gst932840-classical_1_Q7:gst932840-classical 01/06/2011 13:17 Page 1 Cairo Mosque of Al-Azhar The first Fatimid mosque in Cairo was built The Cathedral of St Mark This is the largest church in Africa - THE excavations unearthed three empty ditches on the east side of the the 5th dynasty is situated to the south of the stepped-Pyramid of The origins of the between 970 – 973 AD. It is considered to be the oldest Islamic built in a modern style in the district of Abbasia – where the remains PYRAMIDS Great Pyramid, once dug out to contain solar barques. Two other King Zoser. It is famous for its burial chamber, where its walls are Egyptian capital with university comprising more than 80,000 manuscripts in its libraries. of St Mark rest. OF GIZA sites were discovered to the south of King Cheop´s Pyramid, from covered with what is known as the “Pyramid Text.” the first In its present form, the mosque is a collection of buildings and which a large wooden boat in a very good condition has been collection of religious texts drawn up during the Old Kingdom and its 15 million Giza is the name of inhabitants can be several extensions added during various periods. Today, it is one of revealed and is now to be seen in a museum south of the pyramid. destined to protect and guide the dead pharaoh during his journey MUSEUMS a district near Cairo, in the “after world.” The tomb chamber still contains the granite found near the the leading centres of Islamic teachings. where the famous The Sphinx On the way down to the Valley Temple of King sarcophagus of the king. South of the pyramid are the so-called present day Coptic IN CAIRO necropolis of the 4th Chefren, the famous Sphinx is to be found. This colossal statue Persian Tombs of the 26th dynasty, where a 25-metre deep shaft district. In 641 AD, Mosque of Sultan Hassan Founded between 1356-1362AD to The Egyptian dynasty can be visited. represents a body of a lion with a human head and measures 70 leads to three beautifully decorated burial chambers. Amr Ibn Al-As, be a mosque and madrasah for the four schools of Islam, the Museum The Points of interest are, metres in length and 20 metres in height. Many scholars and general of the Caliph mosque is composed of an open court surrounded by four iwans for Egyptian Museum is of course, the famous scientists share the opinion that the face of the Sphinx closely The Serapeum The Apis Bull lived in a stable in front of the Omar, built a new the four schools. the richest store of Sphinx and the pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinos. resembles that of King Chefren. Temple of Ptah, the creator of the world. There, the animal received capital for Egypt near his tent (Arabic: Fustat). That is why the first remains of ancient offerings from its worshippers and pronounced its oracles. After its The Pyramid of King Cheops One of the most famous Memphis Memphis is capital of Egypt was called Fustat. But when the Abbassids Mosque of Egyptian art and death, it was mummified and buried in a tomb in the desert. Up Mohammed Ali treasures from the structures in the world, this pyramid was built by King Cheops (4th the oldest capital of until the 19th dynasty each bull had its own separate burial place. overthrew the Omaiads in 750 AD, the city was burnt down except dynasty) about 2650 BC. Almost 2.5 million blocks of limestone Egypt, situated 24 km the mosque of Amr Ibn Al-As, so that a new capital was built (Alabaster Pharaonic to the Later on, Ramses II created a common burial place for them, which Mosque) Built inside Graeco-Roman period were used in its construction. It measures 230 x 230 metres at the south-west of Cairo near was enlarged during the Ptolemaic period. This was known as the somewhat to the north and was called Al-Askar. During the reign of base and was originally 146 metres high but, today, stands at only the Citadel of Saladin with more than 120,000 exhibits. Its most famous collection is of the present day village Serapeum, a name that arose because the Apis Bull, once dead and Ahmed Ibn Tulun (868-883), his residence was transferred to the 137 metres. Its sidelines are exactly oriented to the north, south, of Mit Rahena. It is on the site of an old artifacts found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. deified, was named Osir-Apis, which the Greeks converted into Jashkur Hills, where he built his famous mosque and a new capital east and west. presumed that the city palace, construction Serapis, from which the name Serapeum derived. The structure in named "Al Katai". The origin of today´s name (Cairo) can be traced was built around 3100 The