Cairo

Cairo has been the heart of Egypt for more than 1000 years. Here the medieval world and contemporary western world come together in a confusion of earthen houses and towering modern office buildings, of flashy cars and donkey-drawn carts. Nobody really knows how many people live in Cairo, but estimates put it at about 16 million, and the city's many squatter camps and slums alone accommodate around 5 million people. Housing shortages are terrible and the traffic is appalling, but the government has begun a campaign to ease these pressures, opening an underground metro system and constructing satellite suburbs.

In the ancient tale of 1001 Nights, "He who has not seen Cairo, has not seen the world" .

Islamic Cairo (which is no more Islamic than the rest of the city) is the old medieval quarter, and stepping into its neighborhoods is like moving back six or seven centuries. This is the most densely populated area of Egypt, and probably the whole Middle East. Districts like Darb al-Ahmar are full of tiny alleyways, mud-brick houses, food hawkers, and goats, camels and donkeys. The streets are lined with mosques and temples, and the air is filled with the pungent smells of turmeric and cumin, animals and squalor. Some of Islamic Cairo's highlights include the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, dating from the 9th century and the city's oldest intact and fully functioning Islamic monument; the 15th-century Mosque of Qaitbey, considered the jewel of Mamluk architecture; Al-Azhar Mosque, the keystone of Islam in Egypt; and the Citadel, an awesome medieval fortress that was the seat of Egyptian power for 700 years. The Citadel has three major mosques and several museums.

Coptic Cairo was originally built as a Roman fortress town. Pre-dating the founding of Islamic Cairo by several hundred years, it was home to one of the world's first Christian communities and is also a holy place for Jews and Muslims. The sole remaining section of the Fortress of Babylon includes two towers, which were built in AD 98 and originally overlooked an important port on the Nile before the river changed course. The Coptic Museum at the foot of the towers explores Egypt's Christian era from the years 300 to 1000. The stunning collection includes religious and secular art, stonework, manuscripts, woodwork, glass and ceramics.

Cairo has various precincts with cheap tourist accommodation and places to eat, but central Cairo is popular with budget travelers, particularly Midan Orabi and Midan Talaat Harb.