Difference between revisions of "Cairo"
m |
|||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
The Metro is unusual in it's administration, in that it is not run by the city government transport authority. As it crosses governate and city borders, it is actually administered by Egypt National Railways, although it's ticketing and branding are entirely separate. The Metro has a heavily subsidised flat fare of LE1 for every journey, which, again unusually, is purchased from a manned ticket office, although the ticket checking system is enforced by fully electronic ticket gate systems. Furthermore, some carriages (originally 1, now often 2) are reserved solely for women. Signs on the platform indicate where women only carriage stop, and on the cars, signs on the exterior above the doors indicate that it is a women only carriage. | The Metro is unusual in it's administration, in that it is not run by the city government transport authority. As it crosses governate and city borders, it is actually administered by Egypt National Railways, although it's ticketing and branding are entirely separate. The Metro has a heavily subsidised flat fare of LE1 for every journey, which, again unusually, is purchased from a manned ticket office, although the ticket checking system is enforced by fully electronic ticket gate systems. Furthermore, some carriages (originally 1, now often 2) are reserved solely for women. Signs on the platform indicate where women only carriage stop, and on the cars, signs on the exterior above the doors indicate that it is a women only carriage. | ||
| − | Routes: | + | Routes:<br> |
| − | Line 1: El Marg to Helwan, RED on maps. | + | Line 1: El Marg to Helwan, RED on maps.<br> |
| − | Line 2: Shubra to El Monib, YELLOW/ORANGE on maps. | + | Line 2: Shubra to El Monib, YELLOW/ORANGE on maps.<br> |
| − | Line 3 (under const.): Airport to Mohandiseen (southern branch) and Embaba (northern branch), GREEN on maps. | + | Line 3 (under const.): Airport to Mohandiseen (southern branch) and Embaba (northern branch), GREEN on maps. <br> |
Metro stations can be identified by a red "M" in a black, eight pointed star. "Metro" is spelt above the "M" in small arabic script, in white cubic font. Major stations all have a distinctive decorative theme, unique to each station, often making use of modernist flavoured mosaics or tile work. The system is entirely bi-lingual in Arabic and English. | Metro stations can be identified by a red "M" in a black, eight pointed star. "Metro" is spelt above the "M" in small arabic script, in white cubic font. Major stations all have a distinctive decorative theme, unique to each station, often making use of modernist flavoured mosaics or tile work. The system is entirely bi-lingual in Arabic and English. | ||
| Line 49: | Line 49: | ||
Coptic Cairo is one of Cairo's oldest surviving quarters, dating to the Roman era, whose fortifications are still standing, and include much looted masonry from the Pharaonic cities of Memphis and Heliopolis, both nearby. Coptic Cairo is home to many famous churches such as the "Hanging Church", named for it's famous architecture. It is also home to the cathedral of St. Jospeh and the Coptic Museum, run by the Patriarchiate, and home to the largest museum collection of Coptic antiquities in the world. It was one of the first museums in Egpyt to make use of interactive media to present it's exhibits via the internet, and has an extensive online catalogue to aid those researching artefacts of the true religion. Coptic Cairo also has several monasteries, and many work with city youth and help the poor of the city, as well as being involved in small scale model enterprises. The area has seen much investment of late in being redeveloped to make it appealing to tourism and improve the quality of life for it's residence, and avoid the donut effect that has been feared with the move of major employers to the new satellite towns. | Coptic Cairo is one of Cairo's oldest surviving quarters, dating to the Roman era, whose fortifications are still standing, and include much looted masonry from the Pharaonic cities of Memphis and Heliopolis, both nearby. Coptic Cairo is home to many famous churches such as the "Hanging Church", named for it's famous architecture. It is also home to the cathedral of St. Jospeh and the Coptic Museum, run by the Patriarchiate, and home to the largest museum collection of Coptic antiquities in the world. It was one of the first museums in Egpyt to make use of interactive media to present it's exhibits via the internet, and has an extensive online catalogue to aid those researching artefacts of the true religion. Coptic Cairo also has several monasteries, and many work with city youth and help the poor of the city, as well as being involved in small scale model enterprises. The area has seen much investment of late in being redeveloped to make it appealing to tourism and improve the quality of life for it's residence, and avoid the donut effect that has been feared with the move of major employers to the new satellite towns. | ||
| − | + | ===Gezira Island=== | |
| + | Gezira Island is one of the most exclusive districts, and is home to many foreign embassies, the rich, and much of the cities green space. It is also home to Cairo's moodern landmarks, the [[Cairo Opera House]], and Cairo Tower, which is taller than the Great Pyramid. | ||
[[Category:Egypt]] | [[Category:Egypt]] | ||
Revision as of 14:28, February 17, 2010
Cairo is the capital of Egypt and is home to 16 million people.[1] It sits in the upper part of Egypt on the bank of the Nile River. The city, is still growing, though more slowly than in the past, as Egypt's population growth slows, and the movement of major employers, including many government institutions, to satellite cities such as 6th October, Giza and Helwan.
