Egypt and 7000 years of History

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GIP4U_ Egypt and 7000 years of History 1 of 27 10/2007

Egypt and 7000 years of History

Your Quick Guide to its Mysteries

EGYPT THE COUNTRY

From tradition to modernity, Egypt is a country which has succeeded in creating a present that is as fascinating as its past.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, Egypt has been evolving at a very high speed. Its

political, economical and cultural life has undergone striking changes. From the inscription of the

first hieroglyph to the construction of the new hi-tech Smart Village, Egypt has always been a

pioneer on the frontier for emerging information technologies in the Arab world.

As well as virtual highways, Egypt's roads, railways and waterways form a 21,000 mile network

from Alexandria to Aswan. They include the world famous Suez Canal and 1,000 miles of subsidiary canals branching between the Nile and the sea.

Geography & Climate

Located at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe, Egypt is built around the Nile Valley, a very

fertile land bordering the river and bounded by 2 seas: the Mediterranean Sea (to the north) and

the Red Sea (to the east). The thin area on either side of the Nile was historically where 90% of

the population settled.

To the east of the valley is the Arabian Desert, bounded by a high ridge of mountains. To the west

is the Libyan Desert which stretches across the top of North Africa.

The demarcation line in Cairo, the capital city, separates Lower Egypt (everything north of Cairo)

from Upper Egypt (everything to the south). To the east, across the Suez Canal is the triangular wedge of Sinai with Mt Sinai and Mt Catherine, the highest mountain in Egypt (2642m).

During the summer, from March to November, the climate is hot and dry in most of the country.

December to February can be quite cold in the north. The sky is usually blue and cloudless. The

temperature varies considerably in Egypt. It can be extremely hot during the day and very cold at night, especially in the desert.

It rains more often in Alexandria than in Aswan and Cairo. During the early days of the spring season, a hot wind called "Khamasin" blows in from the western desert at up to 150 km/h.

Population

With 72,000,000 inhabitants, Egypt represents one quarter of the population of the Arab world. The city of Cairo itself counts about 16,000,000 people.

The Egyptian population is composed of people from various origins. Most Egyptians originate

from Ancient Egypt and the Nile Valley. Others come from the Arabic and Levantine descents and the Nubians of Upper Egypt.

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Language

Arabic is the official language spoken by all Egyptians. When Arabic is spoken in the streets, it's

like a dialect and differs a great deal from classical Arabic.

Although English is very widespread, people will appreciate you taking time to learn a few words

and phrases. In holiday resorts like Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, many other European

languages are spoken such as French, German, Italian and Russian.

Religion

Though the majority of Egyptians are Muslims, there are over 12 million Christians living in Egypt today. The two communities enjoy an easy coexistence.

During Ramadan, all Muslims fast during the day. But the evening meal called "Iftar" is a real celebration and it's followed by street entertainment until sunrise.

The Copts play an important part in Egyptian society, especially in artistic, economical and cultural

domains.

Cuisine

Although some dishes are similar to Middle East Cuisine, Egypt is famous for its typical, local

specialities such as "Foul" (Egyptian dry beans), "Molokhia" (a soup made of molokhia leaves and

chicken), or "Mahshi" (an assortment of different vegetables usually stuffed with rice and minced

meat).

Music and Dance

From Om Kalthoum to pop, from the Cairo Ballet to folk festivals, music and dance remain very

much present in the Egyptian soul and can be found throughout the country - in the cities, towns

and villages and even on the Nile cruise boats.

Music can be heard anywhere in Egypt. Classical Arabic music was represented by Om Kalthoum,

the most famous Arab singer of the twentieth century. Her long poems were the expression of

Arab identity. Despite her death in 1975, her presence is still strongly felt in the media. She is

most probably the only artist in history to have an entire radio station dedicated exclusively to her

music.

Pop music is very popular as the average population age has decreased. Egypt also provides the

best backing musicians, songwriters, production facilities and the biggest audiences in the Arab world.

Egypt is the only country in the Middle East with a residential classical ballet company - the Cairo

Ballet. Almost forty years ago, the Ministry of Culture invited Russian masters to train a new pool

of native ballerinas and dancers. Today, the Cairo Ballet boasts 150 full-time students, and is

gaining international plaudits for their progressive and inspiring work. Belly-dancing also gained credibility with the advent of cinema. It is still quite popular nowadays.

So is the "Tahtib" (stave) dance, performed by men.

Sufi dancing is more about spirituality and there's a Sufi troupe that performs regularly in Islamic Cairo.

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Theatre

Theatre was at the heart of Egyptian culture long before the Greeks arrived and built their

classical auditoriums, including the theatre seating 10,000 spectators at Oxyrhynchos.

Nowadays, both classical and modern theatre, from the mainstream to the experimental edge, is

celebrated through international festivals. The highlight climax of the dramatic calendar is Cairo's

International Experimental Theatre Festival, bringing playwrights and performers from over 46 countries together.

Egypt was the first country in the Middle East and in Africa to have an Opera House. The first

Opera House was built in Egypt in 1869, with room for 2,000 opera lovers in its three theatres as

well as a museum, an art gallery and a music library. It is one of the Middle East's premier cultural venues.

Cinema

Egyptian cinema was the third largest industry in the world during the 1950's.

Yousef Chahine, known to most people as the Egyptian "Fellini", has had a very successful career

in cinema and was honoured at Cannes in 1997. His films, subtitled in English and in French, are present at international film festivals.

Literature

With a Nobel Prize for literature in 1988, Naguib Mahfouz shaped the nature of Arabic literature in

the twentieth century with his masterpiece "The Cairo Trilogy".

Egypt's women writers such as Nawal al-Saadawi, author of "Woman at Point Zero", or Ahdaf

Soueif, author of "The Map of Love", are enjoying more international success than the men.

Some famous western novels of Egypt are worth reading to feel the atmosphere of the country :

"The Alexandria Quartet" by Lawrence Durrell, "City of Gold" by Len Deighton (based on solid

research on Cairo) or "The Photographer's Wife" by Robert Sole (for details on nineteenth century Egypt).

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ETERNAL EGYPT

Even today, Egypt is still synonymous with the legends of the Ancient Egyptians. Names like

Ramses and Cleopatra, Tutankhamun and Nefertiti, echo through the art and literature of the

world's different cultures. The temples, the mummies and the pyramids, with their mysterious origins still fascinates school children, grown-ups, and even Egyptologists.

From their remarkably advanced knowledge of astronomy, mathematics and mummification to the

sleek beauty of their manuscripts, jewellery and monuments, the Great Pharaonic Kingdoms left a

vast and sophisticated legacy of mythology, arts and sciences over the course of 5,000 years, that still touch our modern lives.

Mummies

Religion was part of everyday life. The great enduring symbols and masterpieces of Ancient Egypt

were all part of an elaborate preparation for the journey which began after death. From Hollywood

blockbusters to oriental novelists and from classical verses to video games, the figure of the

mummy has fascinated audiences worldwide for centuries. Many modern embalming techniques and methods use the same processes perfected thousands of years ago.

Most mummies were found in the Valley of the Kings, the most renowned necropolis of them all.

Home to Tutankhamun's famous tomb as well as Seti I, Ramses the Great and Tuthmosis III, and

carved deep into the remote limestone hills at Thebes, the burial city for the Pharaohs of the New

Kingdom was designed to be inaccessible to robbers. Unfortunately, some robbers persevered,

lusting for gold and Lapiz Lazuli encrusted treasures. Luckily, a few tombs managed to escape

their attention and so treasures from Yuya, Taya and Tuthankhamun's tombs survived. Many of them can be seen in Cairo's famous museum of Egyptology today.

The Ancient Egyptians sophisticated knowledge of embalming is nothing short of astonishing.

Firstly, all of the internal organs were carefully removed, mummified and sealed in canopic jars,

but the heart was left inside the body, as Anubis, god of embalming, needed to weigh the dead

heart to judge its owners honesty.

A special combination of dehydrating salts known as natron was then left on the body for 40 days

to draw out all the moisture. Once dried, the mummy was anointed with oils to make it

watertight, and then rubbed with gum, cedar oil, wax and more natron. Stuffed with sawdust,

draped in funerary jewellery and bandaged in linen, the mummy was finally sealed in a succession

of coffins inside an ornately decorated sarcophagus.

