Abdeen Palace. Abdeen Palace (Arabic: قصر عابدين) is a historic Cairo palace, and one of the official residences and the principal workplace of the President of Egypt, located above Qasr el-Nil Street in eastern Downtown Cairo, Egypt. Overview[edit] Built on the site of a small mansion owned by Abidin Bey, Abdeen Palace, which is named after him, is considered one of the most sumptuous palaces in the world in terms of its adornments, paintings, and large number of clocks scattered in the parlors and wings, most of which are decorated with pure gold.
Built by Khedive Ismail, to become the official government headquarters instead of the Citadel of Cairo (which had been the centre of Egyptian government since the Middle Ages), this palace was used as well for official events and ceremonies. Construction started in 1863 and continued for 10 years and the palace was officially inaugurated in 1874. Museum[edit] See also[edit] Abdeen Palace Incident of 1942 References[edit] External links[edit] Coordinates: Heliopolis travel guide. Baron Empain Palace in Heliopolis Heliopolis (مصر الجديدة Masr el-Gedida, lit. "New Cairo") is one of the nicest places to live in Cairo, but there isn't much to visit as a tourist. The main reason to stay here is the proximity to the airport. Heliopolis dates back to ancient times, when it was a place to worship the god Atum, but the ancient city declined after the Persians took over control of Egypt in 525 BC.
The modern city of Heliopolis was established in 1907 by the Belgian Baron Empain, with a streetcar line running between Heliopolis and central Cairo. Get in[edit] Heliopolis is located between Cairo International Airport and central Cairo. See[edit][add listing] The Korba area is the old center of Heliopolis, with beautiful Andalusian style architecture and lots of old churches and cultural centres from the days of cosmopolitan, multicultural Cairo. Baron Empain Palace, al-Uruba St. Do[edit][add listing] Korba Street Festival, Baghdad Street. Buy[edit][add listing] Budget[edit] Midan Tahrir travel guide. Midan Tahrir Midan Tahrir (Arabicميدان التحرير, "Liberation Square", also commonly known as Tahrir Square) is the name given to the large public square at the epicentre of modern Cairo and, as a city district, to the streets and institutions located nearby. The Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo, the Arab League and the Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels are all located within this district, as are several important government offices (including those for the renewal of visas).
The metro also has its main nexus under Midan Tahrir, and a great many buses and taxis make Tahrir Square a key part of their services. Understand[edit] Orientation[edit] The relatively open vista of Tahrir Square affords the confused traveler a great opportunity to look about and gain some bearings within the bustling city center. Perhaps the most prominent building bordering Tahrir Square is the now somewhat jaded-looking Nile Hilton, between the Square and the Nile Corniche. Get in[edit] Budget[edit]
Gayer-Anderson Museum. Roof terrace of the Gayer-Anderson Museum The Gayer-Anderson Museum is located in Cairo, Egypt, adjacent to the Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood. The museum takes its name from Major R.G. Gayer-Anderson Pasha, who resided in the house between 1935 and 1942 with special permission from the Egyptian Government. It is noted for being one of the best-preserved examples of 17th-century domestic architecture left in Cairo, and also for Gayer-Anderson's vast collection of furniture, carpets, curio, and other objects. History[edit] The museum consists of two houses built using the outer wall of the Mosque of Ibn Tulun as support.
The construction of private homes against the outer wall of a mosque was common practice, with access to both the homes and mosque via narrow streets. In 1935, Major Gayer-Anderson, a retired collector and self-described Orientalist, was granted permission to reside in the house, which had just been restored. Legends of the house[edit] R.G. Al-Azhar Mosque. Al-Azhar Mosque (Arabic: الجامع الأزهر al-Gāmi` al-Azhar, "mosque of the most resplendent") is a mosque in Islamic Cairo in Egypt. Al-Mu‘izz li-Dīn Allāh of the Fatimid Caliphate commissioned its construction for the newly established capital city in 970.
Its name is usually thought to allude to the Islamic prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatimah, a revered figure in Islam who was given the title az-Zahrā′ ("the shining one"). It was the first mosque established in Cairo, a city that has since gained the nickname "the city of a thousand minarets. "[nb 1] After its dedication in 972, and with the hiring by mosque authorities of 35 scholars in 989, the mosque slowly developed into what is today the second oldest continuously run university in the world after Al Karaouine. Al-Azhar University has long been regarded as the foremost institution in the Islamic world for the study of Sunni theology and sharia, or Islamic law. Name[edit] Arabic calligraphy reading Fatima az-Zahra (فاطمة الزهراء) Juyushi Mosque. Juyushi Mosque (Arabic: الجامع الجيوشى "Mosque of the Armies") was built by Badr al-Jamali who was "Amir al-Juyush" (امير الجيوش "Commander of the Armies") for the Fatimid Caliphate.
