القاهرة
Il-Qāhira
Cairo (capital of Egypt)
Usage
Egypt's capital; this is the spelling on signs and tickets. In everyday speech Cairenes often call the city مصر (Maṣr), the same word as the country's name.
Grammar Note
A feminine noun with the article il-, from the root q-h-r "to conquer". In this name the ق is read as q, as in the written form, rather than the usual Cairene glottal stop.
الإسكندرية
Il-Iskindiriyya
Alexandria
Usage
Egypt's second city on the Mediterranean, named after Alexander the Great.
Grammar Note
Formed from al-Iskandar (Alexander) plus -iyya. Signs use the spelling ending in ة (الإسكندرية).
الجيزة
Il-Gīza
Giza (home of the pyramids)
Usage
City on the Nile's west bank where the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx stand. It is also a Cairo Metro line 2 station name.
Grammar Note
Cairene pronounces ج as g, hence Il-Gīza; the European spellings Giza/Gizeh reflect this pronunciation.
الأقصر
Il-Uqṣur
Luxor
Usage
Site of ancient Thebes and the base for Karnak and the Valley of the Kings; a main Nile cruise port.
Grammar Note
From al-quṣūr, the plural of qaṣr "palace/castle". The spelling Luxor appears on tickets and flight listings.
أسوان
Aswān
Aswan
Usage
Southern Nile city and the base for the High Dam, Philae and Nubian villages.
Grammar Note
A proper name with no inflection. The sign spelling (أسوان) writes the initial hamza.
شرم الشيخ
Sharm ish-Shēkh
Sharm El Sheikh
Usage
Red Sea resort at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, popular for diving and snorkelling. Also the name of its airport.
Grammar Note
شرم means "bay" and الشيخ "the sheikh/elder". The article il- assimilates to ish- before sh.
الغردقة
Il-Ghardaʾa
Hurghada
Usage
Large Red Sea resort and diving base with an international airport; spelled Hurghada in English.
Grammar Note
A proper name; the ق is a glottal stop [ʾ] in speech. English Hurghada is just another spelling of the same town.
دهب
Dahab
Dahab
Usage
Small town on Sinai's Gulf of Aqaba coast known for diving and windsurfing.
Grammar Note
دهب is also the colloquial word for "gold", written with د rather than the MSA ذ.
سيوة
Sīwa
Siwa Oasis
Usage
Western Desert oasis town with its own Siwi language and culture, known for salt lakes and the Temple of the Oracle. Desert trips need permits and licensed guides; check current advice.
Grammar Note
A proper name. The local language is Siwi (Berber), not Arabic.
الفيوم
Il-Fayyūm
Faiyum
Usage
Oasis governorate about 100 km south-west of Cairo with Lake Qarun, the Wadi El Rayan waterfalls and the pottery village of Tunis.
Grammar Note
A proper name with the article. The doubled -yy- is pronounced as a long consonant.
بورسعيد
Bōr Saʿīd
Port Said
Usage
Port at the Mediterranean entrance of the Suez Canal, where ships can be watched passing.
Grammar Note
بور is a loan from English port; the Cairene vowel is ō.
السويس
Is-Suwēs
Suez
Usage
Port city at the Red Sea end of the Suez Canal, within reach of Cairo.
Grammar Note
The article il- assimilates to is- before s.
مرسى علم
Marsa ʿAlam
Marsa Alam
Usage
Diving town on the southern Red Sea coast with an international airport and resorts around.
Grammar Note
مرسى means "anchorage" and starts many coastal names such as Marsa Matruh.
مرسى مطروح
Marsa Maṭrūḥ
Marsa Matruh
Usage
Mediterranean beach town, a popular summer holiday spot for Egyptians with white sand.
Grammar Note
Marsa + a place name; ṭ is the emphatic t.
العلمين
Il-ʿAlamēn
El Alamein
Usage
Town on the Mediterranean North Coast with many summer beach resorts.
Grammar Note
The ending -ēn (from -ayn) is the dual, "the two landmarks".
الجونة
Il-Gūna
El Gouna
Usage
Planned Red Sea resort town north of Hurghada with canals and lagoons.
Grammar Note
ج is read g. The name relates to the word for a lagoon.
الزمالك
Iz-Zamālik
Zamalek
Usage
Cairo district on the northern part of Gezira island with cafes, galleries and embassies.
Grammar Note
The article assimilates to iz- before z.
