Cairo (ArB: القاهرة ), is the capital city of Egypt, and is the largest city in Africa,. and the Arab World. It is the largest metropolitan area in Egypt, and is one of the most populous in the world. Cairo has long been the center of the region's cultural and artistic life, and has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World, earning it the name of the "Hollywood of the East". While Al-Qahirah is the official name of the city in Arabic, Egyptians often refer to it simply as Masr (the Arabic name for Egypt itself). Cairo was founded by the Fatimid Caliphate, replacing Fustat as the seat of the government, and serving as the capital of Egypt ever since.

Cairo has a population of about 12 million people, according to the 2008 population census. The number of inhabitants was about a million higher at the time of the census, but this was adjusted downwards on the 17th of April 2008 when the new government of Helwan was created from parts of the old Cairo government. Cairo's metropolitan area has a population of about 17.8 million people. Cairo is the sixteenth most populous metropolitan area in the world. It is also the most populous metropolitan area in Africa.

Cairo has a mix of historical and modern cultural sights. This includes the Pyramids, the Hanging Church, Saladin's Citadel, the Virgin Mary's Tree, the Sphinx, and Heliopolis, Al-Azhar, the Mosque of Amr ibn al-A'as, Saqqara, the Cairo Tower, and the Old City. Cairo is nicknamed "The City of A Thousand Minarets".

Etymology

The name Al-Qahirah has been said to mean "the Subduer", and is often translated as "the Victorious". The origin of Al-Qahirah is said to come from the appearance of the planet Mars during the foundation of the City of Cairo. The planet Mars, which in Greek was called Ares, was associated with ruin or destruction and was called Al Najm Al Qahir in Arabic. Al Najm Al Qahir is transliterated as "the destroyer star 1". The legacy of the name evolved into “Qahirat Al Adaa” meaning “the subduer of the enemies”. This title was given to the city as many armies were destroyed in attempts to invade Cairo or defeated elsewhere by troops sent from the settlement.

The Arabic word "qa'id" means commander of the house or Kingdom. "Alqaida" means Foot or Rear End. The root of these words is seen in the Romanized Arabic word "qa'ad", which means to die, wander, or stand, which in Swahili is "kaa". This connection is questionable, however, because the Arabic roots 'qaf-alif-dal', meaning "to lead" (and from whence comes the word "qa'id", meaning "commander, and 'qaf-'ayin'-dal", meaning "to sit" (hence qa'ida - base) are not related, despite their similar appearance in English. "Qa" corresponds to the Latin word "cola" meaning seat 2 and cultivated land. The prefix of Cairo may also mean the landing or the quay, the small hill by the river, that serves as a wharf. In Swahili, "harabu" means to ruin or destroy, and the Persian word "CARR←O" means army or the camp of an army.