Pharaohs

Tutankhamun, Ramses, Nefertiti… so many familiar names that evoke ancient Egypt at once. Over

more than 3,000 years and 30 dynasties, their social organisation has perpetuated one of the richest cultures in human history.

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ANCIENT EGYPT

Names like Ramses, Cleopatra, Tutankhamun and Nefertiti, echo through the art and literature of

so many different cultures. Religion was the backbone of life in Ancient Egypt and mythology its

bloodline. Death and the afterlife were essential to Ancient Egyptian society.

5,000 years ago, the first Pharaoh, King Narmer, founded the world's first nation state, recording

it in the world's first written script. The pharaohs were not just kings or queens, they were gods

and they were worshipped as divine rulers. But they also commanded vast administrative armies, models of modern management and efficiency.

It was their sophisticated system of bureaucracy that enabled the construction of Egypt's greatest

monuments, the pyramids of course and also the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the great temples of Karnak, the ruins of Thebes not forgetting the Sphinx at Giza.

The relics of Ancient Egypt still survive to bear witness to the refinement and beauty of many golden ages.

Pyramids

Although the construction of the pyramids was only an episode in the long history of the

pharaohs, this period has left us some of the most impressive monuments that can be seen. Besides the three giants of Gizeh, more than 70 pyramids can be counted along the Nile.

Al Giza Pyramids

Guarded by the familiar lone lion-bodied Sphinx are the three Great Pyramids of Giza. Over 4,000

years ago, the mummified bodies of Kings Cheops, Kefren and Mykerinos were ferried down the

Nile to be buried and prepared for the journey to the afterlife within these massive monuments.

The largest, oldest and finest of all three is Cheop's Pyramid, simply known as the "Great

Pyramid". It was the tallest structure in the world until the end of the nineteenth century (145

meters). But Kefren's Pyramid, Cheop's son and successor, makes a bigger first impression. On

higher ground with its limestone cap still intact, it looks loftier even though it's 4 meters shorter.

The smallest of the three, Mykerinos' Pyramid, makes up for its size with its fine funerary and

valley temples.

Dahshur Pyramids

There were originally 11 pyramids at Dahshur, although only the two Old Kingdom Pyramids, the

Bent and the Red Pyramid, remain intact. Pharaoh Sneferu, father of Khufu and founder of the 4th

Dynasty, built Egypt's first real pyramid, the Red Pyramid, here. It is a quiet place where you will be able to enjoy the monuments in peace.

Saqqara Pyramids

Time has all but erased the once mighty Memphis from the Egyptian landscape, however, the city

of the dead has been excavated and exhumed from the desert sands, the vast necropolis of

Saqqara. Memphis is some 23km south of central Cairo, in the center of the floodplain on the

western side of the Nile. Memphis was traditionally founded in 3000 BC by Menes, the legendary figure credited with the creation of a politically unified Egypt.

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Memphis served as the effective administrative capital of the country during the Old Kingdom and partly in later times.

It's eleven pyramids, countless mastabas and lone Coptic monastery stretch over 7km from north

to south, and span three and a half thousand years of Egyptian civilisation. At its centre sits King

Djoser's "Stepped" Pyramid, the very first pyramid and the first great stone structure in the world. North of the pyramid, inside a stone "serdab", sits the Ancient Pharaoh himself.

Saqqara also includes the Serapeum, represented by a life-sized sculpture of limestone, the

original of which is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and an astonishing collection of mummified

Apis bulls in gargantuan granite coffins. Of its eleven pyramids, King Teti boasts the best

preserved burial chamber, with pyramid text lined walls mapping out his journey to the afterlife.

The walls of Mereruka's multichambered maze-like tomb are covered with exquisite murals, showing scenes of everyday life.

Monuments

Most of the Egyptian monuments are from the pharaohic era, but are also complemented by

expressions of other cultures. Colossi and Sphinxes exist alongside amphitheatres, temples and

Greco-Roman columns. A history book open to the heavens …

The Great Sphinx (Giza)

Like the broken arms of the Venus de Milo, the Great Sphinx's long lost nose has made it all the

more iconic. Standing guard at the hallowed entrance to the Great Pyramids of Giza, the human-

headed, lion-bodied Sphinx is the oldest of all Egypt's superhuman stone sculptures. It is also the

most instantly recognizable. Originally hewn from a gigantic piece of limestone bedrock, it was

covered in plaster and paint in its youth. But the winds, waters and sands of the Giza Plateau

have taken their toll. Once upon a time, the Great Sphinx also wore a Pharaoh's royal beard. Part of it is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the other part is in the British Museum in London.

Though named by the Greeks after their riddle-loving mythological character, the Sphinx was

actually built by the Pharaoh Kefren in his own image.

The Valley of the Kings (Thebes)

Inconspicuous and unassuming, the Valley of the Kings hides its secrets well. The grand pyramids

of the earlier pharaohs proved too tempting to grave robbers, so from the eighteenth to twentieth

Dynasties, 26 pharaohs opted to build their tombs in the valley. Carving them deep into the

mountains, far from reach, Tutankhamun, Ramses the Great and Tuthmosis III's tombs lie in this single, sprawling necropolis.

There are interesting tombs to see in the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Nobles as

well.

Colossi of Memnon (Luxor)

These are the first ruins visible when arriving by ferry. They are the sole surviving remains of the

funerary temple of Amenhotep III which, according to recent discoveries, was more vast than the

complex of Karnak. Even with a great deal of imagination, it is difficult to picture.

The faceless giants stand in front of the first pylon with their backs to the mountain. They

represent the pharaoh’s sovereign majesty seated on his throne. The funerary complex, of which

nothing remains, was the biggest on the west bank.

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The Ramesseum (Luxor)

The funerary temple of Ramesses II has lost much of its splendour over the centuries. Poets sang

of its glory in antiquity but the dream of self-glorification of Ramesses II, already responsible for

the construction of Abu Simbel, has not survived the passing of time or successive pillaging. The

broken columns and thorny trees create a romantic and moving sight particularly at sunrise when

the first rays brush the gigantic statue of Ramesses II lying in pieces in the ground. Calculations

indicate that the statue must have measured at least 17 m high and weighed around one

thousand tons.

Monuments of the Graeco-Roman era :

From Alexander the Great's grand entrance in 332 BC to Cleopatra's tragic exit when she

committed suicide in 30 BC, the Greeks thrust Egypt centre stage during their three-and-a-half century reign under the Ptolomeic Dynasty.

Not your average colonialists, the Ptolemaic rulers embraced the Egyptian culture and design,

continuing the great works of their predecessors. Their greatest legacy was Alexandria, the

glittering jewel of the ancient world. Its ancient library was a beacon of enlightenment and its now long gone Caesareum, an emblem of sophistication.

When Cleopatra finally chose death, Octavian brought Egypt into the Roman fold. Egypt was

relegated to being the Empire's bread basket. The Romans also built on the works of the Greeks,

staying true to native traditions until 394 AD. This is when Christianity ushered in the Coptic era

and Ancient Egypt was finally buried.

Roman Amphitheatre in Alexandria

The Roman Amphitheatre was found buried, quite literally, under a pile of rubble ˜Kom-el-

Dikkah'. Unearthed beneath a Napoleonic era fort, it's the only known example of a typically circular Roman theatre in all of Egypt.

Pompey's Pillar

Majestic but solitary, Pompey's Pillar is a 25 meter column of solid red granite, from the bottom of

its Greek inscribed base to the top of its Romanesque capital. Surprisingly, Pompey's Pillar has nothing to do with its namesake. It was built in honour of the Emperor Diocletian in 292 AD.

The Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa

Hewn in the bedrock of the mountains in the second century, Kom ash-Shuqqafa is the largest

burial place in Egypt with three underground storeys that accommodate over 300 bodies. The

lowest level is now submerged, but a spiralling staircase descends to the first two levels, complete

with banqueting hall (triclinium) for funerary feasts, and the principal tomb with its eclectic clash of Egyptian, Greek and Roman symbolism.

Temples

Life in Ancient Egypt revolved around religion. The pharaohs traced their ancestry back to the

gods of the Egyptian pantheon. Different pharaohs allied themselves to different cults, and the

elaborate temples they built cemented their own political status. With intricately painted walls,

vast colonnaded courts and columned hypostyle halls, the temples of Ancient Egypt are among its

greatest cultural triumphs.

