Europe is home to several famous mega-cities, from London to Paris and Milan. And while all of them can get hot in summer, none come close to the scorching heat of one city slightly further south.
That city is Athens, the capital of Greece, which is home to nearly 3.2 million people in 2025. It is not only one of the oldest cities in Europe but also one of the hottest and biggest. According to The Air Conditioning Co, Athens regularly experiences summer temperatures of over 40C, and has recorded one of the highest temperatures ever seen in Europe – a scorching 48C, measured near the city in 1977.
The ranking, published in the Global Cities Index by Oxford Economics, measured cities by things like economy, human capital, quality of life and governance. Cairo came out on top in Africa and ranked 301st globally.
According to Macrotrends, Cairo’s metro area population in 2025 is over 23 million, which is a huge leap from under 2.5 million in 1950. Most of the growth has come from natural population increases, with birth rates far higher than death rates.
But Cairo isn’t just big, it’s also one of the richest cities in Africa. It is believed to be home to 7,200 millionaires and four billionaires, and it has one of the largest film and music industries in the Arab world.
It also has the Al-Azhar University, Egypt’s oldest higher education institution.
That said, Cairo’s huge size has brought challenges. Traffic congestion is severe, infrastructure is under pressure, and air pollution is among the worst in the world.
The World Health Organisation has previously warned that pollution levels in the city are nearly 12 times above safe limits, and some reports suggested it may contribute to 2% of all deaths in the area.
Still, the Egyptian capital is packed with culture, history and top tourist attractions.
According to CN Traveller, there’s never been a better time to visit, especially with the Grand Egyptian Museum expected to fully open in July 2025.
The museum will be the largest of its kind, with more than 50,000 artefacts, including the full Tutankhamun collection.
Other must-sees include the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, the buzzing Khan El-Khalili bazaar, and the religious landmarks of Coptic Cairo.
All in all, the city is massive and mixes ancient history with modern life in a way few places can match.
Credit: express.co.uk