المعادي
Il-Maʿādi
Maadi
Usage
Residential district of southern Cairo with many expatriates, served by Metro line 1.
Grammar Note
Contains ʿ (ʿayn). On signs it is usually written Maadi.
مصر الجديدة
Maṣr il-Gidīda
Heliopolis (Masr El Gedida)
Usage
North-eastern Cairo district near the airport. Called Heliopolis in English; in Arabic it means "New Egypt".
Grammar Note
Noun + definite feminine adjective (-a). ج is read g.
وسط البلد
Wust il-Balad
Downtown Cairo
Usage
Common name for central Cairo with 19th-century buildings, bookshops, cafes and shops.
Grammar Note
Literally "the middle of town"; balad means "town, country".
طنطا
Ṭanṭa
Tanta
Usage
Central Nile Delta city known for the mosque and mawlid of the saint Sayyid al-Badawi.
Grammar Note
ṭ is the emphatic t.
المنصورة
Il-Manṣūra
Mansoura
Usage
Delta city on the Damietta branch of the Nile, capital of Dakahlia and known for its university.
Grammar Note
The feminine passive participle meaning "the victorious (f.)".
الأهرامات
Il-Ahrāmāt
The Pyramids (Giza)
Usage
The Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure on the Giza plateau; tickets are bought at the site entrance.
Grammar Note
Plural form of هرم (haram); the -āt makes a regular plural of the broken plural ahrām.
أبو الهول
Abu l-Hōl
The Sphinx
Usage
The giant statue by the Giza pyramids; its Arabic name means "father of terror".
Grammar Note
أبو + noun is a common name pattern meaning "the one with ...".
المتحف المصري
Il-Matḥaf il-Maṣri
Egyptian Museum (Tahrir)
Usage
The old museum in central Cairo, open since 1902, with mummies and ancient statues.
Grammar Note
Noun + adjective in -i; the adjective also takes the article.
المتحف المصري الكبير
Il-Matḥaf il-Maṣri l-Kibīr
Grand Egyptian Museum (Giza)
Usage
Large museum near the Giza pyramids that opened in 2025; abbreviated GEM in English.
Grammar Note
Two adjectives follow the noun and both take the article.
المتحف القبطي
Il-Matḥaf il-ʾubṭi
Coptic Museum
Usage
Museum in Old Cairo (Coptic Cairo) near the Hanging Church, with Coptic Christian art.
Grammar Note
القبطي means "Coptic"; the ق is a glottal stop [ʾ] in speech.
خان الخليلي
Khān il-Khalīli
Khan El Khalili (bazaar)
Usage
Old bazaar in Islamic Cairo for souvenirs, spices and silver, with historic cafes nearby. Prices are negotiated.
Grammar Note
خان means "caravanserai"; الخليلي derives from the name Khalīl.
قلعة صلاح الدين
Alʿit Ṣalāḥ id-Dīn
Saladin Citadel (Cairo)
Usage
12th-century Cairo fortress that holds the Muhammad Ali Mosque; locals often just say il-ʾalʿa.
Grammar Note
قلعة is in the construct state (-it); صلاح الدين is a name meaning "goodness of the faith".
الجامع الأزهر
Il-Gāmiʿ il-Azhar
Al-Azhar Mosque
Usage
Great mosque founded in Cairo around 970, the origin of the Al-Azhar University name. Visitors may enter outside prayer times.
Grammar Note
الجامع is the colloquial word for a mosque; ج is read g.
مسجد محمد علي
Masgid Muḥammad ʿAli
Muhammad Ali Mosque
Usage
19th-century Ottoman-style mosque inside the Citadel, also called the Alabaster Mosque.
Grammar Note
مسجد is the sign form; the colloquial pronunciation is masgid (ج as g).
الكنيسة المعلقة
Il-Kanīsa l-Muʿallaʾa
The Hanging Church
Usage
Coptic Orthodox church in Old Cairo, built above a gate of the Roman fortress, hence "hanging".
Grammar Note
Feminine noun + feminine adjective; the adjective is a passive participle "hung".
مكتبة الإسكندرية
Maktabit il-Iskindiriyya
Library of Alexandria
Usage
Large seaside library that opened in 2002 in the spirit of the ancient one, on the Corniche.
Grammar Note
مكتبة takes the construct ending -it before the next noun.
