Cairo and Related Topics

Egypt

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Transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula.

The Giza Necropolis is the oldest of the ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence.

Egyptian soldier of the Achaemenid army, c. 480 BCE. Xerxes I tomb relief.

The Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII and her son by Julius Caesar, Caesarion, at the Temple of Dendera

The Amr ibn al-As mosque in Cairo, recognized as the oldest in Africa

The Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo, of Ahmad Ibn Tulun

The Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo, of Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the sixth caliph, as renovated by Dawoodi Bohra

Napoleon defeated the Mamluk troops in the Battle of the Pyramids, 21 July 1798, painted by Lejeune.

Muhammad Ali was the founder of the Muhammad Ali dynasty and the first Khedive of Egypt and Sudan.

The battle of Tel el-Kebir in 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War

Female nationalists demonstrating in Cairo, 1919

Fuad I of Egypt with Edward, Prince of Wales, 1932

British infantry near El Alamein, 17 July 1942

Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser in Mansoura, 1960

Smoke rises from oil tanks beside the Suez Canal hit during the initial Anglo-French assault on Egypt, 5 November 1956.

Egyptian tanks advancing in the Sinai desert during the Yom Kippur War, 1973

Celebrating the signing of the 1978 Camp David Accords: Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat

Cairo grew into a metropolitan area with a population of over 20 million.

Women in Cairo wear face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt in March 2020.

The Qattara Depression in Egypt's north west

The Eastern Imperial Eagle is the national animal of Egypt.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the current President of Egypt.

Egyptian honor guard soldiers during a visit of U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

President el-Sisi with US President Donald Trump, 21 May 2017

The High Court of Justice in Downtown Cairo

Protesters from the Third Square movement, which supported neither the former Morsi government nor the Armed Forces, 31 July 2013

Prominent Egyptian dissident Alaa Abd El-Fattah was sentenced to five years of imprisonment in December 2021.

1. Matrouh
2. Alexandria
3. Beheira
4. Kafr El Sheikh
5. Dakahlia
6. Damietta
7. Port Said
8. North Sinai
9. Gharbia
10. Monufia
11. Qalyubia
12. Sharqia
13. Ismailia
14. Giza
15. Faiyum
16. Cairo
17. Suez
18. South Sinai
19. Beni Suef
20. Minya
21. New Valley
22. Asyut
23. Red Sea
24. Sohag
25. Qena
26. Luxor
27. Aswan

Change in per capita GDP of Egypt, 1820–2018. Figures are inflation-adjusted to 2011 International dollars.

Smart Village, a business district established in 2001 to facilitate the growth of high-tech businesses

Tourists riding an Arabian camel in front of Pyramid of Khafre. The Giza Necropolis is one of Egypt's main tourist attractions.

An offshore platform in the Darfeel Gas Field

Green irrigated land along the Nile amidst the desert and in the delta

Egypt's population density (people per km2)

Egyptian literacy rate among the population aged 15 years and older by UNESCO Institute of Statistics

Al-Azhar Park is listed as one of the world's sixty great public spaces by the Project for Public Spaces.

The "weighing of the heart" scene from the Book of the Dead

Naguib Mahfouz, the first Arabic-language writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature

Tanoura dancers performing in Wekalet El Ghoury, Cairo

Tutankhamun's burial mask is one of the major attractions of the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.

A crowd at Cairo Stadium watching the Egypt national football team

Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt, while Alexandria, the second-largest city, is an important industrial and tourist hub at the Mediterranean coast.

Fatimid Caliphate

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Ismaili Shia caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east.

