Giza

Giza is complicated! Technically, the whole of the city west of the Nile is actually Giza, rather than Cairo, and is administered by a different governorate than Cairo itself. Giza therefore includes all the relatively modern residential neighbourhoods of Imbaba, Mohandiseen, Agouza and Dokki. To confuse matters further, there is actually a neighbourhood called Giza, too!

This neighbourhood effectively begins below Dokki, round about the area of Cairo University and Cairo Zoo. It stretches west from the Nile for about 10 km, along Pyramids Road (Al Haram) towards the Pyramids of Giza.

This region has actually been important since Pharaonic times, as it was the site of the ancient capital, Memphis, as well as the burial grounds of Giza (the Pyramids), Abu Sir, North Saqqara, South Saqqara, and Dahshur.

Even after the decline of Memphis during the Greek, Roman and Christian eras, Giza remained an important area, presumably because it was just over the river from the Roman fortress, Babylon on the Nile. It continued to flourish well into Islamic times, before flooding and neglect eventually began to take their toll. It wasn't until Khedive Ismail turned his attention to the area in the 19th Century, draining the swamps and developing infrastructure, that Giza began to recover.

Since Nasser took power in the 1950's, the whole of the west bank of the Nile has been developed into a concrete hell of tower blocks, flyovers and other residential and shopping areas. Giza itself has stretched so far that it has actually swallowed up the villages that used to sit at the foot of the Pyramids – meaning that these 4,500 year structures now loom up from the very edge of the city. Thankfully, the desert beyond them is still preserved… for now!

The inner section of Giza, nearest the Nile, contains such sites as the Cairo Zoo, Dr Ragab's Pharaonic Village, and the Museum of Ahmed Shawki. There are also a few hotels in this area, such as the El Gezirah Sheraton Hotel, and the Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence. These hotels contain numerous posh restaurants and bars. The Four Seasons Hotel and the attached Giza First Mall contain some of the best, such as Indigo, Steaks, and Gourmandise.

Out towards the Pyramids, Memphis, Saqqara and Dahshur are where some of Cairo's most exclusive hotel resorts are located, such as the Mena House Oberoi, Le Meridien Pyramids, and the Cataract Pyramids Resort. These contain a wealth of restaurants and bars. The Moghul Room is one of the most famous, and Andrea is one of the best restaurants that isn't actually inside a hotel.

Nightlife

Africana

Casino d'Egypt (Mena House Oberoi Hotel)

Al Rubayyat

Moghul Room (The)

Oasis (The)

T.G.I. Friday's

Tea Lounge

Library Bar

Sham el-Nessim


Attractions

Dreamland Golf and Tennis Resort

Taha Hussein Museum

Golf at the Mena House Oberoi

Citadel View Restaurant

The Sphinx

Four Seasons Cairo at The First Residence Spa and Wellness Centre

Saqqara: Mastaba of Ankh-Mahor

Colossus of Ramses II

Step Pyramid of Saqqara

Memphis: Alabaster Sphinx

Saqqara: Mastaba of Ti

Saqqara: Mastaba of Mereruka

Saqqara: Mastaba of Kagemni

Saqqara: Pyramid of Unas

Giza Pyramids: Sound and Light Show

El-Urman Gardens

Museum of Ahmed Shawki

The Great Pyramid

Dr. Ragab's Pharaonic Village

Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren)

Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus)

Cairo Zoo

Pyramids Sound and Light Show with Private Transport

Camel Ride by the Pyramids

Saqqara Country Club

Giza Plateau

Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil & His Wife Museum

Memphis: Sun Temples of Abu Ghurab

Horse ride by the Pyramids

Mastaba of Ptah-Hotep and Akhti-Hotep

Solar Boat Museum

Dahshur


Restaurants

The Moghul Room

Tea Lounge

Seasons

Fish Market

Al Rubayyat

Spice

Al Fanous

Steaks

Gourmandise (La)

Le Chateau

Andrea

Indigo

Aura

Oasis (The)

Bella

Lai Thai

Zitouni


Hotels

Hotel Amarante

Mena House Oberoi Hotel

Hormoheb Hotel

Concorde El Salam Hotel Cairo

Mövenpick Resort Pyramids

El Gezirah Sheraton Hotel, Towers & Casino

Four Seasons Cairo at The First Residence

Siag Pyramids Hotel

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