his skill and
steely nerve, getting you from one side of the Cairo to the other
unscathed will truly amuse and astound you. Oh, and don't worry about red
lights - nobody stops for them, and very few people use their headlights
at night either.
Looking down the
Nile at night, view over Islamic Cairo from the Citadel, excellent views over
modern Cairo and the Nile (even the distant pyramids!) from the Cairo Tower in Zamalek,
an affluent suburb on an island in the Nile. Taking a felucca on the
Nile at dusk is a great way to see a more calmer aspect of the city.
Restaurant boats also make regular trips down the Nile, affording
excellent views of the modern day city.
Next site: The
Giza Plateau >>
 Discover
more about this amazing city Cairo with these top notch reads:
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The Cairo Triology by Naguib Mahfouz, nobel prize winner
for literature. A sweeping and evocative portrait of both a Cairene
family and a country struggling to move toward independence in a
society that has resisted change for centuries. Written as a triology:
Palace Walk, Palace of Desire and Sugar Street. |
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The Illustrated Guide to the Coptic Museum and Churches of Old
Cairo by Gawdat Gabra and Marianne Eaton-Krauss. Egypt's
Coptic Church is one of the oldest in the world, and this is a richly
informative and illustrated book, perfect for anyone interested in
this rich artistic heritage, with superb colour photos. |
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Islamic Cairo. Cairo has more medieval monuments than
any other city in the world. This guide outlines the history and
architecture of the city and describes the major mosques, madrasas and
mausoleums, the citadel, the Khan al-Khalili souq, the Nilometer, and
the Museum of Islamic Art. |
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Cairo: the practical guide. Described by "The New York
Times" as "indispensable," the basics of daily life and much more are
detailed. The book also includes: an A to Z directory of goods,
services, and interests subdivided by neighbourhood; a language
section on the basics of Cairene Arabic; and details on shopping and
sight-seeing from a resident's perspective. |
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A woman of Cairo by Noel Barber. For anyone who has
visited Cairo, this clever story by the late Noel Barber evokes all
the magic and mystery of that great city in the early part of the 20th
century, and paints a fascinating picture of two different societies
in a time of violent change, set in Egypt from 1919 through to World
War II. |
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Islamic architecture in Cairo by D.Behrens- Abouseif.
Cairo has one of the highest concentrations of Islamic architectural
treasures in the world. Beginning with an analysis of the Cairo's
urban growth from the Islamic conquest through to the Ottoman Period,
this book provides a "guided tour" of the evolution of Cairo's Islamic
architecture and an overview of its main styles spanning 1200 years.
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Cairo: the city victorious by Max Roedenbeck. Managing
to successfully capture the spirit of Cairo, it's people, history,
religion, turmoils and future, bringing to life the the anguish, fear
and joy of the various people that have moulded Cairo into what it is
today. |
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The Art and Architecture of Islamic Cairo by Richard
Yeomans. Cairo has a magnificent art and architectural heritage that
has lasted over a thousand years. Set within an historical narrative,
the stylistic development of the visual arts is explained within
changing religious, social and political contexts. Yeomans has created
a study of Islamic style which is unprecedented in its historical
scope of one of the world's finest and richest architectural legacies. |
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Lonely Planet : Cairo by Andrew Humphreys. Extremely
useful as a guide or introduction to modern Cairo. The author's
enthusiasm for this ancient city is infectious. Apart from practical
information, history and culture are neatly summarised. Perfect for
anyone who plans to visit Cairo, or has any interest in it as a city. |
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Insight guide to Cairo. includes a section detailing
Cairo's history, eight features covering aspects of the country's life
and culture, ranging from the Tentmaker's Bazaar to the treasures of
Tutankhamun, a region by region visitor's guide to the sights and a
comprehensive Travel Tips section packed with essential contact
addresses and numbers. It also contains hundreds of top-notch
photographs and maps. |
Next site: The
Giza Plateau >>
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