Located on the banks of the River Nile, Cairo is known for preserving the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World : the Great Pyramid of Giza. 

It is home of the Tahrir Square and the vast Egyptian Museum, which inhabits many of the treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb, discovered by Howard Carter and his men. The site of the iconic pyramids in Giza is nearby. In this article we will take a look at a few impressive photographs and beautiful paintings of Cairo alongside ten remarkable facts!

The Citadel of Cairo, Residence of Mehmet Ali, 1842-49 (colour litho) / Bridgeman Images
The Citadel of Cairo, Residence of Mehmet Ali, 1842-49 (colour litho), Roberts, David (1796-1864) / Private Collection / Bridgeman Images

Cairo is one of the largest cities in Africa

View of the roofs of Cairo - photograph of the Zangali Brothers, late 19th century / Photo © Leonard de Selva / Bridgeman Images
View of the roofs of Cairo - photograph of the Zangali Brothers, late 19th century, Zangaki Brothers (fl.1870s-90s) / Jesuit Library, Cairo, Egypt / © Leonard de Selva / Bridgeman Images

Cairo is the gateway to the Nile Delta

Colour photograph of the River Nile in Giza, Egypt. The pyramids can be seen in the distance. Dated 1910 / Universal History Archive/UIG / Bridgeman Images
River Nile in Giza, 1910 / Universal History Archive/UIG / Bridgeman Images

Cairo’s historic core city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979

View of the downtown of Cairo (undated picture)., 01.01.1960-31.12.1969 / © SZ Photo / Egon G. Schleinitz / Bridgeman Images
The city center of Cairo (b/w photo), / © SZ Photo / Egon G. Schleinitz / Bridgeman Images

 

Cairo has only two seasons: four months of winter and approximately eight months of summer

In Cairo: The Ferry From The Island of Gazirie on the Nile or Boulach the Port of Cairo (oil on canvas) / Photo © Christie's Images / Bridgeman Images
In Cairo: The Ferry From The Island of Gazirie on the Nile or Boulach the Port of Cairo (oil on canvas), Farquharson, Joseph (1846-1935) / Private Collection / Christie's Images / Bridgeman Images

The Pyramids of Giza stand at the southwestern edge of the metropolis

The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt (b/w photo) / Look and Learn / Elgar Collection / Bridgeman Images
The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt (b/w photo), English Photographer, (20th century) / Private Collection / Look and Learn / Elgar Collection / Bridgeman Images

Cairo’s mosques, mausoleums and massive stone gates date back to 130 CE!

This is an image of a minaret. A minaret is a typical Islamic mosque feature. It is a tall, slender tower built into or adjacent to mosques. There placement is used for the Muslim call to prayer as well as providing a clear visual focal point. 

A Minaret of the Mosque of Sultan Berkook, Cairo. Illustration for The Graphic, 19 February 1887/ Look and Learn / Illustrated Papers Collection / Bridgeman Images
A Minaret of the Mosque of Sultan Berkook, Cairo (engraving), English School, (19th century) / Private Collection / Look and Learn / Illustrated Papers Collection / Bridgeman Images
Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo, Egypt / Look and Learn / Elgar Collection / Bridgeman Images
Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo, Egypt (coloured photo), French Photographer, (20th century) / Private Collection / Look and Learn / Elgar Collection / Bridgeman Images

The city juxtaposes ancient and new, East and West

Cairo, The Citadel. Illustration for souvenir brochure on Egypt published by The Cairo Postcard Trust, c 1905. Photographs look to be late 19th century, and colouring early 20th century / Look and Learn / Elgar Collection / Bridgeman Images
Cairo, The Citadel (coloured photo), Egyptian Photographer, (19th century) / Private Collection / © Look and Learn / Bridgeman Images
The Metro Cinema, on Soliman Pasha Street (now Talaat Harb Street), opened in 1940 / © National Army Museum / National Army Museum, London, UK / Bridgeman Images
Metro Cinema, Cairo, Egypt, 1943 (b/w photo), / National Army Museum, London / National Army Museum, London, UK / Bridgeman Images

Cairo is a city of visual contrast! Lush vegetation shares the landscape with tall buildings

A sailboat on the Nile River with the city in the background, Cairo, Egypt. Photograph, late 19th century / Granger / Bridgeman Images
EGYPT: CAIRO A sailboat on the Nile River with the city in the background, Cairo, Egypt. Photograph, late 19th century. / Granger / Bridgeman Images

The City of Cairo is fan shaped! The city is narrowest in the south and widest in the north!

An aerial view of New Cairo in 1931, from 'Zeppelin-Weltfahrten' (silver bromide print) / Bridgeman Images
An aerial view of New Cairo in 1931, from 'Zeppelin-Weltfahrten' (silver bromide print), German School, (20th century) / Private Collection / Bridgeman Images

 

French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte attempted to invade Cairo, Egypt on July 1, 1798

General Bonaparte at Cairo, from 'A Collection of Works of Jean-Leon Gerome in 100 Photogravures', 1881 (photogravure) / © Dahesh Museum of Art, New York / Bridgeman Images
General Bonaparte at Cairo, from 'A Collection of Works of Jean-Leon Gerome in 100 Photogravures', 1881 (photogravure), Gerome, Jean Leon (1824-1904) (after) / Dahesh Museum of Art, New York, USA / © Dahesh Museum of Art, New York / Bridgeman Images

 

Read more about Ancient Egyptian Art here. 

 

Sources: 

https://www.britannica.com/place/Cairo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minaret



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