Egypt
From Travel Information and Popular Attractions: TravelName.com
Egypt is among the most famous destinations of Africa having abundance of historical treasures including temples, pyramids and museums. Your Egypt travel itinerary should also include a cruise down the Nile and a beach vacation at the top notch Red Sea and Sinai resorts. Its culture has five thousand years of recorded history. Egypt is the second most populous country in Africa (after Nigeria). It is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most of the economic activities takes place. The wall paintings of Egypt are also very famous. Egypt is truly a remarkable travel and tourism destination. Today, the ancient wonders attract millions of tourists each year to the pyramids, temples, mosques and great monuments of Nile Valley, as well as the stunning diving resorts of the Red Sea. Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheik, on the Red Sea coast, are doors to a magical underwater world of Technicolor fish and coral favored by divers, while other adventurous travelers head inland.
Climate:
Desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters. The summer in Egypt, which falls between April and October, is hot and dry. The winters are mild with cold nights. The best time for Egypt travel is between November and March.
Brief History:
Egypt enjoys a civilization dated back to 700,000 years, when ancient Egyptians inhabited the banks of the River Nile. Ramses II a Pharaoh ruled from 1279 to 1212 BC and is known for his prodigious buildings, rising temples, statues and other monuments throughout Egypt. Alexander the Great arrived to Egypt in the late autumn of 332 BC. He founded Alexandria in 331. In 642 AD, Egypt witnessed the beginning of its Arab and Islamic epoch. Successive Arab rulers governed Egypt as part of the Islamic empire. In 1798, the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte to Egypt started the French rule. In 18th century the British came to Egypt. On the 23rd of July 1952, the Free Officer Movement led by Gamal Abd El-Nasser seized power in a bloodless revolution. On the 18th of June 1953, the monarchy ended. Egypt was declared a Republic and Mohamed Naguib were named as the first President.
Today:
Egypt is today a modern vibrant nation, a famous travel and tourism location that carries the burden of its 5,000-year history very graciously. It has a well-maintained road network. The Nile sustains the country and up to 95% of the population lives close to the river. The rest of the country is desolate desert, mitigated only by a few isolated oases and the habitable narrow strips along the African Red Sea and the Mediterranean coastlines. On one hand you will find glamorous hotels and international food chains and on the other you will also find some narrow and congested streets filled with donkey carts and spice traders even today.
Contents |
Popular Tourist Attractions Of Egypt
Egypt is famous place to see the ancient civilization most famous of which are the the Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza. The southern city of Luxor contains a particularly large number of ancient artifacts and Egypt attractions, such as the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. The wall paintings of are also among the famous Egypt attractions. Your visit to Egypt can be started off by a cruise down the Nile and a beach vacation at the top notch Red Sea and Sinai resorts. Some of the popular attractions of Egypt are -
Aswan
Edfu Temple
Mount Sinai
Siwa Oasis
Valley Of The Kings
White Desert
Its the half-human, half-lion Sphinx statue in Egypt on the Giza Plateau at the west bank of Nile River near Cairo built in 3rd millennium BC is among popular attractions and recommended among the must places to see. It is among the largest single-stone statues, 57 meters long, 6 meters wide and a height of 20 meters. This site went restoration in the 1920s. The Sphinx was believed to stand as a guardian of the Giza Plateau, where it faces the rising sun. Who built the Sphinx, and when, continues to be the subject of debate.
Egypt Pyramids:
Most archaeologists believe that they were constructed as burial monuments for the Royal family. Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the Great Pyramid), Pyramid of Menkaure and Pyramid of Khafre's which still has its original polished limestone casing towards the top are among the popular Egypt attractions. These ancient monuments are located eight kilometers (5 mi) inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, about 25 kilometers from Cairo city centre and regarded among the must places to see. Their most active construction phase was 25th century BC.
Even though this site looks remote its actually located very close to the civilization. You will find Pizza Hut and other chains close by. Today Egypt has around 80 Pyramids and are by far the biggest among Egypt attractions. The largest is 137m (449ft) high and contains some three million blocks of stone.
Cairo:
Although most famous for pyramids, you will also find a lot of Mosques with great architecture. Also, some narrow and congested streets filled with donkey carts and spice traders. A central landmark is Midan Hussein, a large open square with tea houses around the perimeter, the sacred Mosque of Sayyidna Al-Hussein, Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. The Hanging Church, Monastery of St George the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities housing over 130,000 exhibits, including Popular Egypt attractions - Pharaonic sculptures, Byzantine art , the Mummy Room and the celebrated Tutankhamun exhibition are the popular places to see.
