Cairo which means the triumphant or the victorious city is the capital of Egypt and is considered the seventh most populous country in the world with a population of 17 million people. Cairo is located on the banks and islands of the Nile River 15 km southern the area where the Nile divides into its two streams Damietta and Rosetta. Eastern Cairo is divided into two parts one modern part which has a European style built by Ismail Pasha known as Misr Al Gadida or Heliopolis with the wide boulevards, open spaces and public gardens. The older part of eastern Cairo is very different with small lanes and crowded tenements. Western Cairo is dominated by government buildings and modern architecture. There are many bridges across the Nile River that link Cairo with its suburbs Imbaba and Giza. The three pyramids of Cheops, Chephern and Mykeronis which are the only remaining wonders of ancient world are located in the Giza district. Cairo is also called the ‘City of 1,000 Minarets’ where its skyline is filled with domes and minarets that casts a magical spell on the metropolis. Cairo’s heritage of the dozens of mosques, Coptic churches and museums in addition to its winding streets that fascinates a tourist to explore makes tourism a key source of income in the city. Cairo is a center trade and growing industries, The climate in Cairo is warm and dry all through the year which made it the primary tourist destination for most tourists. The Temperature in summer can reach 38 degrees Celsius. It is best to visit Cairo September and June, rain happens occasionally in January and February, while in March and April a strong, hot dry wind blowing from the desert periodically occur.

Although Cairo is Egypt’s capital and largest city, but its traceable history in the longline Egyptian history is somehow recent. Although of the proximity of the Pyramids, Cairo is not considered a Pharoanic city. The Babylon fort which was established by the Romans, marks the first settlement known in the city and it is a symbol of the Roman power that dominated Egypt for many years. The fort was later used a safe place for the Egyptian copts fleeing from the Roman Emperor carnage. Around the fortress many churches were built such as the Hanging Church ( Al Muallaqua) and Abu Serga. The turning point in the city’s history started by the invasion of Egypt by the Muslim worriers after defeating the Romans and Persians. The Babylon Fort was seized by the Muslim commander Amr Ibn Al As who was supported by the Egyptian peasants and towns people and in 642 AD the fortress was relinquished to Muslim Army, thus realizing the power and influence of the Arabs. Starting the ninth century subsequent Arab rulers made their mark on Cairo. Starting from the Abbassids to Tulunids. Ahmed Ibn Tulun built the city of El Qatai to be the capital of Egypt and was responsible for building the Ibn Tilun Mosque. Followed by the Fatimids who built el Qahira which developed later to be Islamic Cairo it 962 AD. The main Fatimid’s landmarks are Al Azhar Mosque and Bab El Fotouh Gates. The threat of the Fatimid’s regin by the crusaders resulted in ending up their rule by the Selujk Turk commander Salah El Din who was able to defeat the crusaders and overtook power from the Fatimids to start the Ayyoubid rule of Cairo. The Citadel of Salah el Din overlooking El Mokattam hills is a witness of the Ayyoubid’s rule of Cairo. Power was then seized by a group of slave Turkish soldiers called the Mamluks who ruled Egypt for 267 years. During their rein Cairo turned into intellectual and cultural center of Muslim and Arab world. Upon the discovery of the sea route of the Cape of Good Hope decline of Mamluks started at first sporadically then precipitously. The spice trade monopoly shifted to the newly discovered route and finally the Mamluks lost autonomy and The Turks conqured Egypt and transformed Cairo into a provincial capital of the ottoman empire. Napoleon troops entered Cairo, upon their defeat in 1801-1805, the Turks returned to power headed by Mohamed Ali who was commanded Pasha and his dynasty ruled Egypt until his great great grandson Farouk abdicated his throne in 1952. Modern Urban growth of Cairo began in 1830 during Isamail reign the city was enlarged and transformed into European style city. The 20th century marked the growth of Cairo as a huge metropolitan city. Increased population and improved infrastructure resulted in the development of new suburban Maadi and Heliopolis districts. The flood control resulted in riverfront development and construction of bridges. In the 1970s the city developed into a postcolonial megalopolis with traffic congestion, pollution and overpopulation. In an attempt to curb these defects the government started desert expansion to relieve the pressure from the capital. Metro subway was established to connect major areas of the city. With infrastructure improvement the tourist industry flourished in the city. Now Cairo became a conference and conv .