Elminya

El Minya Egypt Slideshow: Mohamed’s trip to القاهرة

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The Silver Pharaoh

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Mysteries of Ancient Egypt.

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sacred lake

sacred lake It was an architectural feature of the larger
temples of Egypt, reproductions of the primordial waters
of NUNU that existed before the moment of creation. Rectangular
in design normally, the lakes were reserved for
certain rituals and used as well for cleansing. The larger
sacred lakes served as receptacles for the barks of the
gods at festivals.
KARNAK and other major temples contained
such lakes, all man-made. When the pharaoh was
in residence, the water from the local sacred lake was
used to baptize him in the morning rising rituals.
The sacred lakes were in use throughout all of the
historical periods of Egypt. Also called she netjeri, the
divine pool, the lakes were stone lined and at times were
fashioned with elaborate staircases. They also served as
sanctuaries for sacred birds, CROCODILES, or HIPPOPOTAMI.
Certain three-sided lakes were used in Osirian monuments.
A few were circular or shaped as horseshoes. The
sacred temple lake at Thebes figured in the dispute
between the HYKSOS ruler APOPHIS (r. 1585–1553 B.C.E.)
and Sekenenré TA’O II (r. c. 1540 B.C.E.).

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Giza

Giza This is a plateau southwest of modern Cairo that

served as a necropolis for the royal families of the Fourth

Dynasty (2575–2465 B.C.E.). The Great PYRAMID, erected

in the reign of KHUFU (Cheops; 2551–2528 B.C.E.), is the

largest of the plateau monuments and the only surviving

Wonder of the Ancient World. There are other funerary

monuments or relics that predate the Fourth Dynasty at

Giza, and later pharaohs erected or converted existing

ones. A MASTABA at Giza dates to the reign of DJET (c.

2850 B.C.E.) in the First Dynasty, surrounded by the

graves of more than 50 servants, which denotes that the

individual buried in the mastaba (as yet unidentified) was

a person of considerable rank. Jar sealings inscribed with

the name of NINETJER (r. c. 2670 B.C.E.), a ruler of the

Second Dynasty, were found in an area south of the main

necropolis.

The Great Pyramid, called “the Horizon of Khufu,”

originally stood 480 feet high on a 755-foot base. The

pyramid was built using 3.2 million blocks of limestone,

each weighing 2.5 tons. The pyramid was covered

in Tureh limestone and capped with a gold pyramidion.

Inside the structure, the King’s Chamber was

designed to ease pressure from the slanted design. A

Grand Gallery extends through the edifice, and there is a

Queen’s Chamber and an Ascending Gallery. A descending

corridor leads to a bedrock burial chamber, which

appears to have been abandoned early in the construction.

An enclosure wall was also provided for the

pyramid, and a mortuary temple was erected on the eastern

side of the pyramid. This temple is a rectangular

building with a basalt pavement and an interior

courtyard. A causeway originally 2,630 feet long

extended from this temple, but it is now buried under the

Giza 145

modern settlement of Nazlet el-Simman. The valley temple

had a black-green basalt pavement, 180 feet long, and

mud-brick walls 26 feet wide.

Subsidiary pyramids were placed near the Great

Pyramid, one belonging to Queen HETEPHERES (1), the

second to Queen MERITITES (1), and another belonging to

Queen HENUTSEN. This last pyramid was provided with a

mortuary chapel on the eastern side. A fourth finished

pyramid has not been identified, and there are two other

such tombs, not completed. Another subsidiary pyramid

was situated at the southeastern corner of the Great Pyramid.

This was probably designed for Khufu’s KA or for his

HEB-SED memorial, the commemoration of the decades of

his reign.

Five boat pits have been discovered around the Great

Pyramid, two of which contained Khufu’s barks. Seventy

mastabas, containing Khufu’s servants, were situated

nearby. There was also a harbor, linking the complex to

the Nile. This harbor has now disappeared, but a halfmile

wall remains to mark the perimeter. This border is

called Heit el-Ghurab, the Wall of the Crow.

KHAFRE (Chephren; r. 2520–2494 B.C.E.) built the

second massive pyramid that stands on the Giza plateau.

