Cairo

Cairo(/ˈkaɪroʊ/KY-roh;Arabic:القاهرة,romanized:al-Qāhirah,Egyptian Arabic:[el.qɑ(ː)ˈheɾɑ]) is thecapitalandlargest cityofEgyptand theCairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people.It is also part of thelargest urban agglomeration in Africa,the Arab worldandthe Middle East. TheGreater Cairometropolitan area is the12th-largest in the world by populationwith over 22.1 million people.
The area that would become Cairo was part ofancient Egypt, as theGiza pyramid complexand the ancient cities ofMemphisandHeliopolisare near-by. Located near theNile Delta,the predecessor settlement wasFustatfollowing theMuslim conquest of Egyptin 641 next to an existing ancientRomanfortress,Babylon. Subsequently, Cairo was founded by theFatimid dynastyin 969. It later superseded Fustat as the main urban centre during theAyyubidandMamlukperiods (12th–16th centuries).
Cairo has since become a longstanding centre of political and cultural life, and is titled "the city of a thousandminarets" for its preponderance ofIslamic architecture. Cairo'shistoric centerwas awardedWorld Heritage Sitestatus in 1979.Cairo is considered aWorld Citywith a "Beta +" classification according toGaWC.
Cairo has the oldest and largestfilmandmusic industryin theArab world, as well as Egypt's oldest institution of higher learning,Al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city; theArab Leaguehas had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.
Cairo, like many othermegacities, suffers from high levels of pollution and traffic. TheCairo Metro, opened in 1987, is the oldestmetro systemin Africa,and ranks amongst the fifteen busiest in the world,with over 1 billionannual passenger rides. The economy of Cairo was ranked first in the Middle East in 2005,and 43rd globally onForeign Policy's2010Global Cities Index.
The name of Cairo is derived from the Arabical-Qāhirah(القاهرة), meaning 'the Vanquisher' or 'the Conqueror', given by theFatimidCaliphal-Mu'izzfollowing the establishment of the city as the capital of the Fatimid dynasty. Its full, formal name wasal-Qāhirah al-Mu'izziyyah(القاهرة المعزيّة), meaning 'the Vanquisher of al-Mu'izz'.It is also supposedly due to the fact that the planetMars, known in Arabic by names such asan-Najm al-Qāhir(النجم القاهر, 'the Conquering Star'), was rising at the time of the city's founding.
Egyptians often refer to Cairo asMaṣr(IPA:[mɑsˤɾ];مَصر), theEgyptian Arabicname for Egypt itself, emphasizing the city's importance for the country.
There are a number ofCopticnames for the city.Tikešrōmi(Coptic:ϮⲕⲉϣⲣⲱⲙⲓLate Coptic:[dikɑʃˈɾoːmi]) is attested in the 1211 textThe Martyrdom of John of Phanijoitand is either a calque meaning 'man breaker' (Ϯ-, 'the',ⲕⲁϣ-, 'to break', andⲣⲱⲙⲓ, 'man'), akin to Arabical-Qāhirah, or a derivation fromArabicقَصْر الرُوم(qaṣr ar-rūm, "theRomancastle"), another name ofBabylon FortressinOld Cairo.The Arabic name is also calqued asⲧⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ϯⲣⲉϥϭⲣⲟ, "the victor city" in the Coptic antiphonary.
The form Khairon (Coptic:ⲭⲁⲓⲣⲟⲛ) is attested in the modern Coptic text Ⲡⲓⲫⲓⲣⲓ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯⲁⲅⲓⲁ ⲙ̀ⲙⲏⲓ Ⲃⲉⲣⲏⲛⲁ (The Tale ofSaint Verina).Lioui(ⲖⲓⲟⲩⲓLate Coptic:[lɪˈjuːj]) orElioui(ⲈⲗⲓⲟⲩⲓLate Coptic:[ælˈjuːj]) is another name which is descended from the Greek name of Heliopolis (Ήλιούπολις).Some argue thatMistram(ⲘⲓⲥⲧⲣⲁⲙLate Coptic:[ˈmɪstəɾɑm]) orNistram(ⲚⲓⲥⲧⲣⲁⲙLate Coptic:[ˈnɪstəɾɑm]) is another Coptic name for Cairo, although others think that it is rather a name for theAbbasidprovince capitalal-Askar.Ⲕⲁϩⲓⲣⲏ(Kahi•ree) is a popular modern rendering of an Arabic name (others beingⲔⲁⲓⲣⲟⲛ[Kairon] andⲔⲁϩⲓⲣⲁ[Kahira]) which is modern folk etymology meaning 'land of sun'. Some argue that it was  the name of an Egyptian settlement upon which Cairo was built, but it is rather doubtful as this name is not attested in anyHieroglyphicorDemoticsource, although some researchers, like Paul Casanova, view it as a legitimate theory.Cairo is also referred to asⲬⲏⲙⲓ(Late Coptic:[ˈkɪmi]) orⲄⲩⲡⲧⲟⲥ(Late Coptic:[ˈɡɪpdos]), which means Egypt in Coptic, the same way it is referred to in Egyptian Arabic.
Sometimes the city is informally referred to asCairoby people from Alexandria (IPA:[ˈkæjɾo];Egyptian Arabic:كايرو).
The area around present-day Cairo had long been a focal point ofAncient Egyptdue to its strategic location at the junction of theNile Valleyand theNile Deltaregions (roughlyUpper EgyptandLower Egypt), which also placed it at the crossing of major routes betweenNorth Africaand theLevant.Memphis, the capital of Egypt during theOld Kingdomand a major city up until thePtolemaic period, was located a short distance south west of present-day Cairo.Heliopolis, another important city and major religious center, was located in what are now the modern districts ofMatariyaandAin Shamsin northeastern Cairo.It was largely destroyed by thePersian invasionsin 525 BC and 343 BC and partly abandoned by the late first century BC.
However, the origins of modern Cairo are generally traced back to a series of settlements in the first millennium AD. Around the turn of the fourth century,as Memphis was continuing to decline in importance,theRomansestablished a large fortress along the east bank of theNile. The fortress, calledBabylon, was built by the Roman emperorDiocletian(r. 285–305) at the entrance of a canal connecting the Nile to theRed Seathat was created earlier by emperorTrajan(r. 98–117).Further north of the fortress, near the present-day district ofal-Azbakiya, was aportand fortified outpost known as Tendunyas (Coptic:ϯⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓⲁⲥ)or Umm Dunayn.While no structures older than the 7th century have been preserved in the area aside from the Roman fortifications, historical evidence suggests that a sizeable city existed. The city was important enough that itsbishop, Cyrus, participated in theSecond Council of Ephesusin 449.
