Egypt
Explore the Wonders of this Enchanting Country
HERE YOU WILL FIND THE MOST UNIQUE FACTS ABOUT THE BEST PLACES OF EGYPT. THEN YOU CAN CHOOSE TO EMAIL US ABOUT THE PLACES THAT YOU FIND MOST INTRIGUING SO WE CAN HOOK YOU UP WITH THE BEST TOUR OUT OF WHICH YOU CAN GET THE MOST FULFILLING EXPLORATION EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN ALSO EDIT EVEN TAILOR-MAKE YOUR OWN JOURNEY, NOT TO MENTION FOR THE BEST OF PRICES. WELCOME, TO THE ENDLESS FASCINATION OF EGYPT
the Beauty and Rich History of Egypt
Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt. It is also the largest city in the Middle East and the Arab World.
The official language of Egypt is Arabic, but don’t worry—many people also speak English, and if you know French, it will help a lot in Egypt as well.
The official name of Egypt is The Arab Republic of Egypt.
The population of Egypt is 102.3 million as of 2020.
The first humans in Egypt date back to 8000 years but the ancient civilization that we have come to know was established around 3000 BC.
Egypt has been under the control of the Roman Empire, the Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom, Muslim Forces, and even the English throughout the centuries.
Ancient Egyptians were pioneers in the fields of mathematics, architecture, and medicine, leaving a lasting impact on the world with their innovative advancements and knowledge.
Do you know that the hieroglyphs, an ancient language once used by the Egyptians, has about 700 symbols? Can you imagine learning this language? Why not give it a try when you go? Maybe you’ll be able to read some ancient symbols on some tombs.
Do you know that Egypt is also home to seven of the UNESCO World Heritage sites? That’s right, Egypt has a lot to offer! The seven sites are Abu Mena, Historic Cairo, Abu Simbel, Saint Catherine, Wadi Al-Hitan (aka Whale Valley in the western desert of Egypt) and Memphis and its Necropolis, and Ancient Thebes. Have you been to any of them?
The only remaining monument of the seven ancient wonders of the world is still standing in Egypt. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza, in El Giza, Egypt, has stood the test of time. The Pyramids of Giza are located in the capital city of Cairo and are as awe-inspiring as they always have been. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest of all the pyramids, and it was built to house the Pharoah Khufu in the fourth century. Today, it is known as the Pyramid of Cheops.
The ancient Egyptians divided Egypt into two lands, the desert, and the Nile Valley. Contrary to what you would think, upper Egypt is located in the South and Lower Egypt is north. That is because the Nile flows north towards the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River Delta is actually fertile land where you will find farmland.
There are three deserts in Egypt, the Western Desert,(aka the Libyan Desert) the Eastern Desert, (aka the Arabian Desert), and the Great Sand Sea which is a portion of the Sahara Desert.
You probably don’t know this, but the calendar that we use today was invented by ancient Egyptians. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the first calendar known to humankind was invented in Egypt. In fact, it is the year 6264 in the Egyptian calendar.
The ancient Egyptians used the 12-month calendar like we do today. However, each month was always 30 days which meant that their years were only 360 days in total causing the years to fall out of sync with the seasons. So to make up for the lost time, they held a 5 day festival at the end of each year.
Egypt, travel destination, ancient civilization, historical sites, cultural heritage
1. Unveiling the Magnificent Pyramids of Giza
You cannot miss visiting the pyramids when you travel to Cairo, they can be seen from all over the city. The Pyramid of Khufu is massive, standing at a height of 146.7 meters (481 feet). Plus, it is so massive it is estimated to weigh the same as 16 Empire State Buildings
The largest Egyptian pyramid in the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza is 449 feet tall and 756 feet long on each side. At the time it was constructed the pyramid was 481 feet high, but over time the pyramid lost 31 feet from the top. Nonetheless, it is still one of the largest structures in the world, reaching well above the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
How such a huge construction was made from solid blocks of stone has been the subject of discussion and debate for centuries, at a time when there would have been no access to the heavy-lifting machinery of today.
The whole structure of the Pyramid of Giza is estimated to weigh 5.7 million tons, with each of the 2.3 million blocks of stone in its structure weighing around 3 tons.
Such a colossal volume of stones would have to be transported from quarries near and far, and some of them would have been carried more than 500 miles to the desired site. In order to move them, researchers believe the Egyptians used wooden sledges which were pulled across the desert sand, but they would have had to wet the sand first in order to make moving the vehicles across the uneven surface of sand easier.
