Interesting places in Cairo:

Cairo old wall		شارع رمسيس Ramsis street
Aldarb Alahmar district		Qal a District
ميدان الشهيد عبدالمنعم رياض		منطقة الزعيم أحمد عرابى
الجزائر		Fustat
Historic Coptic Cairo		Coptic Cairo
Gezira		Roda Island
شارع طلعت حرب باشا		الجمالية
Mosque of Ibn Tulun		Manial
Garden City		( Masr el Adīma) Old Cairo
الموسكيMoski		فندق اكستادي الجديد
Al-Hussein		The Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Cairo Tower برج القاهرة		النحاسين
College de la Sainte famille مدرسة العائلة المقدسة

Cairo/Ciaro (Arabic: a+l+q+a+h+r+tm translit: Qahirah), which means "The Vanquisher" or "The Triumphant", is the capital city of Egypt. While Al-Qahirah is the official name of the city, in the Egyptian language it is typically called simply by the name of the country, Masr (Egypt). It has a metropolitan area population of officially about 15,200,000 million people.^citation needed Cairo is the Cairo is the seventh most populous metropolitan area in the world. Cairo is also the most populous metropolitan area and the most populous city in Africa. The city is located at 30�2' North, 31�13' East (30.03333, 31.21667).

• . The only remaining monuments of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is the country's most famous tourist attraction.
• Sphinx.
• Egyptian Museum. The world's premier collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts.
• Saqqara.
• Memphis.
• Citadel. A grand castle built by Salah Al-Din. Also parts of the water pipes (Majra Al-Oyouon) are still there, these pipes used to carry the water from the Nile River to the citadel.
• Nile-meter South end of Rota island, Nile. Was used before Assuan dam was built and the level of the Nile was measured and therefore the tax rates for the farmers fixed.
• Al-Azhar Mosque. One of the pillars of Islamic thought and home to the world's oldest university.
• Ibn Tulun, close to Sayidna Zeinab. The oldest, and maybe most beautiful mosque in Cairo.
• The Coptic Museum.
• the "Hanging Church" (Church of the Virgin Mary), in Zabeleen Area (District of Manshiet Nasser) below Mokkatam Hills, not far away from the Citadel
• the Al Rifai & Sultan Hassan mosques (19th C & highly decorated: 14th C & beautifully austere).

Location is derived from the great work of WikiMapia
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Top photos chosen by u all:

Train arriving at Cairo's Sadat station
Made by modenadude
It's strange to say this, especially after seeing both services first-hand and knowing that one is a bajillion times safer than the other, but Cairo's public transit system is far more advanced than Los Angeles'. Both cities' traffic conditions do have similarities. There's a lot of it. But that's about it. Los Angeles has traffic, but the people don't mind it. If they did, they'd spend more time and energy on the buses/subways/rail systems that actually do exist in southern California. But we Los Angelenos love our cars -- they're our second homes. Cairenes on the other hand, they hate driving. Mention to anyone that you, an outsider, wants to drive here and they'll laugh in your face. It's chaos, pure and simple. And to fight such chaotic streets, the city has put together both a pretty good (yet oh so so so confusing) bus / microbus system and a very good subway system -- and although this choice isn't considered public transit, the taxi system here is great too. Cheap as hell and very convenient. Just remember that if you're a tourist, stick to the white/yellow ones. The black ones are for those who know how much it costs to get somewhere (they're the only taxis without a meter). To get on a subway (known as the Metro here), a one-way fare will cost you LE 1. That's so cheap. About 18 US cents. Compare it to a litre bottle of water that will run you between LE 2 and 3 on the streets of Cairo. A roundtrip subway ticket for the price of a water bottle? Count me in. The subway system (currently only two lines in full production, running from around 7 or 8 am to midnight depending on the time of the year) stretches to the far corners of what is known as Cairo, but it still doesn't reach everywhere. Cairo International Airport is not a stop on either line (however it will be on the third line that is currently under construction). The station pictured above is one of the most used stations in the city -- Sadat station. Named after former Egyptian president Anwar El Sadat who was assassinated in 1981 for reasons we won't get into here, but Cairenes tell me it had almost everything to do with a peace treaty he signed with Israel, that left the gulf countries hating Egypt. Anyway, all of Egypt's presidents have a Metro station named after them, all in Downtown. From the most beloved Gamal Abdel Nasser to the current Hosni Mubarak (and even Muhammad Naguib who helped found Egypt alongside Nasser in 1953 to end rule of the Muhammad Ali dynasty). However Sadat and Mubarak are the only two stations which have intersecting lines, and because Sadat is below the busiest square in Cairo (Tahrir Square, where cars and pedestrians intersect unwantingly), this station is hands down the busiest. Sure can tell! Oh -- and something I thought was super weird? Cars here drive on the right of the road like in America, but trains ride on the left... is that super confusing or what? I was the first time I went down into the Metro. Oh well. ---------- blog: modenadude.com


