Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. It was founded in the year 969 A.D. making it more than 1040 years old. One of Cairo nicknames is “The City of a Thousand Minarets” for its preponderance of Islamic architecture; Cairo has long been a centre of the region’s political and cultural life. Cairo was founded by the Fatimid dynasty in the 10th century AD.; but the land composing the present-day city was the site of national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo.

Cairo is also associated with Ancient Egypt due to its proximity to the ancient cities of Memphis, Giza and Fustat which are nearby to the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza. There are also ancient temples, tombs, gorgeous Christian churches, magnificent Muslim monuments, and of course, the Egyptian Antiquities Museum all either within or nearby to the city.

Cairo is an amazing city full of life and movements, and it is that way almost 24 hours a day. The city provides great culture; including art galleries and music halls, such as the Cairo Opera House, Sawy Culture Wheel, Ahmed Shawky Museum as well it should being one of the largest cities in the world.

It also provides accommodations fitting every budget from the grandest in the world to budget hotels and hostels.

Cairo has the world’s second-oldest institution of higher learning, al-Azhar University. Many international media, businesses, and organizations have regional headquarters in the city, and the Arab League has had its headquarters in Cairo for most of its existence.

Also Cairo has the oldest and largest film and music industries in the Arab World

Cairo, like many other mega-cities, suffers from high levels of pollution and traffic, but its metro – the only one on the African continent until the Algiers Metro began service on November 1, 2011 – also ranks among the fifteen busiest in the world, with over 700 million passenger rides annually. The economy of Cairo was ranked first in the Middle East, and 43rd globally by Foreign Policy’s 2010 Global Cities Index.

Luxor, situated about 640 km (400 miles) south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, Luxor was the capital of Egypt during the Middle and New kingdoms, holding the seat of power for more than thirteen centuries. In antiquity, Luxor was called Thebes. Renowned Greek historian, Homer, called Thebes “the one hundred-gated city” because of its buildings and large gates. The city grew over the years, and the Arab Muslims, impressed by its beautiful palaces and huge edifices, re-named it Luxor, meaning “the city of palaces”.

Today, visitors are still awed by this city, made immortal by its huge, pillared-monuments along both banks of the Nile. Luxor is the world’s greatest open-air museum filled with awe-inspiring monuments of ancient civilizations. In the east stands the City of the Living, where the life-giving sun rises; and in the west lays the City of the Dead, where the sun, in its never-ending orbit, bids farewell to life. Surrounded by modern shops and luxury hotels, the temples, tombs and palaces still stand in sandstone and granite, as symbol of the desire for immortality and eternity.

Luxor is unique among the cities of the world. A visitor can walk through history, past statues with heads of gods and animals, beneath pillars carved with lotus buds and papyrus. You can ride in a horse-drawn carriage, sail aboard a felucca, take a sunset cruise, and even see the city from a hot-air balloon! Wherever you tread, you feel you are experiencing the past and the present simultaneously. There is hardly a place in this city that does not have a relic that tells of the grandeur of the ancient Egyptians.

Aswan is one of the sunniest cities in Egypt, offering a delightful beauty and a relaxed atmosphere, with a warm and dry climate. Located about 890 km south of Cairo, and 180 km south of Luxor, it has a more African ambience than any other city in Egypt. It has long been known as the “Gate of Africa”, and much of its charms come from the River Nile. Life here is slow-paced and relaxed, and its setting on the Nile is gorgeous. Boats sail by gracefully, and floating restaurants offer rhythmic Nubian music and delicious fresh fish.

The Nile in Aswan is at its best, flowing gently around bright green islands adorned with tropical foliage. The local souk (market) is filled with the exotic scents of spices and perfumes. Handmade baskets are piled high in the market, alongside handmade scarves. The bazaar in Aswan is especially large, and continues past the Fair Gardens, the Nubian Museum and down to the cemetery.

Alexandria, the “Pearl of the Mediterranean,” is a city to explore at random; it’s as important to enjoy its unique atmosphere, as it is to see its sights. It was built about 2300 years ago at the orders of Alexander the Great, and quickly flourished into a prominent cultural, political and economic metropolis. As in ancient times when it was home to Pharos, the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Alexandria still has a very special ambience and a character of its own.