The structure is smaller than Khufu’s, but it was erected

on a rise and appears almost the same height. Khafre’s

pyramid originally rose to a height of 471 feet, on a 705-

foot base. There are two entrances, descending passages,

an ascending corridor, and a burial chamber containing a

red granite SARCOPHAGUS. One subsidiary pyramid rests

beside Khafre’s monument, probably the tomb of an

unidentified queen. Five boat pits were also installed on

the site. Khafre’s mortuary temple was made of limestone

and had a pillared hall, two chambers, and an open courtyard.

Magazines and statuary niches completed the

design. A causeway, some 1,600 feet in length, was

attached to the mortuary temple. The valley temple was a

square structure with two entrances. Magnificent statues

of Khafre, protected by HORUS, were discovered there.

The third massive structure on the Giza plateau is

the pyramid erected as the resting place of MENKAURÉ

(Mycerinus; r. 2490–2472 B.C.E.). It is the smallest of the

great pyramids of Giza and was unfinished when

Menkauré died. This pyramid, however, was completed

by Menkauré’s son and heir, SHEPSESKHAF. Originally 240

feet high, the pyramid was erected on a 357-foot base. An

unusual feature of this monument is the use of reliefs

depicting the palace walls of the period on interior walls.

Mycerinus’s mortuary temple was made of mud bricks.

The causeway that was attached to the temple was 1,995

feet in length, and another mud-brick valley temple contained

fine triad statues. Three subsidiary pyramids were

erected beside Menkauré’s main tomb. It is believed that

Queen KHAMERERNEBTY (2) was buried in one of these,

but they were never finished.

The Great SPHINX stands in front of Khafre’s pyramid,

with that pharaoh’s features imposed upon its face.

This is an image of a mythical beast with the body of

a lion and the head of a man, wearing the nemes, the

royal head covering. The statue was carved out of a knoll

of poor-grade limestone and is 150 feet long and 75

feet high, from base to crown. The modern name is a

Greek version of the Egyptian shesep-ankh, “the living

image.” The Sphinx is believed to represent Khafre, as

Horus of the Horizon. Originally the carving was faced

with Tureh limestone, and a beard extended from the

chin, almost to the center of the breast. A stela dating

from the reign of TUTHMOSIS IV (1401–1391 B.C.E.) rests

between its paws.

The private necropolis of Giza lies east and west of

the pyramids. Some later burials disrupt the orderly layout

of the Fourth Dynasty complex. Of particular interest

is the tomb of Queen MERYSANKH (3), the consort of

Khafre and the daughter of Prince KEWAB and Queen HETEPHERES

(2). Remarkable scenes and a row of statues of

the royal family fill this vast burial site. The tomb was

originally made for Queen Hetepheres (2), who gave it to

Merysankh (3) when she died young. The plateau of Giza

also contains the ruins of a temple honoring HORUS of the

Horizon. This shrine was erected near the Great Sphinx

by AMENHOTEP II (r. 1427–1401 B.C.E.) of the Eighteenth

Dynasty. A temple of ISIS was also formed in one of the

subsidiary pyramids of Giza by a later dynasty.

A vast area containing the ruins of living quarters,

clinics, bakeries, breweries, and other structures has been

discovered at Giza in recent years. An ongoing excavation

of the area is being conducted to uncover this workers’

village. The ruins confirm the fact that able-bodied Egyptians

provided free labor throughout the building process

of the Giza plateau complexes. The CORVÉE system entitled

the pharaohs to request such services from the people,

especially during the time of the annual inundation.

Slaves were not used to build the pyramids, which were

national projects, undertaken freely by the entire populace

in service to the pharaoh and the godS.: Source:Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

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Abusir

Abusir A site south of GIZA dating to the Fifth Dynasty

(2465–2323 B.C.E.) and containing a vast cemetery and

pyramidal complexes. The large pyramid of SAHURÉ (r.

2458–2446 B.C.E.) dominates the site that once contained

14 such structures, most now reduced to cores of rubble

or stone. Sahuré’s pyramid has a causeway, VALLEY TEMPLE,

and a canal intact. The portico of the valley temple

has eight columns as well as a large hall provided with

wall reliefs and a black basalt pavement. A temple area

dedicated to the goddess SEKHMET appears to have been

refurbished as a shrine in later eras, aiding in its preservation.

