Sharia Talat Harb street and Midan Tahrir (Liberation Square) are typical of the more modern, commercial center of Cairo - filled with concrete and cars, and containing countless hotels, restaurants, office blocks and museums. Here is one of the country’s greatest attractions; the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities housing over 130,000 exhibits, including Pharaonic and Byzantine art and sculpture, the Mummy Room and the celebrated Tutankhamun exhibition.
Behind the museum, bridges cross the Nile, and riverside walks along the corniche bring some relief from traffic. Here, river taxis travel to local docks, and feluccas (sail boats) are available for private trips.

The south is home to the Coptic Orthodox Christians, forming 10 per cent of the population. Originally a Roman fortress town called Babylon, it was greatly significant to early Christians. Here, the Coptic Museum has exhibits from AD 300 to AD 1000, in the world’s greatest collection of Coptic art. The Hanging Church, Monastery of St George and the churches of St Sergius and St Barbara are all in the same area. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is one of the oldest in Egypt, and represents the remains of the Jewish community.

The small island of Gezira is a modern upmarket area with the Opera House (a USUSD 30 million arts complex) containing the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cairo Tower with great city views. The adjacent neighborhood of Zamalek contains elegant town houses and embassies. On the southwest outskirts of the city is Giza with Cairo Zoo and the University. But Cairo is most famous for the Great Pyramids, Egypt’s most visited monuments.