The Pyramid of Giza is one of the oldest surviving monuments in the world, a great testament to the engineering ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians. Scholars estimate the pyramid was built more than 4,500 years ago, during the fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt, when the empire was ruled by the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, who began planning the construction of the monument not long after taking up his leadership.
Only a few of our amazing tours are present to book on the website, as we are careful to provide you with the best and safest experience. However, we will be uploading many more very soon for your to pick your favorite. Why not go ahead and give us a ring to tailor make your very own? For now your can sneek a peek at our
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, ancient wonders, pharaohs, Egyptian architecture
2. Exploring the Mysteries of the Valley of the Kings
The main purpose of Valley of the Kings was to bury the pharaohs between 1539 BC to 1075 BC. Archaeologists have so far discovered 63 tombs and more are yet to be discovered.
Thutmose I was the first ruler to be buried there and the last one believed to be Ramses XI. Different rulers, pharaohs and queens were buried in the Valley of Kings.
These rulers were the only ones buried here. Other royal family members were buried in small rock chambers near the king’s tomb.
Being the final resting place for the kings, the tombs were decorated befitting the kings’ status. Entrances to these tombs were hidden to keep the treasures buried with the kings and queens safe from grave robbers.
Before the Valley of the Kings was established, several tombs of the pharaohs were vandalized. It was common knowledge that the kings were buried with precious gold and other treasures. They believed that they would need them in the next life.
These treasures would attract unwanted attention from robbers. Several tombs were vandalized and all their treasures were stolen. The Valley of Kings, a remote location, was identified and secluded as a royal burial ground. These new graves were deep and had long corridors. Some shafts were intentionally dug to confuse tomb raiders. Inside the tombs were storage chambers where furniture, jewels and any other treasure were stored.
King Tutankhamun is said to be one of the most important pharaohs to ever lived. He became a king while still a child after the demise of his father Rameses 1.
He died after an accident and was buried with a lot of precious treasures. His tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.
Feel free to refer to Classical Egypt Tour
Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun's tomb, archaeological treasures, burial ground
3. Cruising Along the Majestic Nile River
Ancient Egyptians revered the Nile as their source of life, but it was inevitably shrouded in mystery. It would be for centuries, too, as expeditions repeatedly failed to find its source, with Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans often foiled by a region called the Sudd (in what's now South Sudan), where the Nile forms a vast swamp. This fed the river's mystique, and it's why classical Greek and Roman art sometimes portrayed it as a god with a hidden face.
The Blue Nile gave up its secrets first, and an expedition from ancient Egypt may have even traced it back to Ethiopia. The White Nile's source proved much more elusive, though, despite many efforts to find it—including those by Scottish explorer David Livingstone, who was rescued from one mission in 1871 by Welsh journalist Henry Morton Stanley, via the famous quote "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" European explorers had only recently found Lake Victoria, and after Livingstone died in 1873, Stanley was one of many who helped confirm its link to the Nile, along with the prolific East African guide and explorer Sidi Mubarak Bombay.
The search still hadn't ended, however. The White Nile begins even before Lake Victoria, although not everyone agrees where. There is the Kagera River, which flows into Lake Victoria from Lake Rweru in Burundi, but it too receives water from two other tributaries: the Ruvubu and the Nyabarongo, which flows into Lake Rweru. The Nyabarongo is also fed by the Mbirurume and Mwogo rivers, which arise from Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest, and some consider this to be the farthest source of the Nile.
The Nile flows north for about 6,650 kilometers (4,132 miles), from the African Great Lakes through the Sahara desert before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. It goes through 11 countries: Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt, and it drains 3.3 million square kilometers (1.3 million miles), or about 10% of the African continent. (The map here, a composite of NASA satellite images, spans from Lake Victoria to the Nile Delta.)
The Nile is widely considered Earth's longest river, but that title isn't as simple as it sounds. Aside from just measuring, it also depends on how we decide where each begins and ends, which can be tricky in big, complex river systems.
Scientists tend to go by the longest continuous channel in a system, but that may still leave room for ambiguity. The Nile is only slightly longer than the Amazon River, for example, and in 2007 a team of Brazilian scientists announced they had remeasured the Amazon and found it to be 6,800 km (4,225 miles) long, thus dethroning the Nile. Their study wasn't published, though, and many scientists are skeptical about its methods. The Nile is still generally credited as the world's longest river by sources from the United Nations to the Guinness Book of World Records, although the Amazon also boasts plenty of superlatives, including the world's largest river by volume since it holds about 20% of Earth's freshwater.