Mosque of Amr ibn al-As
Made by modenadude
When the Arab general who conquered Egypt for Islam in 640, Amr ibn al-As, marked the state's first capital at al-Fustat (the tent in Arabic, just south of present-day Cairo, near Coptic Cairo at the Mar Girgis Metro stop), he created the first mosque in Egypt, and by extension the first mosque in all of Africa. The Mosque of Amr ibn al-As, completed in 642, however is not in its original form. It was rebuilt several times in the last 1300 years for a few different reasons. The population of al-Fustat steadily rose as more Muslims started moving to the new Islamic state of Egypt and less than 30 years after the mosque was completed, it was demoloshied and rebuilt to make room for the people coming to pray. This time however, a tower was added to each side of the mosque -- they weren't known as minarets just yet, but they were the first minarets to be built in Islamic history and al-As is the first mosque to introduce the idea of sending a man up higher than the roof to call the adhan (call to prayer) five times a day (Bilal used to stand on the roof in Madinah to call the adhan). 40 years later (around 710), the mosque was expanded yet again. And this time, a mihrab (a recess in the wall that faces Mecca where the imam stands to pray) was added. It was the second mihrab to be found in a mosque, the first being Muhammad's (saw) mosque in Madinah. And for a final time, in 826, the mosque was rebuilt to its current size today. Marble columns and the many arches that line the interior of al-As were a few of the new additions. But after a fire in the 12th century and collapses over the years, most recently in 2005, the mosque is hardly in its original state. Yet there's no denying the beauty of the almost infinite arches leading into this expansive courtyard, centered by the domed drinking fountain. The oldest mosque in Africa and definitely one of Cairo's most beautiful. Stitched this photo together from 5 frames in Photoshop CS5 ---------- blog: modenadude.com


Egytians take their soccer seriously
Made by modenadude
Or should I say football. The other night, when we went shopping at Spinneys and ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday, we couldn't help but hear cheering and grunting in the distance (and even at the table across from us). Turns out, there was a big football match that night, Algeria versus Egypt (or more specifically, JS Kabylie versus Al Ahly Cairo). I won't even act like I know the magnitude of these two teams matching up, but it was quite the sight when we left Ruby and walked over to a massive crowd of Egyptians huddled round plasma screens. While the energy was palpable, I was only able to grab this shot of this one girl looking extremely horrified. I guess Egyptian men handle their emotions differently than Egyptian women (if you know what I mean... and if you've never been to a Middle Eastern country, you don't). I only stood there for five minutes so I couldn't get a shot of an enormous uproar (like when Egypt scored their first goal) or a gigantic groan (like when Algeria scored their tying goal), but hey, this one will do for now. And to explain further how deep the Egyptian/Algerian rivalry is, the next day at AUC orientation, we did something where this lady read a list of every country that was represented in the room and those students would stand. Naturally, Egypt was very well represented. And when Algeria's name came up... boos rang wild. haha. Egypt was supposed to win the match, since Al-Ahly has won the most matches of any football team in Africa and was named as the African Club of the Century in 2000 by Confederation of African Football. So the game ending in a draw didn't make anyone happy. Especially bloody Americans like me who love real football with hundreds of rules ;) ---------- blog: modenadude.com


Vintage Pyramids
Made by modenadude
If for some reason you have anti-minaret and anti-dome sentiments, go to the Citadel just to check out the fabulous views of the city. Directly behind to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, you'll be able to see an almost 180 degree view of the west of Cairo, including a handful of pyramids. The giant Giza pyramids are pictured (Menkaure, Khafre and Khufu from left to right and smallest to largest) and this day was the first day I got to see the pyramids after more than three weeks in Cairo! I was speechless. I started jumping up and down haha. They're gigantic, even from this far away! Luckily it was a pretty clear day when we went to the Citadel so the smog and fumes didn't keep us from enjoying the spectacular views. But I still used the remaining pollution to help me create this vintage old school feel -- added some color though because Cairo isn't this brown haha -- you like? :) You can see as far south as the Saqqara pyramids (the Step Pyramid of Djoser being the most famous and most distinct) and as far north as Alexandria -- I kid. Alexandria is way too far. But you can see Saqqara (about 20km / 12mi south)... pretty impressive, I thought. While the Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali tower above all other mosques in the city, I did not believe for a second the view would be as spectacular as it was. Good thing I was wrong. Alhumdulillah, the city of Cairo is very beautiful :) ---------- blog: modenadude.com