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The Temples of Abu Simbel (Nubia)

Of all the pharaohs, Ramses II was the most prolific builder of monuments and temples. Two of

his greatest temples, the Great Temple of Abu Simbel and its smaller cousin, the Temple of

Hathor are at Abu Simbel. Both temples originally sat some sixty metres below where you find

them today. They were part of a massive UNESCO operation to save Egypt's Great Temples from

Lake Nasser's rising waters. Embedded into the mountain itself, the temples had to be cut free from the rock and painstakingly dismantled and rebuilt.

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Thebes)

At the base of a lofty limestone mountain in the desert at Thebes nestles Queen Hatshepsut's

astonishing terraced temple. Hatshepsut was Egypt's greatest female Pharaoh. She fought off

male pretenders to her throne for over 20 prosperous and peaceful years. Partly embedded into the mountain itself, the temple is almost forty metres wide.

Its honeycomb colonnades pick up the natural lines and recesses of its mountainous backdrop.

Hatshepsut's temple is essentially an extension of Mentuhotep II's temple, though several times

its size. The two blend in so well together, they are indistinguishable from a distance.

The Temple of Luxor

Though Ramses II's triumphant twin statues stand sentry at its entrance, it was Amenhotep III who built the bewildering Temple of Luxor.

Over the years, several of Egypt's legendary rulers added to the glory of the Temple of Luxor,

from Tutankhamun to Alexander the Great.

The Temple of Karnak

The most important place of worship in all Egypt during Theban power. It was built, dismantled,

restored, enlarged and decorated by several pharaohs.

It's a complex of sanctuaries, obelisks and pylons, dedicated to the glory of the pharaohs. It's a

gigantic site : 1.5km by 800m. Impossible to describe, this immense monument has to be seen, to be believed.

From the entrance to the Amun Temple Enclosure you pass down the processional avenue of ram-

headed sphinxes that originally flanked a canal connecting the temple to the Nile.

The Temple of Horus (Edfu)

A very well preserved Egyptian temple, much newer than other temples. Its state of preservation

helps to fill some historical gaps. The sanctuary of Horus contains the granite shrine that once housed the gold cult statue of Horus.

The Temple of Amada (Nubia)

Saved from the waters of Lake Nasser and moved to higher, drier land, the Temple of Amada

boasts the most wonderfully preserved wall reliefs of the Nubian style. Dedicated to the gods of

the New Kingdom, Amun-Ra and Ra-Hor-Akhty, it was a collaborative effort between Tuthmosis

III and his son Amonhotep II. Ramses II also restored much of the temple that had suffered

under Akhenaten's rule.

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The Temple of Dakka (Nubia)

It takes fifteen minutes to walk through the desert to these sites from Wadi es-Sebua. The

Temple of Dakka originally stood forty kilometres further north. Dedicated to Thot, god of wisdom,

its construction lasted from the reign of the Nubian pharaoh, Arkamani, in the third century BC to

that of Emperor Augustus. It is worth visiting in particular for its twelve-metre high pylon which

offers a striking view over the lake. Maharraqa, the smallest of the three temples, is interesting

for its spiral staircase, a rare feature in ancient Egypt.

The Temple of Isis (Aswan)

Small in scale, the temple was designed as an ode to Isis and the Nile, creator of all things.

Legend relates that Isis had chosen to live on the island to grieve for Osiris, her brother and

husband, murdered by Seth, and that it was on Philae that she found the heart of Osiris.

Construction of the temple and its surrounding buildings dates back to the first centuries AD. The

worship of Isis continued here until the closure of the temple in 537 and its transformation into a church.

The Temple of Hathor (Dendera)

The site of the Dendera temple may have been occupied since very ancient times but the temple

itself dates ―only‖ from the first century AD. Construction was started in the reign of Ptolemy IX

and was completed by the Roman emperors. The temple was dedicated to Hathor, goddess of celebration, music and love, and was absorbed into the cult of Aphrodite by the Greeks.

Kom Ombo Temples (Kom Ombo)

The Temple of Sobek and Haroeris is visible from and overlooks the Nile at a wide bend in the

river. Built during the Ptolemaic period, its stands on a rock rising out of the sands. It is unusual

in that it is in fact two temples – one devoted to the crocodile-god, Sobek, and the other to

Haroeris, the falcon-headed god (Horus the Great). The whole site is laid out along two parallel

axes.

The Temple of Khnum (Esna)

The temple of the ram-god, Khnum, has withstood the ravages of time. This may be because it

was buried beneath layers of silt deposited by successive Nile floods. The hypostyle hall is an

excellent example of Graeco-Roman architecture.

Museums

The most enduring images of Egypt are its pharaonic treasures and its history, such as the relics

and artefacts that live in Cairo's Egyptian Museum. But with a written history stretching back to

3,100 BC, at the time of Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic empires, every age and culture demands a museum of its own.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo

Sitting in the shadows of Cairo's modern town hall, the elegant coral-pink and copper-domed

Egyptian Museum strikes a gentle pose. The restrained neo-classical French exterior is little

preparation for the awesome array of treasures and ancient wonders that wait silently behind it's arched windows.

Stepping through the entrance into the grand central atrium, monumental statues tower overhead from the imposing Colossus of Amenhotep III to King Djoser's life-size sculpture.

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The ground floor galleries take you on a trip through time, each room filled with the splendours of

a great kingdom. King Narmer's 5,000 year old palette is an item of major artistic and historical

importance.

Ancient Egypt's cultural wealth is also shown in many other artefacts that reveal the skill of

ancient artisans.

But it's the upper floor that holds the greatest allure. The Tutankhamun Galleries house over

1,700 items including Tutankhamun's famous tomb, discovered in the Valley of the Kings in West-

Thebes, opposite modern Luxor.

The Egyptian Museum is just simply unrivalled with over 136,000 items on display, not

mentioning the hundreds of thousands in the basement. These items date back to the very origins

of a united Egypt in 3,100 BC. The museum is renowned for holding the finest collection of

Egyptian antiquities in the world.

The Cairo Museum will be moved to a new giant location on Cairo-Alex road by 2008.

The Islamic Ceramic Museum

A harmonious hybrid of Turkish, Moroccan and Andalusian architecture, Prince Amr Ibrahim's

palace now houses the Museum of Islamic Ceramics amid the European-style villas and mansions

of riverside Zamalek.

Cluttered around the lobby, with its stained glass panels, central fountain and marble walls, are a

series of galleries dedicated to Fatimid, Ummayad, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman period

ceramics. The collections inside the galleries include exquisitely patterned plates and vases,

ancient oil lamps and detailed glazed tiles. The collection also includes fine examples from Syria, Persia, Andalusia, Tunisia and Iraq.

The Grand Museum (Giza)

Alongside the Great Pyramids, a new architectural marvel is waiting to rise from Giza's rippling

sands. With an estimated budget of over 500 million US dollars, the new Grand Museum will be a

technological innovation, with displays designed to be interactive and cyber-friendly.

Once completed, it will hold the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world, dwarfing

even the Egyptian Museum with over 100,000 artefacts from the Coptic, Islamic, Graeco-Roman

and Pharaonic Dynasties.

The Graeco-Roman Museum (Alexandria)

Spanning from the fourth century BC to the seventh century AD, the objects and artefacts of the

Graeco-Roman museum show the slow but sure morphing of the Egyptian and Greek pantheons

into the cult of the god Serapis. Opened by Khedive Abbas Helmy II in the dwindling years of the

nineteenth century, the museum brings together over 40,000 items from ancient coins, portraits and statuary to archaeological excavations around Alexandria and the Fayoum Oasis.

The Nubia Museum (Aswan)

Nubian distinctive culture and artistic achievements.

Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil & his Wife's Museum (Giza)

Personal collection of paintings, sculptures and vases of nineteenth century Europe

The Coptic Museum (Old Cairo)

Relics from Egypt's early Christians.

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EXCITING EGYPT

Diving in the Red Sea

Where could you meet an emperor, step aside for a pretty damsel, and dodge a surgeon’s scalpel?

Well, right here, of course… in the Red Sea! Although here, deep blue is the predominant colour.

Numerous new towns have sprung up around this sea, each promising fresh undersea adventures.