TheByzantine-Sassanian Warbetween 602 and 628 caused great hardship and likely caused much of the urban population to leave for the countryside, leaving the settlement partly deserted.The site today remains at the nucleus of theCoptic Orthodoxcommunity, which separated from the Roman and Byzantine churches in the late 4th century. Cairo's oldest extant churches, such as theChurch of Saint Barbaraand theChurch of Saints Sergius and Bacchus(from the late 7th or early 8th century), are located inside the fortress walls in what is now known asOld CairoorCoptic Cairo.
TheMuslim conquest of Byzantine Egyptwas led byAmr ibn al-Asfrom 639 to 642. Babylon Fortress was besieged in September 640 and fell in April 641. In 641 or early 642, after the surrender ofAlexandria(the Egyptian capital at the time), he founded a new settlement next to Babylon Fortress.The city, known asFustat(Arabic:الفسطاط,romanized:al-Fusṭāṭ,lit.'the tent'), served as a garrison town and as the new administrative capital of Egypt. Historians such asJanet Abu-LughodandAndré Raymondtrace the genesis of present-day Cairo to the foundation of Fustat.The choice of founding a new settlement at this inland location, instead of using the existing capital of Alexandria on theMediterraneancoast, may have been due to the new conquerors' strategic priorities. One of the first projects of the new Muslim administration was to clear and re-open Trajan's ancientcanalin order to ship grain more directly from Egypt toMedina, the capital of thecaliphateinArabia.Ibn al-As also founded a mosque for the city at the same time, now known as theMosque of Amr Ibn al-As, the oldest mosque in Egypt and Africa (although the current structure dates from later expansions).
In 750, following the overthrow of theUmayyad caliphateby theAbbasids, the new rulers created their own settlement to the northeast of Fustat which became the new provincial capital. This was known asal-Askar(Arabic:العسكر,lit.'the camp') as it was laid out like a military camp. A governor's residence and a new mosque were also added, with the latter completed in 786.The Red Sea canal re-excavated in the 7th century was closed by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur inal-Mansur(r.754–775),but a part of the canal, known as theKhalij, continued to be a major feature of Cairo's geography and of its water supply until the 19th century.In 861, on the orders of the Abbasid caliphal-Mutawakkil, aNilometerwas built onRoda Islandnear Fustat. Although it was repaired and given a new roof in later centuries, its basic structure is still preserved today, making it the oldest preserved Islamic-era structure in Cairo today.
In 868 a commander ofTurkicorigin named Bakbak was sent to Egypt by the Abbasid caliphal-Mu'tazto restore order after a rebellion in the country. He was accompanied by his stepson,Ahmad ibn Tulun, who became effective governor of Egypt. Over time, Ibn Tulun gained an army and accumulated influence and wealth, allowing him to become thede factoindependent ruler of both Egypt andSyriaby 878.In 870, he used his growing wealth to found a new administrative capital,al-Qata'i(Arabic:القطائـع,lit.'the allotments'), to the northeast of Fustat and of al-Askar.The new city included a palace known as theDar al-Imara, a parade ground known asal-Maydan, abimaristan(hospital), and anaqueductto supply water. Between 876 and 879 Ibn Tulun built a great mosque, now known as theMosque of Ibn Tulun, at the center of the city, next to the palace.After his death in 884, Ibn Tulun was succeeded by his son and his descendants who continued a short-lived dynasty, theTulunids. In 905, the Abbasids sent general Muhammad Sulayman al-Katib to re-assert direct control over the country. Tulunid rule was ended and al-Qatta'i was razed to the ground, except for the mosque which remains standing today.
In 969, theShi'a Isma'iliFatimid empireconquered Egyptafter ruling from Ifriqiya. The Fatimid generalJawhar Al Saqilifounded a new fortified city northeast ofFustatand of former al-Qata'i. It took four years to build the city, initially known as al-Manṣūriyyah,which was to serve as the new capital of the caliphate.During that time, the construction of theal-Azhar Mosquewas commissioned by order of the caliph, which developed into the third-oldest university in the world. Cairo would eventually become a centre of learning, with the library of Cairo containing hundreds of thousands of books.When Caliphal-Mu'izz li Din Allaharrived from the old Fatimid capital ofMahdiainTunisiain 973, he gave the city its present name,Qāhirat al-Mu'izz("The Vanquisher of al-Mu'izz"),from which the name "Cairo" (al-Qāhira) originates. The caliphs lived in a vast and lavishpalace complexthat occupied the heart of the city. Cairo remained a relatively exclusive royal city for most of this era, but during the tenure ofBadr al-Gamaliasvizier(1073–1094) the restrictions were loosened for the first time and richer families from Fustat were allowed to move into the city.Between 1087 and 1092 Badr al-Gamali also rebuilt the city walls in stone and constructed the city gates ofBab al-Futuh,Bab al-Nasr, andBab Zuweilathat still stand today.
During the Fatimid period Fustat reached its apogee in size and prosperity, acting as a center of craftsmanship and international trade and as the area's main port on the Nile.Historical sources report that multi-story communal residences existed in the city, particularly in its center, which were typically inhabited by middle and lower-class residents. Some of these were as high as seven stories and could house some 200 to 350 people.They may have been similar to Romaninsulaeand may have been the prototypes for the rental apartment complexes which became common in the later Mamluk andOttomanperiods.
However, in 1168 the Fatimid vizierShawarset fire to unfortified Fustat to prevent its potential capture byAmalric, theCrusaderking ofJerusalem. While the fire did not destroy the city and it continued to exist afterward, it did mark the beginning of its decline. Over the following centuries it was Cairo, the former palace-city, that became the new economic center and attracted migration from Fustat.
While the Crusaders did not capture the city in 1168, a continuing power struggle between Shawar, King Amalric, and theZengidgeneralShirkuhled to the downfall of the Fatimid establishment.In 1169, Shirkuh's nephewSaladinwas appointed as the new vizier of Egypt by the Fatimids and two years later he seized power from the family of the last Fatimid caliph,al-'Āḍid.As the firstSultan of Egypt, Saladin established theAyyubid dynasty, based in Cairo, and aligned Egypt with theSunniAbbasids, who were based inBaghdad.In 1176, Saladin began construction on theCairo Citadel, which was to serve as the seat of the Egyptian government until the mid-19th century. The construction of the Citadel definitively ended Fatimid-built Cairo's status as an exclusive palace-city and opened it up to common Egyptians and to foreign merchants, spurring its commercial development.Along with the Citadel, Saladin also began the construction of a new 20-kilometre-long wall that would protect both Cairo and Fustat on their eastern side and connect them with the new Citadel. These construction projects continued beyond Saladin's lifetime and were completed under his Ayyubid successors.
