Citadel of Salah el-Din with Alabaster Mosque
One of Cairo's most popular tourist attractions is
the Citadel, located on a spur of limestone that
had been detached from its parent Moqattam Hills
by quarrying. The Citadel is one of the world's
greatest monuments to medieval warfare, as well as
a highly visible landmark on Cairo's eastern
skyline. Particularly when viewed from the back
side, the Citadel reveals a very medieval
character.
Legend has it that Salah ad-Din chose the site for
its healthy Air. The story goes that he hung
pieces of meat up all around Cairo. The meat
spoilt within a day everywhere except in the
Citadel area, where it remained fresh for several
days. But in reality this location provides a
strategic advantage both to dominate Cairo and to
defend outside attackers.
Khan el-Khalili Bazaars
Not just any market, but one of the most historic
markets in the world. Founded by the Emir Djaharks
el-Khalili in 1382, the khan was responsible for
developing such a stranglehold on goods moving
from the Eastern world to the West, that it is
indirectly responsible for the discovery of the
American continent. The spice markets in the Khan,
a monopoly controlled by the ruling Mamluks of
Egypt, forced explorers such as Columbus to find
alternate routes for goods coming from the East.
Sultan Hassan
The Mosque and Madrassa (school) of Sultan Hassan,
was built between 1356 and 1363, and is believed
to be one of the finest examples of Mamluk
architecture in Cairo. The mosque is also
considered one of the largest, not only in Cairo
but in the whole Islamic world. It is a massive
structure measuring some 492 feet (150 meters)
long and 118 feet (36 meters) high. The tallest
minaret is 223 feet (68 meters) tall.
Departure
Dates:
Daily
Departure
Point:
Tour
departs from centrally located Cairo hotels
Departure
Time:
Return
details:
Tour
returns to original point of departure
Hotel Pickup:
Tour departs from centrally located Cairo hotels.
Please include the details of your hotel at the
time of booking.
Inclusions:
-
Hotel pick up and drop off
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Transport by air conditioned vehicle
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English speaking guide (French, German, Spanish,
Italian, Dutch and Russian speaking guides are
available, if requested at time of booking)
Additional
Info:
-
This tour must be booked at least 24 hours in
advance of your travel date.
-
Confirmation of this product will be received at
time of booking.
-
Tour is operated in English. French, German,
Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Russian speaking
guides are available, if requested at time of
booking.
-
In
most temples and museums in Egypt, an additional
fee for photo and video cameras is requested. In
general you can expect approximately 5 - 10
Egyptian Pounds (USD1.00 - 2.00) for photo
cameras, and approximately 100 Egyptian Pounds
(USD18.00) for video cameras. These prices are
indictaive only and may vary from one place to
the next.
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Coaches are wheelchair accessible.
