City: Egypt
Top Things to do in Egypt
Top Hotels in Egypt
- 1. Kempinski Nile Hotel Garden City Cairo
- 2. Savoy Sharm El Sheikh
- 3. Royal Savoy - Sharm El Sheikh
- 4. Sunrise Arabian Beach Resort - Grand Select
- 5. Titanic Resort & Aqua Park
- 6. Al Masa Hotel
- 7. Baron Palace Sahl Hasheesh
- 8. Stella Di Mare Beach Hotel & Spa
- 9. Steigenberger Alcazar
- 10. Steigenberger ALDAU Beach Hotel
10 Sacred & Religious Sites in Egypt That You Shouldn't Miss
Coordinates: 26°N 30°E / 26°N 30°E / 26; 30
Restaurants in Egypt
1. St. Anthony's Monastery (Deir Mar Antonios)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
Founded in 356 AD, this is one of the oldest Egyptian monasteries that is a self-contained village with gardens, a mill, a bakery, five churches and a library containing more than 1,700 handwritten manuscripts.
Reviewed By Stevelino - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Gives wonderful insight into the monasteries and their importance and heritage, cannot get more Authentic, worth the hike up to the cave around which everything is built. Wonderful history, welcoming monks, excellent for religious items. Go the extra hog, visit, you will have a new perspective on the country open before your eyes.
2. Temple of Medinat Habu
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,169 reviews
This ancient complex is dominated by the massive memorial temple of Ramses III, similar to the mortuary temple of Ramses II at Ramesseum.
Reviewed By 780kicks
One of the Best Preserved Temples on the Westbank, Luxor Dedicated to Rameses III, Funeral Temple and Palace. 20th Dynasty ca.1260 BC.
3. The Red Monastery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By T5964ISmarkm
The plain exterior of this ancient monastery is in sharp contrast to the splendor of the artwork inside: the interior doorway is ornately carved, and the frescoes around the main altar are simply breathtaking. All artwork has been carefully restored, is well lit and accessible.
4. Cairo Citadel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,197 reviews
This massive stone fortress, built by Salah ad-Din in the 12th century, was crowned with the Mosque of Mohammed Ali 700 years later.
Reviewed By dr_j_now - Germantown, United States
This wasn't necessarily on our personal radar, but it was part of the group tour so obviously we came. It's worth seeing; it's an amazing old site overall and very impressive, especially considering when it was all built. If visiting the area, be sure to dress and act appropriately here especially, as the Mohammad Ali Mosque is one of the main buildings here and must be visited if you're here. Even though it's an impressive building, it is really a bummer that they used limestone from the Great Pyramids to construct it. From the courtyard we got lucky and it was apparently a "clear" day (still quite hazy) and we had a nice view of the city, including the Pyramids in the distance. Overall it was definitely worth a short stop.
5. Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 760 reviews
This church, originally built in the ancient fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo around 4th century AD, derives its name from its location suspended above two Roman gate towers.
Reviewed By 359_Severn
An ancient Coptic church built on the bastion and the Water Gate of a Roman fort. The building in its current form has been known approximately since the 7th century, the history dates back to the 4th century. It was rebuilt several times, recently restoration was carried out. Inside there is a carved wood and ivory iconostasis, a marble pulpit, old icons. Nice, quiet, peaceful. Древняя коптская церковь, построенная на бастионе и Водных воротах римского форта. Здание в нынешнем виде известно ориентировочно с 7 века, история восходит к 4 веку. Неоднократно перестраивалась, недавно была проведена реставрация. Внутри находится резной иконостас из дерева и слоновой кости, мраморная кафедра, старые иконы. Красиво, тихо, умиротворенно.
6. Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 429 reviews
Reviewed By kaziy - Dhaka City, Bangladesh
The Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan is a monumental mosque and madrassa Cairo, Egypt was built between 1356 and 1363 during the Bahri Mamluk period, commissioned by Sultan an-Nasir Hasan. The mosque was considered remarkable for its massive size and innovative architectural components, and is still considered one of the most impressive historic monuments in Cairo today. This mosque is stunning and impressive from outside and inside. The mosque occupies almost 8000 square meters and the building is about 500 meters long, 68 meters wide, and 36 meters high. The massive main doorway at the north corner is almost 26 meters high and the minaret at the south corner is the tallest in Cairo at 81.5 meters. The mosque is an active place of worship. At the time of visiting the mosque women need to cover their heads; arms and legs and all visitors will need to leave their shoes prior to entering the mosque.
7. Mosque of Ibn Tulun
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 387 reviews
This is considered one of Egypt's largest and oldest mosques, which was built between AD 876 and AD 879 by an Abbasid governor sent from Baghdad to rule over Egypt.
Reviewed By kaziy - Dhaka City, Bangladesh
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo, Egypt is the second oldest mosque in Egypt and Africa surviving in its full original form, and is the largest mosque in Cairo in terms of land area. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun was constructed by Ahmed Ibn Tulun between AD 876 and 879 and modeled on the Kaaba in Makkha (Saudi Arabia). Since Ibn Tulun is an open space, it brings in a lot of sun and shadows. Its decorations being created from carved stucco and wood. On the mosque's northern side is the 40-meter-high minaret with a fine horseshoe arch over the entrance and a spiral staircase swirling through the interior.The mosque is an active place of worship. At the time of visiting the mosque women need to cover their heads; arms and legs and all visitors will need to leave their shoes or have shoe covers put over shoes prior to entering the mosque.
8. Al-Azhar Mosque
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 359 reviews
The oldest university in the world is built around this ancient mosque, which has been the center of Islamic scholarship since 975 AD.
Reviewed By Visit100Countries - San Francisco, United States
It is worth a visit especially if you are familiar about how powerful this mosque and university in the islamic world. To date, students all over the world go there to learn a special branch of Islam. The school was very powerful up to recently and still has some weight in Egypt and beyond.
9. Church of St. Barbara
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Considered one of Egypt’s largest and most magnificent churches, this religious site features a domed asp with seven steps decorated in bands of black, white and red marble.
Reviewed By DEK_29 - Brisbane, Australia
The Church of St. Barbara is dedicated to an early Christian martyr who converted to Christianity against her father's wishes. Located in the Coptic area of Cairo which was once a part of Fustat (which was established before Cairo) and next door to Ben Ezra Synagogue. Beautifully decorated and with its icons in a great state, this church is well worthwhile entering and having a look as are all the church is this quarter.
10. St. Catherine's Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 536 reviews
This is the 6th century formidable fortification and still working Christian monastery. It has the second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts.
Reviewed By worldnomad_01 - Los Angeles, United States
The beautiful monastery was built in mid of the 6th century AD at the orders of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, it is one of the oldest, continuously operating Christian monasteries in the world, contains the oldest monastic library with many unique books, the oldest and most beautiful icons collection, some of which date back to the 5th century and it also contains the site where Moses is supposed to have seen "the burning bush". Fortress like, surrounded by massive fortifications, the monastery is located at the foot of Mount Sinai, at the mouth of a gorge and on a well maintained, two way street, left from the main road leading to the nearby, minuscule town of Saint Catherine. We spent a lot of time admiring the amazing icons collection and the beautiful silver gilded books donated by various Eastern European kings, went downstairs to see a small room containing skulls of hundreds of monks who met their Creator while serving the monastery, and then just spent some time walking on the monastery's narrow alleys. We twice went there at 5 pm, sat in a corner of the main church, and just listen to the sermon and the songs of the monks, in the dim lights and lightening of the evening, in the the smell of the candles and the incense and the awareness of the rich religious and historical significance of the place....
