Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is located on the banks of the river Nile. The river has substantially influenced Cairo geography and its development and evolution as a city. Cairo falls in between the upper and the lower portion of the river Nile. Upper portion of the Nile extends from south of Cairo to the Sudanese border, the lower portion begins from the north of Cairo and comprises of the Nile Delta.
According to the geography of Cairo, the oldest part of the city lies on the east of the river Nile. Cairo has extended its way to the west encompassing the inundated fertile plains of the Nile. The layout of Cairo can be divided into Old Cairo and the New Cairo. The old Cairo is unplanned and haphazard. The roads and lanes in this part of the city are narrow with crowded settlement. The western portion is comparatively new and is known as New Cairo. The beautiful capital city was planned by Ismail the Magnificent in the mid 19th century. The city has been built on the model of
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Paris, characterized by wide roads and boulevards for pedestrians, open spaces and public gardens and parks. Architecture of the old and the modern Cairo also differs. The new Cairo has modern architecture and government building whereas, the old Cairo has relatively has numerous ancient mosques.
Extensive water systems of the river Nile has allowed the expansion of this city. Bridges across Nile interlink Cairo to the city suburbs of Giza and Imbahbah. Other bridges link Cairo to the islands of Gezira and Roda.
Plateaus and deserts also dominate the topography of Cairo. The ancient burial ground of Mamphis lies on the Giza plateau. The Pyramid of Giza is located here. The ancient cities of Memphis and Necropolis were the predecessors of Cairo.
Cairo geography is diverse and interesting. The river Nile and the Giza plateau are the most important physical features in Cairo topography.
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