Ancient Cairo had human footprints as early as more than 5,000 years BC. In the 7th century, the arrival of the Arabs put an end to Babylonian rule, and they chose the east bank of the Nile River to establish the first Muslim capital, Fustat, which gave Cairo a richer and more diverse historical and cultural background.
It was only after the Fatimid invasion of Egypt in 969 AD that the geographical term Cairo first appeared. In 972 AD, Cairo replaced Baghdad as the center of the Muslim world, and has remained so ever since.
In the mid-to-late 19th century, Egypt was colonized by Western countries, and it was not until 1952, under the leadership of Nasser, that Egypt overthrew the Farouk dynasty, expelled foreign powers, and won national independence.
After independence, Egypt set its capital in Cairo, and the city began to rejuvenate, and the importance of its geographical location was further enhanced, becoming a famous international city and an important airport connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.
In the early 80s of the last century, the population of Cairo was only more than 8 million, and now it has exceeded the 23 million mark, and according to the size of the population, Cairo can enter the ranks of the top ten cities in the world.
Cairo's population is expected to grow further to 40 million by 2050, but Cairo is only 3,000 square kilometers in size, and its population density is comparable to that of Mumbai and New Delhi in India.
In the 80s of the last century, Cairo was one of the most developed cities in the Middle East and North Africa, and experienced rapid development for more than 30 years after the founding of the country.
The Nile River meanders through the middle of the river, the center of the river Zamalik Island, tree-lined, quiet and elegant, is famous for the high-end business district and embassy area, our embassy in Cairo is located in the northwest corner of the island, covering an area of 6136 square meters, beautiful environment, comfortable and pleasant.
The Cairo Tower, a landmark at both ends of Zamalik Island, is a noble totem of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, with a height of 187 meters, 10 million colorful tiles and a stunning lotus-shaped design.
Take the elevator to the top of the tower for a panoramic view of Cairo, even the pyramid that stands tall in the southwest skyline. However, the 2011 revolution in Egypt overthrew Mubarak's regime led to a deterioration in social security and economic stagnation in Cairo.
It wasn't until 2013 that calm returned to Cairo, businesses began to reopen, and life gradually returned to normal.
Cairo, as the capital of developing countries, is facing many challenges, among which housing difficulties and traffic congestion are the main ones. Over the past 30 years, Cairo's population has increased by 15 million people, including not only from the country but also from Palestinians, Iraq and Africa, putting a lot of pressure on Cairo's security.
Today, Cairo is home to a quarter of the country's population, but the number of houses is still severely inadequate, resulting in widespread slums, numbering more than a thousand, and many more people who are homeless and confined to cemeteries.
Cairo, Africa's largest city, is struggling with housing, but it's not far behind when it comes to transportation.
At present, although 3 subway lines have been opened, with a total mileage of less than 80 kilometers, the vehicles driving in the city are too free, drivers do not follow the traffic rules, and even when encountering traffic jams, there will be drivers who volunteer to make cameo appearances as temporary traffic police to help ease traffic.
This can be said to be one of the characteristics of Cairo. Overall, Cairo's level of urban infrastructure is roughly equivalent to that of China's strong third-tier cities, similar to Xuzhou, Luoyang, Wuhu and other places.
Cairo has many people, cars, and factories, and the air is not good, and the illegal discharge of factories has polluted the Nile, the mother river. In order to solve Cairo's economic problems and boost the economy, Egypt planned a new capital project in 2015: invest 45 billion US dollars to build a new city with a total area of 700 square kilometers and a population of more than 5 million in the desert area of eastern Cairo, featuring administration, finance, commerce and tourism.
The first phase of the new capital project has broken ground, and it is expected to complete the construction of roads, bridges, departmental office buildings and residential areas within 5 years. Once completed, the ** department will be the first to move in.
According to the data, Cairo's total GDP in 2019 has reached nearly 100 billion US dollars, or about 5,000 US dollars per capita, which is the largest economic power in Africa.
If you compare the size of China's cities, the new capital has an economy roughly the size of Tangshan in Hebei Province and Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province combined, but the combined population of these two cities is less than 15 million.
Egypt, an ancient civilization with 7,000 years of culture, is facing challenges today, but we are convinced that Cairo, with its rich history, will be reborn and more prosperous and beautiful in the near future!