Cairo: Where Ancient Civilisation Meets the Avant Garde
At the turn of the 19th century, Cairo’s Garden City district was home to approximately 40 residences, each a fabulous mansion in Belle Époque or Art Deco style, with manicured lawns and for some, direct access to the banks of the River Nile. The area was created by Engineer Jose Lamba on the Eastern bank of Egypt’s most famous of rivers, to be a home for the City’s elite.
Over the years, Garden City grew, yet maintained its status as a prestigious neighbourhood for the upper class. While still in part residential, it is today the favoured area for the diplomatic corps, international business institutions and, its most recent occupant, the 30-storey
Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza, an integral part of the luxurious Nile Plaza complex which also includes a sophisticated shopping mall and long-term stay suites.
An elegant structure on the sweeping curve of Corniche El Nil Street and with breathtaking views across the Nile, the Hotel is the perfect location for both business travellers and tourists as it has easy access to the business district and major attractions.
Discover Garden City on foot
From the Hotel, guests can take a short stroll around Garden City’s leafy, winding streets and discover a bustling area of architectural grandeur, with pockets of public gardens and delightful walks along the Corniche. In the evenings, when the temperatures have cooled, a pleasant way to see the immediate vicinity is by horse drawn carriage.
The beauty of the Nile can be seen from a different perspective, day or evening, with a romantic sail in a Felucca, or traditional sail boat. For the more adventurous, a walk from the Hotel and left along Corniche El Nil Street will lead to the impressive El Gamaa Bridge. One of several bridges which connect the East banks of the Nile with the West, this bridge throngs with activity day and night.
Ancient wonders on the doorstep
With a history stretching back some five thousand years, Cairo is considered a cradle of civilisation. Home to some of the world’s most celebrated monuments – including one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza – Cairo offers that rare mix of ancient tranquillity with the throb of a modern beat.
Within a 10 minute drive of the Hotel, are some of the City’s ancient Islamic monuments, the oldest being the Mosque of Amr Ibn El-Aas, Egypt’s first mosque built in 641. Perhaps its most famous and certainly most visited is the Blue Mosque or Mosque of Aqsunqur which derives its name from the millions of indigo and turquoise tiles which adorn its dome and walls. The mosque was built in 1347 but the tiles, imported from Turkey or Syria, were added three centuries later.
The focal point of Islamic Cairo is The Citadel, an ancient fortress which overlooks the city from the Muqattam Hills. Within the Citadel’s walls are a number of important monuments including the Mosque of Soleyman Pasha, the Alabaster mosque and the El Gawhara Palace noted for its French salons and mother-of-pearl model of Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock.
The Pharaonic Village, a recreation of life in ancient times is also close by. Hundreds of actors move around the village, taking visitors back in time to the daily life of the Pharoahs. Equally as fascinating is the Museum of Islamic Art – considered the largest museum in the Middle East and a treasure trove of some 80,000 rare objects, dating from the dawn of Islam to the Ottoman period.
One of the world’s most prominent museums, The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, lies in downtown Cairo just a short drive from the Hotel. Built over a century ago, the Museum is divided into seven sections, each devoted to a different era in the country’s ancient history. The magnificent Tutankhamun collection alone occupies 12 galleries within its own section of the Museum.
Explore the Coptic district
Coptic or Old Cairo dates back to the era between Pharaonic and Islamic civilisations when a town called Babylon-in-Egypt grew around a fortress. It is thought this area dates back to the 6th century BC. Later, it witnessed the building of many Christian monuments and churches, including The Hanging Church, which dates back to the late 4th Century and early 5th century AD. This was built directly above the water gate of the Roman Fortress of Babylon, thus deriving its description of the ‘hanging’ church. Coptic masses continue to be held here today.
The Coptic Museum, between The Hanging Church and the Roman Towers of Babylon, contains a wonderful collection of ancient Christian relics which trace the evolution of Coptic art from Greco-Roman times into the Islamic era. Other places to visit in this fascinating area include the Church of St Sergius, which sits below street level. It is believed that the Holy family stayed in a crypt beneath this church.
A land of legendary monuments
No visit to Cairo is complete without a visit to the Pyramids of Giza, approximately 30 minutes’ drive from the Hotel. The Ancient Egyptians believed in resurrection and immortality and thus they built their tombs to preserve the bodies of their dead kings. The entrances to the Pyramids are aligned with the North Star’s position of 4,500 years ago.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops was built approximately 2650 BC and is the most impressive of the three main pyramids, attracting millions of visitors to its ancient site. The resting place of Cairo’s greatest King, it was constructed from more than 2.5 million stone blocks and covers an immense area of some 230 square metres (2,476 sq. ft.). The second largest Pyramid was built by Kephren, Cheops’ son while the third and the smallest of the trio was built by Mycerinus. Near the Pyramid of Cheops are the ruins of three much smaller pyramids dedicated to his wives. Sharing equal status in terms of legendary monuments, sits the Sphinx, with its lion’s body and human face – believed to resemble that of King Kephren, Cheops’ son.
Also worth visiting at the Pyramids site is the Solar Boat Museum with its exhibits of wooden boats built by the ancient Egyptians to carry Cheops on his journey through the underworld.
While the Pyramids are a sight to behold by day, at night they take on an ethereal look during an impressive Sound and Light Show. Telling the story of the Pyramids’ history and the glory of the Pharaonic era, the show is presented in six languages and hailed as one of the most impressive sound and light presentations in the world.
A city of culture
Culture thrives in this city which never stops. It shines out from the city’s many art galleries and echoes from its theatres and opera houses. Cairo’s galleries feature both traditional works and leading edge pieces by contemporary artists and rarely does a day go by without an exhibition being staged.
A popular art gallery is located within the National Cultural Centre complex on Gezira Island where the internationally acclaimed Cairo Opera House hosts local and international performing artists. This seven story Opera House is considered a masterpiece of modern Islamic design and is a popular spot on the tourist itinerary.
The annual Opera at the Pyramids featuring Verdi’s Aida is a highlight of Cairo’s cultural calendar: opera lovers from around the world descend on the city each October for this memorable evening event set against the majestic Pyramids.
Time for retail therapy
Nothing beats the hustle and bustle of a local bazaar – and Cairo is home to perhaps the world’s most famous, the Khan El Khalili, which dates back to the 14th century. This incredible area with its network of narrow streets each boasting small shops and restaurants is a magnet day or night for shoppers who go in search of silks, jewels, perfumes, antiques, leatherware and souvenirs and ‘haggle’ for the best price.
From the ancient to the modern Cairo boasts some of the most sophisticated malls in the Middle East. The city’s major hotels including Four Seasons offer international brand shopping in air conditioned comfort.
The Concierge at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza can assist with sight seeing tours and provide detailed information on specially tailored spouse programmes.
