Cairo

Cairo, << KY roh >> (pop. 9,510,880), is the capital of Egypt. It is one of the largest cities in Africa and the Middle East in terms of population. Cairo covers about 83 square miles (215 square kilometers) on the east bank of the Nile River in northeastern Egypt. Most Egyptians call the city Masr, which is also the name for Egypt itself. The metropolitan area includes densely populated suburbs that surround the historic city center. Some suburbs, including Giza, are on the Nile’s west bank. Over 20 million people live in greater Cairo. A political and cultural center of the Arab world, Cairo is home to the headquarters of the Arab League.

Cairo lies in the Nile Valley at the southern edge of the Nile Delta. The Nile River divides into two channels just north of the city. Huge deserts lie east and west of the city. Some famous reminders of ancient Egypt, including pyramids and the Great Sphinx, stand on the Giza plateau west of Cairo (see Pyramids ; Sphinx ).

The city.

In general, the oldest and most historic sections of Cairo are in the eastern part of the city. Newer, more modern areas are on the Nile’s west bank, in Giza. Other modern suburbs lie north, east, and south of the city and on the island of Gezira in the river. Many government offices, foreign embassies, clubs, restaurants, and hotels are on or near the banks of the Nile.

Most buildings in the modern sections of Cairo were built in the 1900’s. Their design is in the style of present-day American and European architecture. The newer areas of Cairo have public squares and wide boulevards, which make these areas somewhat less crowded than the older sections. However, even these newer areas have become congested, with most people living in large blocks of apartments.

Cairo’s older areas are famous for their narrow, winding streets and historic buildings. Lively markets known as suqs fill almost all the available space in some streets. In many of the buildings of the old sections, open-front shops occupy the ground floor. Small apartments take up the upper floors. The old sections are also known for their beautiful mosques (Islamic houses of worship). Minarets (tall, slender towers) are important features of the mosques. Public criers called muezzins announce prayer time by loudspeakers on the minarets five times a day. Several minarets can be seen from almost any place in Cairo’s old sections.

Many of Cairo’s mosques are outstanding examples of Islamic architecture. Some of the most famous mosques and their construction dates are Ahmed Ibn Tulun (A.D. 870’s), al-Azhar (about 970), Sultan Hassan (mid-1300’s), Qayt Bey (about 1475), and Muhammad Ali (early 1800’s). The Mosque of al-Azhar is part of a university, and the Muhammad Ali Mosque is part of a walled fortress called the Citadel.

Cairo has hot summers and mild winters. During the summer, many families leave the city and go to seaside resorts to escape the heat. Cairo’s mild winters attract many tourists from colder places. Cairo receives only about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of rain a year. The sun shines almost every day. For more details on Cairo’s climate, see Egypt (Climate) .

People.

The people of Cairo are called Cairenes. Many are poor, unskilled workers employed in factories or small shops. They live in crowded apartments in older areas of the city. Some dress in long, flowing robes, the traditional Arab garment. But most wear Western-style clothes made in Egypt. Most middle-class and wealthy Cairenes live in newer areas. These people include doctors, factory managers, engineers, government officials, lawyers, and teachers. They dress in Western-style clothing.

Nearly all Cairenes are Arabs who speak Arabic. Many educated Cairenes can speak English, French, or both. Most Cairenes are Muslims who practice the Sunni (orthodox) form of Islam. A minority of Cairenes are Christians, most of whom belong to the Coptic church.

Until the mid-1900’s, influential European and Jewish communities flourished in Cairo. An Egyptian nationalist government came to power in 1952, and many foreign-owned businesses were seized. Many foreigners lost the legal and financial privileges they had enjoyed. As a result, their communities dwindled away.

Education and cultural life.

Most of Egypt’s schools of higher learning are in or near Cairo. Al-Azhar University, in Cairo, is a major center for the study of Islam (see Al-Azhar University ). This university was founded about 970 and ranks among the world’s oldest. Other universities in the area include Cairo University, the largest university in the country, in Giza; Ain Shams University, in Cairo; and the American University in Cairo, a small English-language institution.

