Attractions in Cairo

Cairo has a ton of great attractions, and it's sometimes hard to know where to begin. Actually, that's not quite true - the boss of all of them is undeniably the Giza Plateau, home to the Great Pyramid, Pyramid of Chephren, Pyramid of Mycerinus, and of course the Great Sphinx. A close second is the Egyptian Museum, thousands of years of pharaonic history - including the legendary Tutankhamen exhibition, complete with gold death mask - all packed into one building. The other major pharaonic attraction is Saqqara, a huge necropolis that includes the very first pyramid ever built. Note that Memphis didn't make the list of top Cairo attractions because, although iconic, it's sadly not so interesting a place to visit since virtually nothing of the city remains.

The Coptic Museum traces the introduction and development of Christianity in Egypt, and the nearby Hanging Church is unusual in that it has a suspended nave. Coptic Christian services still take place here. The most readily identifiable Islamic attraction of Cairo must be the Citadel, perched high up on a hill and overlooking the city. Here you can visit three very different mosques, as well as a selection of museums. The views of Cairo are fantastic. Ibn Tulun Mosque is one of the oldest and most elegant Islamic attractions in the city, and al-Azhar Mosque is the seat of Sunni Islam, and arguably the most important mosque in the world.

Although Khan al-Khalili started out as a day to day trading market, these days it's an immense tourist trap full of pharaonic kitsch. But that is, in many ways, part of its charm - wandering around the labyrinthine alleys and bartering with the boisterous storekeepers is awesome fun, and you never know what exotic sights you may encounter, or which half-forgotten treasures you might unearth. Finally, the Cairo Tower is one of the most impressive modern attractions of the city, especially at night when it shimmers with a shifting display of colored lights.

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