Afrika in Focus: Tourism in Afrika - Cairo, the splendour and glory of an Afrikan colossus

Step into Cairo, a living museum where ancient wonders seamlessly blend with modern vibrancy. Many have misunderstood Egypt's true place in the world, but this megacity of 20 million stands firmly in Northeast Afrika—NOT the so called Middle East or "Arab world"—and carries the profound legacy of one of humanity's greatest civilizations, that IS the foundation of Western Civilization.

The crown jewel of any Cairo visit must be the Giza Pyramid Complex. These monumental structures WERE NOT built by Europeans or Arabs, but by Afrikan people nearly 3,000 years before Christ. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (called "Cheops" by the Greeks) stood as the world's tallest building until the 1950s, constructed with 2.3 million precisely-cut limestone blocks weighing between 2.5-15 tons each. Alongside stands the iconic Sphinx—known in its original African context as "Er-hem-eket" (meaning "Heru of the horizon")—  these monuments weren't simply architectural achievements but represented profound spiritual connections to the cosmos, demonstrating the ancient Egyptians' advanced understanding of mathematics, astronomy, and spirituality.

Beyond these architectural marvels, Cairo offers countless treasures: the Egyptian Museum with over 120,000 artifacts including Tutankhamun's golden mask; stunning mosques showcasing Islamic architectural brilliance; the bustling Khan Al Khalil Market with its maze of spice stores and craftwork; and delicious street food from koshari to shawarma. Take a sunset felucca ride on the Nile—the world's longest river—for breathtaking views of the city skyline.

The evidence for ancient Egypt's Afrikan identity is overwhelming—from temple depictions showing Egyptians with dark reddish-brown skin and African features to the very name "Kemet" meaning "land of the black." When you visit Cairo, you witness firsthand what Africans achieved over seven millennia ago that still stands today as testament to their genius. 

The 1974 UNESCO Cairo Symposium, where scholars like Cheikh Anta Diop and Theophile Obenga presented linguistic, genetic, and biological evidence, conclusively demonstrated the African origins of ancient Egyptian civilization. 

Whether you seek historical wonders, spiritual connections, culinary delights, or cultural immersion, Cairo offers an unparalleled window into Africa's magnificent heritage that will transform how you see the continent and human history itself.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Africa in Focus
• 1:22 Why You Must Visit Cairo
• 5:34 Cairo's Cultural Treasures
• 10:12 The Giza Pyramid Complex Explained
• 17:30 African Origins of Ancient Egypt
• 27:44 Episode Conclusion

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Good evening and welcome to this week's edition of Africa in Focus. Myself Kwame, ghanaian writer, broadcaster, journalist, podcaster and entrepreneur. And in this week's episode of Africa in Focus, we are continuing our series on tourism, looking at Cairo why you must visit Cairo in Egypt. All all right. So that's the theme for this week's show tourism in Africa why you must visit Cairo in Egypt. Before we start, if you like what you hear, please share to your friends, your family, social media networks. Subscribe to Ghana African folks on YouTube. Subscribe to Ghana African folks on on YouTube. Subscribe to Ghana African Focus on Spotify. Hit the follow bell on Spotify and meaning that Spotify will notify you every time we upload a new podcast, also on YouTube. If you hit the notification bell, every time we upload a new podcast on YouTube, youtube will notify you. So you want to get as many subscribers as you can. So please subscribe, tell your friends, tell your family, tell your social media networks Of Ghana African focus. All right, so let's get into this week's podcast, concluding our series, for now, of tourism in Africa, this week looking at the Egyptian capital, cairo. So we continue the North African theme. Over the last few weeks we've talked to you about Algiers and also Casablanca. We're now taking a look at Cairo. So Cairo is in Egypt, egypt is in Africa. So it's not in the Middle East, not in the so-called Arab world. These are just physical terms. 