Citadel, Old Cairo, and Khan El Khalili Day Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. It was built as a defense against the Crusader invasions, the original walls still remain intact, however, the original interior building was destroyed by the Sultan Al Nasir of the Mamluks who’s mosque still remains within the walls. From the 19th Century, The enormous Muhammad Ali Mosque was built from the periods between 1824 to 1848 and was designed like the renowned ‘Blue’ Mosque’ in Istanbul Turkey.and is strikingly similar.

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2. The most famous street consists of bazaars, restaurants, and cafes and also the oldest in Egypt.

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3. Steep stairs lead to a 19th-century facade topped by twin bell towers. In a small inner courtyard, vendors sell taped liturgies and videos of the Coptic pope, Shenouda III. The interior feels very similar to that of a mosque. The ebony- and ivory-inlaid screens hiding the altar show the same intricate geometric designs that are distinguishable from Islamic patterns only by the tiny crosses worked on them. One of the columns is darker than the rest; it is believed to represent Judas. The church has 110 icons, including a series describing the life and torture of St George and the life of St John the Baptist, and a very sacred painting of Virgin Mary known as the Coptic 'Mona Lisa'. In the baptistery, off to the right, a panel has been cut out of the floor to reveal the Water Gate below. Still, in use, the church is equally crowded with tourists and parishioners who come to pray over a collection of saints’ relics and an icon of Mary.

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Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Cairo

• Its from-price is 49% above the median of the 10229 experiences we list in Cairo.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 5060 of 10229.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Cairo

Cairo is Egypt's sprawling capital on the Nile, where the Pyramids of Giza meet medieval mosques, busy bazaars and the treasures of the pharaohs.

On the western edge of the city, the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx rise from the desert plateau, with the step pyramid of Saqqara and the ruins of Memphis further south. Cairo's great museums, the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and the vast Grand Egyptian Museum beside the plateau, hold artefacts spanning thousands of years.

Top-ranked sights in Cairo: Egyptian Museum (Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), Saqqara (Sakkara), Khan El-Khalili.

See all 10229 experiences in Cairo