CAIRO — GIZA
The Heartbeat of Civilization

The area of modern Cairo was shaped by earlier settlements. A Roman fortress at today’s Old Cairo marked the site before the Arab conquest in 641 CE, after which Fustat was founded nearby and became Egypt’s first Muslim capital. In 969 CE, the Fatimid Caliphate established a new city north of Fustat, naming it Al-Qāhira — The Victorious.

Giza takes its name from the Arabic al-Jīzah, meaning edge or frontier, reflecting its position between the Nile valley and the desert plateau. The area rose to prominence in the Old Kingdom — c. 2600 to 2500 BCE — as a royal necropolis, chosen for the construction of the pyramids. Beyond the Giza Plateau, the surrounding region includes some of Egypt’s earliest royal burial grounds, including Abu Sir, Saqqara, Dahshur, Abu Ghurab, and Abu Rawash.

HISTORY
CULTURE
SACRED GEOMETRY
ANCIENT QUARTERS
CITY LIFE
MUSEUMS
MARKETS
NIGHLIFE
ARCHITECTURE
PYRAMIDS