Luxor - Once the ancient city of Thebes, the highlight is the Karnak Temple, covering an immense 100 acres is among popular Egypt attractions. The whole site has colossal statues, relief's and halls and the Avenue of Sphinxes. There are nightly shows over here that are worth seeing. Along the riverbank, Luxor Temple is guarded by a huge statue of Ramses II. A pleasant walk north along the cornice brings you to the Luxor Museum where a small, interesting collection of relics from the Theban Temples and Necropolis can be viewed. The Mummification Museum has exhibits of human, reptile and bird mummies, as well as explanations of how they are made.
Gezira Island (Modern Day up market):
is a modern up market area with the Opera House, a US$30 million arts complex, containing the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cairo Tower with great city views.
Alexandria
The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, is also known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean". Lighthouse of Alexandria which is a Demolished Monuments was one of the Seven Wonders of Ancient World is among popular Egypt attractions. The Roman Amphitheatre, Pompey's Pillar and Alexandria Zoo are quite famous. The city of Alexandria was named after its founder, Alexander the Great. It has a large seaport and is an important industrial centre because of its natural gas and oil pipelines from Suez Canal.
Abu Simbel
The first and largest temples of the country, it is dedicated to the sun god Ra-Harakhte. The second smaller one is a few meters to the north, was dedicated by Ramses II to his beautiful wife, Nefertari. These two temples attracted world-wide attention when they were threatened by inundation by the waters of the High Dam. Abu Simbel temples were relocated on the plateau in Southern Egypt with help from UNESCO and since then have become a popular site among Egypt attractions.
Egypt Food:
Egyptian, Turkish food is very famous here, but in major cities like Cairo you will find good western food and international food chains like KFC and Pizza hut also.
Tourist Visa:
All international visitors are required to have a valid passport, some Arab country nationals do not need visa in advance. Tourist visa (Single entry or Multiple entry visa) can be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions Abroad. It is possible for most tourists to obtain an entry visa at any of the Major Ports of Entry but usually advised to take visa in advance to avoid any trouble. Please check with your nearest Egyptian Consular mission for more details concerning visa regulations applying to your citizenship. Following links may be helpful to find the latest visa requirements: www.embassy.org/embassies/eg.html and cairo.usembassy.gov/ .
Famous Hotels:
- EGYPT HOTELS IN CAIRO: Grand Hyatt Cairo, Osiris Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel, Talisman Hotel de Charme, Oasis Hotel, Conrad Cairo, Nile Hilton, Marriott Cairo & Omar Khayyam Casino.
- EGYPT HOTELS IN LUXOR: Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor,Nile Palace, Jolie Ville Moevenpick Resort Luxor, New Winter & Pavillon Palace, Saint Joseph Hotel, Sofitel Karnak, Little Garden Hotel, Sheraton Luxor Resort.
- EGYPT HOTELS IN GIZA: Four Seasons Hotel, Mena House Oberoi, Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel, Sofitel Le Sphinx Cairo.
Just to give a rough estimate, good hotels listed below are usually from $75 to 250 per night. Economical hotels usually charge under $50.
Transportation:
Egypt has a well-maintained road network. Transport facilities in Egypt are centered in Cairo. It has one of the oldest and largest railway network of Africa. Famous bus companies include East Delta , Superjet and West Delta.
Additional Information
Shopping In Egypt:
Khan-el-Khalili Market in Cairo is a must visit during Egypt travel. You will find the best jewellery, copper utensils and other handicraft items in Egypt. Haggling is common. Besides Khan-el-Khalili market, you will find shops for tourists in all the major tourist cities of Egypt.
Currency:
EGP - Egyptian Pound (1 USD = 5.6 EGP) as of 2007.
For latest rates visit
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?from=USD&to=EGP
Tourism Offices:
These websites can provide valuable information on Egypt travel.
Egyptian State Tourist Office in the UK
Egyptian House, 3rd Floor, 170 Piccadilly, London W1V 9EJ, UK
Website: www.egypt.travel
Egyptian Tourist Authority in the USA
630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2305, New York, NY 10111, USA
Website: www.egypt.travel
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea
Capital:
Cairo
Time Zone:
+2 Hrs GMT (GMT + 3 from May to September)
Language:
Arabic. English and French is also known by most educated people.
Airports:
Egypt travel offers flexibility of many international and domestic airports. Popular airports are as follows.
Cairo International.
Alexandria Nozha.
Luxor, Upper Egypt.
Aswan, Upper Egypt.
Hurghaga, Red Sea.
Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai.