In 1250, during theSeventh Crusade, the Ayyubid dynasty had a crisis with the death ofal-Salihand power transitioned instead to theMamluks, partly with the help of al-Salih's wife,Shajar ad-Durr, who ruled for a brief period around this time.Mamluks were soldiers who were purchased as young slaves and raised to serve in the sultan's army. Between 1250 and 1517 the throne of theMamluk Sultanatepassed from one mamluk to another in a system of succession that was generally non-hereditary, but also frequently violent and chaotic.The Mamluk Empire nonetheless became a major power in the region and was responsible for repelling the advance of theMongols(most famously at theBattle of Ain Jalutin 1260) and for eliminating the lastCrusader statesin the Levant.
Despite their military character, the Mamluks were also prolific builders and left a richarchitectural legacythroughout Cairo.Continuing a practice started by the Ayyubids, much of the land occupied by former Fatimid palaces was sold and replaced by newer buildings, becoming a prestigious site for the construction of Mamluk religious and funerary complexes.Construction projects initiated by the Mamluks pushed the city outward while also bringing new infrastructure to the centre of the city.Meanwhile, Cairo flourished as a centre ofIslamic scholarshipand a crossroads on thespice traderoute among the civilisations inAfro-Eurasia.Under the reign of the Mamluk sultanal-Nasir Muhammad(1293–1341, withinterregnums), Cairo reached its apogee in terms of population and wealth.By 1340, Cairo had a population of close to half a million, making it the largest city west ofChina.
Multi-story buildings occupied byrentalapartments, known as arab'(pluralribā'orurbu), became common in the Mamluk period and continued to be a feature of the city's housing during the later Ottoman period.These apartments were often laid out as multi-storyduplexesor triplexes. They were sometimes attached to caravanserais, where the two lower floors were for commercial and storage purposes and the multiple stories above them were rented out to tenants. The oldest partially-preserved example of this type of structure is the Wikala of AmirQawsun, built before 1341.Residential buildings were in turn organized into close-knit neighbourhoods called aharat, which in many cases had gates that could be closed off at night or during disturbances.
When the travellerIbn Battutafirst came to Cairo in 1326, he described it as the principal district of Egypt.When he passed through the area again on his return journey in 1348, theBlack Deathwas ravaging most major cities. He cited reports of thousands of deaths per day in Cairo.Although Cairo avoidedEurope's stagnation during theLate Middle Ages, it could not escape the Black Death, which struck the city more than fifty times between 1348 and 1517.During its initial, and most deadly waves, approximately 200,000 people were killed by the plague,and, by the 15th century, Cairo's population had been reduced to between 150,000 and 300,000.The population decline was accompanied by a period of political instability between 1348 and 1412. It was nonetheless in this period that the largest Mamluk-era religious monument, theMadrasa-Mosque of Sultan Hasan, was built.In the late 14th century, theBurji Mamluksreplaced theBahri Mamluksas rulers of the Mamluk state, but the Mamluk system continued to decline.
Though the plagues returned frequently throughout the 15th century, Cairo remained a major metropolis and its population recovered in part throughrural migration.More conscious efforts were conducted by rulers and city officials to redress the city's infrastructure and cleanliness. Its economy and politics also became more deeply connected with the wider Mediterranean.Some Mamluk sultans in this period, such asBarbsay(r. 1422–1438) andQaytbay(r. 1468–1496), had relatively long and successful reigns.After al-Nasir Muhammad, Qaytbay was one of the most prolific patrons of art and architecture of the Mamluk era. He built or restored numerous monuments in Cairo, in addition to commissioning projects beyond Egypt.The crisis of Mamluk power and of Cairo's economic role deepened after Qaytbay. The city's status was diminished afterVasco da Gamadiscovered a sea route around theCape of Good Hopebetween 1497 and 1499, thereby allowing spice traders to avoid Cairo.
Cairo's political influence diminished significantly after theOttomansdefeatedSultan al-Ghuriin theBattle of Marj Dabiqin 1516 andconquered Egyptin 1517. Ruling fromConstantinople,SultanSelim Irelegated Egypt to aprovince, with Cairo as its capital.For this reason, the history of Cairo during Ottoman times is often described as inconsequential, especially in comparison to other time periods.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Cairo still remained an important economic and cultural centre. Although no longer on the spice route, the city facilitated the transportation ofYemenicoffeeandIndiantextiles, primarily toAnatolia,North Africa, and theBalkans. Cairene merchants were instrumental in bringing goods to the barrenHejaz, especially during the annualhajjtoMecca.It was during this same period thatal-Azhar Universityreached the predominance among Islamic schools that it continues to hold today;pilgrims on their way to hajj often attested to the superiority of the institution, which had become associated with Egypt's body ofIslamic scholars.The first printing press of the Middle East, printing inHebrew, was established in Cairoc.1557by a scion of theSoncinofamily of printers,Italian JewsofAshkenaziorigin who operated a press in Constantinople. The existence of the press is known solely from two fragments discovered in theCairo Geniza.
Under the Ottomans, Cairo expanded south and west from its nucleus around the Citadel.The city was the second-largest in the empire, behind Constantinople, and, although migration was not the primary source of Cairo's growth, twenty percent of its population at the end of the 18th century consisted of religious minorities and foreigners from around theMediterranean.Still, whenNapoleonarrived in Cairo in 1798, the city's population was less than 300,000, forty percent lower than it was at the height of Mamluk—and Cairene—influence in the mid-14th century.
TheFrench occupationwas short-lived asBritishand Ottoman forces, including a sizeableAlbaniancontingent, recaptured the country in 1801. Cairo itselfwas besiegedby a British and Ottoman force culminating with the French surrender on 22 June 1801.The British vacated Egypt two years later, leaving the Ottomans, the Albanians, and the long-weakenedMamluksjostling for control of the country.Continued civil war allowed an Albanian namedMuhammad Ali Pashato ascend to the role ofcommanderand eventually, with the approval of thereligious establishment, viceroy of Egypt in 1805.
