'''Heliopolis''' (??? ??????? ''Masr el-Gedida'', lit. "New Cairo") is one of the nicest places to live in Cairo, but there isn't much to visit as a tourist. The main reason to stay here is the proximity to the airport.
Heliopolis dates back to ancient times, when it was a place to worship the god Atum, but the ancient city declined after the Persians took over control of Egypt in 525 BC. The modern city of Heliopolis was established in 1907 by the Belgian Baron Empain, with a streetcar line running between Heliopolis and central Cairo.
Get in
Heliopolis is located between Cairo International Airport and central Cairo. An antiquated tram system runs between Ramses Station and Heliopolis.
See
The '''Korba''' area is the old center of Heliopolis, with beautiful Andalusian style architecture and lots of old churches and cultural centres from the days of cosmopolitan, multicultural Cairo.
Baron Empain Palace. l-Uruba St. Erected by Baron Empain, this utterly bizarre structure was inspired by Angkor Wat and the Hindu temples of Orissa, and looks thoroughly out of place in Cairo. You can take a peek from the road, but alas, the interior has been off limits for years.
Basilica of Notre Dame. t the end of Al-Ahram Street. A miniature version of Istanbul's Aya Sofya, dubbed the "jelly mold" by expats. Especially worth a look.
</see>
Obelisk of Senusert I. idan al-Misallah. The obelisk originates from the Temple of Atum, the same complex where Cleopatra's Needle in