Historic Cairo

Historic Cairo encompasses the historic centre on the eastern bank of the Nile, which includes no less than 600 classified monuments dating from the 7th to 20th centuries. Among them are Islamic Cairo, overlooked by the Cairo Citadel, Coptic Cairo and its many old churches and ruins of Roman fortifications.

Year	Decision	Comments
2007	Name change	From "Islamic Cairo" to "Historic Cairo"
1979	Inscribed	Reasons for inscription

Reviews

Anthony M. Fischer (United States of America):
I visited this part of Cairo during my time in the US Army. It was 1998 and my fourth deployment to the Middle East. Cairo was almost overwhelming in its variety of impressions, sights, and just the sheer number of people. New Mexico, where I live, has roughly 10 people per square mile, or some other ridiculously low number. Cairo has about 170,000 (based on the figures I read). WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

Having said that, the historic section of Cairo is just beautiful, even though it is showing the wear and tear of the ages. Minarets, markets, mosques, tilework, colors, smells, people...I still get dizzy thinking about it.

I only wish I had done more research prior to my visit. It sometimes becomes a little difficult to determine the age of a building...which might cause you to miss something truly remarkable.

I can only say "GO!" if the opportunity comes your way.

Date posted: October 2012

Clyde (Malta):
I visited this WHS in March 2010. It is one of the world's oldest Islamic cities with several mosques, madrasas, hammams and fountains. The highlight of my visit was the Alabaster Mosque and its marble courtyard.

Date posted: September 2012

Paula Fonseca (Brazil):
The City of Cairo is an impressive place. The views from the Ancient City are simply astonished and the Mosques are very beautiful. It´s possible visiting them and the Cairo people have some kind of joy that make the experience wonderful.

Date posted: June 2011

stewart ayu (canada):
Historic Cairo with it's medieval layout , impressive mosques, and huge traditional market is fascinating. It's quite a large area and goes to show how important cairo was in the past. The mosques were imposing and unadorned. Worth a quick look.

Date posted: June 2009

Ingemar Eriksson (Sweden):
The citadel is a magnificent place and the weiv into town is magnificent. (You also understand the level of pollution in Cairo if you hven´t sensed it in your nose alreadyI.) t is in badly need of maintinance but is anyhow worth visiting. At the entrance, check the stone bridge leading up on the higher level of Cairo. The bridge are a remaining of all the stone that are taken out and is not built, it is carved out of the mountain.
Under the citadel is the Bazar. Warning for trying to make deals if you are not familiar with Egyptian prices in shops that have fixed prizes. Check prices elsewhere before entering the Bazar!
Islamic Cairo is one of the most complicated sites I have ever visited with my background. Anyhow, perhaps because of that, it is a special place to try to master if you come from some rural parts of Europe.

Date posted: June 2006

Christer Sundberg (Sweden):

I was still finishing some work when I - first time in my life - arrived in Cairo late one Dember evening. Following day, after having switched off the western world, I headed for the area named as “medieval Cairo”. Accompanied by the shop-keepers early morning routines of setting up their stands, filled with colourful fruits, raw meat and vegetables, I entered this “Arabian Nights”-look-a-like place through its northern gates and found myself suddenly in a world of its own filled with strange smells of spices, food, dirt and live animals. After having wondered around, visited a couple of mosques and fighting my way passed eager salesmen and beggars, I ended up in the Khan el Khalili bazaar for a touristy cup of coffee at the famous Fishawi Café. Though I could have easily bought myself dozens of carpets and other goods on my way, I continued down the Sharia El Muizz-street to the Tentmakers bazaar and later the gigantic Mamluk-mosques of Sultan Hassan & Ar-Rifai. A lunch at the Citadel ended a long promenade through a place where times seem to have stood still. It’s an almost magic place that you must not miss when visiting Cairo.

Date posted: December 2005

Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
Egypt is famous for its ancient history, the age of pharaohs and pyramids up to Cleopatra and the Roman Conquest. What came later, after the rule of Rome and Byzantium, is less well known in our minds, but of course no less important for Egypt today. Arabs conquered the country in the mid-7th century, and ruled for a time from Alexandria. In the 10th century, they built a new city on the banks of the Nile that they called al-Qahirah, the Victorious. Today it is the largest city of both Africa and the Arab Countries, but it doesn´t figure prominently in most peoples´ travel plans. That´s partly understandable, since the place is incredibly crowded, dirty, smoggy, and an insult to your senses in general. However, you can get used to that (really!) and the place has at least two things to offer that have to be seen by everybody - the Pyramids, which are not that far outside Cairo, and the Egyptian Museum, one of the greatest museums I have ever seen. Other sights like the Khan al-Khalili Bazaar and the Ottoman Fortress are interesting as well, but similar to other places in different Arab cities. Hotels and restaurants are usually very good, so if you can hold your breath for a while, there is no reason not to go to Cairo.

Date posted: July 2005

Ben Pastore (USA):
My visit here was in 1995-long before the attacks of 9/11 that spooked Americans from traveling to the Middle East. Though not a Muslim myself, I was entranced by the exotic atmosphere that Cairo exuded. Perched in my hotel on an island amid the mighty Nile, it wasn't hard to picture the history that made this place what it is.

Date posted: June 2005

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