Cairo History, Egypt

Cairo is the capital and the largest city in the African country of Egypt. Although it is in the African continent, it exists in close connection to the Middle Eastern due to a long standing history of colonization and its prominent role as the gateway to the African continent from the Middle East. Cairo is also the most popular cities in  Africa with a population of about 8 million in 2005. Its inhabitants are aptly called the Masraweya people. Today, Cairo's official name is Al-Qahira or Cairo.

The name informally used by most Egyptians is Masr, the Egyptian Arabic  name for Cairo, from the original name of Egypt's first Arab capital Fustat, Misr al-Fustat or the City of the Tents. 

In 969 AD, The city was built as the royal enclosure for the Fatimid caliphs. However, their actual economic and administrative capital was in Fustat, which is in close proximity to Cairo. When the locals destroyed Fustat in 1168 as prevention for its capture by the Crusaders, the administrative capital of Egypt moved to Cairo. General Jawhar Al Sikilli rebuilt Cairo within four years to fit as the new settlement for the Fatimid, Calif Al Muizz to the new Capital of Fatimid in Egypt.

Fustat was a new city built as a military garrison for Arab troops because it was the closest central location to Arabia, which was accessible to the Nile. During the Umayyad period, Fustat became a regional center of Islam. It was also the place where the Umayyad ruler, Marwan II, made his last stand against the Abbasids.  In 1250, the slave soldiers or Mamluks invaded, held Egypt and ruled from their capital at Cairo until 1517. During that year, the Ottomans defeated these slave soldiers to capture the city. From 1798 to 1801, Napoleon's French army briefly occupied Egypt. From 1805 to 1882, an Ottoman officer named Muhammad Ali established an independent empire with Cairo as its capital. Thereafter, the British took the whole country from the Ottomans until the country’s eventual independence in 1922. 

Due to its long-standing history, the culture and heritage of Egypt has been a work in progress. As of current, there are various historical spots on this side of Nile especially in Cairo. However, Egypt has been on the more liberal side of the Muslim nations. Despite that, Allah is revered in this city like in any Middle Eastern city therefore utmost respect must be practiced.  

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  Cairo, the largest city in Africa, is the capital of Egypt, has a population approximated at 15 million and covers an area of 453 square km. It is situated in the border of the river Nil at 161 km from the Mediterranean Sea at the edge of the desert. Before the building of our days metropolis n...

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