The mosque was completed in 478 H/1085 CE under the patronage of Caliph-Imam al-Mustansir Billah. It was built on an end of the Mokattam to ensure a view of Cairo.[1] In the Ottoman period, the mosque was probably used by dervishes as a monastery. Features[edit] The mosque has one dome and a minaret. A striking feature of the interior is the mihrab, which is framed by a panel of alternating bands of Quranic inscriptions and arabesque leaf patterns, all in carved stucco. Over the entrance there is an inscription[5] which begins with Quranic verses 72:18 & 9:108 And the places of worship are for God, so invoke not any one along with God.Never stand thou forth therein. The inscription further continues: The mihrab is elaborate with stucco carving with spandrels upon the arch. Restoration[edit] See also[edit] Lulua Mosque. The Lulua Mosque (Arabic: مسجد لؤلؤة) (meaning:the Pearl) is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt, that was built in 1015–16 AD.
The mosque is also known by many other names like al-Lu'lu'a Mosque, Majid aasl-Luʼluʼah, Mosque of al-Lu'lu'a, Mosque of al-Lulua, Luluah Mosque, Qabr Lu'lu'a Bint al-Muqauqis, Mosque of al Lulua.[1] It was constructed during the reign of the third[2] Fatimid caliph, al-Hakim, in the Fatimid architectural style.[3] The mosque partially collapsed in 1919, but was later refurbished in 1998 by the Dawoodi Bohras, who trace their religious lineage to the Fatimid Caliphate. It is located in the southern cemetery in the Moqattam hills.[1][4] Geography[edit] The mosque is located near the southern cemetery of the Muqattam Hills,[1] a low range of hills to the east of Cairo.
History[edit] Old Lulua mosque, Cairo Features[edit] Renovated Qibla Lulua mosque, Cairo References[edit] ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Al-Lu'lu'a Mosque". Coordinates: Al-Hakim Mosque. Al-Jam`e Al-Anwar (Arabic: الجامع الانور, Anwar Mosque, literally:The Enlightened Mosque) also Al-Hakim Mosque is a major Islamic religious site in Cairo, Egypt. It is named after Imam Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985–1021), the sixth Fatimid caliph,16 th Fatimid/Ismaili Imam and the first to be born in Egypt. The mosque was originally built as an enclosure by the Fatimid vizier Gawhar Al-Siqilli (c. 928–992), but was incorporated into the extended fortifications built by Badr al-Jamali. It consists of an irregular rectangle with four arcades surrounding the courtyard.
An unusual feature is the monumental entrance with its projecting stone porch. The minarets[edit] The most spectacular feature of the mosque are the minarets on either side of the facade, reminiscent of the propylon to a pharaonic temple. Originally the two minarets stood independent of the brick walls at the corners. Post-Fatimid era[edit] At various times, the mosque was used as a prison for captured Franks(i.e. Today[edit] Khan el-Khalili. Khan el-Khalili, Bab al-Ghuri. Bab al-Badistan, a gate in Khan el-Khalili. An old chandeliers shop at Khan el-Khalili Khan el-Khalili (Arabic: خان الخليلي) is a major souk in the Islamic district of Cairo.
The bazaar district is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike. History[edit] The site of Khan el-Khalili was originally the site of the mausoleum known as the turbat az-za'faraan (Saffron Tomb),[1] which was the burial site of the Fatimid caliphs.[2][3]:57 The mausoleum was part of the Fatimid Great Eastern Palace complex, begun in 970 CE by Gawhar al-Siqilli, the general who conquered Egypt for the Fatimid dynasty and founded Cairo that same year.[3]:56–57 Sultan al-Ghuri, Egypt's last important Mamluk sultan (1501-1517), modified the layout of the district through a major campaign of demolition and new construction.
The gate and remains of the Wikala al-Qutn, built by Sultan al-Ghuri in 1511. Today[edit] In literature[edit] Terrorist attacks[edit] References[edit] Cairo Tower. The Cairo Tower (Arabic: برج القاهرة, Borg Al-Qāhira) is a free-standing concrete tower located in Cairo, Egypt. At 187 m (614 ft), it has been the tallest structure in Egypt and North Africa about 50 years. It was the tallest structure in Africa for 10 years, until 1971 when it was surpassed by Hillbrow Tower in South Africa. One of Cairo's well-known modern monuments, sometimes considered Egypt's second most famous landmark after the Pyramids of Giza, it stands in the Zamalek district on Gezira Island in the River Nile, close to Downtown. History[edit] Built from 1954 to 1961,the tower was designed by the Egyptian architect Naoum Shebib.[1] Its partially open lattice-work design is intended to evoke a pharaonic lotus plant, an iconic symbol of Ancient Egypt.
