. The cradle of world civilization and one of the first emerging states. This place attracts the ubiquitous lovers of beach holidays, the sea and all-inclusive hotels, and lovers of myths and history of the ancient world. It is where it all started. Movies about Egypt - from "The Mummy" and "The Scorpion King" to "Cleopatra" and "Pharaoh" - indicate to us that Egypt is one of the most interesting countries in the world for recreation and not only. Below I will tell you why the Pharaoh's country was and still is one of the best destinations and give you 15 reasons why you should travel to Egypt right now.
1. Country of two continents
Egypt on the map is located simultaneously in North Africa and on the Sinai Peninsula, through which, by the way, Moses led his people. Hence one of the popular names of Egypt – the country of two continents. Where is Egypt located is quite a unique geography. It is a state with a unique climate and unique traditions. During its history, Egypt has been shaken by many troubles and the struggle for resources. The Nile and the resources that have almost dried up have hardened Egypt, making it a very rich country in history and culture and with a very favourable climate.
2. Cradle of civilization
The first mention of Egypt dates back to about 3,000 BC. This was the time when in the less hot countries of the old world, people still lived in caves and hunted the remnants of the mammoth population. In Egypt, at this time, they built pyramids and took care of the afterlife. And even the way they did it is very similar to the modern model of society. There is an opinion that ancient Egypt was a country of slaves. However, in fact, slaves who exist on the verge of death would not be able to build such magnificent structures that still exist today. The builders of the Great Egypt pyramids – the only wonder of the world that still exists, were, in modern terms, shift workers. They came to the construction site for a long period, lived there in human conditions and received first-class medical care, and after returning home, they were able to provide for themselves and their family. This small model of modern society is the civilization that set the bar for our world's development. Now Egypt is associated primarily with tourism, but this was not always the case. Ancient Egypt at its dawn was so great that its monuments still exist, and we can see them in our time in a very well preserved form for 5,000 years. Tours to Egypt are a great opportunity to see it all.
3. Luxor
Since some of Egypt's sights have been standing for the last 5,000 years, they simply need to be visited. First on the list are Luxor and Giza.
Luxor is the first capital of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians called this city Waset (the ruling city), and their contemporaries the Greeks – Thebes, by analogy with the Greek Thebes. Now, this city can be called an open-air museum. A city that is entirely an architectural monument.
Luxor has two conditional divisions – "city of the living" and "city of the dead". The first is residential areas with hotels, a railway station and some attractions like the two-kilometre sphinx alley and the Luxor temple, and the second is a huge museum with only small human settlements.
Of course, the most interesting of the two listed is the city of the dead, except for the already mentioned alley of sphinxes, located in the city of the living. It is the largest open-air museum. The number of attractions of this place is simply off the scale. Here ancient Egypt presents itself in all its glory.
The Colossi of Mnemon, dedicated to the Pharaoh Amenhotep III – a strange, frankly, decision about the name, an infinite number of temples and a necropolis, including an unusually large number of monuments of ancient Egyptian architecture. All this together represents more than one day of walking through the expanses of an ancient civilization.
4. Giza
Giza is a city that actually merges with the current capital of Egypt, Cairo. Here is the only surviving wonders of the ancient world – the pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and menkaure. The most famous and most incredible sights of ancient Egypt. Currently, the pyramids of Giza – a protected area, which is protected not only by the government of Egypt but also a huge ancient Sphinx – the oldest known. Now about 80 Egypt pyramids are already known, and all of them were located in the cities of the dead on the border of the Nile because this is where the land of the dead begins, where the boat of the god Ra descends daily.
5. Cairo
Since we are talking about the sights near Cairo, it's time to talk about the capital of Egypt.
Cairo is not the most resort city in Egypt, and, accordingly, tourists are most often only passing through it. This affects the local mentality and way of life. There is a certain contrast with the trampled tourists of Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada: in Cairo, a real modern Egypt.
There is a standard route for tours in Cairo: the above pyramids, the museum and the Nile walk. Tourist buses glimpse Cairo, but no one really looks at the local backstage.
Cairo is one of the largest and most populous cities in the world, home to about 20 million people – and this is only according to official data. It is clear that even in comparison with Moscow, this city will seem huge.
Everything is mixed up in this city. Gloomy ghettos and rich neighbourhoods, progress and traditions, past and future, Eastern and Western cultures, Christianity and Islam. Most people passing by on tourist buses say that this city is too eastern. Do not believe the rumours and visit. Feel the contrast.
Tours to Egypt, in his most affecting the coast of the red sea. But not a few go-to Cairo, too. For a sense of Egyptian contrast and rich history and not the falseness of resort cities, it is worth going to Cairo.
6. Alexandria
Being another former capital of Egypt, this city is the second-largest in the country, although part of it rests on the bottom of the sea, along with another wonder of the world – the Pharos lighthouse. Since its founding by Alexander the Great, the city has become more and more cosmopolitan. It continued to develop over the entire period of its existence, despite even constant earthquakes. In this city, the national contrast is felt even more than in Cairo – and all this is convenient for trade because of its location. This, in principle, was the main purpose of its foundation.
