Pyramid Road, 18km (11 miles) southwest of central Cairo
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1930; daily 0830-1600 (pyramid chambers).
Admission: E£20 (each pyramid).

Coptic Museum
Situated in a lovely garden within the former Roman fortress of Babylon-in-Egypt, the Coptic Museum features Coptic art from the Christian era (AD300-1000). Among the highlights are the exquisite Coptic textiles, carved ivories, papyri (ancient paper) with text from the Gnostic gospels of Nag Hammadi, and Nubian paintings from the flooded villages of Lake Nassar. The ornate rooms are decorated with beautiful mashrabiyya (carved wood) screens, fountains and painted ceilings.

el-Muallaqa Church (the ‘Hanging Church’)
Possibly dating back as far as the fourth century, el-Muallaqa is the oldest Christian place of worship in Cairo. It is called the ‘Hanging Church’ because it is built on top of a Roman gate and reached by a stairway that leads to the courtyard. The beautiful interior features three barrel-vaulted aisles, altar screens of inlaid ivory and bone and an exquisite, carved marble pulpit supported by 13 pillars representing Christ and his disciples.

Sharia Mari Girgis, Old Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-1600; Coptic masses Fri 0800-1100 and Sun 0700-1000.
Admission: Donations.

Bab Zuwayla
The southern gate of Bab Zuwayla is all that remains of the Fatimid city of el-Qahira. Executions took place here in Mamluk times but in the 19th century it acquired a happier reputation when a local saint, Mitwalli, performed miracles near the gate. To this day, people seeking healing nail a lock of hair or piece of clothing to the gate in hopes of receiving divine aid. Rising above the gate are the minarets of the Mosque of el-Muayyad, which offer some of the finest panoramic views in Cairo from the top. The mosque contains the mausoleum of the Sultan el-Muayyad and his son, who began building the mosque in 1415, as well as a shady courtyard.

Sharia Darb el-Ahmar, Islamic Cairo
Opening hours: Daily dawn-dusk (mosque).
Admission: E£6 for the mosque; baksheesh for the minarets.

Bayn al-Qasryn
In medieval times, Bayn al-Qasryn was the leading public square in Cairo, bustling with market stalls and entertainers. Today, it is lined with three Mamluk palace complexes, which form a harmonious and impressive façade. The finest, the Madrassa and Mausoleum of Qalaun, is also the earliest, completed in 1279. The mausoleum is stunningly decorated with an elaborate stucco arch bearing stars and floral motifs, ornate coffered ceilings and stained glass. The Mausoleum of an-Nasir Mohammed (1304) and the Madrassa and Khanqah of Sultan Barquq (1386) also boast fine architecture and decoration. Incidentally, a madrassa is a theological school, while a khanqah is a monastery.