قلعة قايتباي
Alʿit Āytbāy
Qaitbay Citadel (Alexandria)
Usage
15th-century fort at the harbour entrance, on the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse.
Grammar Note
قلعة in the construct state; Qaytbay was a Mamluk sultan.
معبد الكرنك
Maʿbad il-Karnak
Karnak Temple
Usage
Huge temple complex in Luxor, known for its great hypostyle hall.
Grammar Note
معبد is a "place of worship"; the proper name takes the article.
وادي الملوك
Wādi l-Mulūk
Valley of the Kings
Usage
Royal tombs of the New Kingdom on Luxor's west bank, including Tutankhamun's.
Grammar Note
وادي + definite plural noun in the construct pattern.
معبد حتشبسوت
Maʿbad Ḥatshibsūt
Temple of Hatshepsut
Usage
Queen Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari in Luxor, with terraces against a cliff.
Grammar Note
The ancient queen's name is simply spelled out.
أبو سمبل
Abu Simbil
Abu Simbel
Usage
Rock temples of Ramesses II south of Aswan, moved to higher ground when Lake Nasser formed.
Grammar Note
A place name in the pattern أبو + name.
معبد فيلة
Maʿbad Fīla
Philae Temple
Usage
Temple of the goddess Isis at Aswan, reached by boat; the whole complex was moved for the dam.
Grammar Note
فيلة is the ancient place name in Arabic form.
السد العالي
Is-Sadd il-ʿĀli
Aswan High Dam
Usage
Dam on the Nile at Aswan, holding back Lake Nasser.
Grammar Note
The dd in sadd is a long consonant; the adjective also takes the article.
النيل
In-Nīl
The Nile
Usage
Egypt's great river; agree on the boatman and price first before a felucca ride.
Grammar Note
The article il- assimilates to in- before n.
مطار القاهرة الدولي
Maṭār il-Qāhira d-Dawli
Cairo International Airport
Usage
Airport in north-east Cairo; tell the taxi driver which terminal you need.
Grammar Note
Signs use the standard form (الدولي); speech uses the same word.
مطار الغردقة الدولي
Maṭār il-Ghardaʾa d-Dawli
Hurghada International Airport
Usage
One of the main gateways to the Red Sea resorts.
Grammar Note
Three-part pattern: airport + place + adjective.
مطار الأقصر الدولي
Maṭār il-Uqṣur id-Dawli
Luxor International Airport
Usage
Gateway for Upper Egypt tourism and a start point for Nile cruises.
Grammar Note
The article assimilates to id- before d.
مطار شرم الشيخ الدولي
Maṭār Sharm ish-Shēkh id-Dawli
Sharm El Sheikh International Airport
Usage
Airport serving the resorts of southern Sinai.
Grammar Note
The two-word place name acts as one proper name.
محطة رمسيس
Maḥaṭṭit Ramsīs
Ramses Station
Usage
Cairo's main railway station, with trains to Alexandria and Luxor. Signs may also say Misr Station.
Grammar Note
محطة takes -it before the name; the station is named after the square.
مترو القاهرة
Mitru il-Qāhira
Cairo Metro
Usage
Cheap, fast city transport with women-only cars; tickets are bought at the station.
Grammar Note
مترو is a loan word (metro).
سقارة
Saʾʾāra
Saqqara
Usage
Ancient necropolis south of Giza, known for Djoser's Step Pyramid.
Grammar Note
The ق is a glottal stop [ʾ] in speech, doubled here (ʾʾ).
دير سانت كاترين
Dēr Sant Katrīn
Saint Catherine's Monastery
Usage
Ancient monastery in South Sinai at the foot of Mount Moses; a World Heritage Site.
Grammar Note
دير is "monastery", with ē in speech; سانت is a loan.
جبل موسى
Gabal Mūsa
Mount Moses (Mount Sinai)
Usage
Mountain in South Sinai that many climb before dawn to see the sunrise.
Grammar Note
ج is read g, so gabal rather than jabal.
معبد إدفو
Maʿbad Idfu
Temple of Edfu
Usage
Temple of Horus between Luxor and Aswan, very well preserved; a stop for cruises and road trips.
Grammar Note
The place name starts with hamza, which is not written in romanization.
معبد كوم أمبو
Maʿbad Kōm Umbu
Kom Ombo Temple
Usage
Nile-side temple of two gods north of Aswan, a cruise stop.
Grammar Note
كوم means "mound" and appears in many site names.
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