7. Modern Egyptians
Movies about Egyptshow us Egypt as a mystical country in which Ra always passes the Nile on his boat, his children the Pharaohs decide the fate of people, Osiris compares the souls of people with a feather gloomy Anubis guards the kingdom of the dead. All Egyptian myths are interesting in their way, but modern Egyptians are different from the priest Imhotep. The majority of the Arab Republic of Egypt population is, as can be seen from the full name of the state, Arabs. But among them, there are also descendants of those ancient Egyptians who left behind the majestic Egypt pyramids. Huge eyes and high growth distinguish them. A trained eye will never confuse an Arab with a descendant of the Pharaohs. But mostly modern Egypt, of course, follows the Arab culture. This can be seen in the hotels and numerous buildings in the country. Do you want to learn more about the people who inhabit modern Egypt? Do not leave Cairo, but go to the famous local bazaars.
8. Centuries-old culture
Egypt peoplestill bring gifts to the Nile, paying tribute to the past of their country. However, at the same time, for long periods of wars and civil strife, Egyptian life has changed a lot. The main religion is Islam, and the Coptic Orthodox Church is in second place. As in any other state with Islam as the main religion, Egyptians are very religious people. Nevertheless, they live according to the models of Western democracy and honour their laws, which are not based on the Word of God. Modern Egypt was brought up by African, Far Eastern and European cultures, which greatly affected the modern way of life. In rural areas, people preserve ancient traditions and live like paintings from the time of the Pharaohs, and in Cairo, religious people walk under modern neon lights.
9. The Nile
Now let's digress from history and modern Arab life. The sights of ancient Egypt are the pyramids and the kingdom of the dead, and natural beauty. The most important of them is, of course, the Nile. Numerous cruises pass along the river, and it feeds a good half of the African continent. In general, the Nile's existence in Africa was the reason for the appearance of the very first developed civilization that appeared in the world. The rich flora and fauna of the Nile is a great place for diving and other water sports. But the most popular things to do in Egypt is diving. Walking along the Nile is already a different reason to look into the country of the Pharaohs. The reason is the ninth.
10. Sahara
Egypt on the map is located near the Sahara Desert. The largest desert in the world, which is the reason for numerous legends of the ancient world.
Currently, the desert covers about 30% of Africa's entire area, and it is not only Egypt but also Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Chad. The desert is washed immediately by the Red and Mediterranean Seas, as well as the Atlantic Ocean. But its borders are not the main thing that attracts people to this huge desert. The main things to do in Egypt is safari.
During the desert safari, you will get acquainted with the desert's fascinating nature and the locals, who even have their own amenities like a TV. XXI century, after all.
The Sahara Desert is one of the few deserts whose terrain consists of mountains more than 3 kilometres high, and the number of rocks is unlikely to compare with any other desert on Earth. A separate topic is oases filled with diverse vegetation and inhabited by nomads.
11. Siwa Oasis
Siwa is the most remote Egyptian oasis, and it is located at a depth of 18.3 meters below sea level. 550 kilometres of lifeless road to the inhabited oasis helped this island to preserve the way of life of the ancient Berber people who inhabited western Egypt in the distant past. Even the Berber language is still used here. Until recently, more specifically-until the 80s of the previous century, there was no television, no transport, except for donkey sledges. However, globalization and the tourism business is developing according to their own laws, and now the Siwa oasis is quite visited. You can go to the local bazaar and even to the Siwa Museum, where you will plunge into the life of the mysterious Berber people.
12. The White Desert
This part of the Sahara is distinguished by its rocks, which are very much like Arctic snow. One of the most visited places of the great desert. Long before the birth of human civilization, there was a sea in place of the White Desert. Time passed, and it began to dry up. Local inhabitants-corals, snails, plankton-in their already limestone form remained in this place, making bizarre patterns on the sand. You can find many bizarre sculptures of natural origin, from which the human mind draws sphinxes and other fantastic animals.
13. Mount Sinai
Here, at an altitude of 2285 meters above sea level, God gave Moses the ten commandments and commanded them to worship. This mountain is still one of the main places of pilgrimage in the world. Now here is the Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine. It was in that place, according to the Bible, that Moses heard the voice. Local travel agencies will help you meet the sunset on Mount Sinai and even spend the night, and you can also walk to the top – it boasts the Chapel of the Most Holy Trinity.
14. Tours to Egypt
Egypt largely lives on tourism. It is not surprising: people from all over the world dream of visiting the country of gods and pharaohs with a pleasant climate and Instagrammable beaches. Hence, there are many hotels and travel agencies whose functions include meeting the needs of even the most unusual tourist.
In historical centres such as Cairo and Luxor and Red Sea resorts such as Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, there is a choice of hotels, flophouses and hostels for every taste. In places less visited by tourists, they are much less common.
Budget hotels are mostly located in the centre of the capital, and the habitat of luxury vacation spots is closer to the resorts—a strange decision, in my opinion. However, people are more interested in eternity on the beach than the history and culture of great centuries-old power.
There are towns and unusual. Recently, there are many guest houses and hotels in the deserts-right in the middle of oases. Lovers of ancient peoples and wildlife will be very happy with such places. In addition, they are quite cheap compared to most.
15. Simplified visa regime
Many nationalities can get an Egypt e-visa. Also, an Egyptian tourist visa can be bought directly at the airport of Egypt on arrival for eligible nationalities. Formal features of the country for many – the decisive factor on which many decide to visit the country. In this case, everything is as favourable as possible. So you can pack your bags right now and hit the road.
