Cairo: the Pyramids of Giza at Sunrise

Cairo spreads across both banks of the Nile where the river transitions from its Upper Egypt channel into the broad Delta. The Giza Plateau, 15 kilometres southwest of central Cairo, holds the three major pyramids (Khufu at 138 m, Khafre at 136 m, Menkaure at 65 m) and the Sphinx on a desert escarpment above the cultivation line. The Sphinx faces due east and aligns with the equinox sunrise: in March and September, the sun rises directly between the Sphinx paws from the eastern desert horizon. The plateau road from the south entrance places all three pyramids in a single northeast frame from above at sunrise, with Cairo and the Nile visible behind. The Saladin Citadel (220 m) on Muqattam Hill, 5 kilometres east of the CBD, gives the panoramic northwest view over Cairo and the Nile at golden hour. At 30.1°N, golden hour lasts about 28 minutes. November through February clears the summer haze and offers the most direct atmospheric light.