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Cairo

Cairo

About Cairo

9,120,350 in city
12,512,350 in metro
214 km² (83 mi²)
22 m
Known as the city of a thousand minarets, Cairo (whose name means "the Victorious" in Arabic) is the bustling capital of Egypt and the largest city in Africa. Although it was founded just over 2000 years ago, its site has played host to one of the world's greatest civilizations for more than 6000 years. Cairo straddles the Nile, the longest river in the world and the backbone of Egypt. The city is bordered by desert on the east, south, and west, while to the north lies the fertile Nile Delta. This sprawling capital serves as the nation's primary administrative, industrial, commercial and tourist centre. The city is home to many businesses, souks, cultural institutions, mosques and government offices, alongside hotels and universities (one of which is the oldest in the Islamic world). It is also home to the Arab League and the famous Al Azhar University. The sound of car horns constantly fills the air as donkeys, taxis, buses and cars wage they daily battle on the streets. Downtown Cairo is a noisy, crowded place whose skyline is dominated by luxury hotels and the Cairo Tower, the visual centre of the skyline. The district is focused on the Corniche, which runs along the eastern bank of the Nile, and the island of Zamalek, and contains many of Cairo's tallest buildings. Old Cairo and Islamic Cairo portray a far more traditional face of the city, with ancient mosques and bazaars crammed into tiny alleys and streets, all overseen by the imposing Citadel complex. But for all the landmarks in Cairo itself, the skyline is still ruled from a distance by The Great Pyramids of Giza, the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World and still visible through the Cairo smog.

Metro Cities

6th of October City, Cairo, Giza

No. of Buildings

No. Current status
285 All Buildings
274
existing
4
under construction
7
planned

Tallest Buildings

# Building Height Year
1 Ministry of Foreign Affairs 469 ft 1994
2 AlGazira Tower Movenpick Hotel 466 ft 1996
3 Grand Nile Tower 466 ft 1974
4 Nile City South Tower 466 ft 2003
5 Nile City North Tower 466 ft 2002

Building types

No. Type
172 high-rise building
54 low-rise building
35 skyscraper
18 mosque
2 church
1 observation tower
1 castle
1 palace
1 house

Other buildings

No. Type
1 Famous buildings
4 Buildings with construction images