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Cairo · Darb el-Ahmar
Al-Azhar Park
Thirty hectares of green laid over five centuries of rubble, facing the Citadel.
4.6Ratingour own rating€ BudgetOur favourite
The site was a rubbish dump for five hundred years. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture turned it into a park, opened to the public in the mid-2000s, unearthing a long stretch of Ayyubid city wall that now edges the eastern walk. From the ridge, a clear view of the Citadel, Sultan Hassan mosque, and a sea of minarets.
The extra bit
The panoramic restaurant at the top is decent but pricey. The tea kiosk by the water costs a fraction, for exactly the same view.
Know before you go
Paid entry, lower resident rate. Packed with Cairene families on Friday afternoons; empty and beautiful on weekdays. Come 90 minutes before sunset.