Technically, Cairo only refers to the city on the east bank of the Nile, the west bank being Giza, which is administratively separate. The city is part of a large built up area that covers four governates and several cities.
Contents
Transport
Railway
The main railway station of the conurbation is Rameses station in the Downtown district on the east bank of the river. It is Egypt's busiest railway interchange and the primary transport interchange for the Cairo region, being a hub for intercity, commuter and regional rail, local and regional bus services, the Heliopolis tram, and Metro lines 1 and 2. It is also the terminus for the Turbini high speed rail service to Alexandria.
Cairo has several other important rail stations, including Giza Station on the west bank, which acts a terminus for sleeper trains and some regional services, as well a s major stop for inter-city services heading to Middle and Upper Egypt. Ain Shams station in northern Cairo handles all services using the Suez line. Both these stations are also served by the Metro.
Tram
Cairo used to have an extensive tram network, but much of it has been lifted in recent decades and now only two systems run, both serving the north of the city. The Heliopolis tram dates to 1906 (the oldest on the continent), and was one of the first electric tram systems in the world. Sadly, the system is now run down, as development of the Metro has been deemed a better solution to the city's transportation issues. However, many people like the tram for it's relaxed ride and airiness, despite it's slow pace, and until Line 3 reaches Heliopolis, the tram is still the subrubs only rail based transport option. The system is a hybrid of street running and segregated. From it's downtown terminus at Ramesses it runs on it's own dedicated alignment, parelell to Metro Line 1, before parting with the Metro and entering Heliopolis suburb, where it split into three branches, all running on street. The entire system uses 1000mm gauge, the only system in Egypt to do so. Like the Metro, it takes power from overhead wires.
Metro
Slated a model system, the Metro is a source of great pride to many Egyptians. The only system of it's kind on the continent and the entire Middle East, the Metro is clean, organised and efficient. It has 53 stations and carries over 700 million passengers a year. Two lines have been built so far, with Line 3 (with two branches and an airport link) currently under construction, and several more in planning. The Metro includes the only tunnel crossing the Nile at any point, on Line 2.
The Metro is unusual in it's administration, in that it is not run by the city government transport authority. As it crosses governate and city borders, it is actually administered by Egypt National Railways, although it's ticketing and branding are entirely separate. The Metro has a heavily subsidised flat fare of LE1 for every journey, which, again unusually, is purchased from a manned ticket office, although the ticket checking system is enforced by fully electronic ticket gate systems. Furthermore, some carriages (originally 1, now often 2) are reserved solely for women. Signs on the platform indicate where women only carriage stop, and on the cars, signs on the exterior above the doors indicate that it is a women only carriage.
Routes:
Line 1: El Marg to Helwan, RED on maps.
Line 2: Shubra to El Monib, YELLOW/ORANGE on maps.
Line 3 (under const.): Airport to Mohandiseen (southern branch) and Embaba (northern branch), GREEN on maps.