's not in the Middle East, not in the so-called Arab world. These are just physical terms. When they say the Middle East and they say the Arab world, these are physical terms and they're not geographic areas. And so Egypt is in Northeast Africa. Ok, so let's get it straight it's not in the Middle East and it's not in the Arab world. But Egypt is, has always been, been, will always be, in africa. And so look at it, said the capital, cairo, and cairo is obviously the capital of egypt. Huge, huge african mega city. I think it's about 20 million people live in cairo, makes it probably africa's most populousulous capital and obviously there's a lot to see and do in the Egyptian capital. So, like I said, egypt, or definitely Cairo, you must definitely, definitely want to visit Cairo. So we're going to tell you why you must visit Cairo, all right, so Cairo is not just a city. It's actually a living museum. Yeah, and we'll tell you why it's in the museum as the podcast evolves. It's also a cultural crossroads where the ancient wonders meet modern vibrancy. So just some of the things that you will see and do when you get to Cairo. So there's unrivaled historical treasures, such as the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, and we'll tell you more about that in a minute. You've also got the Egyptian museum in Cairo, home to over 120,000 artifacts, including the Golden Mask of Tutankhamun, who was a young pharaoh. Also, cairo itself has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, filled with stunning mosques and also medieval architecture. Aside from that, cairo is also filled with bustling bazaars and local life. So one of the ones you must visit is Old Cairo, where you can wander through narrow alleys steeped in centuries of history and culture, and also you can visit the Khan Al Khalil Market, which has a maze of spice stores, lanterns and handcrafted souvenirs they can take back with you. Again, kairi is famous for its culinary delights, so if you're a foodie like myself, you want to try the Egyptian cuisine. So Koshari, falafel and Shawarmaarma are great, great street food vendors that I would definitely recommend that you try when you're in cairo. And also there's a great cozy cafe culture as well within cairo, where you can get some you know mint tea or mint coffee, you know, alongside a nice pastry to go with it. Oh so, also, one of the great things about visiting Cairo is you. You can take a trip of the Nile River. Now, the Nile River is the longest river in the world it's by more than four thousand miles yeah, so you can take a flutist ride, uh, at sunset. At sunset, for a peaceful view of Cairo's fantastic skyline, going down the majestic and the most famous river in the world, the Nile River. You can also enjoy dinner cruises with live music and dancing. So, aside from the architecture and the Islamic influence, as well as the great pyramids and sphinxes, cairo is also renowned for its vibrant nightlife and culture. So, you know, cairo has an abundance of rooftop bars to traditional music venues, and you know it is definitely something that you want to experience because carid, like many other african mega cities, it comes alive after dark. You can also attend the carid jazz festival or explore local art galleries. So, those of you who are into spirituality in your architecture, you can visit the mosque of Muhammad Ali, the hanging church and the citadel of the Saladin. You can also experience the harmony of Islamic, christian and Jewish heritage in this great city of Cairo. Now, believe it or not. Cairo is pretty affordable when you compare it with Algiers, in Algeria, casablanca, in Morocco or even Tunisia. Cairo is pretty affordable and offers great value for travellers with budget-friendly food, lodging and attractions and, like many African countries, the locals are known for their warmth and hospitality. So some of Cairo's most seized local sights include or before we get there. Cairo is a treasure chest of history, where every call and whispers tells of ancient empires, religious evolution and architectural brilliance. So we're going to tell you some of the things that you need to see when you get to Cairo. On top of your list should be the Giza Pyramid complex, which we'll come on to later, and also the Khufu ship museum. So the Khufu was a king or pharaoh in ancient Egypt and the Great Pyramid was actually named after him, king Khufu. So his museum houses a reconstructed solar boat buried near the Great Pyramid, believed to be the transport the pharaoh to the afterlife. Again, like I said, you can go to the mosque of Muhammad Ali, which is a stunning Ottoman style mosque inside the Cairo citadel, known for its alabaster walls and panoramic views of Cairo. You can also go to the mosque of Ibn Tulim, which is one of the oldest mosques in Africa, famous for its spiral minaret and vast courtyard. Also, the mosque madrasa of Sultan Hassan is a masterpiece of Mamluk architecture, with towering minarets and dramatic interiors. Again, you know, Cairo was also some of the earliest Christians, and so you can see the