Masjid of Sultan Hassan مسجد ومدرسة السلطان حسن / Cairo / Egypt - 28 05 2010
Made by Ahmed Al.Badawy
The Sultan Hassan Mosque is considered stylistically the most compact and unified of all Cairo monuments. It is one of the masterpieces of Mamluk architecture. The building was commissioned by Sultan Hassan bin Al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun in 1356 AD as a mosque and religious school for all four juristic branches of Sunni Islam. It was designed so that each of the four schools of thought - Shafi, Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali - has its own area while sharing the mosque.[1]. Construction started in 1356 AD and ended 7 years later in 1363 AD. Building materials used were harvested from the casing stones of the Giza Necropolis. One of the minarets collapsed during construction killing 300 people. The state was able to fund the massive structure through the properties that were left behind by the victims of the Black Death. The Sultan was assassinated before the mosque was completed and his body was never recovered. The magnificent burial chamber that was intended for him holds his two sons instead. The facade is 76 meters long and 36 meters high. The cornices, the entrance portal, the burial chamber, and the monumental staircase are particularly noteworthy. Verses from the Quran in elegant Kufic and Thuluth scripts adorn the inner walls. Source. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque-Madrassa_of_Sultan_Hassan


The Ancient and the Modern
Made by graspnext
Dark clouds hovered over the urban sprawl that is Cairo whilst, in the distance the sun was setting over the ancient pyramids of Giza. Best viewed large I think. Edit: I am overwhelmed by the positive response this image has received. Thank you for your kind comments. Just to clear up on what post-processing was or wasn't done. This fairly accurately reflects the scene I saw as I recall it but, sadly, no camera is capable of recording the extreme dynamic range that the eye can see. I took a number of different exposures of the scene and eventually settled on this one which was exposed for the buildings. The sky was therfore over-exposed. I used Photomatix hdr to darken the sky but tried as best as I am able with my limited skills to remain true to what I actually saw. I did do some minimal post-processing in PS thereafter but again the attempt was to go for reality rather than to enhance the image in any particular way. In actual fact the real scene was even more beautiful because, with the naked eye, one could discern rays of sunlight striking the pyramids which were lost in my over-exposure. I may post a shot where the rays of light are in fact visible but in that shot I have concentrated almost entirely on the sky and the city is but a mere silhouette at the very bottom of the image. Sean


Tutanchamun..
Made by SHINE «KWS»
Tutankhamun (alternately spelled with Tutenkh-, -amen, -amon) (1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty (ruled 1333 BC – 1324 BC in the conventional chronology), during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom. His original name, Tutankhaten, means Living Image of Aten, while Tutankhamun means Living Image of Amun. Often the name Tutankhamun was written Amen-tut-ankh, meaning living image of Amun, due to scribal custom which most often placed the divine name at the beginning of the phrase in order to honor the divine being. He is possibly also the Nibhurrereya of the Amarna letters. He was likely the eighteenth dynasty king 'Rathotis', who according to Manetho, an ancient historian, had reigned for nine years - a figure which conforms with Flavius Josephus' version of Manetho's Epitome. The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter of Tutankhamun's intact tomb received worldwide press coverage and sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's burial mask remains the popular face. Technical Details:- Camera: Sony a200 Lens: Tamron 70-300mm F4-5.6 Location: Egypt Model: None F-Stop: F/4 Exposure: 1/8 sec. ISO: 400 Focal Length: 70mm Flash: None Edit: Photoshop CS3


Hassan Nasrallah in Old Cairo
Made by Sameh Awad
I consider it strange phenomena. I mean its obvious to see people hanging posters for football players, political leaders as in Nasser, or Sadat...or even celebrity posters ; but to see a poster for a political party leader in Lebanon, hanged on a wall in Cairo?! This guy (I can't remember his name) owns a juice stall in old Cairo. During a small conversation with him, he told me that he's really proud of what Hassan Nasrallah did to the Israelis during the last war in Lebanon. We lost our dignity since 1973, and this guy brought it back to us. I questioned him if he consider Lebanon won the last war, he replied I’m not into politics, I don't know anything about Iran's intensions...I don't even know what is the difference between Shia and Sunni...things are really simple to me. For years I’ve been watching children and women in Palestine and Lebanon dying by the Israeli army, and no one did anything to Israel. To me this is not fair, and I feel paralyzed for not being able to help those people. Now to see someone firing rockets into Israeli cities, and making people over there terrified from his missiles…this is what I call justice, and defiantly I’ll hang a poster for Nasrallah to show my support.


