Facts and Things To Know About The City Of Cairo
Cairo is the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt and its the largest and most important city. Also, it is the most populated city in the Arab World. On the other hand, the city of Cairo is the second in Africa and the seventeenth in the world of population. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world, and the Middle East. Cairo is the twelfth most populous city in the world. It has almost 21,322,750 people, according to 2021 statistics. This number of population represents 20% of Egypt’s population. Today, Cairo city is one of the largest and most populous Arab cities and the administrative capital of Egypt. Cairo has become a major tourist destination for tourists. As it has numerous tourist sites, ancient monuments, and important cultural landmarks that represent diverse cultures from around the world. So, when was Cairo founded?
When Was Cairo Founded?
Caliph Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah ordered Jawhar al-Siqilli to build the new capital of the Fatimid state in 969 AD. This was the year when Cairo was founded. The Caliph named it “Cairo.” Cairo has many names throughout the ages. As it is the City of a Thousand Minarets, the Protected, and Cairo of al-Mu’izz. During the Islamic era, Cairo witnessed the finest architectural arts, represented by the construction of castles, forts, walls, schools, and mosques, giving it a wonderful touch that can still be seen in its old neighborhoods uptill now.
Cairo is both a governorate and a city; it occupies the entire area of a single city, at the same time is simultaneously a large city that constitutes a governorate in its own right. It has 37 districts. Cairo celebrates its national holiday on 6 July, the day Commander Jawhar al-Siqilli put the city’s foundation stone in 969 AD. It is now over 1,055 years old.
Cairo is also the headquarters of many regional and international organizations, including the headquarters of the League of Arab States, the regional offices of the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations Population Fund, UN Women, and many other important organizations.
The Name Of Cairo City
There are different opinions on the reason for naming Cairo. and when Cairo was founded. Some say that Jawhar al-Siqilli initially named the city al-Mansuriya, after the city of al-Mansuriya, which was the same name of al-Mansur Billah, the father of al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah. Others say that Jawhar al-Siqilli named the city after because he loved his father (al mansour be-llah).This name continued for 4 years.Then al-Mu’izz came to Egypt and renamed it “Cairo. He gave it this name in the hope that it would conquer the Abbasid state, which was competing with the Fatimids. Others say that he named it “Cairo” to “conquer the world,” or that it was named after the planet Mars. Cairo has many famous names such as “Egypt the Protected,” “Cairo of al-Mu’izz,” “City of a Thousand Minarets,” and “Jewel of the East.
Cairo City Climate
The climate in the city of Cairo is moderate most of the year. The temperature during the summer ranges between 22°C and 34°C, but during the winter ranges between 18°C and 9°C. There are two seasons: a hot summer from May to October and a mild winter from November to April. It is also very dry, with low rainfall during the winter and high humidity levels during the summer. Cairo is hot, and there are dusty winds between March and June, known as the Khamasin.
Population of Cairo City
Cairo City people
Cairo’s population reached 9.7 million at the end of 2018, it represents 10.6% of Egypt’s total population. It is the most populated city in Egypt and the most crowded, with its diverse ethnic structure, infrastructure, and diverse local and international employment opportunities. Thousands of people migrate daily from other governorates to Cairo for work, personal needs, or medical treatment.As there are investments, government agencies, and major hospitals.
Language and What People Speak in Cairo City
The people of Cairo speak Arabic, but the Arabic spoken in Cairo differs from that spoken in Middle and Upper Egypt. Egyptian Arabic is the most important form of modern Arabic spoken in the region.As the Egyptian film industry, with its headquarters in Cairo, is the largest in the Arab world. Egyptian films are shown in the Arab region without subtitles or dubbing. Unlike news and similar films. So the Egyptian dialect in these films is Egyptian. Unlike Classical Arabic was the language of writing and literature since the Arab conquest of Egypt in the seventh century. All used Coptic only as the liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Coptic is a continuation of Ancient Egyptian and they wrote this language using characters derived from Greek. It is not spoken today except as a sacred language. As foreign languages, English and French are used as a limited elite language.
Religion of Cairo City
Al Azhar Mosque
Islam is the official religion of Egypt according to the Egyptian Constitution. Islam recognized the rights of followers of the three religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The majority of the city’s population is Sunni Muslim, with a larger minority being Orthodox Christians. Other minorities are Christian denominations, along with Jews. Al_Azhar Mosque is the most important religious institution in the country. It is considered one of the most important pillars of Sunni Islam worldwide. The Coptic Orthodox Church also occupies an important position as the national church. As it represents the majority of Egyptian Christians. Jews do not have a religious institution to care for them because of their small number. Instead, A sect specific to their religion managed their affairs.
Tourism
Tourism
Cairo is a premier tourist city, offering all the tourist attractions a visitor might need. It boasts numerous archaeological sites dating back to the Pharaonic era, the old city walls dating back to the Islamic era, and Islamic, Christian, and Jewish archaeological sites dating back to the arrival of various religions in Egypt.
The city also boasts famous shopping districts, dozens of palaces, mosques, churches, historic gates, and ancient buildings from various eras, in addition to cultural and artistic venues, theaters, and more. It also boasts a large number of hotels and accommodations of various types and levels.
