(ORDO NEWS) — The historic city of Cairo is one of the most important and largest heritage cities in the world; As it is a lively city characterized by the richness of its urban fabric, in addition to the multiplicity of monuments and historical buildings, reflecting the long history of Cairo as the dominant and leading political, cultural, commercial and religious capital in the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin.
Cairo’s strategic location on the edge of the delta between the Nile River in the east and Mokattam Mountain in the west has led to continuous human interaction with the site, which led to the formation of settlements and the architecture of the place, creating a link between the city and the Nile River, and accelerating the development of Cairo with the establishment of a network of canals cisterns, baths, and fountains.
The two historical ports of Bulaq in the north and Fustat in the south contributed to linking the city closely to the Nile; The historical development of trade with Europe improved the performance of the port of Bulaq in the north, while trade with India and Africa improved the performance of the port of Fustat to the south, and this is evidenced by architectural masterpieces.
The period from the ninth to the fifteenth century – also known as the Islamic Renaissance – was a golden age for the city, when the pioneers of scientists, doctors, astronomers, theologians and writers had a strong influence and a great prestige that extended far beyond the borders of the Islamic world.
This city is a distinct model of Islamic architecture; It collected many unique architectural examples from the eras of the Umayyads, Tulunids, Fatimids, Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans. Due to the abundance and richness of this architecture that adorns the sky of Cairo, scholars, historians and the public knew it as “the city of a thousand minarets”.
Historic Cairo includes several sites that represent a unique form of human settlement that combines the religious and residential uses of the place, namely: Fustat, ancient Egypt, the central region that includes Qata’ea, the Tulunid royal city, the Citadel area, Darb al-Ahmar, the Fatimid nucleus, the port of Bulaq, and the Mosque army.
Historic Cairo was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979, based on the recommendation of the International Council on Antiquities and Sites (ICOMOS).
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