Pathways Egypt

As a nation with so much history – going back as much as six thousand years – Egypt will perhaps always be spoken of in terms of that history. This, however, does not necessarily do justice to Egypt or to its cities, in particular Cairo which has been the center of Egypt for quite some time and is its present day capital city. Although much of the country has been preserved in something like its historical form, Cairo has very much been a modernizing city, and a quick glance at its skyline shows how this modernization has taken shape, with glittering lights reminiscent of a European or American capital.

One notable fact about Cairo is that Egyptian citizens refer to it as “Misr”, which is the Arabic name for Egypt itself. This is a very clear demonstration of the city’s recognized role in present day Egypt – and in the wider Arab World. The city is the home of the Arab League and the region’s oldest music and film industries, making it very much a place where the trends are set for other cities to follow. The second-oldest university in the world, al-Azhar University, is also located here.

The Cairo travel sector is considered to be secondary in many ways to that of the more historic city and region of Luxor – and from a point of view of historical tourism there is some truth in that. However, this is Egypt, and one site being “less historic” than another is rather relative. Cairo for its part is in very close proximity to the site of Giza, where the famous Pyramids and the Sphinx stand after all these years. It has also been Egypt’s capital for more than 800 years, through periods of great upheaval and conquest.

Among the less historic attractions of Cairo travel there is a temperate climate which is comparable with many parts of Europe and America, with temperatures tending to climb only as high as 33 degrees from June through August. Soccer buffs might also like to take in a game between Al-Ahly and Zamalek, often considered the fiercest rivalry in all of sport.