There’s the pioneering town of Hurghada, the unmissable Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, now enjoying

its golden age, Safaga, El Gouna with its almost Venetian townscape, and Marsa Alam with its

quiet dive camps.

Any historian will tell you that it’s fascinating to take a plunge into the Red Sea’s past. Moses

called it the ―Sea of Reeds‖, Ferdinand de Lesseps connected it to the Mediterranean Sea, and

Moshe Dayan’s victorious soldiers bathed in it… what diver would not jump at every chance to dip

and wiggle their flippers in its waters?

The Sea has been a highway of communication for many centuries, and was a source of

fascination for Henry de Monfreid, the adventure loving ―pirate‖, and much later, the legendary

and pioneering couple Hans and Lotte Hass perfected the art of underwater photography here. In

their wake came Cousteau who, somewhat controversially, introduced all the thrills and

excitement of its depths to the general public: reef fishes and precious corals, pelagics and

nudibranchs, spectacular shipwrecks and fascinating archaeological sites. Nowadays, the Red Sea

can pride itself on a more eco-friendly approach. There are conservation measures –

consequently, divers are now fined if they break the rules. Divers have readily taken these

changes on board, and their continued support for the region has turned the Egyptian ―aquarium‖

into one of the finest scuba diving regions in the world. So, don your masks, slip into your

flippers, and take the plunge!

Geography, Fauna and Flora

The Red Sea is an enormous basin, 2350km (≈1400 miles) long by about 350km (≈220 miles)

broad at its widest point, enclosed to the north by the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, and at its

southernmost point the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is hundreds of metres deep. The sea is has a

truly unique ecosystem, surrounded as it is, by red-hued bauxite mountains that some believe to

be the origin of the name Mare Rostrum – the Red Sea. It was formed 25 million years ago by the

separation of the African Continent from the Arabian Peninsula. It is distinguished by the volcanic

activity in its shallows, its regular currents, the small tidal range, a salt content of 4.1% (the

world’s seas average 3.2%), and a water temperature that drops only slightly in its depths.

The Red Sea has been a commercial highway between the East and the West since classical

antiquity. Boats departed loaded with copper, pottery, and cloths to return laden with silks,

spices, wood, and even elephants. The cutting of the Suez Canal in 1869 boosted and encouraged

a tradition of many centuries of sailing, interspersed with shipwrecks and piratry. Today the Sea is

an essential destination for divers the world over.

Over 250 species of coral exist in the Red Sea, 8% of which are endemic. The organism is made

up of ―heads‖ of polyps.

Half animal and half vegetable, the corals have invaded the reefs like an army of builders. When a

colony dies, another starts building on its calcareous skeleton… But this activity can be misleading

as, depending on the species, it only grows at a rate of a few millimetres or centimetres per year

– so it takes thousands of years for the coral to carpet the seafloor and model out the relief.

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With 1248 species, of which 17% are endemic, the Red Sea is like a magnificent aquarium, and its

reefs are a haven for many species of fish. Some use them to hide from predators, others lay

their eggs there, and for most the reefs are their feeding grounds.

FATAL ATTRACTION

There is a seemingly infinite aquatic palette of shapes, colours, spots, and stripes. But great care

must be taken – it is forbidden to touch these creatures, and some of them can be dangerous. So,

keep your hands out of harm’s way and concentrate on controlling your buoyancy instead!

THE PREDATORS

Although they are rarely aggressive in the Red Sea, it must always be remembered that sharks

are predators. Resist the temptation to provoke a reaction from reef and whitetip sharks, which

are known for their curiosity and timidity, and the nurse sharks that skim the seafloor. The vast

majority of sharks are found away from the reefs, like the curiously shaped hammerhead shark,

or the leopard shark, with the same spots as his terrestrial counterpart, and less frequently you

can encounter the oceanic whitetip shark (Longimanus) and the whale shark, the real colossi of

the seas.

UNDERSEA LIFE AROUND THE WRECKS

The wrecks provide the ideal environment for a whole range of different organisms: alcyonarians,

fan corals, and stony corals can transform the rustiest of hulls into a wonderful garden that is

home to shellfish, molluscs, parrotfish, and also morays, lionfish, and crocodilefish. But, the star

of the wrecks is undoubtedly the grouper, the ever-present guardian of sunken ships.

A MULTICOLOURED WORLD

Are you a diver who is thirsting to find a solemate in the blue? Well, to help you out a little, here

is a list of the main inhabitants in the Red Sea.

NUWEIBA

This is one of the greatest oases of the South and an excellent way of getting to Aqaba, in Jordan.

The gold-tinged white sandy shores of Nuweiba, which means ―bubbling springs‖ in Arabic, are

one hour’s drive north of Dahab.

This is a shore dive, though some of the sites need to be accessed by camel! There is an

abundance of fauna around the reefs that are rich in soft coral with a backdrop of drop-offs and

canyons. This area is an excellent place for snorkelling and for beginners.

DAHAB

Situated ninety-five kilometres from Sharm el-Sheikh, the village has a view out to the Gulf of

Aqaba and the mountains of Saudi Arabia beyond. Dahab is, in fact, known for its steep drop-offs.

Blue Hole and the Canyon are, nevertheless, only for experienced divers.

Dahab remains a relatively unexplored place and offers, within a twenty kilometre radius, diving

sites that are accessible in 4x4s or by camel. Steep drop-offs, caverns, and coral gardens are all

only a few metres from the coast. The area is also an ideal spot for snorkelling.

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SHARM EL-SHEIKH

At the tip of the Sinai Peninsula, between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Suez. Located 28km away

from the reserve of Ras Mohammed, the ―village‖ has attracted and continues to attract many

visitors, most of them divers.

And, every morning, the same ritual takes place ― the divers, equipped with flippers, computers

and cameras, pour out of their hotels and converge by minibus on the Travco Marina to board one

of the many diving boats. They spend the day at the coastal sites, the Strait of Tiran, or the

Natural Park of Ras Mohammed ― a two-dive programme with an on-board lunch.

Underwater

Steep drop-offs, multicoloured reefs, and an abundance of fauna ― all right on the coast! Whilst

the closest sites are extremely popular and within the reach of beginners, those of the Straits of

Tiran and Gubal, and Ras Mohammed Reserve are for more experienced divers.

When they created Ras Mohammed National Park in 1989, the authorities took steps to protect

the environment and, by controlling the diving, they limited access to this endangered area. So

there is a fee per diver per day and an entry fee per person for Ras Mohammed Reserve.

Pleasure Cruise

You can also discover the finest sports in the Sinai by departing from Sharm el-Sheikh on a

week’s cruise that combines the reefs of the Strait of Tiran, the drop-offs and fauna of Ras

Mohammed, with shipwrecks off the Strait of Gubal, including the Thistlegorm and the Rosalie-

Moller. Programmes will vary, of course, according to the weather conditions and the divers’

experience. This voyage has something for everyone, and is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the

pleasures of a dive cruise. Even the most demanding – and experienced – of divers will love this

experience!

Sailing conditions are always pleasant, because there is no swell, and the diving programmes all

take place at carefully selected and exceptional sites ― there are magical underwater reliefs,

numerous shoals of fish, splendid growths of coral, and exhilarating encounters with the large

pelagic species.

The Egyptian Coast and the Northern Cruises

EL GOUNA

El Gouna is a striking place. Situated south of the Gulf of Suez and 21km north of Hurghada, it is

the realization of Samih Sawiris's dream ― an Egyptian business man, who is famous for both his

fortune and his discretion. Welcome to the most stylish diving station on the continental coast!

Underwater

There are superb and varied dives, comprising drop-offs, coloured coral reefs rich in marine fauna

– there are dives for people of all levels. El Gouna’s position makes it an ideal place for visiting the

famous shipwrecks in the Red Sea, the numerous sites of the North and those of Hurghada.

HURGHADA It is now difficult to imagine that in the 1970s, Hurghada was only a small fishing village. It was

promoted by President Sadat, who saw its potential as an excellent tourist site, and has now

become the best resort on the Red Sea's western coast.

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Underwater

Most of the sites require a 1/2-hour to 1-hour boat trip. This means that the trips generally take a

day and comprise a two-part dive with a lunch break. From Hurghada, it only takes a few hours to

reach the Gubal islands, and the reefs of Shaab Abu Nuhas with their shipwreck cemetery.