famous hanging church, which is suspended over or above, rather, the Roman Gate Towers and some of the oldest churches in Egypt, in fact the world. You can also go to a church of St Sergius and Bacchus, which is said to be built on the spot where the Holy Family rested during their flight to Egypt. You can also visit the Ben Ezra synagogue, which is a historic Jewish temple with roots tracing back to the 8th century. Alright, so, apart from these historical sites, there's also a lot of museums and palaces, some of which include the Gaya Anderson Museum, which is a beautifully preserved 17th century home filled with Islamic art and antique furnishings. You can also go to the Manaya Palace Museum, which is a fusion of African, islamic, persian and European styles, built by Prince Muhammad Ali. So that kind of shows you the influence of the various cultures that have been needed, so, from the indigenous African culture through to the invasions by the Islamics, the Persians and those that are delighted by Europeans. So now we say that, basically, one of the most compelling things, yeah, why you should go to Cairo, yeah, the most one the compelling thing as to why you must visit Cairo, yeah, is that you need to go to the Giza pyramid complex, yeah, which is which illustrates Egypt's timeless wonder. So, contrary to what people have been taught and believed, these pyramids were not built by Europeans, were not built by Arabs, but were built by African people, and we'll give you the evidence for that in a minute. So the Giza Pyramid Complex here is actually located on the edge of the Western Desert, just outside Cairo. It's about a couple of hours drive from Cairo and it's definitely a wealth worth visit. So the Giza Pyramid Complex is one of the most iconic and awe inspiring archaeology sites in the world. So this site of this complex, rather, was built during Egypt's fourth dynastic period of the Old Kingdom, that's roughly between 2600 and 2500 BCE, so that's nearly 3000 years before Christ. So many Christians in particular come and say you know, there was nothing before Christ, christ, christ, the Bible, the Bible, the Bible. But no Africans were building these iconic architecture near 3000 years before Christ was born. Yeah, so this is why you must go to the must go to the Giza Pyramid Complex to view this great thing and also this UNESCO World Heritage Site is basically the last living wonder of the ancient world. Yeah, so the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx but I'll give you the African names because those are the pyramids and also the Sphinx, but I'll give you the African names because those are the pyramids and also the Sphinx are not African names, but they are Greek names. Yeah, thinking that you don't believe, because they've got these names, that Africans actually built these things. But I'll give you the African name in a minute. But when you get to this site, which is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, that you will see an awe of this magnificent feat of ancient engineering, religious beliefs and royal ambition that has never been surpassed in human history, not even the American skyscrapers or what have you have surpassed this ancient engineering feat? Yeah, that was built by black people People are called black today, but by African people. Okay, so when you go to the so-called Giza Pyramids Complex, you will see the main structures, like the pyramid, the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, who was called by the Greeks. He was called Shops by the Greeks, but his African name is Khufu. And when we're on that. Yeah, the name, the African name for Giza is Khem C-H-E-M Khem. Yeah, and the African name for Pyramid is actually Herakuti. Yeah, and the African name for the Sphinx is Erhemeket. That's the African name for the Sphinx. The Sphinx is a Greek name. Yeah, so the Sphinx will not be by Greeks, but will be by Africans, and we give the name Erhemeket, which basically means Heru of the horizon. Yeah, so when you go to this uh, let's call it now the Kem Pyramid or the Kem Herukuti Complex, yeah, as opposed to the Giza pyramid complex, because Giza and pyramid are an aberration, so it's called the Khem Herakluti complex you will see the pyramid, the great pyramid of Khufu, who was one of the parents of Egypt, or you know, the ancient Egypt, and we're talking about ancient Egypt, right, we're talking about at least the first dynasty, all the way to the 18th dynasty, when Egypt was black, yeah, and African this is before evidences by the Assyrians, by the Greeks, by the Romans and by the Europeans that turned Egypt from black to white, particularly between the 19th and 20th century and