Colorful Kiran
Made by modenadude
Before heading out to the Citadel a few days ago, we hung out at Tahrir waiting for the West Pointers to show up. Unlike Egypt's normal cloudy and rainy afternoons, this day was fortunately pretty shiny so I had a little fun with my new 70-200mm. Took a bunch of fun shots, including grabbing this shot of Kiran mid-laugh while she was seeking refuge under the shade a street sign. I love this photo. It isn't too saturated, is it? Alas, Kiran has left Cairo for a few days to head to the UAE to visit family for Eid. Not sure what I'm doing for Eid passed watching the Saints thrash the Vikings and then going to pray at Al-Azhar, but Sofi and I need to get on it quick. Have fun, Kiran! We'll miss you. Don't blame Kiran for the hair, blame Egypt. And I was just joking when I said Egypt's normal weather is cloudy and rainy. I don't think Egyptians even know what rain is... aside from the AC water dripping on their heads in Downtown ;) ---------- blog: modenadude.com


Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Made by modenadude
Taking 18 years to complete, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, also known as the Alabaster Mosque for its rare use of alabaster, towers the skyline of Cairo and is easily the most visible masgid in the city, located in the Citadel. I've seen tons of photos of this mosque for years and, if forced to choose, it's the only mosque I wanted to visit during my trip to Cairo. The Ottoman style architecture and the overabundance of domes is just gorgeous. Entering the mosque, it's amazing to look up and see that the whole interior is hollow -- you can see each and every dome from the inside. How does this thing stand! I guess it helps that it's only 150 years old. I didn't get to spend too much time in the Citadel so I plan to return (LE 25 for students, that we proved by showing them our AUC ID) and take more pictures of this masgid as well as the other two located inside the Citadel walls. It was such a clear day in the heavily polluted Cairo! ---------- blog: modenadude.com


Ceiling of The Entrance - Masjid Al Rifai مسجد الرفاعي / Cairo / Egypt - 28 05 2010
Made by Ahmed Al.Badawy
The Al-Rifa'i Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الرفاعى‎, transliterated also as Al-Rifai, Al-Refai, Al-Refa'i, and named in English the Royal Mosque), is located in Cairo, Egypt, in Midan al-Qal'a, adjacent to the Cairo Citadel. The building is located opposite the Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, which dates from around 1361, and was architecturally conceived as a complement to the older structure. This was part of a vast campaign by the 19th century rulers of Egypt to both associate themselves with the perceived glory of earlier periods in Egypt's Islamic history and modernize the city. The mosque was constructed next to two large public squares and off of several European style boulevards constructed around the same time. Source . en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Rifa'i_Mosque More .. archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=3476


Al-Refai Mosque [HDR]
Made by Bakar_88
It's the 1st trip during the photography course, yea I chose photography as an elective subject in the academy, I was hesitated to take the course till I found that if I take that course, I will take 2 days holiday + the weekend holiday. So I took it :D Anyway, the course is absolutely good for me to learn how to use my camera also and learn more and more about photography. Editing was very inspired from Location: Al-Refai Mosque, Citadel, Cairo, Egypt About: Al-Refai mosque was founded during the 2nd half of the 1800's. The design was made in Europe during the Renaissance, and it was characterized by the classical architecture (Symmetry). No courtyard and this is unfamiliar in the Muslim Architecture. Photomatix: Processing 3 photos of the same exposure at 0 Lightroom: Increasing exposure, decreasing shadows to -60


The Egyptian Revolution
Made by Jonathan Rashad
One of the protesters waving the Egyptian Flag during the uprising that started on January 25, 2011 in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Protestors demanded the removal of the regime and for Hosni Mubarak to step down. Mubarak resigned on February 11, 2011 and the Military took control. More than 800 were killed and 5000 injured throughout the entire 18 days. This picture has been chosen as the winning photograph of the 2011 IFES Photography Contest and has been featured in tens of articles. www.ifes.org/Content/Galleries/123/2011-IFES-Photography-... www.photographyblog.com/news/ifes_names_winners_in_2011_p...