Between November 2004 and 17 May 2009 it underwent a EGP 35 million restoration project, completed in time for its fiftieth anniversary on April 2011. Gallery[edit] See also[edit] External links[edit] References[edit] Egyptian Museum. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or Museum of Cairo, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms.
History[edit] The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities contains many important pieces of ancient Egyptian history. It houses the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, and many treasures of King Tutankhamen. A new museum was established at Boulaq in 1858 in a former warehouse, following the foundation of the new Antiquities Department under the direction of Auguste Mariette. During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, the museum was broken into, and two mummies were reportedly destroyed.[1][2] Several artifacts were also shown to have been damaged.[3] Around 50 objects were lost.[4] Since then 25 objects have been found.
Interior design[edit] Gallery[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] Further reading[edit] Cairo. Cairo (/ˈkaɪroʊ/ KYE-roh ; Arabic: القاهرة) is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Middle-East and Africa. Its metropolitan area is the 16th largest in the world. Located near the Nile Delta,[1][2] it was founded in CE 969. Nicknamed "the city of a thousand minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life. Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th century CE, but the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt as it is close to the ancient cities of Memphis, Giza and Fustat which are near the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza. Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab world, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University.
History[edit] Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848-1933). Old Cairo. Old Cairo (Egyptian Arabic: Masr el Adīma) is a part of Cairo, Egypt, that contains the remnants of those cities which were capitals before Cairo, such as Fustat, as well as some other elements from the city's varied history. For example, it encompasses Coptic Cairo and its many old churches and ruins of Roman fortifications. Modern tourists visit locations such as the Coptic Museum, the Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church and other Coptic churches, the Ben Ezra Synagogue and the Mosque of 'Amr ibn al-'As. Fort Babylon is a Roman fortress around which many of the Egyptian Christians' oldest churches were built.
Count Gabriel Habib Sakakini Pasha (1841–1923), who had become a household name in his time, built a palace and a church in the Sakakini area in 1897[1] and established the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Old Cairo.[2] Medieval history[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] (German) Old Cairo on Wikivoyage.org Coordinates: Fatimid Caliphate. The Fatimid Caliphate (Arabic: الفاطميون, al-Fāṭimiyyūn) was a Shia caliphate, which spanned a large area of North Africa, from the Red Sea in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The dynasty ruled across the Mediterranean coast of Africa and ultimately made Egypt the centre of the caliphate. At its height, the caliphate included in addition to Egypt varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz.
The Fatimids were descended from Fatimah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad, according to Fatimid claims. The Fatimid state took shape among the Berber Kutama, the people of Algeria. The ruling elite of the state belonged to the Ismaili branch of Shi'ism, as were the leaders of the dynasty. In the course of the later eleventh and twelfth century, however, the Fatimid caliphate declined rapidly, and in 1171 the country was invaded by Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn, who founded the Ayyubid dynasty and reincorporated the state into the Abbasid Caliphate.[4] Rise of the Fatimids[edit] Sunni Islam. Sunni Islam (/ˈsuːni/ or /ˈsʊni/) is the largest branch of Islam; its adherents are referred to in Arabic as ahl as-sunnah wa l-jamāʻah (Arabic: أهل السنة والجماعة), "people of the tradition of Muhammad and the consensus of the Ummah" or ahl as-sunnah (أهل السنة) for short.
In English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis, and Sunnites. Sunni Islam is the world's largest religious body[1] and largest religious denomination for any religion in the world. Sunni Islam is sometimes referred to as the orthodox version of the religion.[2][3] The word "Sunni" is believed to come from the term Sunnah (Arabic: سنة), which refers to the sayings and actions of the prophet Muhammad as recorded in hadiths.[4] The primary collections consisting of Kutub al-Sittah accepted by Sunni orthodoxy, in conjunction with the Quran and binding consensus, form the basis of all jurisprudence within Sunni Islam.
Etymology[edit] History[edit] Adherents[edit] Organizational structure[edit] Schools of law[edit] Shia Islam. Things to do in Cairo. Historical Weather for Cairo, Egypt - Travel, Vacation, Forecast and Reference Information.
Nearby Ruins. Places to Stay.