dynasties. But all you're going to see when you go to the Kem Herakluti complex, what you will see is what we Africans built. Yeah. So the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, who was Khufu's son, yeah, and also the Great Pyramid of Menkaure, who was Khau's son, yeah, and also the great pyramid of Menkaure, who was Khafre's son, or Khufu's grandson, yeah, so the great pyramid of Khufu was the largest, is the largest pyramid, yeah, in Egypt, and the oldest of the seven wonders in the ancient world. Now, this, this, this pyramid, or this Herakluti of Khufu, was the largest building in the world up until the 1950s, when the Europeans, or when the European Americans built the Sears Tower, I think, in Chicago or somewhere like that. So the Great Pyramid of Khufu stood at a whopping 481 feet high, yeah, and then, when you look at the other uh Heraklites, the Heraklites of uh Khafre, was 471 feet, yeah, and the pyramid of Menkaure is a smaller one of 218 feet. Now again, these um Herakutis, or circle pyramids, they were built with limestone, yeah, and over 2.3 Million blocks Were used for the great pyramid alone, yeah, the great Herakuti alone, of Khufu, and each of those stones or lime blocks Weighed an average Of between 2.5 To 15 tons, yeah, and each of them were cut finely, yeah, and, in actual fact, the great pyramid of of of, yeah, of 2.3, of 3 million limestone blocks, has more bricks in it than all the churches built in England up until the Middle Ages. That's how great that feat of African engineering was. African architecture was that? 2.3 million limestone blocks? That was used to build, yeah, the great Herakuti of Harau. Yeah, so great Herakluti of Harao, kufu, yeah, so you can get to the like I said. Let me finish with the circle of sphinx. Again, the sphinx is a Greek name. As I mentioned, we, as Africans, we called it. It was called the Air Hemeketet, which is a who of the horizon. Yeah, now, now, this, uh, this structure is a colossal limestone statue that has the body of a lion and the head of the of of Pharaoh, yeah, so what that Ehum Aket, so-called Sphinx, what it symbolises is strength and wisdom and it served as the guardian of the necropolises. Yeah, so that is the symbolism of what that Ehum Aket actually-K-E-T. Actually means. Circus Sphinx yeah, showing you the marvel and the genius of African ingenuity, african architecture, african spirituality and African prowess. Yeah, prowess, yeah, but the cornerstone of this great Kem Heraklita complex was the spirituality. Yeah, because the ancient Egyptians had a profound spiritual depthness that enabled them to be in line, in tune with the Most High and the stars and the galaxy, and were able to use the stars, the galaxy and the spiritual concept, in addition to complex mathematical uh calculations, to construct the pyramids or the heraklites. So this is not just like something that came out of osmosis. No, this was a calculated, deliberate complex that was built because Africans at the time were in tune with spirituality, in tune with astrology, were in tune with spirituality, in tune with astrology and in tune with the divine wisdom and being that was given to them by the Most High. And so it is very, very important that you go to this Herakluti Kem Complex and see for yourself what we Africans did more than 5000 years ago. That still stands today, in 2025, as a testament to the genius of the African people. And, like I said before, ancient Egyptian is an African civilization, not an Arab civilization, not a European civilization, yeah. So when you go to the complex, all features of this complex include mortuary temples, yeah, where rituals were performed for kings or pharaohs that had died. You also see causeways, which are long stone paths connecting temples to the pyramids. You also see the Queen's Pyramids or the Queen's Heraclitus, which, by nature, were smaller as compared to the King, or the Pharaoh's Heraclitus or pyramids, but these smaller pyramids were built for royal consorts. Yeah, you also see solar, solar boat pits. So Africans are talking about solar energy. Thousands of years ago, yeah, and these boats were powered using solar technology. And this is five thousand years ago. More than five thousand years ago, yeah, and these boats were believed to have transported the fellow soul in the afterlife. Again, the complex, you will see workers village, which you see remains of the community that built the pyramids, offering an insight into the great organisation of labour at the time. So, to get to this fantastic complex, which is 13km south-west of central Cairo, you can get there by taxi, you can take a tour bus or metro or a short hop and a short ride. So