Investigating Egypt's Rich History

"كلما عشت حياتك بأسلوبك أكثر سينبذك الأغبياء ويحاربك المجتمع أكثر، لكن في النهاية ستجد أجمل مافي الحياة، ستجدنفسك" ,سبينوزا

Cairo

Egypt's historical sites have stood the test of time, and the Egyptian government has delicately embraced modernity, while trying to maintain the authentic character of its historical monuments. Cairo is a work of art, and one the safest cities to visit. You'll find museums, restuarants, shopping, and a night life. All the entertainment distractions that a 20 year old millenial desires, can be found downtown. But my main focus for visiting Cairo was to learn Arabic and understand the general history of Egypt. My general outline was to visit historical sites from a few broad historical periods in Egyptian history that included ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Islamic Caliphate, the Ottoman Empire, and the long-term effects of colonization on present day life and institutions. So the first place to visit after unboarding from the plane is the Great Pyramids of Giza. But don't forget about the original pyramids in Lower Egypt. You will be just as impressed. And remember the smaller pyramids of Upper Egypt culminated into the Great Pyramids of Geza. After Geza, travel to the Valley of Kings and take the Nile down to Aswan. You won't regret it. From Lower Egypt take a tour to Alexandria and walk through the Roman ruins, and visit the Roman amphitheater and the catacombs. From there travel to Old Cairo and check out everything surrounding Al-Azhar mosque. Al-Azhar is one of the oldest universities in the world and students still to this day value it's diploma. It's absolutely amazing that this school was built in the early years of Islam in a time of knights and crusaders, and yet it has adapted to teach courses in computer IT. Of course there are thousands of sites that I left out, but this was one of my favorites, as it was a gold mine for ancient books. Then from the Islamic period check out the Pre-Ottoman period and visit the Citadel of Salah El Din. Read the history of the crusades and the Mongol invasion from an Egyptian perspective. From the fortress of Salah El Din, you can check out some of the ancient mosques of the Ottoman period to get a feel for the architecture of the middle ages. Then schedule a tour to visit the King's Palace. King Mohamed Ali Pasha ushered in the beginnings of modern Egypt and tours can be scheduled to visit his Palace. It's an absolute must that you read some brief histories of the Colonial Period to the modern day Presidents to fully understand the composition of Egyptian society. And one last thing, visit the ancient Christian and Coptic sites as well. Egypt has a rich legacy in Christianity and there is an abundance of history among the Arab speaking Christians.

Investigating Egypt's Rich History

Cairo

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