Greco-Roman Alexandria

Alexandria was once the world’s intellectual capital, and the center of learning in ancient times. Its library, built 2400 years ago, was the world’s first university in the world with its college scholars such as Euclid of Alexandria, who is often referred to as the “Father of Geometry”, and it also served as a publishing house. Tragically, a fire destroyed the Ancient Library, but an international project to revive it was completed in 2000. It now houses over 4 million volumes, 100,000 manuscripts, a conference center, science museum, planetarium and a school of information studies.

The Roman Theater

Built between the 2nd and the 4th centuries A.D., the Roman Theater in Alexandria had marble seats for 800 spectators, galleries and sections of mosaic flooring. It was a pleasure garden surrounded by Roman villas and baths. The well-preserved remains of the theater were discovered in 1960, and today it is the only remaining Roman Theater in Egypt.

The Graeco-Roman Museum

You know that you are about to experience something very unique when you enter the Greco-Roman Museum and are greeted by a huge black granite bull (the Egyptian god Apis) and an enormous stone falcon. There is nothing quite like it in the world. The collection contains relics from the Greek, Roman and Christian eras in Egypt. Inside there are statues of all sorts – miniature to life-size – from the various religions represented. Other items of interest are children’s toys, tools, jewelry and a mummified crocodile. You can even learn about the god known as Bes (the god of fun), and see a replica of the commemorative “Rosetta Stone”; an Egyptian stele artifact that allowed the linguists to begin the process of Hieroglyph decipherment. The original “Stone” is put on public display in the British Museum since 1802.

Montazah Palace and Gardens

The Royal Palace of Al-Montazah is built on a low plateau overlooking a sandy white beach and surrounded by formal gardens with trees, palms and flowers. The Palace was designed in a combination of Turkish and Florentine styles, and is now a state guesthouse. Its 1.4 sq km of well-tended pleasure gardens are open to the public, and within the same area are a museum, several beaches, a tourist center, a hotel, fast-food  restaurants and a children’s park.

“The last wonder of the ancient world”

Giza is the third largest city in Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile river, around 20 km southwest of central Cairo. Giza is most famous as the location of the Giza Plateau: the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, including the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples. Giza, sometimes spelt Gizah,

Giza is most famous as the location of the Giza Plateau: the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, including the Great Sphinx, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large pyramids and temples.

The Great Pyramid of Giza at one time was advocated (1884) as the location for the Prime Meridian, a reference point used for determining a base longitude.

The Great Pyramids

Located some 10 miles southwest of downtown Cairo, on the edge of a desert plateau, the three Great Pyramids of Giza rise up majestically. Shrouded in an aura of mystery, there are many myths surrounding them.

The Great Pyramids were built by pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty (Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus). The precise construction techniques used by the ancient builders of the pyramids are still much debated, and there are no documents to shed any light. One current theory is that they were built with overlapping ramps that were extended and raised as the pyramid rose higher. A recent research suggests that the enormous limestone blocks of the body of the pyramid were quarried locally on the Giza plateau itself, and then dragged to the construction site by teams of laborers using huge wooden sledges. The blocks were subsequently covered with a casing (long since lost) of harder limestone slabs, mostly taken from the quarry at Tura, on the opposite bank of the Nile.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to have survived to the present day. It ranked as the tallest structure on earth for over 43 centuries. This pyramid, the most colossal ever built, is 460 feet in height and was built from 7.7 million tons of stone; its base covers an area of 12 acres.

The Great Sphinx

Was carved over 4,500 years ago. It was for the Pharaoh Khafre. It had his head, the body of a lion. The Sphinx was carved out of a huge big stone. It is guarding Khafre’s pyramid. The Sphinx was covered by sand which preserved it all these years. Its body is extremely soft rock and its head is very strong rock. The Sphinx, which embodies the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh, is believed to be the head of Khafre and his guardian spirit for his entire burial complex. Carved from the natural limestone of Giza, the sphinx has disintegrated over the years, entire pieces dropping off to the desert floor below. It is not known to have chambers inside, like those found in the pyramids at Giza.

The Sun Boat

It is situated to the south of the great Pyramid. And was built to contain the Solar Boat of the great king Cheops. The museum is a humidity-controlled pavilion, containing a 43-metre long boat. The boat, made entirely of cedar wood, is over 120 feet long and is about 40 tons displacement. There are many suggestions about the function of the solar boats; first it was used for the soul of the dead accompanied the sun on its eternal journey in the heavens around the world, so a boat or at least a model of a boat was included in every tomb. Moreover; it was used in religious events like pilgrimages and transporting the statue of a god. The arguments are about whether this boat was purely symbolic – part of the burial goods – or whether it was actually used in the funeral procession to transport the body of the king by river to his pyramid complex.

