Cairo is the capital and largest city of egypt. the city's metropolitan area is the largest in the middle east and the arab world, and 15th-largest in the world, and is associated with ancient egypt, as the famous giza pyramid complex and the ancient city of memphis are located in its geographical area. located near the nile delta, modern cairo was founded in 969 ce by jawhar al-siqilli ("the sicilian") of the fatimid dynasty, but the land composing the present-day city was the site of ancient national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of old cairo.