Diving over the coral reefs, which have unfortunately been damaged, is like visiting a giant

coloured aquarium. They are doubly interesting in that they are not particularly deep and they are

very rich in fauna – this is a real godsend for novice divers and snorkellers. There is the additional

advantage that the large pelagic fishes do not really come to this site.

The result is plain to see – the reef species have flourished here! The region has suffered heavily

from the intensive anchoring by diving boats. These days the dive centres that are regrouped

around the HEPCA, do everything they can to preserve the integrity of these sites. Important: all

divers must pay the local fee and an entry fee for the Giftun Islands Park.

THE NORTHERN CRUISES

If you go on a northern cruise, usually from Hurghada, you will be able to dive right into the

history of the Red Sea, and you will be guaranteed dives in places that are very rarely visited.

Because these sites are relatively far away, they are rarely programmed as places for day trips.

It is also one of the best ways to explore the legendary shipwrecks the Giannis D, the Carnatic,

the Chrisoula K and, of course, the Thistlegorm that was wrecked on the reef of Shaab Ali and,

less frequently, the Rosalie-Moller.

These sites are suitable for novice divers with around twenty hours’ diving experience, but this is

just an indication — only the boat’s skipper and the supervising diver can decide on the diving

sites, depending on the weather conditions and the divers’ experience.

The South and the Southern Cruises

SAFAGA

60km south of Hurghada. Safaga serves as a gateway to southern Egypt, and still continues to

operate as a small busy port. The area is, in fact, famous for its phosphate and bauxite mines.

Many pilgrims sail for Mecca from this port. Some call it the ―new Mecca for divers‖, but Safaga

does not receive as many visitors as Hurghada, and is less isolated than Quseir.

The city is divided into two main areas – the north, with its beautiful beaches lined with hotels and

a marina where diving boats leave for the sea; and the south, which with its small and typically

unpretentious shops, remains very much a part of the old city. You can get around on foot or use

the minibus.

Underwater

The area boasts 80 dives located in 20 different sites. The drop-offs and many masses of coral are

home to a fauna and flora that is as rich as it is colourful. Add excellent visibility and generally

weak tidal currents, and you can be assured an excellent stay!

There are very few clubs, which means that they use the same anchor buoys. Remember: all

divers have to pay a local environmental protection fee at their club.

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EL QUSEIR 83km from Safaga. It will take you about two and a half hours to travel the 150km between

Hurghada and Quseir. Nestled in a cove, this village is bustling with activity and people who have

managed to maintain their traditional way of life. It is from this port, one of the oldest in the Red

Sea, that Queen Hatchepsut launched her expedition to the Land of Punt (Abyssinia).

The carvings on her funeral temple tell the story of her adventures. This large commercial port,

which used to ship marble, granite and even emeralds and corn from Upper Egypt, has now been

abandoned in favour of the Suez Canal.

Today, like Safaga, it is mainly used by pilgrims travelling to Mecca and some diving cruise ships.

There is also a fortress at Quseir, built in the 16th century by Sultan Selim, which still seems to

watch over the old houses with their wooden balconies.

Underwater The reefs at Quseir have the distinctive feature of being close to the coast and within a radius of

30km – polychromatic coral, cathedrals of coral, and plentiful fauna… you will find everything here

and the currents are weak. You can enter the water directly from the shore, and the sites are

accessible with a 4x4, and sometimes by boat.

The main characteristics of these dives are the varied relief of the sites, an abundance of marine

life, and incredible fringing reefs. Moreover, the sites are not overused. There are 15 sites at

distances of between 20-minute and 1½-hour boat trips. Quseir has also become a departure

point for cruise ships sailing in the south of the Red Sea.

MARSA ALAM 240km from Hurghada. Marsa Alam is located between Quseir and Ras Banas, and is a 4-hour

drive away from Hurghada. It is part of a nature reserve that stretches to Jibal Alba.

This village with its stone quay, known for its fishing, now also attracts divers. The sites, with

their plentiful coral reefs, are still relatively quiet as they are not visited by many divers.

Underwater

There are many bays, and each one is different. But all of them have wonderful fringing reefs that

are rich in coral and fauna. You dive in at the beach (House Reef), where the bays sink down

gradually into the water to depths of between 10 and 40m, or cross the reef flat. There are always

plenty of playful dolphins in the area and numerous face-to-face encounters with turtles and

Napoleon fish. The coral is intact and the visibility excellent. There is an entry fee to enter the

Shaab Samadai site.

Camping

With so much outstanding natural and man-made scenery to explore and such a welcoming climate, camping is a great way to see Egypt on your own.

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You can spend your nights beneath the starlit skies of the Western Desert and then explore its

lush oases : the Bahariya, the Farafra and the Dakhla, during the day. Or, if you're a die-hard

explorer, you can brave the remote, rippling sandscapes of Great Sand Sea with its cool nights

and spectacular views. The Nile is also a good place to pitch your tent in the shadows of the Pyramids.

Make sure you're fully stocked up on all the essentials, especially water.

Trekking

Whether you're looking for mountains to climb or plains to trek, sands to stroll or oases to

explore, Egypt's astonishing diversity of natural terrains and landscapes are the perfect

ingredients for some truly memorable trekking.

The lush, green oases of the Western Desert : Bahariya, Farafra and Dakhla, are packed to the

gills with historical gems from the Pharaonic, Graeco-Roman and Islamic Dynasties.

If you're looking for open sands, the Great Sand Sea might be more your cup of tea. But if

you're after a rockier ride, the mountainous peaks of the Sinai Peninsula or Jebel Uweinet are the best places to go.

Test all your equipment before setting off.

Trekking locations :

You can trek almost anywhere you like. If you're looking for some culture along the way, the

oases Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla and Siwa are your best options. There are endless sandscapes in

the Western and Eastern Deserts and in the Great Sand Sea on the Sahara. There are also

mountains at Jebel Uweinat and at Sinai Peninsula.

Bird watching

In Egypt you can combine bird watching with sightseeing as birds have always played important

roles in both the secular and sacred spheres of Egyptian culture. Falcon, hawk and vulture-headed

gods, the splendid frieze of the 'Medium Geese' and the heron-like Bennu bird (the Egyptian

correspondence to the phoenix, a mythical sacred firebird), are only a few of over 76 bird species

that can be identified in many other wall paintings, reliefs and artefacts.

Amateur ornithologists have been searching the skies for well over a century. With

improved environmental protection and conservation, Egypt's national parks are a delight

for budding bird watchers. Over 150 indigenous species of birds live all year round in Egypt and another 280 migrate from their winter homes to the Nile's fertile banks.

From the herons and flamingos of Lake Bardawil to the blue-cheeked bea eaters of Wadi Natrun,

and from the songbirds and sunbirds of the lush Nile Valley to the ospreys and eagles of the Ras

Mohammed National Park, there are endless opportunities for bird watching all along the Nile, the Suez, the Red Sea coast and Egypt's great lakes and oases.

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Windsurfing

With their minor swells, glorious sunshine and winds that regularly reach 30 knots, the Egyptian

seas boast perfect conditions for windsurfing in some truly idyllic settings. Whether you're a first-

timer or a full-blown fanatic, there are sites and schools everywhere to suit your level of

experience. Just a couple of hours from Cairo, Ras Sudr has a growing reputation as one of the

world's top windsurfing destinations, with its steady climatic conditions as well as its famous

dolphins that frolic beside you in the water.

Windsurfing locations :

The Bay of Masbat and Moon Beach on the Sinai Peninsula have the best conditions for

windsurfing. Dahab and El Tur have some of the best conditions too. Other good spots include

Safaga and Hurghada on the mainland Red Sea coast, especially Makadi Bay.

Sailing

Nothing beats the exhilaration of catching the wind in the sails of your very own felucca. It's the

most private, personal way to enjoy Egypt's calm saltwater lakes and seas. Whether on your own

or with a few good friends, you can go sailing down almost all of Egypt's major waterways, including the clear, warm Red and Mediterranean seas and the majority of its myriad lakes.

Sailing locations :

Many of the most popular sailing spots are on the Red Sea coast : Hurghada or El Gouna on the

mainland, or Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab on the Sinai Peninsula. There are several specialist

sailing schools and rental centres at Sharm and around Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast.

