Coptic Cairo and Islamic Cairo

Private tour in Cairo

Tour Price : $170 Duration : 8 hours Languages: English, Arabic

There are many different sides to Cairo that are worth exploring, not just the ancient ruins or the pyramids. And there are many private tours in Egypt that will take you to these fascinating sites, if you’re willing to discover them. This is exactly this type of tours, as it focuses on two distinct aspects of modern Cairo, each having rich traditions and numerous followers. On the one hand, Egypt is a Muslim state and the Islamic culture is thriving here for more than a thousand years. On the other hand, there is a very strong Christian tradition in Cairo that dates back to the first centuries AD. And that’s what we’re going to discover during this fascinating tour.

The Coptic community is mainly concentrated in the Coptic Cairo district, which is based on the former Babylon Fortress and the surrounding areas. There are many old churches in this district, some of which were first built around 1,600 years ago, and ultimately rebuilt several times. We’ll visit some of the most fascinating churches, including that of Virgin Mary, Saint Sergius and others. There is also the Coptic Museum that contains numerous Christian artifacts, and several old synagogues featuring the Jewish community that is also present here.

After exploring the Christian aspect of the capital we’ll shift over to the Islamic Cairo, which is primarily located in the Saladin Citadel area. Of course, there are many mosques spread all around the city, however, some of the oldest and most fascinating are to be found near the 800 year old citadel built by Saladin. This is where the Alabaster and Mohammad Ali Mosques (Mosque of Muhammad Ali) are located. There are also many royal family tombs located in the area, most of which feature remarkable architecture and design. And of course, we’ll stop by the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar for exploring the rich market tradition and getting some souvenirs as well.

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