Prayer Times in Cairo

About Prayer Times in Cairo

Cairo, Egypt's sprawling capital, is home to one of the world's largest Muslim populations — more than 16 million people, the vast majority of whom are Sunni Muslims of the Shafi'i and Hanafi schools. Known as Misr in Arabic, Cairo has been an Islamic cultural and intellectual hub since the Fatimid caliphate founded it in 969 CE. Today it remains the seat of Al-Azhar University, the oldest continuously operating university in the world and the foremost institution of Sunni Islamic scholarship.

Prayer times in Cairo are calculated by the Egyptian General Authority of Survey (EGAS) method, which is used across Egypt and many other Arab countries. The method places Fajr when the sun is 19.5° below the horizon and Isha at 17.5°, reflecting the accurate astronomical observations conducted by Egyptian authorities for over a century. These times are broadcast nationally by Egyptian Radio and Television and displayed on screens throughout the city's metro network.

Cairo's skyline is punctuated by hundreds of minarets. The Mosque of Muhammad Ali atop the Citadel, the medieval Masjid Ibn Tulun (the oldest mosque in Africa), and the grand Masjid al-Husayn near Khan el-Khalili bazaar are among the city's most revered. During Ramadan, Cairo transforms at Maghrib: the streets fall silent for Iftar, then erupt in festivity until well past Isha. The tradition of the Mesaharaty — a person who walks through neighbourhoods beating a drum to wake residents for Suhoor — survives in some Cairo neighbourhoods to this day.