Cairo
Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in
the Middle-East and Africa. Its metropolitan area is the 16th largest in the
world. Located near the Nile Delta,it was founded in CE 969. Nicknamed
"the city of a thousand minarets for its preponderance of Islamic
architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural
life. Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th century CE, but the
land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose
remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo is also associated with
Ancient Egypt as it is close to the ancient cities of Memphis, Giza and Fustat
which are near the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza
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Alexandria
Alexandria is the second largest city
and the second largest metropolitan area in Egypt after Greater Cairo by size
and population, extending about 32 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
in the north central part of the country. It is also the largest city lying
directly on the Mediterranean coast. Alexandria is Egypt's largest seaport,
serving approximately 80% of Egypt's imports and exports. It is an important
industrial centre because of its natural gas and oil pipelines from Suez.
Alexandria is also an important tourist resort.
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