Cairo’s museums house priceless treasures from many periods in history. The city’s Egyptian Museum contains the mummy of Ramses II and the gold mask and other belongings of King Tutankhamun. The Museum of Islamic Art contains copies of the Qur’ān (the holy book of Islam), manuscripts, metalware, and other objects that date from the 600’s to the 1800’s.

Economy.

Cairo is an important manufacturing center. A factory at Hulwan, south of the city, makes iron and steel. Other industries in and near Cairo process food and tobacco and manufacture chemicals, paper, textiles, and other products. Many small companies and shops make such items as jewelry and statues that are sold as souvenirs. In the mid-1900’s, the government took over virtually all important industries. Some of these have been returned to private ownership, but the government still owns some of the largest plants.

Tourism is a key part of Cairo’s economy. Each year, millions of visitors come to see the mosques, museums, pyramids, Great Sphinx, and other attractions.

History.

The ancient city of Memphis stood near the site of present-day Cairo. It was probably founded about 3000 B.C. as ancient Egypt’s first capital. Between A.D. 639 and 642, Arab Muslims from the east conquered Egypt. At the time, Egypt was a province of the Byzantine Empire. Its people were descendants of the ancient Egyptians, and most were Christians. In 640, the Arabs set up a large military camp near what is now southern Cairo. They later built houses, mosques, and palaces. The camp became the Arab capital, al-Fustat.

The Fātimid dynasty took over Egypt in 969. The Fātimids belonged to the minority Shiah branch of Islam. General Jawhar established a new capital at Cairo for al-Muizz, the Fātimid caliph (ruler). Jawhar built up the area north of the first Arab settlement, and Cairo soon became one of the Islamic world’s most important cities. The Fātimids founded al-Azhar University, which attracted students of Islam from many countries. The Fātimids called their city Al Qahirah, perhaps because the planet Mars (al-Qahir in Arabic) was rising in the sky when they began building. The name Cairo comes from Al Qahirah. See Fātimid dynasty .

Saladin, the founder of Egypt’s Ayyubid dynasty (family of rulers), expanded the city’s boundaries and built the Citadel in the late 1100’s. He restored the dominance of Sunni Islam in Egypt. The Mamluks, who had been the Ayyubids’ bodyguards, ruled Egypt from 1250 to 1517. They built many of Cairo’s finest mosques and further extended the city’s boundaries. The Ottomans gained control of Egypt in 1517.

Many treasures of ancient Egypt were discovered in the early 1800’s. Thousands of people visited Cairo to see these wonders. Many Europeans settled in Cairo during the 1800’s, when European nations became more involved in Egypt’s affairs. During this period, Egypt’s rulers worked to make Cairo more like a European city.

The United Kingdom gained effective control of Egypt in 1882. Egypt became an independent monarchy in 1922. The government has done much to modernize Cairo, but great poverty continues to exist in many parts of the city.

The rapid population growth of Cairo and the surrounding area has contributed to the poverty problem. The city’s population increased from about 375,000 in 1882 to more than 3¹/₂ million in the 1960’s to nearly 7 million in the 1990’s. This population growth has resulted from three causes—(1) a high birth rate, (2) thousands of Egyptian families moving from rural areas to Cairo, and (3) refugees coming from Ismailia, Port Said, and Suez. These cities were heavily damaged in fighting between Egyptian and Israeli forces along the Suez Canal in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Since the 1970’s, important improvements have been made in many of Cairo’s city services. The city now has an excellent underground rail network, many new bridges and overpasses, a fine international airport, reliable telephone and Internet access, and a revamped sewerage system. But the ever-growing number of people and vehicles burdens local facilities, damages the environment, creates health hazards, and makes daily life difficult for many Cairenes.

In early 2011, massive antigovernment protests broke out in Tahrir Square, Cairo’s central city square. The protests forced Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down.

In 2016, the Egyptian government began construction of a new administrative capital located east of Cairo. When completed, the new city is to include government ministries, housing for workers, and green space.

See also Al-Azhar University ; Giza ; Tahrir Square .