Until his death in 1848,Muhammad Ali Pashainstituted a number of social and economic reforms that earned him the title of founder of modern Egypt.However, while Muhammad Ali initiated the construction of public buildings in the city,those reforms had minimal effect on Cairo's landscape.Bigger changes came to Cairo underIsma'il Pasha(r. 1863–1879), who continued the modernisation processes started by his grandfather.Drawing inspiration fromParis, Isma'il envisioned a city ofmaidansand wide avenues; due to financial constraints, only some of them, in the area now composingDowntown Cairo, came to fruition.Isma'il also sought to modernize the city, which was merging with neighbouring settlements, by establishing apublic worksministry, bringinggasand lighting to the city, and opening a theatre and opera house.
The immense debt resulting from Isma'il's projects provided a pretext for increasing European control, which culminated with theBritish invasionin 1882.The city's economic centre quickly moved west toward theNile, away from the historicIslamic Cairosection and toward the contemporary, European-style areas built by Isma'il.Europeans accounted for five percent of Cairo's population at the end of the 19th century, by which point they held most top governmental positions.
In 1906 theHeliopolis Oasis Companyheaded by theBelgianindustrialistÉdouard Empainand his Egyptian counterpartBoghos Nubar, built a suburb calledHeliopolis(city of the sun in Greek) ten kilometers from the center of Cairo.In 1905–1907 the northern part of theGeziraisland was developed by the Baehler Company intoZamalek, which would later become Cairo's upscale "chic" neighbourhood.In 1906 construction began on Garden City, a neighbourhood of urban villas with gardens and curved streets.
The British occupation was intended to be temporary, but it lasted well into the 20th century. Nationalists stagedlarge-scale demonstrationsin Cairo in 1919,five years after Egypt had been declared a Britishprotectorate.Nevertheless, this led to Egypt'sindependence in 1922.
TheKing Fuad I Editionof theQur'anwas first published on 10 July 1924 in Cairo under the patronage ofKing Fuad.The goal of the government of the newly formedKingdom of Egyptwas not to delegitimize the other variant Quranic texts ("qira'at"), but to eliminate errors found in Qur'anic texts used in state schools. A committee of teachers chose to preserve a single one of the canonical qira'at "readings", namely that of the "Ḥafṣ" version,an 8th-centuryKufic recitation. This edition has become the standard for modern printings of the Quranfor much of the Islamic world.The publication has been called a "terrific success", and the edition has been described as one "now widely seen as the official text of the Qur'an", so popular among both Sunni and Shi'a that the common belief among less well-informed Muslims is "that the Qur'an has a single, unambiguous reading". Minor amendments were made later in 1924 and in 1936 - the "Faruq edition" in honour of then ruler,King Faruq.
British troops remained in the country until 1956. During this time, urban Cairo, spurred by new bridges and transport links, continued to expand to include the upscale neighbourhoods of Garden City, Zamalek, and Heliopolis.Between 1882 and 1937, the population of Cairo more than tripled—from 347,000 to 1.3 million—and its area increased from 10 to 163 km(4 to 63 sq mi).
The city was devastated during the 1952 riots known as theCairo Fireor Black Saturday, which saw the destruction of nearly 700 shops, movie theatres, casinos and hotels in downtown Cairo.The British departed Cairo following theEgyptian Revolution of 1952, but the city's rapid growth showed no signs of abating. Seeking to accommodate the increasing population,PresidentGamal Abdel NasserredevelopedTahrir Squareand the NileCorniche, and improved the city's network of bridges and highways.Meanwhile, additional controls of the Nile fostered development within Gezira Island and along the city's waterfront. The metropolis began to encroach on the fertileNile Delta, prompting the government to build desertsatellite townsand devise incentives for city-dwellers to move to them.
In the second half of the 20th century Cairo continue to grow enormously in both population and area. Between 1947 and 2006 the population ofGreater Cairowent from 2,986,280 to 16,292,269.The population explosion also drove the rise of "informal" housing ('ashwa'iyyat), meaning housing that was built without any official planning or control.The exact form of this type of housing varies considerably but usually has a much higher population density than formal housing. By 2009, over 63% of the population of Greater Cairo lived in informal neighbourhoods, even though these occupied only 17% of the total area of Greater Cairo.According to economist David Sims, informal housing has the benefits of providing affordable accommodation and vibrant communities to huge numbers of Cairo's working classes, but it also suffers from government neglect, a relative lack of services, and overcrowding.
The "formal" city was also expanded. The most notable example was the creation ofMadinat Nasr, a huge government-sponsored expansion of the city to the east which officially began in 1959 but was primarily developed in the mid-1970s.Starting in 1977 the Egyptian government established the New Urban Communities Authority to initiate and direct the development of new planned cities on the outskirts of Cairo, generally established on desert land.These new satellite cities were intended to provide housing, investment, and employment opportunities for the region's growing population as well as to pre-empt the further growth of informal neighbourhoods.As of 2014, about 10% of the population of Greater Cairo lived in the new cities.
Concurrently, Cairo established itself as a political and economic hub forNorth Africaand theArab world, with many multinational businesses and organisations, including theArab League, operating out of the city. In 1979 thehistoric districtsof Cairo were listed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 1992, Cairo was hit by anearthquakecausing 545 deaths, injuring 6,512 and leaving around 50,000 people homeless.
Cairo'sTahrir Squarewas the focal point of the2011 Egyptian revolutionagainst former presidentHosni Mubarak.More than 50,000 protesters first occupied the square on 25 January, during which the area's wireless services were reported to be impaired.In the following days Tahrir Square continued to be the primary destination for protests in Cairo.The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil disobedience, and labour strikes. Millions of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds demanded the overthrow of the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Despite being predominantly peaceful in nature, the revolution was not without violent clashes between security forces and protesters, with at least 846 people killed and 6,000 injured. The uprising took place in Cairo, Alexandria, and in other cities in Egypt, following theTunisian revolutionthat resulted in the overthrow of the long-timeTunisian presidentZine El Abidine Ben Ali.On 11 February, following weeks of determined popular protest and pressure, Hosni Mubarak resigned from office.
Under the rule of Presidentel-Sisi, in March 2015 plans were announced for another yet-unnamedplanned cityto be built further east of the existing satellite city ofNew Cairo, intended to serve as thenew capital of Egypt.