Fishing

The Nile does not only have stunning scenery, it is also the natural habitat for some of the biggest

freshwater fish in the world and is famous for its gargantuan, 200 pound perch. From Lake

Nasser's tiger fish and vundi catfish to Lake Tilapia's bread and butter fish, there are endless

places to cast off for your catch of the day.

As well as it's freshwater lakes and rivers, the salty Red Sea is teeming with big game. Every

year, Hurghada plays host to an international fishing tournament, attracting off season fisherman from all over the world, in search of their own prize specimens.

Yachting

With new marinas springing up all over the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt's quickly growing into a major

regional hub for yachting. So if a cramped felucca or crowded cruise aren't quite your scene, you

can yacht your way down the Nile, the Red Sea or the Mediterranean in full-blown, five-star

luxury. Whether you're after a single day trip or several days of rest and relaxation, there are flexible itineraries enabling you to plan your time as you wish.

Yachting locations :

The best places for yachting are on the Red Sea. Yachts are available in Sharm el-Sheikh and

Dahab on the Sinai Peninsula. Hurghada and El Gouna are also great spots if you are on the

mainland. And there are other locations all along the Mediterranean coast and along the Nile.

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Snorkelling

Egypt's underwater seascapes of technicolour coral reefs and tropical fish are seen at their best

close-up, but you don't have to be a diver to sample the spectacular view. Snorkelling is a safe,

simple alternative if diving is a bit too daunting. You don't need bulky equipment or much instruction and you can go virtually anywhere.

Snorkelling locations :

You can go snorkelling almost anywhere you find a hospitable stretch of water. All the best views

are along the Red Sea coast, in Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab on the Sinai Peninsula or Hurghada

and El Gouna on the mainland.

NILE CRUISES

It's also one of the most relaxing and luxurious ways to take in a great many of the major cultural

landmarks and sites.

Long ago, Egypt's green and fertile savannahs turned into barren, sandy deserts, obliging its

inhabitants to leave. And so they clustered around coasts and waterways, from the Nile's fertile

banks to the Red Sea and Mediterranean coast.

Long cruises

If you have time, it's well worth taking a longer cruise to really soak up the atmosphere and take

things in at a more leisurely pace. A long cruise gives you the chance to make stop-overs along

the way and so you can spend time fully exploring all of the great monuments and temples, and do them the justice that they deserve.

On one of the 300 Nile Cruisers, you can retrace the same routes as Egypt's great kings and

queens. You can opt to set sail from Luxor to Aswan, passing the great Pharaonic temples of Esna,

Edfu and Kom Ombo. Or maybe you'd rather head for Luxor's west bank, where Ramses the Great

recorded his military campaigns on the walls of its temples. Or even the Valley of the Kings, where the legendary Pharaohs of the New Kingdom built their hidden hillside tombs.

Short cruises

If you don't have days on end to glide slowly along the Nile's waters, there are short half-day or

one-day cruises available, for sightseeing and spectacular views. As you sail along, your

knowledgeable guide is on hand to point out the highlights and satisfy your cultural curiosity. You can take a short cruise down the Nile from practically any beach.

The coptic church

Most people associate Egypt with Islam today, but Christianity was actually the dominant religion

between the fourth century AD and 641 AD, when Islam officially took over. St. Mark first

preached Christianity in 50 AD, and Egypt was one of the first countries to adopt the still young

faith.

The Egyptian branch of Christianity is called the Coptic Church. Unlike other branches of

Christianity, the Coptics believe that Christ was a wholly divine being and not God made flesh.

One in every ten Egyptians is a Coptic today. The Coptic Church has its own Pope, and many

ceremonies are still held in the ancient Coptic language.

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The Holy Family's Journey

If you know the bible well, you'll remember that Jesus and the Holy family fled from Bethlehem to

Egypt, seeking refuge from a bloodthirsty King Herod. They made an arduous 2,000km trek by

donkey over four years which took them over 30 different places in Egypt, from Al-Farma down to the Al-Muharraq monastery.

Needless to say, the Holy Family's Journey is an extremely important event in the Coptic tradition,

and they celebrate Jesus' arrival in Egypt every year on June 1st (the 24th day of the Coptic month Bashans).

Coptic Monuments

Alexandria was once one of the major seats of the Roman Empire and many beautiful Coptic monuments record the great triumphs of those years of glory.

Virgin's Tree

Many places are named in honour of the Virgin Mary, but the Virgin's tree is one of very few to

have been visited by Mary herself with young Jesus by her side.

They're thought to have taken shelter beneath the tree's bowed branches, refreshing themselves

from the same spring that waters its old roots.

Al-Muallaqa (Hanging) Church

Dating the al-Muallaqa church definitively has proven difficult due to its various makeovers

throughout the years, but it was completed sometime between the seventh and ninth century on

top of what was the Water Gate on the southern wall of the fortress of Babylon. In fact, the gate

is still visible through a hole in the baptistery's floor.

The church's two bell towers soar to an awe-inspiring 13m at their highest peak. Beneath its

hallowed vaulted ceilings, the major events of the Coptic calendar are celebrated to a spectacular

effect. During the Enthronement of the Patriarch, its impressive collection of censers, chalices and

crosses in gold, silver and gilt go on full display.

Saint Catherine's Monastery

It was at the top of Mt Sinai that Moses received the ten commandments from God. At its base,

besides what is rumoured to be the burning bush of biblical fame, is the Greek Orthodox

Monastery of Saint Catherine.

The monastery was named after an early Christian martyr from Alexandria and the Emperor

Justinian had a basilica built to house her recovered remains many centuries later. Today, the

church is lined with spectacularly ornate icons and scriptural paintings. Its monastery museum is

home to the world's second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Coptic and Georgian.

Church of Mar Guirguis (St George)

Not to be confused with England's dragon-slaying hero, Mar Guirguis was an early martyr from

Palestine, put to death by the Romans in the fourth century. The first church to bear his name

was built some six centuries later.

The elegant circular domed church you see today stands on its fire-ravaged remains, built at the

turn of the twentieth century. Inside, the church is bathed in the magnificent multicoloured glow of its striking stained glass windows.

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The Coptic Museum (Old Cairo)

Just approaching it's first century, the Coptic Museum in Cairo is a treasure trove of relics from

Egypt's early Christians, where you can find : scraps of painted textiles, manuscripts and icons,

frescoes and carvings in wood, ivory, glass and stone.

Behind its understated scallop-shell archways, the 13 halls of the old wing are currently

undergoing a massive face-lift. However, the 17 halls of the new wing house the bulk of the

exhibits and an enclosed garden.

Church of Abu Serga (St Sergius)

Built on the site where the Holy Family is said to have taken refuge on the flight into Egypt.

Church of St Barbara The church supposedly holds the relics of the saint.

Church of Abu Mina (St Mena)

Church of Abu Sefein (St Macarius)

Islamic monuments

In 642 AD, the Byzantine Empire (the empire that introduced Christianity to Europe) was

conquered by an army of Arabs and Egypt became part of an expanding Islamic Empire. Islam

became the dominant religion and it's stayed that way ever since. Today, nine out of ten Egyptians are Muslim.

A new capital was established at Fustat, the first Islamic city of Egypt (modern day Cairo). When

the Fatimids invaded in 969 AD, they built a new seat of power and Fustat became al-Qahirah (the

official name of the city of Cairo). Only traces of their legacy survive to this day. It was the

legendary Saladin who finally vanquished the Fatimids in the twelfth century and he built the magnificent Citadel as we know it today.

Regarding the Fatimids, the Mamluks and the Ottomans, each dynasty left its own unique mark

through elegant domed mosques, "Madrassas" and mausoleums, with slender, soaring minarets.

Well over a millennium of uninterrupted Islamism, Egypt has a wealth of architectural, historical and religious mosques and these are just a few of the 'must-see' across the country.

The Citadel (Cairo)

The seat of Egypt's power and the lifeblood of Cairo for seven centuries, the Citadel was Saladin's creation of an imperial Islamic complex with unrivalled views over the medieval city.

Partly a palace, partly an inaccessible fortress, the Citadel is split into three different sections

inside its tremendous walls. Though entirely Islamic, its myriad mosques and palaces were shaped by different kingdoms.

