As ancient as history itself, Cairo occupies a singular place among world cities, with a geographical position so unique that an interchange of influence with the civilizations to which it stood witness was made possible. In fact Cairo could be the world's only city with monuments dating back to four different historical periods-the Pharaonic, the Roman, the Christian and the Islamic. Cairo is one of the greatest cities to explore,                                                  
but it is not a fairytale city, with beautiful minarets                       
and picturesque bazaars. Of course it has those,
 but they are not the essence of Cairo.
 The city of Cairo is also full of sights of different kinds.
 There are remains from the Pharaonic days, there are museums, there are loads of Islamic monuments. See the special sights section for details for all these attractions. Be sure to visit the bazaar of Khan el Khalili to do some shopping, see shopping section for details .

  Egyptian Museum :The biggest single attraction
 within the city center for tourists is the Egyptian Museum.
 The sprawling sandstone building on Tahrir Square is
packed with antiquities: mummies including the
 pharaohs Ramses II and III and Seti I,
the contents of the tomb of Tutankhamen's (King Tut) and many many

  Coptic Quarter : Christian Old Cairo ,
 where the Romans constructed the fortress
of Babylon . Built over the ruins of the two
 towers of this fortress is the Church of St. Mary
or El-Moallaqah (meaning overhanging or suspended)
 which is why the most popular name for
this church is the hanging Church. Visit the
Church of St. Sergius , founded at the end of the
4th century, it stands on a crypt that is said to have sheltered the Holy Family during their flight to Egypt. Your tour ends with a visit to the Coptic Museum , containing the world's richest collection of Coptic art and treasures.

 Mosques: Try to get a good taste of Islamic culture as well by visiting some of the mosques and the old town. Al Azhar , Mohammed Ali Mosque , Blue Mosque , Ibn Tulun

  The Saladin Citadel of Cairo is one of the most popular tourist attraction of Cairo. It is sometimes referred to as Mohamed Ali Citadel