Amid wild sands that were long trampled by powerful kingdoms, mighty pharaohs and devout people, the city of Cairo continues to rule as the nation's religious and political epicenter, with the fertile banks of the Nile river by its side. With a history spanning several millennia, the city of Cairo holds within its wondrous landscape both a chaotic verve shaped by modern embellishments, as well as a cavalcade of exceptionally preserved architecture. Cairo is centered around the historic bounds of the Tahrir Square in its downtown locale, a 19th Century plaza bejeweled by landmarks like the Egyptian Museum, the American University in Cairo, and the Mogamma building. Old Cairo and Islamic Cairo, two of the city's most evocative neighborhoods share the historic pulse that keeps the city alive. Here one will find one of the greatest densities of Islamic architecture – a sprawl cupping eons of mosques, madrasas, caravanserais, synagogues and tombs – lending Cairo the moniker of 'the city of a thousand minarets'.