Destination Guide
Cairo
Where ancient wonders and modern Egypt meet on the Nile.
Cairo is layered: Pharaonic at Giza, Coptic in Old Cairo, Islamic at the Citadel and Khan el-Khalili, modern along the Nile Corniche. The opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum has given the city a new center of gravity for cultural travel.
Founded as al-Qahira in 969 CE atop centuries of earlier settlements, Cairo absorbed Memphis, Fustat, and Heliopolis as it grew into the largest city in Africa. Its old quarters are a continuous walking museum of Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman architecture.
October to April is the most comfortable season — mild days, cool evenings, and ideal pyramid weather. May to September is hot but quieter at the museums; book early mornings at Giza.