Cairo University, founded in 1908 as the Egyptian University, is one of the oldest and largest universities in Africa and the Arab world. Its main building — a domed, neo-Moorish structure designed by a German architect and completed in 1929 — is one of the finest examples of early 20th-century Egyptian institutional architecture. The campus is spread across northern Giza between the Nile and the agricultural land that used to reach into the city.
The main dome is visible from quite a distance and gives the university area its landmark. The university's history is intertwined with Egypt's modernisation: it was the institution that educated Egypt's 20th-century intelligentsia, including Naguib Mahfouz (who studied philosophy here) and many of the country's political, literary, and scientific figures. The campus is freely accessible during the day and the main building is open; combined with a walk through the surrounding neighbourhood, it offers a view of a different, contemporary Egypt from the ancient monuments.