Storerooms, corridors, and niches form two levels,

and red granite papyrus columns support the upper floor.

Cultic chambers, a sanctuary with an altar, and a granite

false door were also found there. An elaborate drainage

system was incorporated into the complex, using lionheaded

gargoyles and open channels. Copper-lined basins

were connected to underground copper pipes in this system.

These are still visible. Called “the Soul of Sahuré

Glistens” at its dedication, this pyramid has a limestone

core as the foundation, filled with sand and rubble and

faced with fine stone.

The mastaba of the nobleman PTAHSHEPSES, a relative

of NIUSERRÉ (r. 2416–2392 B.C.E.) and a court official, is a

fully developed structure to the north of Niuserré unfinished

monument. Ptahshepses’ tomb has a colonnaded

court with 20 pillars, a portico, a hall, and a chamber

depicting family portraits.

Niuserré’s pyramidal complex was dedicated as “the

Places of Niuserré are Enduring.” In erecting his valley

temple, Niuserré usurped part of KAKAI’s original structure.

The core was made of limestone and included a

colonnaded court and cultic chamber.

The pyramid of Kakai (Neferirkaré; r. 2446–2426

B.C.E.) was built out of mud brick and completed by his

successor. It was dedicated as “Kakai Has Become a Soul”

or as “the Pyramid of the Ba-spirit.” Local limestone

formed the core, and the facing was a fine limestone and

red granite.

The pyramid of NEFEREFRÉ (r. 2419–2416 B.C.E.) is

also located on the site of Abusir. It was dedicated as “the

Pyramid which is Divine of the Ba-spirits” but was never

completed. It was a low mound of limestone, with no

causeway or temple. Another ruin at Abusir is associated

with Queen KHENTAKAWES, the consort of SHEPSESKHAF (r.

2472–2467 B.C.E.).

A new tomb was recently discovered at Abusir, dating

to the Sixth Dynasty (2323–2150 B.C.E.) and built for

a judge named Inti. Large, with ground and subterranean

levels, the tomb is part of a complex of sites belonging to

Inti’s family. Elaborate decorations and statues have also

been found.

Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

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Abu Ghurob

Abu Ghurob A site north of ABUSIR and south of GIZA,

containing two sun temples dating to the Fifth Dynasty

(2465–2323 B.C.E.). The better preserved temple is the

northern one, erected by NIUSERRÉ Izi (r. 2416–2392

B.C.E.), and dedicated to RÉ, the solar deity of HELIOPOLIS.

An OBELISK was once part of the site, and inscriptions of

the royal HEB-SED ceremonies honoring the ruler’s threedecade

reign were removed from the site in the past. The

temple has a causeway, vestibule, and a large courtyard

for sacrifices. A chapel and a “Chamber of the Seasons”

are also part of the complex, and the remains of a SOLAR

BOAT, made of brick, were also found. The complex was

once called “the Pyramid of Righa.” The sun temple of

USERKHAF (r. 2465–2458 B.C.E.) is also in Abu Ghurob

but is in ruins.

Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt

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Lisht

Lisht, el- This was a site on the western shore, south

of ABUSIR, that served as a necropolis for the city of ITJTAWY,

the Twelfth Dynasty capital started by AMENEMHET I

(r. 1991–1962 B.C.E.). The pyramids of Amenemhet I and

SENWOSRET I (r. 1971–1926 B.C.E.) dominate the region,

providing mortuary complexes on the elevated portion of

the site. The pyramidal complex was called “Amun Is

High And Beautiful.” Two monuments discovered there

are in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The pyramid

was built on a commanding position, and the complex

functioned on two levels as royal family members

and court officials were provided with tombs as part of

the design. A causeway can still be seen, but the valley

temple has disappeared. A great wall (TENEMOS) surrounded

the area.

Amenemhet I’s pyramid, also called “the Places of

Amenemhet Shine,” was covered originally with TUREH

limestone and had an entrance on the north face. There

was an offering chapel with a FALSE DOOR and a deep

burial chamber included in the design. The pyramid of

Amenemhet I was surrounded by royal tombs, containing

family members and erected on adjoining lands. The

pyramid complex of Senwosret I was called “the One

Who Is Associated With Senwosret” and was erected in

the southern area. Large and covered with Tureh limestone,

the pyramid was surrounded by nine royal graves.

