00:00From ancient Nile Valley to world megacities, Cairo has changed again and again.
00:07Nile flows through.
00:08Long before Cairo existed, the Nile Valley was already becoming one of the greatest centers of civilization on Earth.
00:16Here, beside the Nile, ancient Egyptians built monuments that would survive thousands of years.
00:24The Nile was more than a river.
00:26It was the lifeline that connected Egypt's cities, farms and people.
00:32For centuries, civilization flourished along this narrow green corridor, surrounded by desert.
00:39By this time, Egypt had already passed through thousands of years of political change, but the Nile remained at its
00:46heart.
00:48Then Alexander the Great arrived, opening a new chapter in Egypt's long history.
00:54After Cleopatra's era, Egypt became part of the Roman world, and the Nile continued to feed one of antiquity's richest
01:02regions.
01:04Centuries passed, and Egypt's culture continued to transform under Roman and Christian influence.
01:13In the 7th century, another transformation arrived, as Arab armies entered Egypt.
01:21Fustat grew beside the Nile.
01:23It became the foundation for the urban world that would become Cairo.
01:27Fustat grew into a major commercial center, linking Egypt to the wider Islamic world.
01:34By the 10th century, the region had become one of the most important urban centers in Egypt.
01:43Then, in 969, a new city was founded.
01:48Its name was Al-Qahira, Cairo.
01:53Cairo quickly became the political and cultural heart of Fatimid Egypt.
02:00Trade, scholarship and religion turned Cairo into a city of growing influence.
02:08Political power shifted again, and Cairo entered a new age under the Ayyubids.
02:16Under the Mamluks, Cairo became one of the most powerful cities of the medieval world.
02:24Merchants, scholars and travelers came from across the region, making Cairo a crossroads of civilizations.
02:30In 1517, the Ottoman Empire took control, beginning another long chapter in Cairo's history.
02:40Cairo remained a major regional center, even as political power shifted beyond Egypt.
02:47Life in Cairo continued around its markets, mosques, workshops and the ever-present Nile.
02:56Then, Europe arrived directly at Cairo's doorstep, changing Egypt's political future.
03:04Under Muhammad Ali, Cairo began a dramatic transformation toward a more modern state.
03:12The old Cairo was beginning to meet a new Cairo, shaped by modernization.
03:20The opening of the Suez Canal connected Egypt to a new global age of trade and travel.
03:27By 1900, Cairo was becoming a city, where ancient history and modern life stood side by side.
03:35In 1922, Egypt gained independence.
03:39Cairo became the stage for a new national identity.
03:45Cairo was becoming a great modern capital.
03:52Then came the 1952 revolution, reshaping Egypt's political system and Cairo's future.
04:00The city expanded rapidly.
04:02Millions of Egyptians moved toward the capital.
04:05They were in search of opportunity.
04:09Cairo was no longer simply an ancient city.
04:12It was becoming a massive modern metropolis.
04:16Population growth transformed Cairo's landscape, pushing the city farther into the surrounding desert.
04:24By the new millennium, Cairo had become one of the largest urban centers in Africa and the Middle East.
04:32In 2011, Cairo once again stood at the center of a moment that captured the world's attention.
04:40Today, Cairo is a vast metropolis, where thousands of years of history remain visible within a single skyline.
04:48From the ancient Nile Valley to one of the world's great megacities, Cairo has changed again and again.
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