The Nile River is actually 6695 kilo meters (4184 miles) long. With such a long length, the Nile River is speculated to be the longest river in the world. The Amazon River runs a very close second, although it has been difficult to determine which is actually longer. River Nile facts state it winds from Uganda to Ethiopia, flowing through a total of nine countries. While the Nile River is often associated with Egypt, it actually touches Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan, as well as Egypt. It’s only recent that the first known navigation team successfully followed the river from beginning to its end.

The banks of the Nile

How did the ancient Egyptians use the Nile River? – The Nile River has played an extremely important role in the civilization, life and history of the Egyptian nation. One of the most well known river Nile facts is the river’s ability to produce extremely fertile soil, which made it easy for cities and civilizations to spring up alongside the banks of the Nile. The fertile soil is contributed by the annual spring floods, when the Nile River overflows onto the banks. Much of the Egyptian nation consists of dry desert land. Throughout most of the year, very little rain falls on Egyptian deserts. This has remained true for thousands of years. The abundant Nile River provided much needed irrigation, even in ancient times. This waterway also provided a source of drinking water, and source of irrigation for farming as well as papyrus reeds that could be used for a variety of purposes such as paper and building materials.

Nile Crocodile Facts – The Nile Crocodile has been a major component of the Egyptian culture and way of life since the first Egyptians settled along the fertile banks of the Nile. Most Nile Crocodiles are approximately 4 meters in length, although some have been reported as longer. The animals make their nests along the banks of the Nile River, where the female may lay up to 60 eggs at one time. Some three months later the babies are born and are taken to the water by their mother. They will remain with her for at least two years before reaching maturity.

Not only is the Nile River one of the main rivers of Egypt, but many would in fact; say it is the primary river of Egypt. The Nile River has certainly played a critical role in the history of this mysterious nation.

Today, exotic and sophisticated cities like Cairo grace the banks of the Nile River, as they have for thousands of years. Individuals interested in experiencing the Nile up close and personal can journey along the famous river aboard riverboat cruises that depart from numerous cities along the bank.

Edfu (Idfu) was the Greek city of Apollinopolis Magna, and is a religious and commercial center. Located about 33 miles south of Esna and 65 miles north of Aswan, this is a friendly town which produces surgar and pottery. It is also a hub of a road network.  It was the capital of the second nome (Horus) of Upper Egypt. The main attraction in Edfu is the Temple of Horus, which is considered to be the best preserved cult temple in Egypt, but there is a mound of rubble to the west of the Temple which is probably the original old city of Djeba. The town was known as Tbot by the early Egyptians, by the Greeks as Apollinopolis Magna and by Atbo during Coptic times. It was the capital of the second nome (Horus) of Upper Egypt. French and Polish teams have excavated some of the ancient city, finding Old Kingdom mastabas and Byzantine house.

Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu which was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna, after the chief god Horus-Apollo. It is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BCE. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Greco-Roman period in ancient Egypt.

The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu which was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna, after the chief god Horus-Apollo. It is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BCE. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Greco-Roman period in ancient Egypt. In particular, the Temple’s inscribed building texts “provide details of its construction, and also preserve information about the mythical interpretation of this and all other temples as the Island of Creation.” There are also “important scenes and inscriptions of the Sacred Drama which related the age-old conflict between Horus and Seth.” They are translated by the German Edfu-Project.

Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic period, including Dendera, Esna, Kom Ombo and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple, which was begun “on 23 August 237 BCE, initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels.” The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III and completed in 57 BCE under Ptolemy XII. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east-west rather than north-south as in the present site. A ruined pylon lies just to the east of the current temple; inscriptional evidence has been found indicating a building program under the New Kingdom rulers Ramesses I, Seti I and Ramesses II.

The Town of Kom Ombo is located about 41 miles south of Edfu.  Kom Ombo is the ancient site of Ombos, which is from the ancient Egyptian word ‘nubt’, which means ‘City of Gold’. It has been occupied since prehistoric times.  In ancient Egypt, the city was important to the caravan routes from Nubia and various gold mines.  The local industry is primarily agriculture, including irrigated sugar cane and corn.  Besides the native Egyptians, there is a large population of Nubians who were displaced from their land when Lake Nasser was created.  It is a nice place to visit, but is usually a day trip from Aswan.

