Old Cairo
- Address:Sharia Mar Girgis, Cairo
- Admission:Free
8:08 PM Friday, May 25
Partly sunny. Extremely hot.
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Old Cairo is a relatively small area but it is rich with history. Also known as Coptic Cairo, Fustat (in reference to the first Muslim city established there), and Masr al-Qadima to the locals, it has been inhabited since the 6th century BC. It has been a Roman fort protecting trade routes, a Christian city from around the 5th century AD, a Muslim army camp from 641 AD, then Egypt's capital city until yet another conquest in the 10th century.
The main interest these days is in its role as Coptic Cairo. The narrow cobbled streets contain the Religious Compound, full of churches including the Hanging Church (dedicated to the Virgin Mary and still in use), the oldest synagogue in Egypt, the remains of the Roman fortress, and the Coptic Museum. Just northeast is the site of ancient Fustat which contains the oldest mosque, Amr Ibn al-Aas. The rest of the area is interesting for the Zabaleen, people who live in a shanty town and sift through Cairo's huge amount of garbage to reuse and recycle it.
Latest Reviews All Old Cairo Reviews »
It was a very lovely day. My guide Mahmoud and the driver were fantastic. I was alone in this trip and he guarded me safely through everything. He had a great knowledge concerning egyptiology and answered any (!) question I had. I felt really safe in his company. The food in the restaurant was lovely and we made a revue of the day. I can really recommend this trip and Mahmoud receives from me a ten out of ten !!!!!!!!Just perfect!
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We took this tour on our first full day in Cairo, and it was the perfect way to kick start our trip to Egypt. Our guide was terrific, providing us with historical and current information about Egypt which helped lay the foundation for other not-to-be-missed ancient sites. I highly recommend it.
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This was a great tour. We saw everything we wanted and more. Our tour guide was great and we learned a lot from him. The tour also took us to a carpet school and papyrus shop which we did not expect, but it was a great addition to the tour. Would recommend to anyone!
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The easiest way to get to Old Cairo is by taxi, cheap if adventurous - the cars can be old and the driving is crazy! There is also a new metro system in Cairo. So far it is limited in area but signage is in English and the stop Mar Girgis will get you to Old Cairo.