The Ottomans rebuilt the Citadel in their own image. Mohammed Ali's nineteenth century typically

Turkish Mosque dominates the entire city. Its bubble-like domes loom over the modern city

skyline. The Mosque of an-Nasr Mohammed, with its towering spiral minarets, is the only of

Mamluk's fine buildings to survive the Ottoman's demolition derby.

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Today, the Citadel's grand palaces have been given a new lease of life to their medieval masters as modern museums.

Mosque of Amr Ibn al-As

It was Amr Ibn al-As who brought Islam to Egypt, and his namesake was Egypt's first ever

mosque. In fact, it's the oldest mosque in Africa, as well as one of the most unconventional.

The original mosque was rather rudimentary, rumoured to be built of mud bricks, palm trunks and

leaves. What you see today is the result of endless re-invention. Most striking is the conspicuous

absence of the usual minaret or domed roof. With its rectangular figure, clean lines and eclectic clash of styles, it looks as different to the average mosque today as it must have then.

Al-Azhar Mosque

It was the Fatimids of Tunisia who built the Al-Azhar Mosque in 970 AD, with its myriad minarets

and assortment of domes. The modern day mosque has evolved architecturally over many

centuries.

But its purpose and status remain unchanged as It is still the epicentre of study and teaching for

Egypt's Sunni Muslims to this day. Al-Azhar's Mosque is not just a religious school, it is a fully

fledged academic institution, the equivalent of the Ancient Greek academies only older. Lectures no longer happen in the mosque itself, but it is still the official home of the university.

Mohammed Ali Mosque

No, not that Mohammed Ali, this Mohammed Ali ushered in Egypt's modern age. Now the finest

jewel in Cairo's fantastic Citadel and an unmissable part of the city skyline, this is a modern

mosque, in honour of a thoroughly modern man.

Designed in the grand Ottoman style by a Greek architect, the construction of the alabaster began

in 1830. It opened its sacred door 27 years later. Its needle-like minarets pierce the clouds at a

dizzying 270 feet.

The Blue Mosque (The Aqsunqur Mosque)

The Blue Mosque gets its name from its most spectacular feature, a blue mosaic of majolica tiles

that cover the eastern wall. The Blue Mosque is a Mamluk monument, commissioned by Prince

Aqsunqur al-Nassery in 1347. It's also renowned for its unorthodox 4 storey minaret, its magnificent marble mihrab, and its vine leaf and grape patterned Minbar (pulpit).

Mosque of Sultan Hassan (Cairo)

Standing at the foot of the Citadel, this building (1356-1362) is a perfect example of Mameluk

architecture – austere and imposing outside, curving and spacious inside. The Rifai Mosque

opposite, where kings Farouk and Fouad and the Shah of Iran are buried, is merely a showy

pastiche constructed at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Mausoleum of Aga Khan (Aswan)

The Mausoleum of the Agha Khan, an austere and isolated building, overlooks the river. The

tomb’s architecture was inspired by that of the Cairo Fatimids and it was built at the request of

the begum, wife of the forty-eighth imam of the Ismaili sect of Islam, who died in 1957. The

begum still has her house below and closed the mausoleum to the public in 1997 to allow the

deceased to rest in peace away from the bustle of the living.

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Mosque of Al-Muayyad (Cairo)

Two beautiful minarets which can be climbed for a beautiful view of the city.

Al-Refai Mosque (Cairo)

The Rifai Mosque, where kings Farouk and Fouad and the Shah of Iran are buried, is located in

Salah Al-Din square at the Citadel north of Sultan Hassan mosque.

Mosque of Qaitbay (Cairo)

Anyone keen on Mameluk architecture will want to visit the two mausoleums of Qaitbay and

Barkuk in the northern part of the necropolis (El-Khalifa).

BEACHES

The Mediterranean offers stunning azure water and you'll find Egyptians flocking to its beautiful

beaches.

Along the coastline between Sallum and Alexandria you can still find quiet places such as Sidi

Abdel Rahman, an unspoilt beauty spot west of El Alamein.

If diving in turquoise waters and discovering exotic creatures of the deep is your goal, choose the

Red Sea Coast. It stretches for more than 800 km from Suez in the north to the village of

Shalatein, near the border of Sudan.

Mediterranean beaches

Since the 1990s, the coast west of Alexandria has offered a wide range of seaside resorts. Tourist

complexes include sports and shopping centres and, in some cases, marinas. In summer the

climate here is gentler than on the Red Sea and the wonderful white sandy beaches attract many

holidaymakers. As elsewhere in Egypt, natural beauty and archaeological remains are found side-

by-side offering the possibility of multi-interest holidays.

Mariut

15 km west of Alexandria. The region’s climate is ideal for spa tourism and relaxation. In addition

to Lake Mariut, there are the extensive remains of the early Christian city of Abu Mena.

Agami

25 km west of Alexandria. Now the meeting-place for the jet set, the village of Agami has been

nicknamed the "Egyptian Saint-Tropez‖ and fashionable restaurants, nightclubs, luxury cars and

villas abound. Swimming is only possible from private beaches such as Bianci Beach.

Abu Sir

50 km west of Alexandria. Abu Sir is the name given by the Bedouins to the ancient Ptolemaic city

of Taposiris Magna. All that remains of the city today is the 30m-high lighthouse, a quarter-sized

replica of the one which stood at Alexandria. There are three lovely beaches nearby.

Borg el-Arab

60 km west of Alexandria.

A new town founded by President Mubarak in 1988, Borg el-Arab has become a prestigious

destination thanks to the arrival of the Hilton Hotel. The beach is perfect for water sports and an

ideal playground for children.

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Sidi Abdel Rahman

125 km from Alexandria.

This wonderful bay is one of the best-kept secrets of the whole coast. The village has managed to

preserve its traditional Bedouin way of life and remains relatively underdeveloped, guaranteeing

an air of authenticity. Today only the El-Alamein Hotel caters for visitors seeking out pristine,

family beaches.

Red Sea beaches

With its enchanting technicolour coral reefs, the Red Sea Riviera has seduced divers and

snorkellers for decades. But its sun-drenched, powdery sands and lively resorts are tempting

enough by themselves.

From the earthy buzz of Hurghada on the western coast to the sophisticated charms of Sharm el-

Sheikh on the mountainous Sinai Peninsula, there's a Red Sea resort to suit sun seekers, culture

vultures, amateur archaeologists and even ardent adventurers.

When you've lounged around on its silvery sands and soaked up enough sun, there's plenty to

explore just beyond Sharm el-Sheik. Ras Mohammed National Park is for nature lovers with its

majestic birds, graceful gazelles and striped and spotted fish.

And, St. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai is just a short trip away. It's an absolute

must for history buffs.

GOLF

Picture yourself teeing off in the shadow of the Great Pyramids and the thoroughly modern

decadence of Cairo's Mirage City, with the Alexandria Sporting Club's colourful exotic birds flying

overhead and greens set against stunning landscapes, ancient monuments and luxurious hotels.

Where better to perfect your swing than on Egypt's fine fairways.

From Cairo to Luxor, every area has its own flagship courses. The worlds greatest golfers have

designed their own custom courses from Gary Player to Arthur Davis.

And with rain being rare, you don't have to worry about getting soaked before you've reached the

18th hole !

SAFARI

Experienced guides take their visitors to Bedouin encampments to discover the nomadic culture.

Invariably there is an invitation to take tea and share the fruits of the oasis.

When on safari, it is possible to observe the species which have adapted to the difficult climatic

conditions. Among them are the Agama, a lizard in a bright variety of colours, the small Dorcas

Gazelle, which bounds along at up to 80 km/hr, and the wild ass. The desert is also home to a

wide range of plants, some of which have therapeutic properties.

Whilst 4 x 4s have gradually replaced the caravans of camels, the latter make any voyage of

discovery more relaxed and offer the ideal mode of transport for an outing at sunset. After

nightfall, a Bedouin-style barbecue under the stars provides the perfect end to the day.

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Two regions of Egypt are particularly suited to safaris:

- To the west of the Nile, the Western Desert contains numerous oases. Scattered in a wide arc

like islands in an ocean of sand, the oases are accessible from Cairo and Luxor. In both cases, a

week is needed for exploring these desert wonders and, in particular, visiting the Dakhla Oasis

where the inhabitants have preserved their traditional settlement. The White Desert with its

astonishing limestone formations and the Black Desert with its black, pyramidal hills are another

two stopover sites en route.