Map of Abu Abdallah's campaigns and battles during the overthrow of the Aghlabids

Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, built by the Fatimids between 970 and 972

The Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo, commissioned by Al-'Aziz in 990 and completed by al-Hakim in 1013 (later renovated in the 1980s by the Dawoodi Bohra)

Al-Juyushi Mosque, Cairo, overlooking the city from the Muqattam Hills

Bab al-Futuh, one of the gates of Cairo dating from Badr al-Jamali's reconstruction of the city walls (1987)

Al-Salih Tala'i Mosque in Cairo, built by Tala'i ibn Ruzzik in 1160 and originally intended to house the head of Husayn (the head ended up being interred instead at the present-day al-Hussein Mosque)

The original Fatimid-period mihrab inside the al-Azhar Mosque

Side chapel in the Hanging Church in Old Cairo, including frescoes (partly visible behind the screen here) dating from the late 12th or 13th century, before the church's later renovation

Cover page of the Leningrad Codex, a manuscript of the Hebrew Bible copied in Cairo/Fustat in the early 11th century

Entrance portal of the Great Mosque of Mahdia (10th century)

Fragment of a bowl depicting a mounted warrior, 11th century. Fatimid dynasty, found in Fustat, Egypt. Brooklyn Museum

In 969, during the reign of al-Mu'izz, they conquered Egypt, and in 973 the caliphate was moved to the new capital of Cairo.

Islamic Cairo (قاهرة المعز), also called Historic Cairo or Medieval Cairo, refers generically to the historic areas of Cairo, Egypt, that existed before the city's modern expansion during the 19th and 20th centuries; particularly the central parts around the old walled city and around the Citadel of Cairo.

Ayyubid dynasty

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The founding dynasty of the medieval Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt.

Ayyubid Sultanate of Egypt (in pink) at the death of Saladin in 1193

Sketch of the original "Eagle of Saladin" of the Cairo Citadel, Egypt.

A Dirhm coin depicting Saladin, c. 1189 CE

Virtually the entire Kingdom of Jerusalem passed into Ayyubid hands after their victory against the Crusaders in the Battle of Hattin in 1187; illustration from Les Passages faits Outremer par les Français contre les Turcs et autres Sarrasins et Maures outremarins, circa 1490

Al-Kamil (right) and Frederick II signed a treaty restoring Jerusalem to the Crusaders for ten years; from Nuova Cronica, mid-14th century

Ayyubid territories in 1257. Area in bright red controlled by an-Nasir Yusuf, while the area under dark red was under the nominal control of al-Mughith Umar of Kerak

An Ayyubid coin minted in Aleppo bearing the name of Emir al-Zahir

Minaret of the Great Mosque of the Aleppo Citadel, built by az-Zahir Ghazi in 1214

An example of Ayyubid pottery from Egypt

The Firdaws Madrasa was built in 1236 under the patronage of Dayfa Khatun, Aleppo

The Ayyubid wall in Cairo, uncovered during construction of Al-Azhar Park, January 2006

3D laser scan data image of the Bab al-Barqiyya Gate in the 12th century Ayyubid Wall that borders Al-Azhar Park. This fortified gate was constructed with interlocking volumes that surrounded the entrant in such a way as to provide greater security and control than typical city wall gates; image from the Aga Khan Foundation/CyArk research partnership

Saladin consolidated his control in Egypt after ordering Turan-Shah to put down a revolt in Cairo staged by the Fatimid army's 50,000-strong Nubian regiments.

Alexandria

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Mediterranean port city in Egypt.

The Lighthouse of Alexandria on coins minted in Alexandria in the second century (1: reverse of a coin of Antoninus Pius, and 2: reverse of a coin of Commodus).

Alexandria in the late 18th century, by Luigi Mayer

Entry of General Bonaparte into Alexandria, oil on canvas, 365 x,, Versailles

The Battle of Abukir, by Antoine-Jean Gros 1806

Alexandria: bombardment by British naval forces

Map of the city in the 1780s, by Louis-François Cassas.

Macedonian Army, shown on the Alexander Sarcophagus.

Engraving by L. F. Cassas of the Canopic Street in Alexandria, Egypt made in 1784.

Satellite image of Alexandria and other cities show its surrounding coastal plain

Egypt – Obelisk, Alexandria. Brooklyn Museum Archives, Goodyear Archival Collection.

Side view of The Temple of Taposiris Magna.

Jewish girls during Bat Mitzva in Alexandria

The Italian consulate in Saad Zaghloul Square

The city extends about 40 km along the northern coast of Egypt, and is the largest city on the Mediterranean, the second-largest in Egypt (after Cairo), the fourth-largest city in the Arab world, the ninth-largest city in Africa, the ninth-largest urban area in Africa, and the 79th-largest urban area by population on Earth.