Types of Tourism In Cairo City
1- Recreational Tourism
Cairo has several important recreational attractions, including vast recreational parks popular with both adults and children. These include Azbakeya Gardens, the International Garden, Fustat Gardens, and the Japanese Garden in Helwan, which contains statues symbolizing different historical eras, such as the Lotus Flower statue, the Eastern elephant statues guarding the site, as well as the Lotus Lake, the Music Kiosk, and trees. At the forefront of Cairo’s parks is Al-Azhar Park, one of the largest parks in Cairo and one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the world. Covering an area of 80 hectares, it opened to visitors in 2005. Construction took more than seven years. It cost more than 100 million Egyptian pounds, borne by the Aga Khan Trust for Islamic Architecture.
The Cairo Tower is one of the city’s modern landmarks. The engineer Naoum Shebib designed it in the shape of the Egyptian lotus flower from reinforced concrete between 1956 and 1961. The tower has a base of Aswan granite, and the ancient Egyptians used this base in the construction of their temples and tombs. Its height is 187 meters, almost 43 meters higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza. It has 16 floors, and the lift takes 45 seconds to reach the top. The tower is in Cairo on Zamalek Island on the Nile River. At the top of this tower, there is a large tourist restaurant. Nile cruises have a great popularity among tourists, from simple trips on antique wooden boats to luxurious trips on modern ships.
There are also nature reserves far from the noise of the city center. They offer tranquility, relaxation, and natural contemplation, and visitors can enjoy cruises on the Nile to learn about modern architectural heritage.
2- Cultural Tourism
Egyptian Museum
Cultural tourism in Cairo is very important to attract tourists. It has diverse monuments that have transformed entire areas into open-air museums. It has contributed to the emergence of world-class Egyptian museums and has been the inspiration for books and novels, such as Naguib Mahfouz’s trilogy, which was the best Arabic novel. There are many important museums, such as the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, the Museum of Islamic Art, the Coptic Museum, the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, the Manial Palace, the Museum of Civilization in Fustat, the Wax Museum in Helwan, the Egyptian Railway Museum, the Qasr al-Aini Museum, the Beit al-Umma Museum, the Gayer-Anderson Museum, the Royal Chariots Museum in Bulaq, the Saladin Citadel Museums, and many more.
3- Religious tourism
Amr Ibn Al- Aas Mosque
Saint George Church in Old Cairo.
Cairo has many sacred religious sites, whether Jewish, Christian, or Islamic. They attract hundreds of visitors. The city has monuments and sanctuaries of the three monotheistic religions, and historical Islamic landmarks such as Al-Azhar Mosque, Ibn Tulun Mosque, Sultan Hassan Mosque, Muhammad Bey Abu al-Dhahab Mosque, Al-Hakim Mosque, and many other mosques.
There are many houses and castles that document Egypt’s Islamic history. There are Beit al-Suhaymi, Beit al-Harawi, Beit al-Senari, and Beit Zainab Khatun. Also, ancient Christian sites that document the Holy Family’s journey, such as the Church of St. Sergius, Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya, and many other ancient monasteries and churches.
Several sites of Jewish religious significance are also located on its land, such as the Ben Ezra Synagogue, the Moses Maimonides Synagogue, the Chaim Kaposi Synagogue, the Shaarei Shamayim Synagogue, and the Bar Yochai Synagogue.
Architecture
Cairo is a historical city and famous for its rich heritage and its unique collection of buildings that reflect the development of Islamic architecture in the city over 1,300 years. This architectural development has now become an open-air museum of architecture, displaying buildings from every stage of the city’s development in a continuous cycle of architectural styles, evident in its buildings, such as mosques, zawiyas, schools, tekayas, palaces, houses, baths, fountains, arches, agencies, inns, and markets, as well as its castles, walls, and gates.
Media
There are main official and unofficial Egyptian newspapers such as Al-Ahram, the oldest press institution in Egypt, It publishes the daily Al-Ahram, Al-Ahram Hebdo, Al-Masa, Al-Arabi, and other magazines.There is also the Middle East News Agency, Egypt’s primary news agency. Cairo has also the Maspero Radio and Television Building. This building is very important as the government’s radio and television channels broadcast from it.
Cairo Cuisine
The Cairene cuisine is the epitome of simple, diverse Egyptian cuisine. Bread has priority, and is called “aish” in the Cairene dialect, a synonym for “life.” Ful and ta’ameya are among the most popular Cairene breakfast items. There are also main delicious dishes like Koshari, moussaka, stuffed vegetables, molokhia, fatteh, trotters, and various types of rice. Therefore, there are popular drinks like Tea, coffee, sugarcane juice, licorice, and sobia.
Conclusion
Cairo is one of the most beautiful governorates and the most attractive to tourists because it contains many wonderful places in all fields, as we mentioned. This city is a lovely city with its ancient history and diverse tourist attractions. There are always plans to improve and develop it so that tourists come to it from all over the world. So, hopefully our article gave you an idea about when Cairo was founded, as well as all the information you need about the City of Cairo.