The complex also contained 10 statues of the pharaoh.

There is no surviving evidence of a VALLEY TEMPLE in

Senwosret I’s complex, but a causeway survived, fashioned

out of Tureh limestone and adorned with colorful

reliefs. The pyramid is surrounded by two enclosure

walls, the outer one made of brick, and the inner wall

enclosing a MORTUARY TEMPLE and decorated with relief

panels. Senwosret I’s pyramid, named “Senwosret Surveys

The Two Lands,” and “Protected Are The Places Of

Senwosret,” had a rubble and sand core. Irregular chambers

were incorporated into the pyramid, and the entry

was part of a chapel. Other tombs at el-Lisht include

those of INTEFOKER, a high-ranking official, and SENWOSRET-

ANKH, whose mastaba contained PYRAMID TEXTS and

a star ceiling

Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt.

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Memphis

Founded by Mena or Menes ,traditionally the first king of the first dynasty .

Memphis or Menufer became the capital of the country during thr old kingdom and probably during the 12 dynasty .

When the capital was moved to Thebes during the new kingdom Memphis remained an important city , as indeed it did even after the foundation of Alexandria as the capital by Alexander .

It was finally deserted during the early Muslim era .

Today little remains of the garden city of Memphis grouped round the vast temple of its patron god ptah, .

A small museum on the left of the road shelter a  colossal limestone figure of Ramesses the second of excellent workmanship ,depicting the king when young , discovered by Caviglia and Sloane in 1820 .

It lies on its back and must have been originally about 12.8 high , the feet and the back much hindered by water .

The alabaster Sphinx inside the enclosure weighs 80 tons and was excavated by Petrie in 1912 .

It is either 18 or 19 Dyn., probably of Amenhotep the second , but it has also been greatly damaged by water ,

Other stone object and sarcophagi can also be seen .

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-AL-Lahun

The town of Lahun has been dominated since ancient times by the Bahr Yusif, the canal which divers water from the Nile and carries it to Lahun where it is dispersed throughtout the Fayoum.

In fact, an ancient papyrus indicates that the name of the town is taken from the ancient Egyptian Ra-Hunt, meaning the opening of the canal.

Pyramid Complex of Senusert II, also of the 12 Dyn. The Valley Temple, 1.6km to the E, is very ruined. On the edge of the cultivation c 2km NE are the remains of an extensive mud-brick town, Kahun, probably built to house the temple officials although Petrie, who excavated it, thought it was for the workmen. Against the E face of the pyramid the MortuaryTemple, now also much destroyed, probably in the 19 Dyn., is of red granite and decorated with inscriptions and carvings. The Pyramid ofSenusert II stands on a natural outcrop of rock and is built of mud brick, originally with a stone casing which was extensively robbed in antiquity The entrance is on the S side (now inaccessible) to confuse the tomb robbers; the burial chamber is lined with red granite slabs and contained a red granite sarcophagus. To the NE is a Subsidiary Pyramid. Around both pyramids is a mud-brick wall

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Hawarah

14-Hawarah (Hawarah al-Maqta').

Hawara (Great Mansion ) or Arsinoiton polis, city of the Arsinoans, was the site of the pyramid complex of Amunemhet  the third .

Pyramid Complex ol Amenemhat III. There does not appear to have been a causeway or valley temple attached to this pyramid. Of the Pyramid of Amenemhat 111 only the mud-brick core with brick filling between stone walls remains; the limestone casing has long since disappeared. It was originally 58m high and 100m sq. with a slope of 48°45'; there is still a splendid view of the Fayyum from the top of the pyramid.

The entry is to the S (now inaccessible) and was intended to mislead the tomb robbers, with false burial shafts.

The quartzite sarcophagus had a curved lid and a panel design at the foot, but the tomb had been robbed and the body destroyed and burnt. It was excavated with great difficulty by Petrie who found the chamber half full of water. Fragments of vases with the name of Amenemhat III upon them were recovered.

