Explore Cairo

The NMEC is the first of its kind in Egypt and the Arab world. It presents the full range of the richness and diversity of Egyptian civilization throughout the ages, from prehistoric times to the present day by focusing on its continuity and stability as demonstrated by its tangible and intangible heritage. 

The Citadel of Sultan Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin) is one of the most iconic monuments in Islamic Cairo, and among the most impressive defensive fortresses dating to the Middle Ages. Its strategic location on the Muqattam Hills gave it a formidable defensive position, and offered, as it still does today, an unrestricted panoramic view of Cairo.

The pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx are among the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and indeed already were even in Roman times. Each of these spectacular structures served as the final resting place of a king of the 4th Dynasty (c.2613–2494 BC). 

The Egyptian Museum is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, and houses the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities in the world. The museum displays an extensive collection spanning from the Predynastic Period to the Greco-Roman Era.

Located at the heart of Islamic Cairo, the Al-Azhar complex, mosque and university, does not only house the oldest university in the world but it is also the place where the graduation black gowns originated from. The University is now distributed between different buildings, but the mosque, founded by Jawhar al-Siqilly, the Fatimid conqueror of Egypt, in 970 is still a true marvel and a not-to-be-missed attraction while visiting Cairo. 

The greatest mystery of Ancient Egyptian mysteries is also the largest monolithic statue and the oldest known monumental sculpture in the world. When was it built, for what purpose, which pharaoh does it represent, and who broke the nose? Any answer is a matter of conjecture. Egyptologists have not found any conclusive evidence. No matter. The Great Sphinx of Giza is a wonder to behold.