Monday, January 31, 2011

Cairo Webcam River Nile, Tahrir Square, City Centre

Tahrir Square or Midan Tahrir, is a major public square in Downtown Cairo, Egypt. The square was originally called "Midan Ismailia", named after 19th century ruler Khedive Ismail, who commissioned the new downtown district's design.

This live webcam view is in the centre of Cairo, Egypt:

Cairo webcam

Cairo is also ranked as one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life. Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th Century, 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 due to its proximity to the ancient cities of Memphis, Giza and Fustat which are nearby to the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza.

The city's original name in Arabic is "Al-Qahira", which became "Cairo" after Europeans corrupted the name. Egyptians today often refer to Cairo as Maṣr, the Arabic pronunciation of the name for Egypt itself, emphasizing the city's continued role in Egyptian influence. 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 had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.