Cairo is located in northernEgypt, known asLower Egypt, 165 km (100 mi) south of theMediterranean Seaand 120 km (75 mi) west of theGulf of SuezandSuez Canal.The city lies along theNile River, immediately south of the point where the river leaves its desert-bound valley and branches into the low-lyingNile Deltaregion. Although the Cairo metropolis extends away from the Nile in all directions, the city of Cairo resides only on the east bank of the river and two islands within it on a total area of 453 km(175 sq mi).Geologically, Cairo lies onalluviumandsand duneswhich date from thequaternaryperiod.
Until the mid-19th century, when the river was tamed by dams, levees, and other controls, the Nile in the vicinity of Cairo was highly susceptible to changes in course and surface level. Over the years, the Nile gradually shifted westward, providing the site between the eastern edge of the river and theMokattamhighlands on which the city now stands. The land on which Cairo was established in 969 (present-dayIslamic Cairo) was located underwater just over three hundred years earlier, whenFustatwas first built.
Low periods of the Nile during the 11th century continued to add to the landscape of Cairo; a new island, known asGeziret al-Fil, first appeared in 1174, but eventually became connected to the mainland. Today, the site ofGeziret al-Filis occupied by theShubradistrict. The low periods created another island at the turn of the 14th century that now composesZamalekandGezira.Land reclamationefforts by theMamluksandOttomansfurther contributed to expansion on the east bank of the river.
Because of the Nile's movement, the newer parts of the city—Garden City,Downtown Cairo, and Zamalek—are located closest to the riverbank.The areas, which are home to most of Cairo'sembassies, are surrounded on the north, east, and south by the older parts of the city.Old Cairo, located south of the centre, holds the remnants ofFustatand the heart of Egypt'sCoptic Christiancommunity,Coptic Cairo. TheBoulaqdistrict, which lies in the northern part of the city, was born out of a major 16th-century port and is now a major industrial centre. The Citadel is located east of the city centre aroundIslamic Cairo, which dates back to the Fatimid era and the foundation of Cairo. While western Cairo is dominated by wide boulevards, open spaces, andmodern architectureof European influence, the eastern half, having grown haphazardly over the centuries, is dominated by small lanes, crowded tenements, andIslamic architecture.
Northern and extreme eastern parts of Cairo, which includesatellite towns, are among the most recent additions to the city, as they developed in the late-20th and early-21st centuries to accommodate the city's rapid growth. The western bank of the Nile is commonly included within the urban area of Cairo, but it composes the city ofGizaand theGiza Governorate. Giza city has also undergone significant expansion over recent years, and today has a population of 2.7 million.The Cairo Governorate was just north of theHelwan Governoratefrom 2008 when some Cairo's southern districts, includingMaadiandNew Cairo, were split off and annexed into the new governorate,to 2011 when the Helwan Governorate was reincorporated into the Cairo Governorate.
According to theWorld Health Organization, the level of air pollution in Cairo is nearly 12 times higher than the recommended safety level.
In Cairo, and along the Nile River Valley, the climate is ahot desert climate(BWhaccording to theKöppen climate classificationsystem).
Wind storms can be frequent, bringingSaharan dustinto the city, from March to May and the air often becomes uncomfortably dry. Winters are mild to warm, while summers are long and hot. High temperatures in winter range from 14 to 22 °C (57 to 72 °F), while night-time lows drop to below 11 °C (52 °F), often to 5 °C (41 °F). In summer, the highs often exceed 31 °C (88 °F) but rarely surpass 40 °C (104 °F), and lows drop to about 20 °C (68 °F). Rainfall is sparse and only happens in the colder months, but sudden showers can cause severe flooding. The summer months have high humidity due to its proximity to the Mediterranean coast. Snowfall is extremely rare; a small amount ofgraupel, widely believed to besnow, fell on Cairo's easternmost suburbs on 13 December 2013, the first time Cairo's area received this kind of precipitation in many decades.Dew points in the hottest months range from 13.9 °C (57 °F) in June to 18.3 °C (65 °F) in August.
The city of Cairo forms part ofGreater Cairo, the largest metropolitan area in Africa.While it has no administrative body, the Ministry of Planning considers it as aneconomic regionconsisting ofCairo Governorate,Giza Governorate, andQalyubia Governorate.As a contiguous metropolitan area, various studies have considered Greater Cairo be composed of the administrative cities that are Cairo,GizaandShubra al-Kheima, in addition to thesatellite cities/new townssurrounding them.
Cairo is a city-state where the governor is also the head of the city. Cairo City itself differs from other Egyptian cities in that it has an extraadministrative divisionbetween the city and district levels, and that is areas, which are headed by deputy governors. Cairo consists of 4 areas(manatiq, singl. mantiqa)divided into 38 districts(ahya', singl. hayy)and 46 qisms (police wards, 1-2 per district):
TheNorthern Areais divided into 8 Districts:
TheEastern Areadivided into 9 Districts and three new cities:
TheWestern Areadivided into 9 Districts:
TheSouthern Areadivided into 12 Districts:
Since 1977 a number ofnew townshave been planned and built by theNew Urban Communities Authority(NUCA) in theEastern Desertaround Cairo, ostensibly  to accommodate additional population growth and development of the city and stem the development of self-built informal areas, especially over agricultural land. As of 2022 four new towns have been built and have residential populations:15th of May City,Badr City,Shorouk City, andNew Cairo. In addition, two more are under construction: theNew Administrative Capital.And Capital Gardens, where land was allocated in 2021, and which will house most of the civil servants employed in the new capital.
In March 2015, plans were announced for anew cityto be built east of Cairo, in an undeveloped area of the Cairo Governorate,which would serve as theNew Administrative Capitalof Egypt.
According to the 2017 census, Cairo had a population of 9,539,673 people, distributed across 46qisms(police wards):
The majority of Egypt and Cairo's population is Sunni Muslim.A significant Christian minority exists, among whomCoptic Orthodoxare the majority.Precise numbers for each religious community in Egypt are not available and estimates vary.Other churches that have, or had, a presence in modern Cairo include theCatholic Church(includingArmenian Catholic,Coptic Catholic,Chaldean Catholic,Syrian Catholic, andMaronite), theGreek Orthodox Church, theEvangelical Church of Egypt (Synod of the Nile), and someProtestantchurches.Cairo has been the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church since the 12th century,and theseatof theCoptic Orthodox Popeis located inSaint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral.Until the 20th century, Cairo had a sizeableJewish community, but as of 2022 only three Jews were reported to be living in the city. A total of 12synagogues in Cairostill exist.
