Cairo
Pharaonic land's capital
Cairo is the capital of Egypt, Africa's largest city, situated on the Nile River.
The name evokes ancient history—the pyramids of Giza stand at its edge—but the modern city is a sprawling metropolis of over twenty million people.
We spent a week in Cairo visiting the Egyptian Museum. (Lowercase cairo refers to a type of puzzle game.)
Apex-topped geometric solids
- SphinxMythic creature posing puzzles
- pharaohsAncient Egypt's supreme rulers
- GizaEgyptian necropolis plateau
- NileAfrica's longest river
hieroglyphics · mummies · tombs · temples · Tutankhamun · Ramses · Cleopatra · Luxor
Muslim houses of worship
- minaretsMosque tower structures
- CitadelNamed financial powerhouse
- SaladinTwelfth-century sultan, Jerusalem's captor
- SultanMuslim royal title
Hassan · calligraphy · medina · madrasas · muezzin · domes · bazaar · Ottoman
Undulating torso performance art
- Arabic musicMiddle Eastern musical tradition
- cinemaMotion picture theater
- coffeehouseEstablishment serving brewed beverages
- shishaWater-filtered tobacco pipe
backgammon · literature · calligraphy · opera · festivals · nightlife · galleries · Tahrir Square
Violent governmental overthrow
- trafficMovement along routes
- pollutionEnvironmental harm from waste
- metroUrban rail transit
- overpopulationUnsustainable density of inhabitants
Mubarak · protests · congestion · suburbs · Heliopolis · urbanization · megacity · smog
Fried spiced legume ball
- ful medamesEgyptian fava bean staple
- tahiniGround sesame paste
- shawarmaCarved rotating-spit meat
- hummusMashed chickpea spread
pita · kebab · baklava · hibiscus · mint tea · street food · spices · fava beans
pyramids
Apex-topped geometric solids
- SphinxMythic creature posing puzzles
- pharaohsAncient Egypt's supreme rulers
- GizaEgyptian necropolis plateau
Nile · hieroglyphics · mummies · tombs · temples · Tutankhamun · Ramses · Cleopatra · Luxor · antiquities
mosques
Muslim houses of worship
- minaretsMosque tower structures
- CitadelNamed financial powerhouse
- SaladinTwelfth-century sultan, Jerusalem's captor
Sultan · Hassan · calligraphy · medina · madrasas · muezzin · domes · bazaar · Ottoman · arabesque
belly dancing
Undulating torso performance art
- Arabic musicMiddle Eastern musical tradition
- cinemaMotion picture theater
- coffeehouseEstablishment serving brewed beverages
shisha · backgammon · literature · calligraphy · opera · festivals · nightlife · galleries · Tahrir Square · souks
revolution
Violent governmental overthrow
overpopulation · Mubarak · protests · congestion · suburbs · Heliopolis · urbanization · megacity · smog · infrastructure
falafel
Fried spiced legume ball
- ful medamesEgyptian fava bean staple
- tahiniGround sesame paste
- shawarmaCarved rotating-spit meat
hummus · pita · kebab · baklava · hibiscus · mint tea · street food · spices · fava beans · lentils
river
Large flowing watercourse
flooding · irrigation · cruise · waterfront · palm · promenade · island · fertile · Aswan · dhow
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
- Major CitiesNew York, Paris, Los Angeles, Chicago, Berlin
- Egyptpyramids, Sphinx, Nile, pharaoh, pyramid
- place namesplace names, Peking, Beijing, place name, city names
- Capital CitiesParis, Tokyo, Madrid, Berlin, Moscow
- capitalsAbu Dhabi, Abuja, Accra, Addis Ababa, Algiers