Cairo, known as Al Qāhirah in Arabic, which means 'the victorious', is the sprawling capital city of Egypt and one of the largest cities in Africa. It is located near the Nile Delta and has a history that dates back to the founding of a fortress there in the 10th century. However, the land on which Cairo is built has been home to human activity for thousands of years, much like the rest of Egypt, a country famed for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the nearby Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx which stand as a testament to the pharaohs of old. Cairo itself is often referred to as 'Maṣr' by its residents, the Arabic name for Egypt, which highlights the city's significance to the national identity of Egyptians. It is said that 'He who has not seen Cairo has not seen the world'. The city's rich tapestry is defined by various epochs, including Pharaonic, Roman, and Ottoman periods, through to the French expedition in Egypt under Napoleon and the subsequent British colonization, and the modern, post-independence era. The city's modern face reveals a chaotic blend of the old and the new, where ancient buildings sit next to modern high-rises, and streets are filled with vehicles and vendors of all sorts. Socially and culturally, Cairo is a hub for the region, renowned for its cultural institutions like the Egyptian Museum, which houses an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities, and Al-Azhar University, one of the oldest universities in the world and a center for Islamic scholarship. Arabic is the main language spoken in Cairo, specifically Egyptian Arabic, which is a dialect that has carried much influence through media and arts across the Arab world. The population of Cairo is predominantly Muslim, with a significant Christian minority, primarily Copts, who share a history in Egypt that predates the advent of Islam. Economically, Cairo has long stood as a center of trade and commerce, stemming from its strategic location connecting various trade routes. Today, the economy is diverse, with sectors including tourism, manufacturing, and a growing tech scene. Demographically, the city is a melting pot, with a burgeoning population approaching twenty million. The vast scale of Cairo's population growth presents significant challenges, notably in terms of infrastructure, pollution, and housing. Poverty is juxtaposed with wealth, where upscale neighborhoods contrast sharply with densely populated areas enduring economic hardships. One such renowned aspect of Cairo is its informal waste collection by the Zabbaleen, an example of how the city manages to function through an informal economy, recycling a majority of the waste the city produces, a testament to Cairo’s resourcefulness and resilience. Cairo continues to evolve, with initiatives aiming to ease congestion, improve public transportation, and expand urban developments to meet the needs of its ever-growing population. From the mesmerizing call to prayer that echoes through the city's skyline filled with minarets to the bustling Khan el-Khalili bazaar teeming with the essence of bygone empires, Cairo remains an unrelenting testament to human civilization's ability to continuously reinvent itself over time.