- The desert on the Sinai Peninsula adds a spiritual dimension to the rich array of landscapes in

this region. At the summit of Mount Moses (Mount Sinai) or in the coloured canyon close to

Nuweiba, the atmosphere of serenity can be experienced to the full. A safari to south Sinai is not

complete without a visit to the biggest of the region’s oases, Wadi Feiran.

Jeep safaris

Jeep safaris offer the excitement of rough riding over the desert with all the mod cons like air

conditioning. There's plenty of culture to soak up too, on either a half or a full day outing. With

your trained guide, you'll visit typical Bedouin camps and experience their unique nomadic culture

for yourself.

You'll also get the chance to go camel riding into the sunset, before sitting down to a candlelit

barbecue dinner beneath the stars.

Full day safaris

Most jeep tours offer full day safaris. With a full action packed itinerary, you'll get the chance to

go dune bashing and sand surfing. Like snowboarding, but in powdery sands instead of snow,

you'll hike to the top of a sandy ridge before strapping on your board and swooshing your way

down to the bottom. After a day of action and adventure, you'll sit down to dinner beneath the

stars. For the full experience, look for a camp with traditional food and belly-dancers.

Quad Bike Safaris

Fancy putting yourself in the driver's seat ? Grab a qualified guide, jump onto a quad bike and get

ready to go tearing across the desert sands. Sand biking offers enough challenge for even the

most seasoned pro's.

Overnight Camel Safaris

For the most authentic desert experience, there's no substitute for an overnight camel trek.

See the shifting colours of the sky and sand as the sun sets and rises and as the moonlight casts

its night-time glow. Surrounded by sandscapes that seem to stretch to the horizon, it's a

humbling and moving experience, not just a physical journey but a spiritual one too.

AFTER SUNSET

Egypt isn't just for beach bunnies and culture vultures. Once the sun goes down, Egypt's lively

resorts spring into life with bars and night-clubs, discotheques and casinos, all open from

sundown to sunrise or even 24 hours a day. Cosmopolitan Cairo has the lions share of night-clubs

and bars, with all their international hotels competing to put on the most spectacular shows.

If you want to hit the dance floor, you'll be looking for discotheques. But if you'd rather let

someone else do the dancing for you, go to a night-club. They entertain you with their live shows

while you eat, drink and chat the night away.

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But it's not all noise and mayhem. If your idea of night-life is more cultural, you can go cruising

down the Nile at sunset or beneath the glittering stars. Otherwise, you can immerse yourself in

Egypt's traditional coffee-house culture by sampling a fruity, bubbly shisha pipe or by tasting

sumptuous Egyptian and Lebanese dishes.

Bars & Restaurants

With a cultural heritage that's been coloured by all of the great Mediterranean cultures, Egyptian

cooking is a fabulous combination of different dishes. It's sumptuous delicacies are seasoned with

a host of exotic spice, from mouthwatering bite-sized mezze to charcoal-grilled skewers of chicken

or stuffed lamb. Nothing washes a meal down better than a cup of steaming mint tea or an

intense shot of arabic coffee with a piece of sweet baklava on the side.

But it's not all so traditional, there are plenty of contemporary restaurants serving up modern

twists of the old favourites. From the traditional to the trendy, you can easily find an atmosphere

to suit your mood. And after dinner, Egyptian bars are a good place to sample the local lagers and

wines.

Coffee Houses

Modern Coffee Houses

When you talk about Egyptian coffee houses, most people will naturally imagine it's more

traditional ones. But there are plenty of modern coffee shops where you can get your dose of

caffeine, whether you're after an arabic concoction or a more western cup of cappuccino.

And there are always plenty of fresh juices and teas on offer if you want to soak up the

conversation without all the caffeine.

Traditional Coffee Houses

For a taste of real Egypt, you have to experience its famous traditional coffee house culture. Down

every alley and on every corner, you'll find Egyptian men huddling over backgammon tables or

relaxing over a bubbling shisha pipe filled with sweet, fruity tobacco.

Just like western coffee houses, these are gathering places where friends get together to tell a

joke or two, play a game or debate the hot topics of the day.

Amusement parks & Casinos

In some ways, Egypt is like the ultimate amusement park. Real pyramids and temples to explore,

real camels and boats to ride, real mummies and mystical mythology. You are constantly

surrounded by all of the excitement and adventure that make theme parks so magical.

But sometimes children prefer make believe monuments to real life history. Egypt has plenty of

amusement parks to keep them entertained too, like the American-style Dream Park, Family

Land, Cairo's Al-Fustat Garden and Sindbad.

Being an Islamic country, you wouldn't really expect gambling to be very high on the agenda.

Nevertheless, Cairo has its fair share of casinos where you can practice your poker face, pit your

wits against the blackjack dealers or risk the spin of the roulette wheel.

Every casino has its own house rules, and it's a good idea to read up on them before you place

your bets.

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Shopping

Whether you're after souvenirs or spices, sequins or shishas, you can give your wallet a workout

in Egypt's traditional souqs or modern-day malls.

In its bustling bazaars, you can pick up everything from exquisite jewellery to hand-woven

carpets, papyrus paintings, pipes and perfumes.

Herb shops serve up ancient remedies like licorice powders and other mysterious medicines.

But there's plenty to satisfy contemporary tastes with the sprawling western style-shopping malls

in the major urban centres, catering for fashion victims and die-hard spendaholics!

Modern Shopping

Cairo's seen an explosion of western-style shopping malls over the past decade with the average

mall boasting up to 500 local shops and international chains. You can shop for your favorite

brands or be daring and try something completely different.

Egyptian malls aren't just places to shop, they're places to socialise with friends and families. At

weekends, families from Cairo often meet up in one of its many malls. There are plenty of places

to stop off at and recuperate like coffee shops and full-blown food courts.

Traditional Shopping (Markets and Bazaars)

The Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

Built at the tail end of the fourteenth century, the magnificent Khan el-Khalili is the biggest bazaar

in Egypt and the Middle East. It fulfils the ultimate orientalist fantasy with its ramshackle

corridors, brightly coloured stalls, heady scent of incense and the din of its hagglers. It's just like

a virtual Aladdin's cave with its meandering maze of stalls glittering with endless lamps and

lanterns in gold, copper and silver.

The air is heavy with the smells of its essential oils and multicoloured mounds of herbs and spices.

Though swamped by souvenirs, there are real treasures to be found from backgammon boards to

beautiful boxes inlaid intricately with mother-of-pearl.

Wellness

Socrates himself was singing the praises of Egypt's healing therapies and spas some thousands of

years ago. While Aswan was renowned for its rheumatic remedies, ancient tourists swarmed to

Safaga to cure certain skin diseases such as psoriasis.

Whether you want to bathe in sand or salt-rich seas, soak yourself in hot springs or wrap yourself

in curative clay, Egypt has centuries of experience in catering for its therapy keen tourists.

Aswan:

Good for traditional Nubian therapies and environmental therapies including sand bathing and

massages.

New Valley:

With an abundance of bubbling hot springs, the hot water wells of the New Valley are naturally

heated between 35-45 degrees all year round. You can also opt for sand bathing or sample

various traditional medicinal herbs.

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Red Sea:

The whole Red Sea coast including Marsa Alam and Safaga offers a practically perfect climate for

healing in rich mineral waters, with up to 35% more salt than the average sea.

Old Helwan:

With its hot sulphuric springs containing natural clay with therapeutical properties, Old Helwan is

famous for curing numerous bone, skin, kidney and respiratory diseases as well as other

problems. The Helwan springs have been renowned for their healing powers for thousands of

years.

Oyoun Mossa and Hammam Pharaon :

As well as having the most sulphuric waters in the world, both Oyoun Mossa and Hammam

Pharaon boast a warm, dry climate that's perfect for recuperating. Their success rate for curing all

kinds of aches and pains is astonishingly high.

Other noteworthy sites :

The Siwa Oasis, Hamamat Cleopatra, Gabal Takrour, Helwan, Hurghada and Fayoum Oasis are

also famous for their climatic therapies.

REF: Ministry of Tourism – Egypt

Egypt and 7000 years of History

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