Cairo's economy has traditionally been based on governmental institutions and services, with the modern productive sector expanding in the 20th century to include developments in textiles and food processing – specifically the production ofsugar cane. As of 2005, Egypt has the largest non-oil based GDP in the Arab world.
Cairo accounts for 11% of Egypt's population and 22% of its economy (PPP). The majority of the nation's commerce is generated there, or passes through the city. The great majority ofpublishing housesand media outlets and nearly allfilm studiosare there, as are half of the nation's hospital beds and universities. This has fuelled rapid construction in the city, with one building in five being less than 15 years old.
This growth until recently surged well ahead ofcity services. Homes, roads, electricity, telephone and sewer services were all in short supply. Analysts trying to grasp the magnitude of the change coined terms like "hyper-urbanization".
Cairo, as well as neighbouring Giza, has been established as Egypt's main centre for medical treatment, and despite some exceptions, has the most advanced level ofmedical carein the country. Cairo's hospitals include theJCI-accreditedAs-Salaam International Hospital,Ain Shams UniversityHospital,Dar Al Fouad,Nile Badrawi Hospital,57357 Hospital,as well asQasr El Eyni Hospital.
Greater Cairohas long been the hub of education and educational services for Egypt and the region.
Today, Greater Cairo is the centre for many government offices governing theEgyptian educational system, has the largest number of educational schools, andhigher education institutesamong other cities and governorates of Egypt.
Some of the International Schools found in Cairo:
Universities in Greater Cairo:
Cairo has an extensive road network,rail system,subway systemand maritime services. Road transport is facilitated by personal vehicles, taxi cabs, privately owned public buses andmicrobuses.Cairo International Airportis the country's largest airport and one of the busiest airports in Africa.
Cairo, specificallyRamses Station, is the centre of almost the entire Egyptian transportation network.
TheCairo Transportation Authority(CTA) manages Cairo's public transit. The subway system, theCairo Metro, is a fast and efficient way of getting around Cairo. The metro network coversHelwanand other suburbs. It can get very crowded duringrush hour. Two train cars (the fourth and fifth ones) are reserved for women only, although women may ride in any car they want.
Trams in Greater Cairoand Cairo trolleybus were used as modes of transportation, but were closed in the 1970s everywhere except Heliopolis and Helwan. These were shut down in 2014, after the Egyptian Revolution.
In 2017, plans to constructtwo monorail systemswere announced, one linking6th of Octoberto suburbanGiza, a distance of 35 km (22 mi), and the other linkingNasr CitytoNew Cairo, a distance of 52 km (32 mi).
Two trans-African automobile routes originate in Cairo: theCairo-Cape Town Highwayand theCairo-Dakar Highway. An extensive road network connects Cairo with other Egyptian cities and villages. There is a newRing Roadthat surrounds the outskirts of the city, with exits that reach outer Cairo districts. There are flyovers and bridges, such as the6th October Bridgethat, when the traffic is not heavy, allow fast means of transportation from one side of the city to the other.
Cairo traffic is known to be overwhelming and overcrowded.Traffic moves at a relatively fluid pace. Drivers tend to be aggressive, but are more courteous at junctions, taking turns going, with police aiding intraffic controlof some congested areas.
President Mubarakinaugurated the new Cairo Opera House of the Egyptian National Cultural Centres on 10 October 1988, 17 years after the Royal Opera House had been destroyed by fire. The National Cultural Centre was built with the help ofJICA, the Japan International Co-operation Agency and stands as a prominent feature for theJapanese-Egyptian co-operationand the friendship between the two nations.
TheKhedivial Opera House, or Royal Opera House, was the original opera house in Cairo. It was dedicated on 1 November 1869 and burned down on 28 October 1971. After the original opera house was destroyed, Cairo was without an opera house for nearly two decades until the opening of the new Cairo Opera House in 1988.
Cairo held its first internationalfilm festival16 August 1976, when the firstCairo International Film Festivalwas launched by the Egyptian Association of Film Writers and Critics, headed by Kamal El-Mallakh. The Association ran the festival for seven years until 1983.
This achievement lead to the President of the Festival again contacting theFIAPFwith the request that a competition should be included at the 1991 Festival. The request was granted.
In 1998, the Festival took place under the presidency of one of Egypt's leading actors,Hussein Fahmy, who was appointed by theMinister of Culture,Farouk Hosni, after the death of Saad El-Din Wahba. Four years later, the journalist and writer Cherif El-Shoubashy became president.
The Cairo Geniza is an accumulation of almost 200,000 Jewish manuscripts that were found in thegenizahof theBen Ezra Synagogue(built 882) of Fustat, Egypt (now Old Cairo), the Basatin cemetery east of Old Cairo, and a number of old documents that were bought in Cairo in the later 19th century. These documents were written from about 870 to 1880 AD and have been archived in various American and European libraries. The Taylor-Schechter collection in theUniversity of Cambridgeruns to 140,000 manuscripts; a further 40,000 manuscripts are housed at theJewish Theological Seminary of America.
The majority of Cairenes make food for themselves and make use of local produce markets.The restaurant scene includesArab cuisineandMiddle Eastern cuisine, including local staples such askoshary. The city's most exclusive restaurants are typically concentrated inZamalekand around the luxury hotels lining the shore of the Nile near theGarden Citydistrict. Influence from modernwesternsociety is also evident, with American chains such asMcDonald's,Arby's,Pizza Hut,Subway, andKentucky Fried Chickenbeing easy to find in central areas.
Footballis the most popular sport in Egypt,and Cairo has sporting teams that compete in national and regional leagues, most notablyAl AhlyandZamalek SC, who were theCAFfirst and second African clubs of the 20th century. The annual match between Al Ahly and El Zamalek is one of the most watched sports events in Egypt. The teams form the major rivalry of Egyptian football. They play their home games atCairo International Stadium, which is the second largest stadium in Egypt, as well as the largest in Cairo.
The Cairo International Stadium was built in 1960. Its multi-purpose sports complex houses the main football stadium, anindoor stadium, satellite fields that hold regional and continental games, including theAfrican Games, U17 Football World Championship and the2006 Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt later won the competition and the next edition in Ghana (2008) making the Egyptian and Ghanaian national teams the only to win the African Nations Cup back to back. Egypt won the title for a record six times in the history of African Continental Competition. This was followed by a third consecutive win in Angola in 2010, making Egypt the only country with a record 3-consecutive and 7-total Continental Football Competition winner. As of 2021, Egypt's national team is ranked #46 in the world by FIFA.
Cairo failed at the applicant stage when bidding for the2008 Summer Olympics, which was hosted in Beijing.However, Cairo did host the2007 Pan Arab Games.