Check out Old Cairo Cultural Day
Nile River cruise, luxury ships, scenic views, ancient temples and ruins along the riverbanks
4. Immersing Yourself in Ancient Egyptian History at Luxor and Karnak Temples
The Karnak temple complex at Luxor developed over more than 1,000 years, principally between the Twelfth and Twentieth Dynasties. It was, at its peak, the largest and most important religious complex in ancient Egypt. The most significant structure, and the largest religious building ever built, is the Temple of Amun-Ra, considered to be where that god lived on earth with his wife, Mut, and son, Khonsu, who also have temples at the site. The Temple of Amun-Ra is particularly famous for the vast Hypostyle Hall constructed during the reign of Seti I. After Memphis became the new dynastic capital, many of Luxor’s temples declined in importance. In later centuries, Ptolemaic rulers and Coptic Christians altered parts of the complex for their own uses.
The Karnak Temple is a massive temple complex to which dozens of pharaohs added their own constructions. The area was in constant development and use between the Middle Kingdom (2080–1640 B.C.) and the early Christian period. The immense size of the complex, as well as its various architectural, artistic, and linguistic details make it an invaluable historical site and resource for understanding the evolution of ancient Egypt, and thus its conservation is critical. Because of its long history of construction and functionality, the gods worshipped at Karnak range from some of the earliest Egyptian deities to some of the latest, thus offering an impressive presentation of ancient Egyptian religious practices and beliefs.
Vast and full of fascinating sites, Karnak Temple is Egypt’s second-most visited site (following the Giza pyramids) and today constitutes Karnak Open Air Museum. Most people take a couple ofhours at the Karnak Temple, but this is only really enough to scratch the surface of this ancient complex, seeing only the Precinct of Amun-Re.
Closed to the public, the Precincts of Mut and Montu along with the deliberately dismantled Temple of Amenhotep IV are in differing processes of restoration, having been used to build other buildings. Nevertheless, this unmissable site available to explore is an overwhelming ancient treasure, its pillars dramatically lit up with afternoon sunshine.
Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple Complex, temple ruins, hieroglyphics
5. Relaxing at the Breathtaking Beaches of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada
The name Sharm El Sheikh means “Sheikh’s Bay” in Arabic. The city takes its name from the bay that surrounds it, which in the past was a stopping place for caravans traveling along the Silk Road. According to legend, the bay was discovered by a Bedouin sheikh who settled there with his tribe. The place was given the name Sharm el Sheikh in honor of the sheik. Today, the city has become a world-famous tourist destination, but still retains the charm of its thousand-year history.
Sharm el Sheikh is a city located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. The city is famous for its white sandy beaches and the crystal clear waters of the Red Sea, but it also offers some geographical and natural curiosities. One of these is the Ras Mohamed National Park, located a few kilometers from the city. The park is a nature reserve, home to a diverse range of flora and fauna including over two hundred species of coral and one thousand species of fish.
Another curiosity of the area is the Colored Canyon, a multicolored rock gorge located a short distance from the city of Nuweiba in the mountain desert. The landscape that greets your eyes is a mixture of a tropical marine scenario with that of the desert and the mountains. In some parts of the Canyon, the walls reach 40 meters in height.
Sharm El Sheikh is a perfect destination for nature and geology lovers who can discover these natural wonders during their luxury holiday.
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6. Indulging in Authentic Egyptian Cuisine and Experiencing Local Culture
Egyptian cuisine makes heavy use of poultry, legumes, vegetables and fruit from Egypt's rich Nile Valley and Delta. Examples of Egyptian dishes include rice-stuffed vegetables and grape leaves, hummus, falafel, shawarma, kebab and kofta. ful medames, mashed fava beans; kushari, lentils and pasta; and molokhiya, bush okra stew. A local type of pita bread known as eish baladi (Egyptian Arabic: عيش بلدي) is a staple of Egyptian cuisine, and cheesemaking in Egypt dates back to the First Dynasty of Egypt, with Domiati being the most popular type of cheese consumed today.
Egyptian cuisine relies heavily on vegetables and legumes, but can also feature meats, most commonly squab, chicken, and lamb. Lamb and beef are frequently used for grilling. Offal is a popular fast food in cities, and foie gras is a delicacy that has been prepared in the region since at least 2500 BCE. Fish and seafood are common in Egypt's coastal regions. A significant amount of Egyptian cuisine is vegetarian, due to both the historically high price of
meat and the needs of the Coptic Christian community, whose religious restrictions require essentially vegan diets for much of the year. Tea is the national drink of Egypt, and beer is the
most popular alcoholic beverage. Islam is the majority faith in Egypt and observant Muslims tend to avoid alcohol.
Egyptian cuisine,Egyptian street food,Cultural experiences,Cairo markets
