Northern Cemetery

Northern Cemetery

The Northern Cemetery is the most interesting part of the huge City of the Dead. The name City of the Dead is apt as the cemeteries are not just for Cairo’s dead but also for many of the living. Visitors expecting squalor will be surprised to find a lively area with power lines, a post office and multistory buildings – it’s more like a town than a slum And if you interested to visit much more places in Cairo Cairo Day Tours have many trips you can choose from 

Population Estimates and Community Life

The living population in the Northern Cemetery is estimated to be between 50,000 to 500,000. As Max Rodenbeck notes in Cairo: The City Victorious many of the tomb dwellers, especially the paid guardians and their families, have lived here for generations. Others have moved in more recently to escape bleak low income suburbs. Fridays and public holidays are the best time to visit as the locals come to picnic and pay respects to the dead. Remember this is a private residential area and a very low income one so dress modestly and don’t flaunt valuable jewelry or gadgets , Egypt has many good places Egypt Tours

Historical Significance

The cemetery was attractive to Mamluk sultans and emirs because it offered the kind of space to build that was not available in the crowded city. The grand mausoleums they built were not just tombs but also social gathering places, continuing the Pharaonic tradition of picnicking among the graves. Even the simplest family tombs had a room for overnight guests. This coexistence between the living and the dead goes back to the 14th century. In some tomb-houses cenotaphs serve as tables and laundry is hung between headstones.you can in your holiday Egypt Holiday Packages offer you many trip to choose from also Egypt has so many landmarks to visit and so many activities to do Things To Do In Egypt has many trips to choose from and if you want to travel in privaye trip Egypt PrivateTours

How to Get There

The easiest way to get to the Northern Cemetery is to head east from Midan Al Hussein along Sharia Al Azhar. As you get to the top of the hill turn right, walk under the overpass and continue straight along the road between the tombs. Turn left and then right. You will pass the crumbling domed Tomb of Emir Tashtimur on your left. About 150 meters further a narrow lane goes left under a stone archway. This is the gate to the former compound of Qaitbey where his beautiful mosque is straight ahead, and if you need trip competent with your Budget Egypy Budget Tours give you variety of trips to choose from you can aslo can come with your family Egypt Family Tours give you many recommendations to choose from