Perhaps, the location of the Alabaster Mosque makes it so popular with the tourists. Designed by a Greek architect, it is Ottoman in style and houses the tomb of the ruler of Egypt, Mohammed Ali Pasha. Unlike any other mosque in Cairo, it is very delicate with slender minarets and was built of alabaster in 1857. From the arcaded courtyard, there is a magnificent view of the city with the Pyramids of Giza as the backdrop. Climb to the southwest parapet for a good view of Cairo City and the mosques of Ibn Tulun and Sultan Hassan.

The ancient city of Memphis bordering Cairo derives its name from the pyramid of Pepy I at Saqqara, which is called Mennufer (the good place). Very little of this huge city along the west bank of the Nile remains apart from the sprawling necropolises that have turned out to be the answer to Cairo’s housing problems.

Take a trip to the small village of Mit Rahina and see the ruins of the Temple of Ptah, which is reputed to be the grandest monument in ancient Egypt. This was excavated by the famous Egyptologist, W. M. Flinders Petrie between 1908 and 1913. Worth looking at are the Alabaster Sphinx and the Colossus of Rameses II along the southern enclosure wall. The Khan al-Khalili is a vast maze of shops that offer fantastic opportunities for souvenir hunting. Bargain like crazy!