egypt
Cairo
This sprawling metropolis of 22 million people fizzes with frenetic energy . Cairo is the heartbeat of Egypt , and its incomprehensible traffic and non-stop noise can be an assault to the senses on arrival . It would be impossible , and exhausting , to cover the city on one visit . AmaWaterways ’ itinerary opts to take a more relaxing pace , cherry-picking a selection of major attractions across two stops , to provide a wonderful introduction to the capital of the country Egyptians call Umm ad-Dunya ( mother of the world ).
While the new Grand Egyptian Museum waits for its opening date , the original Egyptian Museum ’ s treasure trove of pharaonic artifacts remains one of the world ’ s great collections . Tutankhamun ’ s golden tomb-haul is the premier exhibit everyone wants to see , but the halls devoted to Old Kingdom masterpieces and the treasures of Tanis are highlights not to be missed .
Cairo ’ s name dates from the 10th century CE when the Tunisian Fatimid dynasty rolled into Egypt and built a walled palace-city they christened Al-Qahira ( The Victorious ). This district today forms the core of Historic Cairo , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the world ’ s greatest surviving collection of medieval Islamic architecture . Survey the spectacular array of domes and minarets that puncture the skyline from the hilltop perch of the Cairo Citadel , built by Ayyubid Sultan Salah-ad Din ( Saladin ). The citadel ’ s prime attraction is the multi-domed Mosque of Muhammad Ali . This extravaganza of Ottoman design was built by Muhammad Ali Pasha , founder of modern Egypt .
The vast necropolises of ancient Memphis lie scattered at Cairo ’ s desert edge , making for the city ’ s best day-trip destinations . At Saqqara , Pharaoh Djoser raised the Step Pyramid — the world ’ s first stone superstructure — and the Ancient Egyptians buried sacred Apis bulls deep within the Serapeum ’ s subterranean complex . Afterwards , head to Giza for a face-to-face meeting with some of the most recognizable landmarks on Earth . The Giza Plateau ’ s Fourth Dynasty ( 2613 – 2494 BCE ) pyramids , guarded by the Sphinx , have been leaving visitors awe-struck since Herodotus turned up to sightsee in the 5th century BCE .
On the return to Cairo , after cruising Upper Egypt , it ’ s time to explore two very different sides of the city . An exclusive tour of Abdeen Palace ’ s gold-trimmed salons , with a private lunch in the garden , showcases the glamorous lives of Egypt ’ s last royal rulers up to 1952 . Later , delve into the city ’ s roots within Coptic Cairo . This sedate neighbourhood holds the remnants of a Roman fortress and Cairo ’ s earliest churches .
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