Your guide to 7 neighborhoods in Greater Cairo

By Aqarmap Last updated Jan 15, 2022

In this article, Aqarmap offers you summarized details about the most expensive and important neighborhoods surrounding Cairo’s Downtown.

Zamalek
Prices per square meter in the neighborhoods
Garden City
Al Manial
New Cairo
Sheikh Zayed
Heliopolis
Maadi

Zamalek District

Zamalek is the most expensive district in Egypt, as there are residential units with a price up to EGP 90 million, and the average price per square meter exceeded EGP 20,550 for apartments.
It is located on an island in the middle of the Nile River called Zamalek Island. The word “Zamalek” is of a Turkish origin; it means “wooden huts” or “Hovels”. The district was just a mud island in the middle of the river, used by fishermen as a point of departure.
Due to its strategic location between Cairo and Giza governorates, the district is easily accessible through many bridges, prominent and the most famous of which are: 6th October Bridge, 15th May Bridge and Zamalek Bridge.
From the early 1900s, Zamalek has gained its popularity as one of the classiest and quietest districts in Cairo, a residential area for well-to-do families. It is one of the districts with the highest real estate prices and living standards. Security forces are deployed to the district in large numbers to protect the premises of the multiple embassies it hosts.
The district’s top landmarks include: Cairo Tower, Gezira Sporting Club, Ahly Football Club, Cairo Opera House and El Sawy Cultural Wheel.

Garden City

Garden City is one of the most prestigious neighborhoods, and is located near the downtown area. Most of its buildings overlook the Nile Corniche. The average price per square meter reaches EGP 16,500.
The streets of the prestigious neighborhood was designed in a circular shape. It is also one of the oldest prestigious neighborhoods that have maintained a high standard for its inhabitants. Adding to that, Garden City includes a large number of foreign embassies.
Garden City is characterized by its landmarks, such as: the Parliament; the Palace of Dubara; and many churches and mosques, such as: St. Mary Garden City Church, the Evangelical Church, the Immaculate Virgin Church of the Roman Catholic, and Omar Makram Mosque. There are also a number of schools, such as: la Mere de Dieu. The neighborhood also has a number of libraries, embassies, banks and hotels.
Garden City is located near Downtown, about 2.5 km from Tahrir Square. It can be reached through Downtown streets, and Kasr Al-Aini Street. It is also surrounded by three metro stations (Mohamed Naguib, Saad Zaghloul, and Elsayeda Zainab).

Al Manial

Al Manial is one of the oldest and most affluent districts in Cairo that is located north of Rhoda Island, an island at the Nile River between Cairo and Giza. It affiliates the province of Cairo. The average price per square meter reaches EGP 10,650.
Al Manial is an affluent and quiet district distinguished by its temperate climate due to overlooking the Nile River. It is also best known for maintaining its landmarks and heritage buildings. It is featured with its residents of high cultural and social level who appreciate the value of its historic buildings.
Al Manial is one of the most affluent and expensive areas in Cairo. It involves many historical buildings like mosques, schools, ancient palaces and museums.
The Most Famous Historical Landmarks in Al Manial include: “Nilometerm, Manasterly Palace, Manasterly Pedestrian Bridge, Umm Kolthoum Museum, Salah Al Din Zulfiqar Palace, Manial Palace and Kasr Al Ainy Hospital”.
Al Manial is easily accessible, as it is connected to Cairo through five bridges, namely: “Al Malek Al Saleh, Sialat Al Manial, Manasterly and Le Méridien”.

New Cairo

Sheikh Zayed City

Sheikh Zayed is a new city in New Giza, established in 1995 under a grant from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (Sheikh Zayed Grant). It is located near 6th of October City, and about 25 Km away from Cairo. Sheikh Zayed is featured with quietness, spread of gardens and temperate climate when compared to Cairo. Furthermore, it is provided with full integrated facilities, including schools, hospitals and markets.
Sheikh Zayed is distinguished by its well planning. However, its disadvantages are represented by its distance from Cairo center and the traffic congestion at the main road leading to it (26th of July Axis).
Sheikh Zayed is featured with its varied living standards, from economic houses to affluent areas.
The Most Landmarks in Sheikh Zayed include: Hyper One and Nile University. It is accessible through 26th of July Corridor which is overcrowded at peak times, and easily through 6th of October City. Moreover, it is near Cairo–Alexandria desert road.

Heliopolis

Heliopolis is one of the most affluent districts in Cairo, established by the Belgian billionaire Baron Empain. Heliopolis district is located near Cairo Airport. Most of the main districts in Heliopolis are featured with their residents of high cultural and social level, organized division, and the great number of schools, hotels and churches. Heliopolis is one the most affluent districts in Cairo that has been well designed since ancient times, which contributed to maintaining its elegance up to now.
Heliopolis district is one of the most crowded areas where parking is difficult to find. The Most Significant Landmarks include: Baron Empain Palace, Merryland Park and Heliopolis Palace.Heliopolis district is one of the most crowded areas where parking is difficult to find. The Most Significant Landmarks include: Baron Empain Palace, Merryland Park and Heliopolis Palace. The average price per square meter in the neighborhood reaches EGP 6,700 for apartments, and 14,850 for villas.
As per Most Significant Streets include: Al Merghani, Al Thawra, Al Orouba and Nabil El-Wakkad. The Most Significant Squares include: Safir, Triumph and Al Hegaz. Heliopolis is accessible from any place in Cairo by public transport. The most active streets of Cairo pass through and around it such as: Al Nasr Rd, Salah Salem St and Gesr Al Suez. Furthermore, it is also accessible through the underground metro (Koleyet Al Banat Station).
Despite the change in time, its residents maintain its identity, even the apartments in old buildings cost up to EGP 10,000,000 due to its firm strength and unaffectedness by slums within the presence of important institutions that impose inviolability of it, such as: Office of the President and the Presidential Palace!

Maadi

Maadi is one of the most important and oldest district in Cairo, established by Isma’il Pasha. This district is located at southern Cairo and is divided into three main areas: Old Maadi, Zahraa Al Maadi and New Maadi where each area covers a range of districts of different living standards. “Old Maadi” district is one of the most affluent and expensive residential areas in Cairo. Maadi is featured with its varied social levels, extreme quietness, nearness to Cairo center, maintaining the affluent level, accessibility by public transport, and many universities and schools.
The living standard in Maadi varies between poor areas, middle areas, and very affluent areas. Moreover, the affluent areas, especially Maadi Compounds attract many foreigners. Many foreign embassies have been placed in Maadi. The average price per square meter in the district reaches EGP 5,900 for apartments and 13,600 for villas.
The Most Famous Landmarks in Maadi include: Wadi Degla Protectorate, Petrified Forest Protected Area and Wadi Degla SC. Maadi is easily by transports through Al Nasr Rd, the Nile Corniche and the Ring Rd, as well as by the underground metro which has more than one station placed in Maadi (Thakanat Al Maadi, Maadi and Hadayeq Al Maadi).

* It is worth mentioning that real estate prices are always changing, and we are keen on Aqarmap to update the price list of neighborhoods to keep the consumer informed about the changes in the real estate market. We also measure the demand indicators through Aqarmap index.

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