Guide to Cairo
Egypt’s capital city, Cairo, is acclaimed as the largest modern city across Africa and Arab countries and an ideal although chaotic megalopolis.
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Cairo is popularly referred to as the city of a thousand minarets owing to the numerous Islamic architectures. Other than being a cosmopolitan city, Cairo has a long-standing history as the hub of the region’s cultural, religious and political paradigms.
- Cairo as a city is a blend of things extremely ancient and contemporary, hosting millenniums-old architectural remnants and closely neighboring ancient cities, such as Giza and Memphis.
- Cairo boasts of a relatively improved modern infrastructure and systems, from health and education, to transportation and construction.
History of Cairo
The location of present-day Cairo has long been an integral center of both ancient and modern Egypt, owing to the area’s strategic location (upstream from Nile Delta).
The history of Cairo dates back to the first millennium, where the city was characterized by series of settlements
- In 641 AD, after Egypt was conquered by General Amr Ibn Al-Ase, who established Misr Al-Fustat (meaning city of the tents) as the new capital, Cairo began taking its present form
- Later in 969 A.D, a new city known as Al-Qahira (meaning The Victoriou), north of Al-Fursat, was founded during the Tunisian Fatimid dynasty
- Since then, the city became known by the English name, Cairo (although locals refer to it as Misr)
- Although Cairo flourished in trade all through the 13th Century, she declined in mid-14th Century, after a bubonic plague epidemic befell the city
- From 1517 to 1798, Cairo was under the reign of the Ottomans (although, the Ottomans would rule Cairo again in 1801)
- In late 19th C, Cairo came under the rule of the British until 1918
- After the second World War, population in the city grew quickly while registering a significant increase in economic and infrastructural development
Cairo has witnessed several catastrophes, including the 1952 Cairo Fire/ Black Saturday and an earthquake in 1992.
- The city’s Tahrir Square was the center stage of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
- Out of Cairo, satellite cities have emerged to accommodate city’s surplus growth, including 6th of October City, and New Cairo
Demographics of Cairo
With a metropolitan area ranked 16th largest globally, Cairo rests on 453 square kilometers and is the world’s 10th largest urban area.
Modern influences are increasingly evident in the city as the landscapes take on new skyscrapers, shopping malls and fast food cafes.
- Population: 12.5 - 18 million people (est)
- Economy: ranked 1st in the Arab world and 43rd worldwide
- Languages: other than Egyptian Arabic, English and other foreign languages are used
- Religion/Ethnicity: most city dwellers are Sunni Muslims, evidenced by the growing number of mosques
- City dwellers in Cairo are known as Cairenes
Property demographics in Cairo
Terms such as hyper-urbanization have been used to describe Cairo’s rapid growth – in such a sharp contrast to the slow progress in implementation and delivery of infrastructure and city services (such as sewer services and electricity).
- Cairo has witnessed rapid construction where 1 structure in every 5 is not older than 15 yrs
- By early 1970s, the landscape of Cairo began changing as new commercial, residential and state buildings were built
- Presently, Cairo has the most lucrative buy-to-let property investment opportunities in the country
- New satellite cities around Cairo, such as 6th October City, are generating handsome rental yields, which has sparked global interest
- Demand for housing surpasses supply in Cairo resulting in a growing housing gap
- This has pushed many to construct homes illegally on public or privately owned property, resulting in increased informal settlements
- 70% of Cairo’s residents live in informal settlements with informal settlements mushrooming at a rate of more than 3% each year
There is a dire need for affordable housing in Cairo to accommodate the large population
Weather in Cairo
Cairo experiences a hot desert climate with high humidity owing to effects of Nile River valley.
- Cairo experiences regular wind storms that covers the city with Sahara dust (March & April)
- Winter: high temperatures are between 190 C - 290C with lows of 110C-50C at night
- Summer: high temperature average 400C and can plummet to 200C
Cairo has sparse rainfall although sudden showers do occur and can cause harsh floods.
James
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G+ James Harrison - SU: JamesPropDom - Tw:PropertyFutures
- This was originally published as a PropDom article
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James is the founder of PropDom.com - a property information service with over 1,000 articles published and growing daily.
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