WorldTravelGate.net® - The History of Cairo, Egypt.

THE EARLY PERIOD

Although ruined Memphis, 14 miles southwest of Cairo, was a metropolis 5,000 years ago, and about 2,000 years ago the Romans occupied a town on the site of Cairo called Babylon (now the Misr al-Qadimah quarter), the seed from which contemporary Cairo sprang was the town of al-Fustat, founded as a military encampment in AD 641 by 'Amr ibn al-'As, commander of the Arabs who brought Islam to Egypt. Successor dynasties added royal suburbs (al-'Askar, founded in 750 by the Umayyads; al-Qata`i', founded in 870 by Ahmad ibn Tulun) to the increasingly prosperous commercial and industrial port city of al-Fustat. Little remains of these early developments in the southern part of the city, except the tower of Trajan (AD 130), the mosques of 'Amr ibn al-'As (641) and Ahmad ibn Tulun (878), and the partially excavated mounds covering the site of al-Fustat.

Officially speaking, Cairo was founded in AD 969. However, to claim that Cairo is merely a thousand years old is in fact historically inaccurate. The city's long journey across history started more than four millennia ago. Throughout the ages, she managed to survive by fulfilling her rulers wishes, be they Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, or Turks. To please them, she assumed various names: Memphis, Heliopolis, Babylon-in-Egypt, Al-Fustat, Al-Qataei, Al-Askar, and most recently, Al-Qahira.

In 969 adherents of a dissident Islamic sect, the Fatimids, invaded Egypt from what is now Tunisia. The conquering general, Jawhar, established a new rectangular walled city northeast of existing settlements. Initially named al-Mansuriyah, the cit was renamed al-Qahirah in 973-974 when the Fatimid caliph al-Mu'izz arrived to make it the capital of a dynasty that lasted for 200 years. Al-Qahirah and al-Fustat coexisted until 1168, when unfortified al-Fustat was set on fire to protect Cairo from the crusaders. The crusaders were driven off by a Sunni (orthodox Islamic) army from Syria, after which the victorious commander, Saladin, founded the Ayyubid dynasty, which controlled a vast empire from Cairo.

Even though al-Fustat was partially rebuilt, Cairo itself became transformed from a royal enclave into an imperial metropolis. Saladin further extended the 11th-century walls built by a high official called Badr al-Jamali (the northern and southern walls and three main gates, al-Futuh Gate, an-Nasr Gate, and Zuwaylah Gate, are still extant) and constructed a citadel on the Muqattam spur (now dominated by the Muhammad 'Ali Mosque). After 1260, when Baybars I became the first Mamluk sultan of undisputed legitimacy, Cairo served as the capital of the Mamluk Empire, which governed Egypt and the Fertile Crescent until 1516.

Medieval Cairo reached its apogee during the Mamluk era. By about 1340, almost 500,000 persons lived in an area five times greater than the original Fatimid walled city, and Cairo had become the greatest city of Africa, Europe, and Asia Minor. Its al-Azhar University was the principal seat of Islamic learning. The city was a key link in the profitable East-West spice trade and the recipient of tribute from a wealthy empire. Most of Cairo's greatest architectural masterpieces were built during this epoch.

Decline set in thereafter--sporadically at first, and then precipitously. The population was decimated by plagues, including the Black Death in 1348. The spice trade monopoly was broken by Vasco da Gama's voyage from Portugal to India (1497-99). Finally, political autonomy was lost to the conquering Turks, who, after 1517, reduced Cairo to a provincial capital. In 1798, when Napoleon and his troops arrived in Cairo, fewer than 300,000 people were living in the city and its two port suburbs, Misr al-Qadimah and Bulaq. The Turks returned after Napoleon's defeat in 1801. In 1805 Muhammad 'Ali, commander of an Albanian contingent, was appointed pasha, thus founding the dynasty that ruled Egypt until his great-great-grandson, Farouk I, abdicated in 1952.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY

Modern urban growth began in the 1830s, but only during Isma'il's reign (1863-79) was the city fundamentally transformed. Influenced by Baron Haussmann's renovation of Paris, Isma'il ordered the construction of a European-style city to the west of the medieval core. French city-planning methods dominated the design of the districts of al-Azbakiyah (with its large park), 'Abdin, and Isma'iliyah--all now central zones of contemporary Cairo. By the end of the 19th century these districts were well developed, but with the rise of British hegemony from 1882 onward, they became transformed into a colonial enclave. Following the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952, however, the number and power of foreign residents declined.

