Cairo offers a layered culture, from the pyramids to Coptic churches and Mamluk mosques. Street life, music and hospitality set the rhythm of everyday life.
Historic sites
Great Pyramid of Khufu – Built about 4,500 years ago, the greatest monument of antiquity.
Mosque of Ibn Tulun – Completed in 879, one of Cairo's largest and oldest functioning mosques.
Sultan Hassan Mosque – A grand 14th-century mosque-madrasa and a masterpiece of Mamluk architecture.
Traditions
Hospitality and tea – Inviting visitors to tea is common, and accepting is seen as polite.
Mesaharaty and Ramadan traditions – In Ramadan, lanterns and decorations fill the streets and a drummer wakes people before dawn.
Coffeehouse conversation (ahwa) – Chat over backgammon, tea and shisha is central to city life.
Festivals
Ramadan and the Ramadan lanterns – The city's liveliest time, with iftar tables and evening celebrations.
Sham El-Nessim – An ancient Egyptian spring festival, the Monday after Easter, celebrated with picnics and salted fish.
Cairo International Film Festival – A major film event of the Arab world, held each November or December around the Opera House.
Etiquette
Remove shoes and cover shoulders and knees when entering mosques.
Use your right hand for eating and greetings, and don't offer a handshake to the opposite sex first.
Don't photograph people, especially women, or religious sites without permission.
Bargaining is expected in markets; decline persistence with a smile and politeness.
Map
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Places
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Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
Home to the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the only surviving wonder of the ancient world.
Category
Historic site
Duration
4 h
Price
$$
Best time
Morning at opening
Tip: Buy official tickets at the main gate and politely decline pushy sellers.