The major attraction in Kom Ombo is the Temple of Kom Ombo, located on a hill west of the village. There is a wonderful view of the countryside from the Temple, and south of here is the Roman Chapel of Hathor.  It was dedicated to the wife of Horus, and is used to store mummified crocodiles form the nearby animal necropolis and a few sarcophagi.

Kom Ombo Temple

The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic dynasty in the Egyptian town of Kom Ombo. Some additions to it were later made during the Roman period. The building is unique because its ‘double’ design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods.

The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world with Hathor and Khonsu. Meanwhile, the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder, along “with Tasenetnofret (the Good Sister, a special form of Hathor) and Panebtawy (Lord of the Two Lands).” The temple is atypical because everything is perfectly symmetrical along the main axis.

Abu Simbel is about 280 KM away from Aswan, in the southern region of Nubia near the Sudanese border. Here stands the Great Temple of Ramses II, which represents one of the biggest accomplishments of Pharaoh Ramses II. Ramses II built this temple to demonstrate his power and divine nature. The temple faces east at a very precise angle. Just twice a year in the early morning, the sun slowly creeps 185 feet into the cavernous temple through its large chambers and narrow halls and illuminates its inner sanctum. This scientific phenomenon occurs on February 22 and October 22, the dates of Ramses II’s birthday and coronation, respectively. For only a few hours, the back wall of the innermost shrine is illuminated, mystically lighting up the three statues of Ramses II, and the sun gods Ra-Horakhte and Amon-Ra. The fourth god represented there, the Theban god of darkness, Ptah, remains in the shadows all year.

Abu Simbel Temple

The mammoth temple is an astounding 100 feet high, 119 feet wide and 185 feet deep, and is carved out of solid limestone. Four enormous seated statues of the Pharaoh dominate its façade, each 67 feet high. The temple was said to radiate power, subjecting all who entered Egypt to its supremacy. The Temple fell out of use when Christianity was instituted in Egypt. It was rediscovered in 1813, when Swiss explorer Burckhard found it abandoned and filled with sand. In the sixties, when the Nile was dammed, and Lake Nasser almost threatened to overwhelm the Temple, UNESCO came to its rescue, and undertook a huge operation to save it, breaking it into pieces and moving it 210m from and 61m higher than their original site.

Habi

Below the seat of one of the colossal statues of Ramses II is a sunken relief of the god Hapi, the personification of the Nile flood. The figure of Hapi appears twice, tying stems of plants around the hieroglyphic for “unite.” On the left he holds stems of the lotus (symbol of Upper Egypt); on the right he holds stems of the papyrus (symbol of Lower Egypt ). He exhibits both male and female characteristics, suggesting the fertility of the land resulting from the Nile flood. The relief illustrates the Egyptians’ concern for balance and order.

Hathor & Nefertari

Ramses II also built the Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari at Abu Simbel , both to honor Hathor as the goddess of love and music, as well as his favorite wife, Nefertari, as the deified queen. The façade has six standing statues over 30 feet high of Ramses and Nefertari. These statues are in turn flanked by smaller statues of their children.

Hurghada was once just a tiny fisher village, with a location that seldom brought strangers here. Even in late 1970’s this was the situation, but with the nature around, the clarity of the water, and the endless opportunities for divers, Hurghada was destined to become an Egyptian centre for pleasure tourism.

Today, the result is a stretch of 20 km with beach hotels. Most of these hotels are organized in an attractive way, but far from the true Egypt of great monuments, traffic jams and mud brick houses.

But this makes Hurghada a successful tourist resort for divers and swimmers. Huge crowds of Egyptians, Saudis and other Arabs have since long joined the stream of Europeans and Americans coming here throughout most of the year.

There are a couple of drawbacks, though. Non-hotel beaches are not terribly great, but often crowded. While the fish life is just what you hoped for right off the beach, there are no corals here anymore. This can only be discovered by joining one of the many boat expeditions out to the nearby islands. Giftun is the largest, and lies about 10 km from Hurghada.

Hurghada is in reality three main centers and numerous self-contained tourist villages now growing into one body. To the north, lies the place that is closest to being a town, Ad-Dahar, which has more than half of the total local population, and the most price worthy hotels and restaurants. A couple of kilometers south, comes Sigala, a place that suffers from being between Ad-Dahar and New Hurghada a few kilometers more to the south. There are some hotels here, some restaurants, but relatively few tourists. In New Hurghada total tourism comes alive, offering every amenity a visitor is looking for.