Metro stations can be identified by a red "M" in a black, eight pointed star. "Metro" is spelt above the "M" in small arabic script, in white cubic font. Major stations all have a distinctive decorative theme, unique to each station, often making use of modernist flavoured mosaics or tile work. The system is entirely bi-lingual in Arabic and English.
Buses
Cairo and it's conurbation have a number of overlapping bus systems. The municipal authority has the most extensive network, branded "CTA". These buses are large single deckers with white colour scheme with the CTA logo displayed in black down the flanks. They operate on fixed routes, indicated by a three digit number. Most services run every few minutes, and some run 24 hours a day. Fares are 50pt for standard buses and LE2 for air conditioned services, where standing is not permitted, ensuring a more comfortable, less cramped journey. Bus services are always slower than the metro, due to the heavy congestion on many routes.
Private microbuses also operate and to some degree overlap with other services. Some of these also run 24 hours and can be quicker as they have much shorter loading and unloading times, as they carry few passengers.
Major stops, and all stops on certain key roads (such as Sh. Al Ahram) have modern shelters, with clearly printed route maps and tables, though unlike the Metro none of these, nor bus numbers, are bi-lingual.
Airport
Cairo International Airport is a major global hub, and the 2nd busiest airport on the continent. It has three terminals, including the brand new Terminal 3 for EgyptAir flights, and will be connected to Metro Line 3 in future, ending the long road journey to Downtown that plagues travellers. In the meantime the 6th October expressway tunnels have reduced this already, to some extent.
Cairo is EgyptAir's main hub for both domestic and international flights, with Alexandria being the secondary hub, operations at the latter being split between two airports. It is possible to fly direct to Cairo from almost all European and Middle Eastern capitals, to several cities in the Americas (mostly on the eastern coastline), and to southern and eastern Asia, where routes are improving. Connections to sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and Central Asia are less well developed.
Domestically, EgyptAir offers very good service, with near hourly "shuttle" connections to most key cities using a fleet of brand new Embraer E170 jets. The carrier is the "flag carrier" of Egypt, and like the Metro, is a source of considerable national pride as an internationally well respected airline.
Culture
Pyramids
Giza is home to the Pyramids, the only remaining wonder of the world, built around 2500BC to glorify the Pharaohs. Millions of visitors come to visit them, and wonder at their construction. With these is the Solar Boat of Khufu, excavated from beside the Great Pyramid and found in almost perfect condition, disassembled. It has been assembled and now has its own dedicated museum on top of the original spot of its discovery.
Egyptian Museum
Downtown Cairo houses the world famous Egyptian Museum, which has the largest collection of Pharaonic artefacts in the world, including the famous treasure of Tutankhamun. One of the first curators of the museum, and the Egyptian Antiquities Organisation is buried in it's grounds, which also house a pond planted with the now endangered Nile Lotus flower. The museum is one of the oldest in Africa, and was founded in the 1850's, though at a different location to it's current home, which dates to the early 20th century, and was purpose built, though long ago exceeded it's intended storage and display capacity.
Coptic Cairo
Coptic Cairo is one of Cairo's oldest surviving quarters, dating to the Roman era, whose fortifications are still standing, and include much looted masonry from the Pharaonic cities of Memphis and Heliopolis, both nearby. Coptic Cairo is home to many famous churches such as the "Hanging Church", named for it's famous architecture. It is also home to the cathedral of St. Jospeh and the Coptic Museum, run by the Patriarchiate, and home to the largest museum collection of Coptic antiquities in the world. It was one of the first museums in Egpyt to make use of interactive media to present it's exhibits via the internet, and has an extensive online catalogue to aid those researching artefacts of the true religion. Coptic Cairo also has several monasteries, and many work with city youth and help the poor of the city, as well as being involved in small scale model enterprises. The area has seen much investment of late in being redeveloped to make it appealing to tourism and improve the quality of life for it's residence, and avoid the donut effect that has been feared with the move of major employers to the new satellite towns.