Elevator Shaft
Made by Julian Kaesler
One of the most interesting things about the modern day city of Cairo, is the amount of extremely old elevators still in use, many of which date back to the early 20th century. Being a relatively poor country, safety of the elevators does not seem to be of high priority. I remember the elevator I caught to my hotel only had one wooden door in tact, and one young boy who I traveled with in it one day kindly showed me that if you put your finger on a pressure sensor then you can actually travel 10 floors with both doors open! This picture was taken from the 10th floor of my hotel. The colour is natural which is due to the different light sources beaming through the coloured windows of the building.


Symmetric Axis - Masjid Ahmed Ibn Tulun مسجد أحمد بن طولون‎ / Cairo / Egypt - 28 05 2010
Made by Ahmed Al.Badawy
The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Ţūlūn (Arabic: مسجد أحمد بن طولون‎) is located in Cairo, Egypt. It is arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form, and is the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of land area. The mosque was commissioned by Ahmad ibn Ţūlūn, the Abbassid governor of Egypt from 868–884 whose rule was characterized by de facto independence. The historian al-Maqrizi lists the mosque's construction start date as 876 AD[1], and the mosque's original inscription slab identifies the date of completion as 265 AH, or 879 AD. Sources. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque_of_Ibn_Tulun


Looking up at the Alabaster
Made by modenadude
Another angle of the beautiful Mosque of Muhammad Ali -- from the foot of it tilted up. My 17mm (cropped sensor) couldn't get the mosque in completely from no matter where I stood in the front courtyard, so I had to stitch this final image from four frames in Photoshop. My friends in the foreground were supposed to be looking up at the mosque... but I guess the started staring at me because I was taking too long haha. Oh well, they show how gigantic the mosque is... because it is huge. Just proves: you should never stage. But this photo is completely manipulated, so let's throw ethics out the window :) ---------- blog: modenadude.com


Heavy clouds won't block the light. (Really nostalgic)
Made by Marwa Morgan
I was driving to college this morning when I couldn't resist looking at the foamy clouds instead of watching the road, so I decided to park my car and go down to take that photo and it was hard for me to leave after that :D. We always meet some people when driving on the roads of our lives, we don't usually expect how it'll end up, but it ends like you can't resist being with them, and you can't bear leaving them, and they just become a part of your own life that you can't put away. This photo is dedicated to the best people I've ever met, those whom I enjoyed their company for 8 months and had the sweetest memories with them, guys, I'll never forget you! Highest in Explore: # 251.


family man
Made by Azani_Manaf
**Cairo, Egypt Don't expect me to come out drinking, Messin' around Spending my time with a bunch of crazy people Yes, I been there before I don't need to go back no more I'm just a family man Like it or not I'm a-holding onto what I've got I'm a family man Right by damn Finally, find out what I am And don't expect me to hit the road At a moment's notice Without my suitcase With some crazy bunch of strangers In some unknown car I'm just not willing to go that far The life I used to lead was a little too frantic I guess I just got eyes to grow old and grey And if what I have in mind isn't super romantic I guess I always saw myself this way (James Taylor)


Mosque of Ibn Tulun
Made by Julian Kaesler
The Ibn Tulun Mosque was completed in 879 AD by the founder of Egypt's Tulunid Dynasty, Ahmad Ibn Tulun. It is one of the oldest mosques in Cairo and is now a popular tourist attraction. The inner arcades present a frieze of floral decoration that runs around the arches, and above the arches Kufic inscriptions of the Qur'an are said to run some two kilometers. Interestingly, folktales maintain that this frieze was believed to have been carved onto the planks from Noah's Ark. Perhaps the most impressive feature is its simplicity in design, whilst at the same time being extravagantly decorated. Flickr Explore July 16, 2009 - highest position #138.


Al Qibla
Made by Marwa Morgan
Ew! Have been away for a while, I was so busy with my exams...now everything is okay :D I applogise for not checking your photos, I'll do my best to catch up ;) Al Qibla is the direction to which Muslims are oriented while praying, it is always towards Al Kaa'ba, in the holy city of Makkah. All Muslims in all places on the earth pray while being oriented to the same direction. In some old mosques there was a structure called Al Mihrab indicating that direction. That's a photo of Al Mihrab in Amru Ib Al A's mosque in Old Cairo. It's the first mosque built in Egypt and goeas back to the 7th century AD. Highest in Explore: #225.