we're gonna go slightly deep into the African identity of Ancient Egypt, because you know you watch many films about Ancient Egypt. Right, they didn't pick any Africans, unless they are slaves, yeah, so Hollywood and the Arab community like to depict to the world that ancient Egyptian is that either European or Arab, which is far, far far from the truth. So when you go to, when you go to Cairo, and particularly go to the complex, yeah, the the Kem Heraklite complex, so-called Giza pyramid complex. Right, you will, you would see for yourself. Yeah, there is strong historical evidence that supports the view that ancient Egypt was an African civilization that was deeply rooted in the continent's cultural and ethnic diversity. So, proof number one you got visual depictions in the temples and tombs. So, in the temple of Seti I, yeah, this ancient text illustrates, you know, the four ethnic groups at the time Egyptians, nubians, asiatics and Libyans. Yeah, so Egyptians are depicted With dark, reddish brown skin. That basically means that's basically black, dark, reddish brown skin. Yeah, and obviously the Nubians, yeah, who live to the south of Cairo. You probably see them in Cairo as well, but there's some in Cairo, but the majority of the of the Nubians actually live in places like Aswan, which are further south. You know of Egypt, basically, you know, not far from Sudan, yeah, and they're they're black, like Ghanaian, nigerian, gambian, etc. Yeah, again, you know, the temple of temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel features Africans, yeah, showing the close cultural and political ties between Egypt at the time and so-called Sub-Saharan Africa. Yeah, again, the artwork in the tomb of Horsnip and other nobles shows Egyptians with African facial features. Yeah, not with Arab facial features, not with European facial features, but with African facial features, ie broad nose, full lips and tightly cared hair, just like mine. So that's the. In the visual depiction In the temples and tombs, we can get to the complex that will show you the evidence that ancient Egyptians Were Africans and that the ancient Egyptian civilization culture that is world famous, was actually an African civilization, not a European or an Arab civilization. In 1974, where great scholars came to discuss the so-called ethnic origin of the ancient Egyptians, and one of our greatest African scholars, the great Sheikh Anta Diop of Senegal. He, along with Theobald Obenga, they brought linguistic, they brought genetic material. They brought linguistic, they brought genetic material, they brought DNA and they also brought biological evidence to prove, beyond all that and recognition, that the ancient Egyptians were Africans. And even though the European and Arab wants to rubbish this, it's there for the archives, you can just google it. Google the 1974 UNESCO Cairo symposium yeah, that proved, after all, that the ancient Egyptians were Africans, right. And if you look at even where Egypt is, egypt, like I said, is in northeast Africa, yeah, and had a long-standing interaction with Nubia, which is modern day Sudan, and other African civilizations, reinforced its African identity and even the kingdom of Kush, right, which is a powerful Nubian state and Kush is where India comes from, the Kushite Empire. Yeah, the Kushites, they went to India to start the first civilization, so the Nubian state. They even ruled Egypt during the 25th dynasty and known as the so-called Black Pharaohs. So, like I mentioned, when you go to Cairo, particularly, you need to go to this great so-called Giza pyramid complex to see for yourself, yeah, the African origin of this great African civilization that they call Egypt. But it wasn't called Egypt back in the day. It was called Kemet, which means land of the black. So this is why, whether you're African, whether you're Indian, pakistani, whether you're Arab, whether you're white European, this is why you must go to Cairo to see for yourself the African origin of this great city and great civilization. Alright, that brings this episode of African Focus to an end. Looking at tourism. On the content, specifically Cairo in Egypt, if you like what you hear, please share to your friends, family, social media networks and subscribe to Ghana African Focus on YouTube and on Spotify. And so next week we're going to start relationships. Look at relationships in Ghana or broadly speaking. And so next week we're going to start looking at relationships in Ghana or broadly speaking. So until next week from myself, kwame, and from all the crew here on Advocate In Focus. It's thank you very much for listening and we'll see you next week for some more Ghana In Focus.