During the 20th century, Cairo grew spectacularly in both population and area. Improvements in transportation fostered the growth of suburban Heliopolis and al-Ma'adi; flood control permitted riverfront development; bridges encouraged settlement of islands (ar-Rudah and az-Zamalik) and of the west bank. By mid-century the city was primarily growing northward into the fertile Delta, a trend further encouraged by industrialization. Since 1952 the government has attempted to accommodate Cairo's rapidly increasing population by building planned suburbs (Nasr City, Muqattam City, Engineers' City) and, more recently, distant satellite towns, such as May 15th, October 6th, and Tenth of Ramadan towns.

It is the one and only wonders which does not require a description by early historians and poets. It is the one and only Wonder that does not need speculations concerning its appearance, size, and shape. It is the oldest, yet it is the only surviving of the Seven Ancient Wonders. It is the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Contrary to the common belief, only the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), not all three Great Pyramids, is on top of the list of Wonders. The Egyptian pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty around the year BC 2560 to serve as a tomb when he dies built the monument. The tradition of pyramid building started in Ancient Egypt as a sophistication of the idea of a mastaba or "platform" covering the royal tomb. Later, several stacked mastabas were used. Early pyramids, such as the Step Pyramid of King Zoser (Djoser at Saqqara by the famous Egyptian architect, Imhotep, illustrate this connection.

The great pyramid is believed to have been built over a 20 year period. The site was first prepared, and blocks of stone were transported and placed. An outer casing (which disappeared over the years) was then used to smooth the surface. Although it is not known how the blocks were put in place, several theories have been proposed. One theory involves the construction of a straight or spiral ramp that was raised as the construction proceeded. This ramp, coated with mud and water, eased the displacement of the blocks, which were pushed (or pulled) into place. A second theory suggests that the blocks were placed using long levers with a short angled foot.

Throughout their history, the pyramids of Giza have stimulated human imagination. They were referred to as "The Granaries of Joseph" and "The Mountains of Pharaoh". When Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, his pride was expressed through his famous quote: "Soldats! Du haute de ces Pyramides, 40 siècles nous contemplent". (Soldiers! From the top of these Pyramids, 40 centuries are looking at us).

Today, the Great Pyramid is enclosed, together with the other pyramids and the Sphinx, in the touristy region of the Giza Plateau. Also in the area is the museum housing the mysterious Sun Boat, only discovered in 1954 near the south side of the pyramid. The boat is believed was used to carry the body of Khufu in his last journey on earth before being buried inside the pyramid. It may also serve him as a means of transportation in his afterlife journey according to Ancient Egyptian beliefs.

When it was built, the Great pyramid was 145.75 m (481 ft) high. Over the years, it lost 10 m (30 ft) off its top. It ranked as the tallest structure on Earth for more than 43 centuries, only to be surpassed in height in the nineteenth century AD. It was covered with a casing of stones to smooth its surface (some of the casing can still be seen near the top of Khefre's pyramid). The sloping angle of its sides is 54 degrees 54 minutes. Each side is carefully oriented with one of the cardinal points of the compass, that is, north, south, east, and west. The horizontal cross section of the pyramid is square at any level, with each side measuring 229 m (751 ft) in length. The maximum error between side lengths is astonishingly less than 0.1%.

The structure consists of approximately 2 million blocks of stone, each weighing more than two tons. It has been suggested that there are enough blocks in the three pyramids to build a 3 m (10 ft) high, 0.3 m (1 ft) thick wall around France. The area covered by the Great pyramid can accommodate St Peter's in Rome, the cathedrals of Florence and Milan, and Westminster and St Paul's in London combined.

On the north face, is the pyramid's entrance? A number of corridors, galleries, and escape shafts either lead to the King's burial chamber, or were intended to serve other functions. The King's chamber is located at the heart of the pyramid, only accessible through the Great Gallery and an ascending corridor. The King's sarcophagus is made of red granite, as are the interior walls of the King's Chamber. Most impressive is the sharp-edged stone over the doorway, which is over 3 m (10 ft) long, 2.4 m (8 feet) high and 1.3 m (4 ft) thick. The entire interior stones fit so well, a card won't fit between them. The sarcophagus is oriented in accordance with the compass directions, and is only about 1 cm smaller in dimensions than the chamber entrance. It might have been introduced as the structure was progressing.

New theories concerning the origin and purpose of the Pyramids of Giza have been proposed... Astronomic observatories... Places of cult worship... Geometric structures constructed by a long-gone civilization... Even extraterrestrial-related theories have been proposed with little evidence in support... The overwhelming scientific and historic evidence still supports the conclusion that, like many smaller pyramids in the region, the Great Pyramids were built by the great Ancient Egyptian civilization off the West bank of the Nile as tombs for their magnificent Kings... Tombs where Khufu, Khefre, and Menkaure could start there mystic journey to the afterlife.