This Roman Catholic basilica's architecture is based on Istanbul's famous Aya Sofya; but on a more modest scale. Baron Empain is buried here.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14 MILES
The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids…
6.32 MILES
One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…
16.66 MILES
Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…
5.52 MILES
This museum, on the edge of Islamic Cairo, holds one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art and is Egypt's (and one of the entire Middle East's)…
4.98 MILES
Founded in AD 970 as the centrepiece of the newly created Fatimid city, Al Azhar is one of Cairo’s earlier mosques, and its sheikh is considered the…
5.05 MILES
Sharia Al Muizz, as it’s usually called, named after the Fatimid caliph who conquered Cairo in AD 969, was Cairo's grand thoroughfare, once chock-a-block…
8.27 MILES
This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…
16.31 MILES
The Mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. This grand and detailed private tomb is not only Old Kingdom art at its best but also one of…
Nearby Cairo attractions
0.47 MILES
Uruba Palace was once the grand Heliopolis Palace hotel, opened in 1910 and graced by the likes of King Albert I of Belgium. During the world wars the…
0.53 MILES
Baron Empain lived in a fantastical and highly eccentric Hindu temple–inspired mansion, with the facade bedecked with elephants and serpents…
1.91 MILES
Built with help from North Korean artists, the October War Panorama is a memorial to the 1973 ‘victory’ over Israel. A large 3D mural and diorama depicts…
4. Khanqah-Mausoleum of Farag Ibn Barquq
4.13 MILES
Built by a son of Sultan Barquq, whose great madrassa and mausoleum stand on Bein Al Qasreen, this tomb complex was completed in 1411 because Barquq…
5. Complex of Sultan Ashraf Barsbey
4.27 MILES
Enclosed by a stone wall midway between Barquq’s Mausoleum and the Mosque of Qaitbey is the funerary complex of Barsbey, who ruled from 1422 to 1438. Most…
4.51 MILES
Napoleon’s commanders took the liberty of naming the towers of Bab An Nasr (Gate of Victory) after themselves – and carved their names into it. The entire…
4.53 MILES
The rounded Bab Al Futah with its delicate carved stone arch and the square-towered Bab An Nasr were built in 1087 as the two main northern entrances to…
4.53 MILES
This Mamluk-era merchant's inn dates from 1481 and was undergoing a vast restoration project when we were last in town.