Global Treasures: Cairo

Television Director: Ullman, Frank

Producer: Scarson, Peter O.

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Catalogue Number: GTR-DVD-1089

UPC: 879061006883

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Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Cairo is a cultural melting pot, and with a population of 16 million, it is the largest metropolis on the African continent. The Egyptian people refer to their capital city as Um Al Dunya, "Mother of the World."

The history of the Sankt Sergius Church dates back to Abu Serga in the 5th century AD. Legend has it that it was built on the site where the Holy Family once sought refuge. Thus, the richly-decorated church is a popular Christian place of pilgrimage and is situated in Fustat, in the middle of Coptic, the oldest district in Cairo.

The spacious Mamelucks Necropolis is unique within the Islamic world. Here, instead of conventional graves, entire houses were built for the dead. Within the necropolis, the mosques and mausoleums of the Mameluck sovereigns are particularly interesting.

Built in 1900, each day the Egypt Museum attracts thousands of visitors who come to experience for themselves the legendary treasures of ancient history that comprise more than 120,000 different objects from 4,500 years of Egyptian history, including the unique Tut-Ench-Amun exhibition.

Cairo really does strive to do justice to its name, Mother of the World. After all, it was this city that united the glory of the Pharaohs with the early Christian and Islamic worlds.