It doesn't take long, however, toacclimatiseto Cairo's wall of noise,snarlof traffic, cry ofhawkersandblanketofsmog, and get drawn into the hypnotisingcharmof thispulsatingmetropolis.
Head out west to Giza's famed pyramids and the time warp sets you back a full 4000 years. Meanwhile, the city's main museum bursts at the seams with thepricelesswealthof ancient Egypt's antiquities. But the realallureof Cairo lies somewhere in the quiet moments in between:sippinga sugary shai or puffing leisurely on asheeshawhile watching the life of the citywhirlpast as it has foreons.
Giza Pyramids
Theirextraordinaryshape, geometry and agerenderthemsomehowalien constructions; they seem to rise out of the desert and pose the ever-fascinating question, 'How were we built, and why?'.
Nilometer
Built in AD 861, the Nilometer was designed to measure the rise and fall of the river, and thuspredictthe fortunes of theannualharvest. If the water rose to 16 cubits (a cubit is about the length of a forearm) the harvest was likely to be good, inspiring one of the greatest celebrations of themedievalera; any higher, though, and the flooding could bedisastrous, and lower levelspresagedhunger.
Roman Towers
The main entrance to the Coptic compound lies between the remains of the two round Roman Towers of Babylon's western gate. Built in AD 98 by Emperor Trajan, these were part of riverfrontfortifications: at the time, the Nile would have lapped right up against them.
Sphinx
Legendsandsuperstitionsaboundabout the Sphinx, and the mystery surrounding its long-forgotten purpose is almost asintriguingas its appearance. On seeing it for the first time, many visitors agree with thesentimentsexpressed by English playwright Alan Bennett, who noted in his diary that seeing the Sphinx is like meeting a TV personality in theflesh- always smaller than had been imagined.
Kahire - Cairo
Cairo - Kahire
It doesn't take long, however, toacclimatiseto Cairo's wall of noise,snarlof traffic, cry ofhawkersandblanketofsmog, and get drawn into the hypnotisingcharmof thispulsatingmetropolis.
Head out west to Giza's famed pyramids and the time warp sets you back a full 4000 years. Meanwhile, the city's main museum bursts at the seams with thepricelesswealthof ancient Egypt's antiquities. But the realallureof Cairo lies somewhere in the quiet moments in between:sippinga sugary shai or puffing leisurely on asheeshawhile watching the life of the citywhirlpast as it has foreons.
Giza Pyramids
Theirextraordinaryshape, geometry and agerenderthemsomehowalien constructions; they seem to rise out of the desert and pose the ever-fascinating question, 'How were we built, and why?'.
Nilometer
Built in AD 861, the Nilometer was designed to measure the rise and fall of the river, and thuspredictthe fortunes of theannualharvest. If the water rose to 16 cubits (a cubit is about the length of a forearm) the harvest was likely to be good, inspiring one of the greatest celebrations of themedievalera; any higher, though, and the flooding could bedisastrous, and lower levelspresagedhunger.
Roman Towers
The main entrance to the Coptic compound lies between the remains of the two round Roman Towers of Babylon's western gate. Built in AD 98 by Emperor Trajan, these were part of riverfrontfortifications: at the time, the Nile would have lapped right up against them.
Sphinx
Legendsandsuperstitionsaboundabout the Sphinx, and the mystery surrounding its long-forgotten purpose is almost asintriguingas its appearance. On seeing it for the first time, many visitors agree with thesentimentsexpressed by English playwright Alan Bennett, who noted in his diary that seeing the Sphinx is like meeting a TV personality in theflesh- always smaller than had been imagined.
" http://www.lonelyplanet.com/egypt/cairo/sights/archaeological-sights "Vocabulart Exercise