Greater Cairo
Interesting places in Greater Cairo:
Location is derived from the great work of WikiMapia
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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
EGYPT 84
Made by Elisabeth Gaj
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt, and is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that survives substantially intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2551 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface, but what is seen today is mainly only the underlying core structure, with a few of the original casing stones that once covered the structure simply representing the four compass points around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place. The pyramid remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years,[9] unsurpassed until the 160-meter-tall spire of Lincoln Cathedral was completed c. 1300. The accuracy of the pyramid's workmanship is such that the four sides of the base have a mean error of only 58 millimeters in length [10] The base is horizontal and flat to within 21 mm[11]. The sides of the square base are closely aligned to the four cardinal compass points (within 4 minutes of arc)[12] based on true north, not magnetic north[13], and the finished base was squared to a mean corner error of only 12 seconds of arc.
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
EGYPT 83
Made by Elisabeth Gaj
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue of a reclining lion with a human head that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile, near modern-day Cairo, in Egypt. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 73.5 m (241 ft) long, 6 m (20 ft) wide, and 20 m (65 ft) high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians in the third millennium BCE.[1] The Great Sphinx faces due east and houses a small temple between its paws. Most Egyptologists believe that the Great Sphinx was created by the Pharaoh Khafra (Hellenized: Chephren) and that the Sphinx therefore dates to his reign (2520-2494 BCE). Other Egyptologists have put forward as models for the Sphinx different members of the royal family, including Khafra's father, Khufu, and his 'brother', Djedefre, and some geologists have suggested theories dating the Sphinx to various periods before Dynasty IV.
![Al-Refai Mosque [HDR]](http://static.flickr.com/3553/3329705180_a895f73ec0_t.jpg)
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
Egypt Giza 042a
Made by youngrobv (Rob&Ale)
This photo is one of thousands we took on a cruise along the Nile in 2005. One day I'll upload the best ones... The classic shot of Giza, just outside Cairo. The Sphinx in front of the pyramid of Khafre (Chefren). The pyramid dates back to the 4th Egyptian Dynasty. I had a few problems getting this shot, firstly standing at the feet of the Sphinx, the Nikon E5700's lens wasn't wide enough, so when I was back far enough I got the wall in shot. Without real Depth of field control, it was also quite hard to expose this and keep the Sphinx separated from the pyramid. Situations like these started me thinking of upgrading from my Nikon E5700 to a 'proper' DSLR... * This photo appears here
Egypt.. pyramids
Made by K.A photography
The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis. The earliest among these is the Pyramid of Djoser (constructed 2630 BCE–2611 BCE) which was built during the third dynasty. This pyramid and its surrounding complex were designed by the architect Imhotep, and are generally considered to be the world's oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry. The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built. The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.
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
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.
