Cairo is the capital of Egypt, and the largest city in Africa, and the Arab World. Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life. Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to t he Great Sphinx and the pyramids in adjacent Giza.

Over the ages, and as far back as four thousand years, Egypt stood as the land where civilizations have always met. The cultural mix in this country is natural, given its heritage.

Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World, as well as the world's second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, and the Arab League has been based in Cairo for most of its existence.

Egypt's love of the arts in general can be traced back to the rich heritage left by the Pharaohs. In modern times, Egypt has enjoyed a strong cinematic tradition since the art of filmmaking was first developed, early in the 20th century. A natural progression from the active theatre scene of the time, cinema rapidly evolved into a vast motion picture industry. This together with the much older music tradition, raised Egypt to become Hollywood Middle East and the cultural capital of the Arab world.

Cairo is the Middle East's city that never sleeps. Some sections of the city are attractions in themselves. The narrow streets of Old Cairo, the Coptic quarter and Islamic Cairo are like museums of historical buildings, mosques, and the citadel. Meanwhile, the Khan al-Khalili, the city's main market, is the place to go to watch the Cairenese about their daily lives, buy some souvenirs, and enjoy a cup of tea or a hookah also known as shisha.

The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, at the heart of the city, near the Central Square, has some of the most exquisite artifacts of antiquity. Another area worth exploring is the Nile island of Gezira, famed for its opera house and art museums, and for a fashionable area of bars and restaurants known as Zamalek.