Top 8 Exotic Historical Places in Cairo

Egyptian civilization has always been attributed to beauty! People from all over the world are attracted to the Egyptian History and are eager to learn all about Cairo historical sites. Here’s a bunch of the best historical places that you should visit as soon as possible.

1-Manasterly Palace (Giza)

Without a doubt, Manasterly Palace is one of the most authentic historical places in Cairo. The palace was built in 1850 by Hassan Fouad EL Manasterly “Pasha”. He was the first to carry this title in Egypt and was the Supervisor of the Interior Ministry. He was then buried in the mosque attributed to the palace.

Most of the people have been captivated by the beauty of the decorated ceilings with a wide variety of fine wooden architecture designs.

The Pharaonic impact can be obviously noticed through the Corniche located at external fronts of the place too.

Location:

Al Manastarly Palace is located in the Southwestern part of Egypt, precisely at the end of an Island called Al Rawda in El Malek El Saleh street.

Activities:

When you enter the place, you will find the main rectangular hall that leads to the outside part of the palace through a door situated in the southeastern wall followed by a marble case divided into four steps.

As for the ceilings, they are artistically garnished with greenery shapes made out of plastic and the floor is covered with marble.

Aside from enjoying this beauty, there are so many things to do like:

Attending musical concerts and enjoying mesmerizing surroundings
Having a tour in the palace, viewing all its unique architecture and the beauty of the ceilings
Listening to stories about the history of the palace
Taking pictures to save memories with friends and family.

Entry Fees:

The recommended time to stay there is mainly two and a half hours.
The Ticket price is 20 EGP for foreigners and 10 EGP for Egyptians.

2-Prince Taz Palace

It is one of the most remarkable Mamluk palaces in the history of Cairo and is also known by “Dar Taz”. This palace was built to honor Prince Taz’s marriage to Princess Al-Zahra – the daughter of Sultan Al-Naser Muhammed.

Location:

Prince Taz Palace is located in 27 Al-Sufiya Street in Al-Darb Al-Ahmar specifically in the El Khalifa District of Cairo.

Activities:

Enjoying landscapes near to the palace
Having a tour in the place to observe the simplicity of the architectural style
Taking lots of pictures inside and outside the palace.

Fees:

You can enter the palace for free.
You should bear in mind the time restrictions, as the palace is only open for visits from 9 am to 4 pm.

3-Bayt Al-Suhaymi

House of Al-Suhaymi or what can be called “Bayt Al-Suhaymi” is an old house museum built by Abdel Wahab el Tablawy in 1648 and it is probably dated to the old Ottoman-era.

It is known since forever that it is actually constructed from a collection of different houses that are basically merged together in a final renovated version. Moreover, the prestigious location added extreme value to the cultural position of the place itself.

Location:

Beit Al Suhaymi is located in 9, Al Tambaksheyaa street inside El-Gamaleya district in one of the most common spots in Cairo right after the old commercial roads.

Activities:

Attending concerts and plays organized by The Ministry of Culture
Enjoying cultural events held in the house
Taking pictures especially with the view of the mashrabiya (wooden lattice screens).

Fees:

Tickets are really cheap for citizens, around 5 EGP while it may reach 25 or 50 EGP for foreigners, which is still affordable
The house is open for visits every day from 9 am to 5 pm.

4- Qalawun complex

Qalawun Complex is one of the famous landmarks in Cairo as it is considered to be the actual beginning of a new invention in the phase of the architectural design. Noting that the idea of a complex building was not very common in the old days, especially when it is based on the idea of mixed architectural components that aim for more than one purpose. For instance, Qalawun Complex was designed to be a school, hospital ( Maristan) and a mausoleum.

Location:

Qalawun Complex is located in Al Muizz le Din Allah Street in the area known by Bayn al-Qasrayn that was a partial form of Western Fatimid Palace.

Activities:

Having a tour in the place, knowing about the history of the building
Taking pictures next to the mausoleum as it is very signified with Islamic inscription and wooden decorations.

Fees:

Tickets may range between 5 EGP and 10 EGP.

5-Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan

It is a huge place that was fully dedicated to the act of giving and receiving knowledge and is also considered as one of the marvelous buildings dated to the era of Mamluk architecture in Cairo. It was built by Sultan Hassan who was assassinated later on before finishing the mosque.

Entering the place, one could feel his feet driven away throughout a dark passage, leading to a very wide and soothing square surrounded by vaulted halls called “Iwans”. Those iwans were the place in which students received valuable information about the main schools of Sunni Islam.

When it comes to the mosque, the building’s architecture is more vivid and was constructed within the same era. The main focus among the whole place is the tomb next door in which a famous Sufi named by Sheikh Ali Al Rifai was buried and people nowadays celebrate an annual event honoring his name called “El Moulid”.

Location:

Both are located in El-Darb El-Ahmar in Egypt.

Activities:

Having a tour inside Madrasa of Sultan Hassan
Visiting the Mosque of Al Rifai
Taking pictures to save the memories.

Fees:

Tickets may reach 10$ for foreigners but it is way cheaper for citizens.
Working hours start from 9 am to 5 pm.

6-The Hanging Church

The Hanging Church is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and is also known as Saint Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox. This historical edifice dates back to the second century. The name “Hanging church” was driven from the fact that it was mainly built on the ruins of the Roman fortress after constructing layers of stones along with palm trees as a fundamental base.

The hanging church is a real piece of art inside out that the roof of the church looks like Noah’s ark.

Location:

The hanging church is located in Kom Ghorab in Coptic Cairo which is a very unique area in Old Cairo.

Activities:

Observing the beauty of the architectural building and the interior design of the church
Taking several pictures to document moments.

Fees:

One can visit The Hanging Church for free without any charges.

7-Aqmar Mosque

Al Aqmar Mosque was built in the Fatimid era under the reign of Al-Ma’mun Al Bata’ihi. And even though the Mosque is considered a small one, but it really is one of a kind because of its unique architectural beauty.

It is not only the first mosque to use an offset facade, but it also was based at a certain angle, facing the qibla (The prayers’ direction towards Mecca).

Location:

Al Aqmar Mosque is located in Al Moez Ldin Allah Al Fatmi inside a district called El-Gamaleya.

Activities:

Observing the unique architecture both inside and outside the mosque
Taking pictures around the place
Listen about the Fatimid history and historical places.

Fees:

You can visit Al Aqmar Mosque for free.

8-Pyramid of Djoser

In the origin, The pyramid of Djoser was built as a special tomb for the pharaoh Djoser and was constructed during a certain time that can be estimated as between 2630 BC and 2611 BC. It is widely known that it is one of the oldest and most famous pyramids in Egypt.