View List On Map cancel
More Top 10s
- Romantic Things to Do
- Outdoor Attractions
- Entertainment
- Historical Things to Do
- New Tourist Attractions
- Markets
- Pyramids And Tombs
- Ask a Local
- Locals have answered 266 questions about Cairo.
- Ask Cairo Locals
-
-
-
1. Amr Ibn el-Aas Mosque
- Africa's Oldest Mosque
-
- Religious Sights
- Old Cairo
-
-
-
2. Al-Azhar Mosque
- Egypt's Highest Islamic Authority
-
- Religious Sights
- Islamic Cairo
user ratingexpert pick -
-
-
3. Beit Al Souhaymi
- Beautifully restored old Cairene house
-
- Castles, Palaces & Historic Buildings
- Islamic Cairo
user ratingexpert pick -
-
-
4. The Hanging Church
- Lavish, suspended church; conducts mass in Coptic language
-
- Religious Sights
- Old Cairo
user ratingexpert pick -
-
-
5. Ibn Tulun Mosque
- Stunning architecture and unique minaret
-
- Religious Sights
- Islamic Cairo
user ratingexpert pick -
-
-
6. Church of Abu Serga (St Sergius)
- Supposed Resting Place of the Holy Family
-
- Religious Sights
- Old Cairo
user rating -
-
-
7. Al Hussein Mosque
- Egypt's most sacred mosque, housing grisly body part
-
- Religious Sights
- Islamic Cairo
expert pick -
-
-
8. Nilometer
- Ancient Water Gauge
-
- Castles, Palaces & Historic Buildings
-
-
-
9. Gayer-Anderson Museum
- Eclectic museum in beautiful home, used in James Bond film
-
- Museums
- Islamic Cairo
user ratingexpert pick -
-
-
10. The Citadel
- Imposing fortress with fantastic views, mosques and museums
-
- Castles, Palaces & Historic Buildings
- Islamic Cairo
user ratingexpert pick -
-
-
The Best of NileGuide
-
With a history spanning thousands of years (depending how you choose to look at it), Cairo has loads of palaces and other historic buildings, though no castles as such. For the purposes of this list, I've chosen to ignore the Pharaonic monuments, and concentrate on the most important mosques, churches, palaces, and other historic buildings.
Arguably the most important historic building in Cairo is the Mosque of Amr Ibn al-Aas, since this was the first ever built in Africa, and marked the founding of Fustat, which grew into Cairo proper under the Fatimids. Al-Azhar Mosque is also of great significance, being the de facto spiritual seat of Sunni Islam, and home to one of the oldest universities in the world. Other important mosques include Ibn Tulun - the oldest in Cairo that still survives largely in its original form, and boasting a unique spiral minaret - and al-Hussein Mosque - considered by many to be the holiest in Egypt.
Cairo churches such as the Church of Abu Serga are of great historic significance, since this is where the Holy Family are said to have sheltered when they fled to Egypt, and the Hanging Church is a beautiful historic building with a suspended nave.
Beit al-Souhaymi is a well-restored example of an Ottoman house, arguably the finest in Cairo, and the Gayer-Anderson Museum - adjoining Ibn Tulun - is a house that used to belong to a British army major, and is crammed with his eclectic and obsessive collections of art from all over the Middle and Near East.
Finally, including the Citadel is perhaps a bit of a cheat, since it's not just one building. But it is the closest thing Cairo has to a castle, and contains three significant mosques from different periods of Cairo's history. Well worth checking out!
- Best Of Cairo
-
-
Hotels
- Business Hotels
- Cheap Accommodations
- Five Star Hotels
- Hostels
- Family Friendly Accommodations
- Luxury Hotels
- Vacation Homes
- Apartments and Condos
-
Restaurants
- Chinese Food
- Five Star Restaurants
- Fun Restaurants
- Italian Food
- Family Friendly Restaurants
- Romantic Dining
- Seafood
- American Food
-
Nightlife
- Cafés
- Hip Nightlife
- Fun Nightlife
- Music in Cairo
- Nightclubs
- Pubs
- Trendy Nightlife
- Bars and Clubs near Al Azhar Park
-