 Apparently it was not finished at his death and was completed for him by his daughter Sobek-Nefru who came to the throne as the last ruler of the 12 Dyn. after the depletion of the male line.

 This site was famous for its Mortuary Temple, known in Classical times as the Labyrinth, said to have been carved from a single rock. It was still in existence when Herodotus visited Egypt; he saw it and thought that it far surpassed the pyramids as a building. Now little remains of the vast structure, said to have contained over 3000 rooms, except piles of debris and a vast quantity of chipped stone fragments.

It was near here in a cemetery in the desert to the N that Petrie found the Fayyum portraits, painted in wax encaustic on flat boards and dating to the Roman period. Painted during life and attached to the coffins after death, they are among the earliest portraits known (now in the EM and BM and elsewhere).

Labyrinth of Egypt>

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Dahshur

Dahshur

This is a site in the Libyan plateau that served as a royal necropolis  in the south of Saqqara .

Things to see:

Pyramid Complex of Senusert III.

 It was investigated both by Perring ciml site isVyse in 1839 and de Morgan in 1894. Both found inscriptions of the king in the ruined Mortuary Temple. The Valley Temple, which has never been cleared, is joined to this by a Causeway.

The Pyramid of Senusert III is built of mud brick, cased with limestone blocks bonded together by cramps, some of which may still be seen, but the pyramid is now greatly ruined. It is entered through a pit on the wet side (the interior is inaccessible), the north entry having apparently been abandoned for reasons of security.

The burial chamber as described by de Morgan was lined with red granite and at the west side stood a panelled red granite sarcophagus.

A gallery from the NE side of the pyramid leads to the Royal Tombs of several members of the king's family.

Here de Morgan found the jewellery of the princesses of the dynasty (now in the Jewel Room of the EM), material of the highest quality. S of the surrounding wall three perfect cedar boats some 10m long were found, and fragments of another five vessels. With them was a large sledge used for their transport. {Two of these boats are in the EM, the third is in the Chicago Natural History Museum.)

It seems almost certain that Senusert III was buried in this pyramid surrounded by his family and officials.

To the SW is the North Pyramid Complex of Sneferu. Recently not accessible, the North Pyramid of Sneferu, called 'Sneferu gleams', is built of local limestone, cased with finer Turah material, but much of which has been lost. In size it resembles the pyramids at Gizah being 220m sq., 99m high, with an angle of 43°40'; in fact it considerably exceeds the Pyramid of Khafre in volume, thus being the second most massive pyramid. The entry is in the middle of the N face, c 28m above ground level (interior inaccessible) and leads to a passage descending at an angle, 60m long.

 This leads to three chambers with corbelled roofs similar in style to those of the S Pyramid (see below). No trace of a royal burial was found here either when investigated in the last century by Perring and Vyse, or more recently by Fakhry.

The Valley Temple and Mortuary Temple have not been found. If Sneferu was buried in either of these structures it is far more likely to have been in the southern one. Work on this pyramid has been hampered by fallen blocks.

The Pyramid Complex of Amenemhat II,

 called 'Amenemhat is strong'. Lying to the SE, also on the edge of the escarpment, is the earliest 12 Dyn. complex on the site.

The Valley Temple of this pyramid has never been discovered, but must have existed as a Causeway over 800m long extending from the edge of the cultivation to the pyramid.

 The Mortuary Temple is very much ruined but contained sufficient slabs inscribed with the name of Amenemhat to identify the monument.

 The Pyramid of Amenemhat II was excavated by de Morgan (1894-95). He found it ruined but was able to penetrate the interior.

It is so damaged that even the overall dimensions are slightly uncertain. It is built of brick divided into compartments filled with sand, and must originally have been faced with limestone, but this has been robbed long since.

The entry is in the N face (now inaccessible), from which a long sloping gallery protected by two portcullises leads to the burial chamber. The sandstone sarcophagus is still in place on the W side of the burial chamber.

Amenemhat was probably buried here, as to the W of the pyramid are the Tombs of the queen and four of his princesses.

SE of Amenemhat's pyramid is a mass of limestone blocks with a Causeway running towards the cultivation; this has never been investigated and almost certain)? represents the remains of another Pyramid.

