The capital of Egypt: the history of the foundation

As narrated in the tradition written by the ancient Egyptian priest Manetho, in the 3rd-4th millennium BC both Lower and Upper Egypt were one state. And on their border appeared the capital of ancient Egypt - the legendary Memphis. After hundreds of years, the union of these two states was no more. Egypt again divided. The capital of Upper Egypt was Thebes, in the place of which is the modern Luxor.

Alexandria - the capital of Egypt

Due to its territorial location, Egypt was very attracted by the conquerors, because of which changes occurred in the country and new capitals appeared, disappearing with time. After the Assyrians, the country was conquered by the Greeks and Thracians, led by Alexander the Great. Edit Macedonian trusted his friend Ptolemy. As a token of gratitude, Ptolemy decided to immortalize his friend's name and founded a new city. Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, became the center of world culture of that time. Ptolemy's successors succeeded each other. Here the great Cleopatra rules, charming Caesar with its beauty and intelligence. After the conquest of the Greeks, Egypt became a province of Rome, and then for a long time was part of Byzantium.

The rise of Cairo

Egypt was not an Arab country. A new turn in the history of Egypt began with the advent of Islam. The Arabs, having conquered Egyptian lands from Byzantium, introduced the Arabic language and Islam. The ancient capital of Egypt at that time was in the city of Al-Fustat. But he could not keep this status for a long time. After the collapse of the Arab Caliphate , a new Fatimid state was established, which was located in the west of North Africa. The Fatimids conquered Egypt and founded the city of Al-Qahir, which became the capital of the country. The name of the city in translation means "city of victory". So in 969 Cairo was founded - the capital of Egypt at the present time.

Cairo is not just a big city, but a huge and densely populated metropolis. In this city there are more than 14 million people. In the architecture of Cairo there is a mixture of various styles, from the ancient to the most modern. The capital of Egypt, Cairo, whose name means "the city of a thousand minarets" is a very beautiful and contrasting city. Its distinctive feature is the neighborhood of poverty and luxury. In addition to multiple minarets and architectural monuments, the city has a large number of bazaars with souvenir shops offering goods that symbolize Egypt and its history. The visiting card of the city and its main architectural attraction is the citadel, which is a defensive structure. It was built more than thirty years, and it was ready only by the beginning of the XIII century. The sights of the capital of Egypt are also its mosques. Each of them has its own story. The most famous of them is the mosque of Muhammad Ali.

Cairo is located in close proximity to the unique Egyptian pyramids and sculptures of the Sphinx, therefore it is a very popular and attractive tourist center for travelers.