Abbasid Caliphate

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The third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Folio from the Tarikhnama of Bal'ami depicting al-Saffah (r. 750–754) as he receives pledges of allegiance in Kufa

The city of Baghdad between 767 and 912 CE.

Map of Abbasid Caliphate and its provinces c 788 (2nd century Hijri)

Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809) receiving a delegation sent by Charlemagne at his court in Baghdad. Painting by German painter (1827–1918), dated 1864. Oil on canvas.

Gold dinar minted during the reign of al-Amin (809–813)

Map of Abbasid empire and other world empires in 9th century

Map of the fragmented Abbasid empire, with areas still under direct control of the Abbasid central government (dark green) and under autonomous rulers (light green) adhering to nominal Abbasid suzerainty, c. 892

Siege of Baghdad by the Mongols led by Hulagu Khan in 1258

Jabir ibn Hayyan, a pioneer in organic chemistry.

Illustration from More tales from the Arabian nights (1915)

Zumurrud Khatun Tomb (1200 CE), in cemetery at Baghdad

9th-century harem wall painting fragments found in Samarra

Bowl with Kufic Inscription, 9th century, Brooklyn Museum

Qasr al-'Ashiq palace in Samarra, constructed during 877–882. Emir 'Amad al-Dawla wrote a poem about this palace. During the medieval period, it was referred to as "al-Ma'shuq (المعشوق)" which means "beloved".

Illustration showing a water clock given to Charlemagne by Harun al-Rashid

Windmills were among Abbasid inventions in technology.

Hunayn ibn Ishaq was an influential translator, scholar, physician, and scientist.

Ukhaidir Fortress, located south of Karbala, is a large, rectangular fortress erected in 775 AD with a unique defensive style.

The provinces of Abbasid Caliphate in c. 850 under al-Mutawakkil

The Madrasa of Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, established in 1227, one of the only Abbasid-era madrasas remaining today

The Abbasid line of rulers, and Muslim culture in general, re-centred themselves in the Mamluk capital of Cairo in 1261.

Al-Azhar Mosque

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The courtyard of the mosque, dating to the Fatimid period. Above, the minarets date from the Mamluk period. From left to right: the double-finial minaret of Qansuh al-Ghuri, the minaret of Qaytbay, and the minaret of Aqbugha (behind the dome).

The dome above the entrance to the prayer hall, crafted around 1138 under al-Hafiz.

The Gate of Sultan Qaytbay, built in the late 15th century. (Photo from 1867)

Bab al-Muzayinīn (Gate of the Barbers), built by Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda during Ottoman rule. The minaret on the left, atop the Madrasa al-Aqbughawiyya, was also remodeled by Katkhuda, before being remodeled again in the 20th century.

Napoleon presenting an Egyptian bey a tricolor scarf (1798–1800).

Muhammad Ali, founder of the Alawiyya Dynasty which ruled Egypt from 1805 until the Egyptian Revolution in 1952

Gamal Abdel Nasser, who led the Egyptian Revolution in 1952 with Muhammad Naguib, instituted several reforms of al-Azhar

Hypostyle prayer hall with columns used from various periods in Egyptian history

The Fatimid mihrab of the mosque. This area has been modified and restored many times, but the stucco patterns in the half-dome (conch) of the niche are believed to be original.

Keel shaped arches along the courtyard wall with stucco ornaments inscribed

Minaret above the Madrassa al-Aqbughawiyya. Originally built during Mamluk rule as part of a stand-alone mosque, the minaret was remodeled by Katkhuda during the Ottoman period

The mihrab of the Madrasa al-Taybarsiyya.

The dome of the tomb and madrasa of Gawhar al-Qanaqba'i. (At the northeastern corner of the mosque.)

Double finial minaret of Qansuh al-Ghuri

Current mihrab and minbar in Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda's extension of the prayer hall.

The mosque in 2019, after a recent restoration

Al-Azhar Mosque (الجامع الأزهر), known in Egypt simply as al-Azhar, is a mosque in Cairo, Egypt in the historic Islamic core of the city.

Fustat

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The first capital of Egypt under Muslim rule, and the historical centre of modern Cairo.