Pyramid Complex of Amenemhat III,

undiscovered valley temple, which must be situated near the cultivation by a Causeway c 600m long and c 18.5m wide, originally paved with limestone slabs.

E of the pyramid is the Mortuary Temple, now alnto*' entirely destroyed, and nearby are a number of mud-brick structim-* probably used to house the temple officials.

 The mud-brick Pyramid ni Amenemhat HI, (called 'Amenemhat is beautiful'), was originally about 100m sq. and cased in limestone which has been systematically robber) as has much of the brick core, though Perring was able to calculate that the angle was 57°20'. A grey granite pyramidon bearing Amenemh.u « name was found here (now in the EM).

The entry to the pyramid is off-centre on the E side (now inaccessible) and the burial chamber contain red granite sarcophagus. But it is certain that the king was not buried here, but at his second pyramid at Hawarah (Rte 29) and that this served as a cenotaph.

Recent work by the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo has found a well and the foundation depsoits of the pyramid, with foundation bricks, two bulls' skulls, and a great deal of pottery. Also within the complex lie the Tomb of Awibre' Hor and a small Pyramid at Ameny 'Aamu, two 13 Dyn. kings.

tin-'Bent Pyramid' or 'Rhomboidal Pyramid'. It is probable that this wh-. where King Sneferu was buried. This structure measures 188.6m sq. and is 101.15m high. The angle of the slope is 54°31' to a height of 49.07m, and then changes to 43°21'; this change of slope gives the pyramid iK popular names.

 It is constructed of local limestone, cased with fine white Turah limestone laid in sloping courses, the blocks being tilted from the outside to the inside, which makes them very difficult to remove.

The entry to the pyramid is on the N face at 11.8m. On either side are sockets for a flap door. A descending passage 79.53m long but only l.lm high ends in a horizontal corridor with a corbelled roof 12.6m high. To reach the lower chamber a ladder has to be climbed to a point on the wall 6.25m above the floor. The lower chamber is also corbelled and on the S wall are the entries to two passages. One is vertical and leads to no known passage or room. The other, higher in the wall, c 12.6m with damaged ceiling, slopes upwards to a horizontal passage leading to the upper chamber lying beyond a portcullis. A remarkable feature of this room are the cedar beams which must have been imported from thn Lebanon.

From the horizontal passage a further corridor slopes up to the W face of the pyramid, where it emerges 33.32m from the base. Climbingabout inside this pyramid, which is unlit, gives a very good idea of the conditions that the early pyramid investigators encountered, even though the modern visitor is helped by the ladders left by Fakhry.

At the E of the pyramid is a small Mortuary Temple consisting of a little shrine, open to the E and W, under which was a large limestone slab surmounted by an alabaster offering table.

The shrine is flanked by two large stelae and surrounded by a mud-brick wall. Alterations were made to the temple both in the Middle Kingdom and the Ptolemaic period, when the worship of Sneferu was revived, and the excavators found a bowl of charcoal still on the alabaster offering table waiting for the incense to be added.

A Subsidiary Pyramid lies to the S of the main structure. It was cleared (1946-47) by Hussein and found empty,- no trace of any burial was dicovered, only some pottery, ft was too small to have contained the material of Sneferu's Queen Hetepheres found at Giza (Rte 23) and so far her original burial place remains undiscovered. The Valley Temple of the pyramid lies to the E of the building about half way to the cultivation. It is a simple rectangular building (47.16m by 26.20m) surrounded by a thick brick temenos wall.

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Cairo

Cairo,

officially al-Qahirah but popularly and normally referred to as Misr (pron. Masr), the capital of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The city occupies a triangular plain with the narrowest point to the S on the East Bank of the River Nile where the Muqattam Hills make their closest approach to the river.

 In Cairo the older areas in the main still retain their medieval form, and many of the streets are known from descriptions of them given by early chroniclers. The Ottomans made little contribution to the design of the city but during the 19C it expanded and developed at an unprecedented rate.

The newer areas thus have much in common with European cities in general and specific areas with French or English town planning in particular. The architecture, however, is a combination of Ottoman and European elements, commercial building owing more to the latter, especially in the city centre. 

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