There are other sports teams in the city that participate in several sports includingGezira Sporting Club, el Shams Club,Shooting Club,Heliopolis Sporting Club, and several smaller clubs. There are new sports clubs in the area of New Cairo (one hour far from Cairo's downtown), these are Al Zohour sporting club, Wadi Degla sporting club and Platinum Club.
Most of the sports federations of the country are located in the city suburbs, including theEgyptian Football Association.The headquarters of theConfederation of African Football(CAF) was previously located in Cairo, before relocating to its new headquarters in6 October City, a small city away from Cairo's crowded districts. In 2008, the Egyptian Rugby Federation was officially formed and granted membership into theInternational Rugby Board.
Egypt is internationally known for the excellence of its squash players who excel in professional and junior divisions.Egypt has seven players in the top ten of the PSA men's world rankings, and three in the women's top ten.Mohamed El Shorbagyheld the world number one position for more than a year.Nour El Sherbinihas won the Women's World Championship twice and been women's world number one. On 30 April 2016, she became the youngest woman to win the Women's World Championship. In 2017 she retained her title.
Cairo is the official end point ofCross Egypt Challengewhere its route ends yearly in the most sacred place in Egypt, under theGreat Pyramids of Gizawith a huge trophy-giving ceremony.
Tahrir Square was founded during the mid 19th century with the establishment of modern downtown Cairo. It was first named Ismailia Square, after the 19th-century ruler Khedive Ismail, who commissioned the new downtown district's 'Paris on the Nile' design. After theEgyptian Revolution of 1919the square became widely known as Tahrir (Liberation) Square, though it was not officially renamed as such until after the1952 Revolutionwhich eliminated the monarchy. Several notable buildings surround the square including, the American University in Cairo's downtown campus, theMogammagovernmental administrative Building, the headquarters of theArab League, the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel, and theEgyptian Museum. Being at the heart of Cairo, the square witnessed several major protests over the years. However, the most notable event in the square was being the focal point of the2011 Egyptian Revolutionagainst former president Hosni Mubarak.In 2020 the government completed the erection of a new monument in the center of the square featuring an ancientobeliskfrom the reign ofRamses II, originally unearthed atTanis(San al-Hagar) in 2019, and four ram-headedsphinxstatues moved fromKarnak.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, is home to the most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world. It has 136,000 items on display, with many more hundreds of thousands in its basement storerooms. Among the collections on display are the finds from thetomb of Tutankhamun.
Much of the collection of the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, including the Tutankhamun collection, are slated to be moved to the newGrand Egyptian Museum, under construction inGizaand was due to open by the end of 2020.
The Cairo Tower is a free-standing tower with a revolving restaurant at the top. It is one of Cairo's landmarks and provides a bird's eye view of the city to the restaurant patrons. It stands in the Zamalek district on Gezira Island in the Nile River, in the city centre. At 187 m (614 ft), it is 44 m (144 ft) higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza, which stands some 15 km (9 mi) to the southwest.
This area of Cairo is so-named as it contains the remains of the ancient Roman fortress of Babylon and also overlaps the original site of Fustat, the first Arab settlement in Egypt (7th century AD) and the predecessor of later Cairo. The area includes Coptic Cairo, which holds a high concentration of old Christian churches such as theHanging Church, theGreek Orthodox Church of St. George, and other Christian or Coptic buildings, most of which are located in an enclave on the site of the ancient Roman fortress. It is also the location of theCoptic Museum, which showcases the history ofCoptic artfrom Greco-Roman to Islamic times, and of theBen Ezra Synagogue, the oldest and best-knownsynagoguein Cairo, where the important collection of Geniza documents were discovered in the 19th century.
To the north of this Coptic enclave is the Amr ibn al-'As Mosque, the first mosque in Egypt and the most important religious centre of what was formerly Fustat, founded in 642 AD right after the Arab conquest but rebuilt many times since.A part of the former city of Fustat has also been excavated to the east of the mosque and of the Coptic enclave,although the archeological site is threatened by encroaching construction and modern development.To the northwest of Babylon Fortress and the mosque is the Monastery of Saint Mercurius (orDayr Abu Sayfayn), an important and historic Coptic religious complex consisting of theChurch of Saint Mercurius, the Church of Saint Shenute, and the Church of the Virgin (also known asal-Damshiriya).Several other historic churches are also situated to the south of Babylon Fortress.
Cairo holds one of the greatest concentrations of historical monuments ofIslamic architecturein the world.The areas around the old walled city and around the Citadel are characterized by hundreds of mosques, tombs,madrasas, mansions,caravanserais, and fortifications dating from the Islamic era and are often referred to as "Islamic Cairo", especially in English travel literature.It is also the location of several important religious shrines such as theal-Hussein Mosque(whose shrine is believed to hold the head ofHusayn ibn Ali), the Mausoleum of Imamal-Shafi'i(founder of theShafi'imadhhab, one of the primary schools of thought in SunniIslamic jurisprudence), theTomb of Sayyida Ruqayya, theMosque of Sayyida Nafisa, and others.
The first mosque in Egypt was the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As in what was formerly Fustat, the first Arab-Muslim settlement in the area. However, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun is the oldest mosque that still retains its original form and is a rare example of Abbasid architecture from theclassical period of Islamic civilization. It was built in 876–879 AD in a style inspired by the Abbasid capital ofSamarrain Iraq.It is one of the largest mosques in Cairo and is often cited as one of the most beautiful.Another Abbasid construction, theNilometeron Roda Island, is the oldest original structure in Cairo, built in 862 AD. It was designed to measure the level of the Nile, which was important for agricultural and administrative purposes.
The settlement that was formally named Cairo (Arabic:al-Qahira) was founded to the northeast of Fustat in 959 AD by the victorious Fatimid army. The Fatimids built it as a separate palatial city which contained their palaces and institutions of government. It was enclosed by a circuit of walls, which were rebuilt in stone in the late 11th century AD by the vizier Badr al-Gamali,parts of which survive today at Bab Zuwayla in the south and Bab al-Futuh and Bab al-Nasr in the north. Among the extant monuments from the Fatimid era are the largeMosque of al-Hakim, theAqmar Mosque,Juyushi Mosque,Lulua Mosque, and theMosque of Al-Salih Tala'i.
