Cairo Governorate · Egypt
Old Cairo travel guide
Old Cairo is a city in Cairo Governorate, Egypt, home to about 270,000 people.
- Best months
- November to April
- Nearest airport
- CAI19 km · Cairo International Airport
- Currency
- EGPEgyptian pound
- Time zone
- Africa/Cairo
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Old Cairo
Old Cairo (Arabic: مصر القديمة, romanized: Miṣr al-Qadīma, Egyptian pronunciation: Maṣr El-ʾAdīma; Coptic: ⲃⲁⲃⲩⲗⲱⲛ ⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ) is a historic area in Cairo, Egypt, which includes the site of a Roman-era fortress, the Christian settlement of Coptic Cairo, and the Muslim-era settlement of Fustat that pre-dates the founding of Cairo proper in 969 AD.
Old Cairo is the home of Cairo's Coptic Christian community. The Coptic Orthodox Church claims to date back to Saint Mark the Apostle in 42 AD, and thus lays claim to being the world's oldest Christian denomination. While the majority of Egyptians converted to Islam in the 12th century, the Church has survived through centuries of persecution, not only from hostile Muslim rulers such as the Fatimids, but also at the hands of the Crusaders, who viewed the Coptics as heretics.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Old Cairo
See
- Mosque of Amr ibn al-As
- National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
- Egyptian Geological Museum
- Umm Kulthum Museum
- Foustat Traditional Crafts Center
- Ruins of Fustat
- Fustat Park
- Babylon Fortress
- Coptic Museum
- Hanging Church
- Church and Monastery of St. George
- Church of St. Sergius and St. Bacchus
Do
- S.S. Nile Peking
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Old Cairo
1 hotel within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Four Seasons Cairo at The First Residence | 1.7 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Old Cairo
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Old Cairo are November to April. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 36 °C; January is the wettest, with about 5 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Old Cairo: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Cairo International Airport (CAI), about 19 km from the city centre in a straight line; Sphinx International Airport (SPX, 34 km) and Capital International Airport (CCE, 59 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The Metro is by far the easiest mode of travel into this district. Mar Girgis station on Cairo Metro Line 1 is immediately outside the Coptic Cairo quarter. From Midan Tahrir in central Cairo, take the Metro south, "direction Helwan"; coming back follow "direction El Marg". The fare is LE2 and trains run every few minutes. Exit the station east onto pedestrianised Sharia Mar Girgis. The Coptic Museum is straight in front of you and the Hanging Church is 100 m right (south).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CAI · Cairo International Airport
SPX · Sphinx International Airport
CCE · Capital International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Old Cairo
Eat
Small cafes along Mar Girgis St are a bit tourist-trappy but have loos. Cross the metro tracks to the west side for more authentic cheap eats.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Old Cairo: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Old Cairo?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Old Cairo are November to April. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 36 °C; January is the wettest, with about 5 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Old Cairo?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Cairo International Airport (CAI), about 19 km from the city centre in a straight line; Sphinx International Airport (SPX, 34 km) and Capital International Airport (CCE, 59 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Old Cairo?
Egyptian pound (EGP).
Nearby
Destinations near Old Cairo
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.