Coptic Museum The museum has a rare collection of which the sacred bulls were buried is a subterranean gallery with back to the Fatimid general Gohar invading Egypt in 969 AD. He began in 1824 and The Pyramid of Chephren This pyramid was built by Chephren BC, most probably by ancient Christian relics and antiquities, including remains of corridors that total several hundred metres. Twenty-four sarcophagi named the city after the constellation of Mars (Al-Kahir, the was completed 33 (son of Cheops), south-west of his father’s pyramid and is very King Menes, when Upper and Lower Egypt were first united. One of architectural works, textiles, icons and old manuscripts reflecting similar to it. Although lower in height, 136 metres, it looks taller as it of up to 70 tons of black granite can be seen at the Serapeum. victorious). Under the reign of many sultans, and especially in the years later. The the interesting objects is the prone statue of Ramses II, exhibited in the history of Coptic civilisation. was built on a higher plateau. At the base it measures 210 x 210 Mameluke period, Cairo (Arabic: Al-Kahira) prospered and became a building is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because alabaster a small museum. It is made of fine-grained limestone and is The Mastabas Saqqara is well known for the mastaba-type of metres. On the north side it possesses two entrances leading down centre of Islamic art and architecture. This dynasty ended when the was used to cover both its interior and exterior walls. It was considered to be one of the most beautiful statues of this great king. tombs containing Egypt’s ancient nobles. The tomb walls bear The Museum of Islamic Art Founded in 1880, the museum into a passage and then across a corridor to the burial chamber, Ottomans under Sultan Selim I conquered Cairo in 1517 AD, and modelled on the classical mosques in Istanbul. Also remarkable are the Temple of Embalming of the sacred Apis inscriptions showing scenes of daily life in ancient Egypt, such as: houses a magnificent and unique collection of 80,000 rare relics which still contains the large granite sarcophagus of Chephren. subjugated it under Turkish rule. In 1805, after Napoleon’s "Egyptian Bulls and the Alabaster Sphinx of Amenophis II at the same site. farming, animal breeding, hunting, as well as religious rites. from the dawn of Islam until the end of the Ottoman period. It is Among its most interesting features are the remains of the Valley Campaign", the citadel (built by Saladin 1176 AD) was occupied by COPTIC also home to the National Library with valuable books on Islamic Temple – where Chephren’s body was embalmed - with its granite Saqqara Saqqara is one of the oldest ancient Egyptian cemeteries The Mastaba of Ptah Hotep The walls of the chambers are Mohammed Ali and the city underwent a fresh revival. He CAIRO civilisation, and a collection of rare manuscripts of the Koran. casing and a rising causeway leading to the pyramid. and it was the necropolis of Memphis. Today it is one of the most covered with coloured reliefs, depicting everyday life scenes. The modernised a number of city districts and founded new ones. The Hanging important archaeological sites in Egypt because monuments of most important shows Ptah Hotep being entertained by a band of Today’s Cairo is the foremost capital on the African continent and The Pyramid of Mycerinos Finally, the smallest of the three Church (Al-Mu most of the principal dynasties are represented there. Many musicians. the political, cultural and economic centre of Egypt with many BAZAARS pyramids, barely 66 metres high, was originally covered with red pharaohs with their court dignitaries were buried in Saqqara. ‘allaqa) granite stones from Aswan. The burial chamber once contained a The Mastaba of Mereruka Close to King Teti´s pyramid is the monuments and relics of the Pharaonic, Graeco-Roman, Christian Khan El Khalili The church received splendid sarcophagus of basalt but is now empty. The three The Stepped- most complex mastaba of the 6th dynasty. It contains 33 chambers and Islamic periods, attracting visitors from all over the world. Comprising an array this name because it principal pyramids of Giza are surrounded by several smaller Pyramid Originally, a with many magnificent wall inscriptions. Particularly original in its was built on top of of shops dating from pyramids and hundreds of mastaba tombs belonging to members of mastaba tomb was conception is a scene showing hunting and fishing, in which plants the south gate of the the 14th century AD, the royal family, nobles and high-ranking employees.