Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/13



AIRO, ki'io (from Ar. Masr el- (ffihira. the victorious capital). The capital of Egj-pt and the largest city of Africa. It is situ- ated near the riglit bank of the Kile, about nine miles above its bifurcation into the Rosetta and Damietta arms, 150 miles southeast of Alexandria and 80 miles west of Suez (Map: Egypt, E 2). It covers an area of 11 square miles divided into separate quarters named after the nationality of the in- habitants, and is surrounded by a low wall. Not- withstanding modern improvements, the .Vrabian quarters retain their Oriental character, the streets in that part of Cairo being narrow, eroolced, and but few of them paved. The houses arc mostly of stone, several stories high, and with window-lattices of wrought iron. The mod- ern portion of Cairo, called Ismailieh, is extend- ing westward. It is lighted by gas, has electric tramways, and is well laid out with broad ave- nues, fine squares, and a beautiful park on the Place Ezbekieh, occupying an area of over twenty acres and containing a number of gardens and amusement places. The Place Ezbekieh is the centre of modern Cairo, and around it are situated the principal theatres, hotels, and con sulates.

The chief beauty and interest of Cairo lie in its numerous mosques, of which some are re- garded as the best specimens of Arabic architec- ture. The Gami-ibn-Tulun, erected about 870. is the finest. It is square and surmounted by four minarets and a dome, and has a court with a fountain in the centre. The Gami .mra is the oldest in Eg>pt. hut only a small portion of it is left. The Gami Sultan Hassan was bejfun in l.S.5fi. and, in point of splendor, stands foremost among the mosques of Cairo. It is cruciform in tile interior, and contains a large number of pil- lars and beautiful hanging lamps. Its inner court has two fountains of singular beauty, and its dome is flanked by two minarets, the south- ern of which is said to be the highest in Egypt. Among other mosques may be nuMitioned that of Mehemet .Mi. a structure of consideral)li' archi- tectural merit, recently built after Turkish mod- els, with high minarets of alabaster. The niosqiie of Kait Bey dates from the Fifteenth C'entury. Cairo has a number of tombs of califs and Mamelukes, .some of which are of great size and finely built. The obelisks, once so numerous, have disappeared, and now adorn various Euro- pean and American cities. Among the palaces of Cairo is the vice-regal residence situated within the citadel ; the beautiful palace of Gcsireh in the northwestern part of the city, now converted into a hotel : and the palace of Addin in the centre of the city, frequently occupied by the Khedive. The bazaars of Cairo are extensive and well stocked, although inferior to those of Con- stantinople or Smyrna. The chief business street, Muski. has greatly decreased in importance. The citadel of Cairo is situated southeast of the city, and afl'ords a fine view : its strategical impor- tance is greatly detracted from by the fact that it is dominated by the .Jebel Jlokattam.

As an educational centre Cairo ranks high; its schools are attended by students from all parts of the Islamic world. Among its educa- tional institutions the El-Azhar stands foremost, both in size and importance. It is situated in an old mosque, and is surrounded by numerous smaller buildings, used for the accommodation of the 10.000 students, of whom about 2000 live in the college. Its history can be traced as far back as 975, and it is considered the oldest uni- versity in the world. It has faculties of theology and jurisprudence, and is maintained chiefly by endowments, no tuition fee being charged. The members of the teaching faculties receive no com- pensation and are compelled to earn their living by private tuition or clerical labor.

The other educational institutions include schools of art and medicine, a veterinary and a polytechnical school, besides numerous mission- ary and Arab schools. The vice-regal library contains about .50.000 volumes, including a num- ber of very rare copies of the Koran.

Cairo is the residence of the Khedive, and is the seat of administration of Egj'pt. It has also an international court and consular repre- sentatives from all important countries. The manufactures of Cairo include metal articles, textiles, essences of flowers, etc. There is rail- way communication with .Mexandria. Damietta, Suez. El-Merg, Heluan. and Upper Egypt. The population of Cairo and its suburbs was 570.0(i2 in 1807. consisting chiefly of Fellahin, Turks, Copts, and Arabs, together with Nubians, Berbers, Abyssinians, .Tews, and over 20,000 foreigners.