The Mosque of Amr ibn al-As. Though none of the original structure remains, this mosque was the first one built in Egypt, and it was around this location, at the site of the tent of the commander Amr ibn al-As, that the city of Fustat was built.

Lustreware Plate with Bird Motif, 11th century. Archaeological digs have found many kilns and ceramic fragments in Fustat, and it was likely an important production location for Islamic ceramics during the Fatimid period.

Indian textile fragment, circa 1545 – 1645, found in Fustat. Old, discarded textile fragments are commonly found in the area, preserved in the dry climate of Egypt.

The remains of the city were eventually absorbed by nearby Cairo, which had been built to the north of Fustat in 969 when the Fatimids conquered the region and created a new city as a royal enclosure for the Caliph.

View of the Citadel, with the Ottoman-era gate of Bab al-'Azab, and the 19th-century Muhammad Ali Mosque.

Cairo Citadel

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View of the Citadel from the south in the late 19th century. The Mosque of Muhammad Ali, with its twin Ottoman-style minarets, is prominently visible.

The Eagle of Saladin from the citadel became the coat of arms of Egypt and other Arab states.

The two easternmost towers, fortified by al-Kamil in 1207: the Burj al-Ramla and the Burj al-Hadid.

Excavated remains of the Qa'a al-Ashrafiyya (Reception hall of al-Ashraf Khalil), on the terrace in front of the modern Police Museum.

The Nile aqueduct that supplied water to the Citadel, largely built in the Mamluk period.

View from the terrace south of the Muhammad Ali Mosque. On the left, the corner structure partially exposes the ruins of what are argued to be the lower levels of the former Ablaq Palace (Qasr al-Ablaq).

The ruins of the Great Iwan, as seen in the early 19th century (missing its dome), before it was demolished by Muhammad Ali.

The entrance of the Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad, with a typical Mamluk-era portal.

The Burj al-Muqattam, a large tower built by the Ottoman governor Ibrahim Pasha around 1525.

Bab al-'Azab, the northwestern entrance built in 1754. Although built in the Ottoman era, it emulates the Fatimid-era gate of Bab al-Futuh.

A view of the Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, 1955

View of the Citadel from the southeast. The present-day visitor entrance is up the hill on the right.

Courtyard of Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque. Domes and minaret of Mosque of Muhammad Ali is seen in the background.

The Citadel of Cairo or Citadel of Saladin (قلعة صلاح الدين) is a medieval Islamic-era fortification in Cairo, Egypt, built by Salah ad-Din (Saladin) and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers.

Nile

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Major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa.

The Blue Nile Falls fed by Lake Tana near the city of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Annotated view of the Nile and Red Sea, with a dust storm

Map of Nile tributaries in modern Sudan, showing the Yellow Nile

Reconstruction of the Oikoumene (inhabited world), an ancient map based on Herodotus' description of the world, circa 450 BC

An aerial view of irrigation from the Nile River supporting agriculture in Luxor, Egypt

A felucca traversing the Nile near Aswan

John Hanning Speke c. 1863. Speke was the Victorian explorer who first reached Lake Victoria in 1858, returning to establish it as the source of the Nile by 1862.

A map of the Nile c. 1911, a time when its entire primary course ran through British occupations, condominiums, colonies, and protectorates

The confluence of the Kagera and Ruvubu rivers near Rusumo Falls, part of the Nile's upper reaches

The Nile passes through Cairo, Egypt's capital city.

Hydropower dams in the Nile (plus huge dam under construction in Ethiopia)

View of the Qasr El Nil Bridge in Cairo, with Gezira Island in the background

Henry Morton Stanley in 1872. Stanley circumnavigated the lake and confirmed Speke's observations in 1875.

Composite satellite image of the White Nile

A river boat crossing the Nile in Uganda

Murchison Falls in Uganda, between Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga

The Nile at Dendera, as seen from the SPOT satellite

The Nile flows through Cairo, here contrasting ancient customs of daily life with the modern city of today.

The northern section of the river flows north almost entirely through the Nubian Desert to Cairo and its large delta, and the river flows into the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria.

A report on Cairo

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