Abu Simbel e Assuan — Ramesses II e i Templi Salvati della Nubia
Abu Simbel (290 kilometres south of Aswan, 1.5 hours by domestic flight from Cairo or Aswan) — the twin rock-cut temples of Ramesses II (the Great Temple) and his queen Nefertari (the Small Temple), originally carved from the living sandstone cliff of Nubia in approximately 1264-1244 BCE, dismantled block by block and relocated 65 metres higher in 1964-1968 to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser created by the Aswan High Dam — is one of the greatest feats of archaeological conservation in history.
La Città dei Morti, Le Colline di Al-Muqattam e le Viste Panoramiche del Cairo
The City of the Dead (Al-Qarafa, the enormous Islamic necropolis stretching approximately 8 kilometres along the base of the Muqattam Hills east of Islamic Cairo — one of the most remarkable urban phenomena in the world, where approximately 500,000 living Cairenes have made their homes within the cemetery, inhabiting the mausoleums, mortuary complexes, and caretakers' quarters built over ten centuries) and the Al-Muqattam Hills (the limestone escarpment providing the best panoramic views over Cairo and the Nile valley) form the eastern edge of the historic city.
Cucina Egiziana — Koshari, Ful Medames, Kofta e la Cultura del Cibo di Strada
Egyptian cuisine — one of the oldest food traditions in the world, with archaeological evidence of many characteristic Egyptian dishes dating back 5,000 years — is defined by its simplicity, its reliance on legumes and bread as staples, and its distinctive spice combinations; the most important Egyptian street foods (koshari, ful medames, ta'ameya/falafel, and kofta) are all available everywhere in Cairo at extremely low prices and represent some of the most nutritious and satisfying street food in the world.
Il Nilo al Cairo — Felucche, Isola Zamalek e il Teatro dell'Opera del Cairo
The Nile River through Cairo — the 6,650-kilometre river that is the lifeblood of Egypt, flowing north through the centre of the Greater Cairo metropolitan area (population 21 million) — provides the most important natural landscape corridor in one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world; the Nile in Cairo can be experienced by traditional felucca sailing boat, from the bridges and the Corniche promenade, and from the restaurants and rooftop bars of the Zamalek neighbourhood on Gezira island.
Gran Museo Egizio — Il Più Grande Museo Archeologico del Mondo
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM, near the Giza pyramid plateau — the new national museum of Egypt built adjacent to the Giza Pyramids, with a total area of 480,000 square metres making it the largest archaeological museum in the world, opened fully 2024): the GEM was conceived to house the complete collection of Tutankhamun's treasures (which were previously split between the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and storage facilities) in a purpose-built, climate-controlled environment, alongside the broader collection of Egyptian antiquities from the old Egyptian Museum.
Museo Egizio, Tesori di Tutankhamon e Piazza Tahrir
Il Museo Egizio in Piazza Tahrir — che ospita la più importante collezione di arte e manufatti dell'antico Egitto, compresi i tesori completi della tomba intatta di Tutankhamon — è uno dei grandi musei del mondo e contesto essenziale per comprendere le Piramidi.
Gita a Luxor — Valle dei Re, Tempio di Karnak e il Nilo
Luxor (Upper Egypt, 670 kilometres south of Cairo, 1 hour by domestic flight or 10 hours by overnight sleeper train) — built on the site of ancient Thebes, the capital of the New Kingdom pharaohs (c. 1550-1070 BCE) — contains the most concentrated collection of ancient monuments in the world: the Karnak Temple Complex (the largest religious building ever constructed, covering 200 acres), the Valley of the Kings (63 known royal tombs including those of Tutankhamun, Ramesses II, and Seti I), and the Temple of Luxor (built by Amenhotep III and extended by Ramesses II).
Khan el-Khalili, Al-Azhar e il Cairo Islamico — 1.000 Anni di Civiltà Araba
Il Cairo islamico — la città medievale fondata dal Califfo Fatimide Al-Muizz nel 969 d.C., sito del Patrimonio Mondiale dell'UNESCO — è la più grande concentrazione di monumenti islamici medievali al mondo: la Moschea Al-Azhar, il bazar Khan el-Khalili e la Via Al-Muizz.
Piramidi di Giza, la Sfinge e l'Ultima Meraviglia del Mondo Antico
Il complesso delle piramidi di Giza — a 13 chilometri a sudovest del centro del Cairo — contiene la Grande Piramide di Cheope (l'unica Meraviglia del Mondo Antico ancora esistente), le Piramidi di Chefren e Micerino, e la Grande Sfinge — il sito archeologico più visitato al mondo.