Cairo, Egypt

Cairo is the sprawling capital of Egypt, bursting with history, hustle, and the hum of everyday life. From the ancient pyramids to buzzing street markets, it’s a city where thousands of years of culture meet modern chaos.

Quick City Snapshot

• City Name: Cairo, Egypt
• Local Nickname: “The City of a Thousand Minarets”
• Population: ~22 million (metro area)
• Currency: Egyptian Pound (EGP £)
• Language: Arabic
• Famous Landmark: The Great Pyramids of Giza
• Time Zone: Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2)

5 Popular Local Foods

• 🧆 Falafel (known locally as ta’ameya)
• 🍚 Koshari (rice, pasta, lentils, and tomato sauce)
• 🍞 Aish baladi (Egyptian pita bread)
• 🧄 Ful medames (slow-cooked fava beans)
• 🍬 Basbousa (sweet semolina cake)

5 Bucket List Items

• 🏜️ See the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
• 🏛️ Explore the Egyptian Museum
• 🕌 Visit the historic Mosque of Muhammad Ali
• 🛍️ Wander Khan El Khalili Bazaar
• 🌇 Catch a Nile River sunset cruise

Things to Collect

• 🏺 Papyrus bookmark from a souvenir shop
• 🧾 Receipt from a local street vendor
• 🕌 Mini model of a pyramid or camel
• 🗺️ Postcard from the Egyptian Museum
• 🎟️ Cairo Metro ticket

Neighborhood Checklist

• Zamalek
• Downtown Cairo
• Islamic Cairo
• Garden City
• Maadi
• Heliopolis
• Coptic Cairo
• Mohandiseen

Printable Activities

• Cairo, Egypt Coloring Page – Download
• Mount Fuji Maze – Download
• Tokyo Drawing Page – Download

Common Phrases

• 👋 السلام عليكم (As-salamu alaykum) – Hello / Peace be upon you
• 🙏 شكراً (Shukran) – Thank you
• 💵 بكم؟ (Bikam?) – How much is it?
• 📍 أين المترو؟ (Ayn al-metro?) – Where is the metro?
• 😅 لا أتكلم العربية (La atakallam al-‘arabiyya) – I don’t speak Arabic