One of the most important and lasting institutions founded in the Fatimid period was the Mosque of al-Azhar, founded in 970 AD, which competes with theQarawiyyininFesfor the title of oldest university in the world.Today, al-Azhar University is the foremost Center of Islamic learning in the world and one of Egypt's largest universities with campuses across the country.The mosque itself retains significant Fatimid elements but has been added to and expanded in subsequent centuries, notably by the Mamluk sultans Qaytbay and al-Ghuri and by Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda in the 18th century.
The most prominent architectural heritage of medieval Cairo, however, dates from the Mamluk period, from 1250 to 1517 AD. The Mamluk sultans and elites were eager patrons of religious and scholarly life, commonly building religious or funerary complexes whose functions could include a mosque, madrasa,khanqah(forSufis), asabil(water dispensary), and a mausoleum for themselves and their families.Among the best-known examples of Mamluk monuments in Cairo are the hugeMosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan, theMosque of Amir al-Maridani, theMosque of Sultan al-Mu'ayyad(whose twin minarets were built above the gate of Bab Zuwayla), theSultan Al-Ghuri complex, thefunerary complex of Sultan Qaytbayin theNorthern Cemetery, and the trio of monuments in theBayn al-Qasraynarea comprising thecomplex of Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun, theMadrasa of al-Nasir Muhammad, and theMadrasa of Sultan Barquq. Some mosques includespolia(often columns orcapitals) from earlier buildings built by theRomans,Byzantines, orCopts.
The Mamluks, and the later Ottomans, also builtwikalas or caravanserais to house merchants and goods due to the important role of trade and commerce in Cairo's economy.Still intact today is theWikala al-Ghuri, which today hosts regular performances by the Al-TannouraEgyptian Heritage Dance Troupe.TheKhan al-Khaliliis a commercial hub which also integrated caravanserais (also known askhans).
The Citadel is a fortified enclosure begun bySalah al-Dinin 1176 AD on an outcrop of theMuqattam Hillsas part of a large defensive system to protect both Cairo to the north andFustatto the southwest.It was the centre of Egyptian government and residence of its rulers until 1874, whenKhedive Isma'ilmoved to'Abdin Palace.It is still occupied by the military today, but is now open as a tourist attraction comprising, notably, theNational Military Museum, the 14th centuryMosque of al-Nasir Muhammad, and the 19th centuryMosque of Muhammad Aliwhich commands a dominant position on Cairo's skyline.
Khan el-Khalili is an ancientbazaar, or marketplace adjacent to theAl-Hussein Mosque. It dates back to 1385, when Amir Jarkas el-Khalili built a large caravanserai, or khan. (A caravanserai is a hotel for traders, and usually the focal point for any surrounding area.) This original caravanserai building was demolished bySultan al-Ghuri, who rebuilt it as a new commercial complex in the early 16th century, forming the basis for the network of souqs existing today.Many medieval elements remain today, including the ornate Mamluk-style gateways.Today, the Khan el-Khalili is a major tourist attraction and popular stop for tour groups.
In the present day, Cairo is a heavily urbanized city. Because of the influx of people into the city, lone standing houses are rare, and apartment buildings accommodate for the limited space and abundance of people. Single detached houses are usually owned by the wealthy.Formal education is also seen as important, with twelve years of standard formal education. Cairenes can take a standardized test similar to theSATto be accepted to an institution of higher learning, but most children do not finish school and opt to pick up a trade to enter the work force.Egypt still struggles withpoverty, with almost half the population living on $2 or less a day.
The civil rights movement for women in Cairo – and by extent, Egypt – has been a struggle for years. Women are reported to face constant discrimination, sexual harassment, and abuse throughout Cairo. A 2013UNstudy found that over 99% ofEgyptian womenreported experiencing sexual harassment at some point in their lives.The problem has persisted in spite of new national laws since 2014 defining and criminalizing sexual harassment.The situation is so severe that in 2017, Cairo was named by one poll as the most dangerousmegacityfor women in the world.In 2020, the social media account "Assault Police" began to name and shame perpetrators of violence against women, in an effort to dissuade potential offenders.The account was founded by studentNadeen Ashraf, who is credited for instigating an iteration of the#MeToo movementin Egypt.
Theair pollutionin Cairo is a matter of serious concern. Greater Cairo's volatilearomatic hydrocarbonlevels are higher than many other similar cities.Air quality measurements in Cairo have also been recording dangerous levels oflead,carbon dioxide,sulphur dioxide, andsuspended particulate matterconcentrations due to decades of unregulatedvehicle emissions, urban industrial operations, and chaff and trash burning. There are over 4,500,000 cars on the streets of Cairo, 60% of which are over 10 years old, and therefore lack modern emission cutting features. Cairo has a very poor dispersion factor because of its lack of rain and its layout of tall buildings and narrow streets, which create a bowl effect.
In recent years, a black cloud (as Egyptians refer to it) ofsmoghas appeared over Cairo every autumn due totemperature inversion. Smog causes serious respiratory diseases and eye irritations for the city's citizens. Tourists who are not familiar with such high levels of pollution must take extra care.
Cairo also has many unregistered lead andcoppersmelterswhich heavily pollute the city. The results of this has been a permanent haze over the city withparticulate matterin the air reaching over three times normal levels. It is estimated that 10,000 to 25,000 people a year in Cairo die due to air pollution-related diseases. Lead has been shown to cause harm to thecentral nervous systemand neurotoxicity particularly in children.In 1995, the first environmental acts were introduced and the situation has seen some improvement with 36 air monitoring stations andemissions testson cars. Twenty thousand buses have also been commissioned to the city to improve congestion levels, which are very high.
The city also suffers from a high level of land pollution. Cairo produces 10,000 tons of waste material each day, 4,000 tons of which is notcollectedormanaged. This is a huge health hazard, and the Egyptian Government is looking for ways to combat this. The Cairo Cleaning and Beautification Agency was founded to collect and recycle the waste; they work with theZabbaleencommunity that has been collecting and recycling Cairo's waste since the turn of the 20th century and live in an area known locally asManshiyat naser.Both are working together to pick up as much waste as possible within the city limits, though it remains a pressing problem.
Water pollutionis also a serious problem in the city as thesewer systemtends to fail and overflow. On occasion,sewagehas escaped onto the streets to create a health hazard. This problem is hoped to be solved by a new sewer system funded by theEuropean Union, which could cope with the demand of the city.The dangerously high levels ofmercuryin the city's water system hasglobal healthofficials concerned over related health risks.
TheHeadquarters of the Arab Leagueis located atTahrir Squarein downtown Cairo.
Cairo istwinnedwith: