Egypt Overview

Egypt is an Arab country located in the heart of the Arab world. Egypt is considered a world-historical archive of civilizations, where it built on its land the oldest civilizations of the world since 3200 BC, and these civilizations have been characterized by diversity and continuity for centuries. Among the most prominent civilizations that took place on the land of Egypt are the Pharaonic, Roman, Greek, and Byzantine civilizations. In the seventh century, Islam entered Egypt and established an ancient Islamic civilization as well.

Egypt is strategically located; it is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the east by the Red Sea, the Gaza Strip, and the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is one of the largest countries, with a total area of 1,001,450 km 2, and is the 30th largest country in the world. Depending on the vast area covered by Egypt, the topography and geography of Egypt vary from river and sea to desert.

Tourism in Egypt

The tourism sector in Egypt is one of the most important and prominent sectors in the Egyptian economy, which attracts millions of tourists annually. According to 2015 figures, the Egyptian tourism sector contributed a total of LE 112.1 billion ($ 14,334,271,350 billion), contributing 11.4% of the GDP of Dhudhoula.

The proportion of tourism investments in the same year amounted to 2,158,144,050 billion dollars, which constitutes 12.5% of the total investments in the country. Tourism spending in Egypt in 2015 was 57.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($ 3,173,741,250 billion), contributing 20.7% to the country's GDP. The tourism sector in Egypt contributed 2,620,000 jobs or 10.5% of the total number of workers.

Tourist Attractions in Egypt

Egypt has many important and attractive monuments that constitute tourist attractions for all interested in studying the history of the region from all over the world. Some of the most important tourist attractions on this land are:

◾ Pyramids of Giza

Pyramids of Giza are considered one of the most important tourist and historical attractions in Egypt, and one of the oldest monuments that still exist today. The Pyramids of Giza are composed of three pyramids: the Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. You can explore theses pyramids through a day trip while spending your time in Cairo. I recommended booking this Cairo day toursas I booked my tour in Cairo with them.

The pyramid entered the list of the seven wonders of the world for its height and great construction, where the height of each side of the pyramid is 231 meters, and the weight of each brick in the pyramid 2.5 tons, while the total weight of the pyramid is 6 million tons. In the western region of the Nile. The pyramids are one of the most important royal tombs in Egypt, which include the bodies of the pharaohs of kings who succeeded Egypt. So far, more than 100 pyramids belonging to ancient pharaohs have been discovered. The pyramids were built between 2055 and 1650 BC, and the last pyramid continued to be built between 1550 and 1525 BC.

◾ Abu Simbel Temple

Abu Simbel is an archaeological site with two temples: the Small Temple and the Great Temple, carved in the rocks. The temples were built during the reign of Ramesses II in 1279-1213 BC. The temples were built to celebrate the victory of Pharaoh Ramesses II at the Battle of Kadesh, where the great temple of Ra-Horakhti, Ptah, and Pharaoh Ramesses II was built. The small temple was built for the goddess Hathor, and Nefertiti, the beloved wife of Ramses II The temples are located in southern Egypt on the bank of the Nile.

The large temple contains four huge statues sitting at the entrance of the temple; two on each side, representing the pharaoh Ramses II and his family and gods, each measuring 20 meters long, while the height of the temple 30 meters, and a length of 35 meters. The small temple contains six statues carved on its entrance, representing Ramesses and his wife Nefertiti. Each statue is 10 meters long, while the temple is 28 meters long and 12 meters high.

◾ Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is a site of the tombs of a number of ancient pharaohs and nobles from the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties. The valley houses the tombs of several prominent pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramesses II, as well as several queens. The tombs represent the readiness for the next life; The valley is located on the west bank of the Nile beside Luxor.

◾ Karnak Temple

Karnak Temple is a complex of ancient ruined statues and temples dating back to the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. This area was the place of worship; it contained four main temples, one of the most famous and the largest of which is the temple of the god Amun. In addition to the temples, the site contains many ancient monuments and statues, as well as historical scenes of the battles that the Pharaohs had waged with their enemies. Karnak Temple is located in southern Egypt, near the city of Luxor.

◾ Philae Temple

Philae Temple is a temple located in Aswan. The temple was built for the goddess Isis [12] by Pharaoh Ptolemy II but was completed by the Roman kings. The temple tells the story of the goddess Isis, the wife of Pharaoh Osiris, who symbolizes the funeral rites and the gift of life. They are usually represented by a throne that they carry over their head. The word "Philae" means the end, referring to the site of the temple located in the far south of Egypt.

◾ Abydos Temple

Abydos is one of the most ancient sacred sites in Egypt. The site contains the temple of Seti I, the most famous monuments there. Pharaoh Seti I began to build it, and his son Ramses II completed it. The walls of the temple contain an archaeological inscription on the walls of the temple containing the names of 76 ancient Egyptian kings, which Seti I excavated to distinguish the pharaohs of kings in ancient Egypt. The site also contains many temples dedicated to the worship of the god Osiris. The temple is located in northern Upper Egypt.

◾ The White Desert

The White Desert is one of the most picturesque and natural places in the desert of Egypt. The area is called Al Farafra Oasis. The area contains rocks carved in the form of giant mushrooms or cone, formed by erosion and erosion. Tourists head to the White Desert for camping and landscaping. [16] The site is located in the northeast of Egypt.

◾ Siwa Oasis

Siwa Oasis is one of the oldest historical areas in Egypt, having won many titles through the ages; The ancients. The site contains traces of houses that constitute a large gathering, such as the oasis. [18] Despite the great civilization progress experienced by Egypt, Siwa still maintains its customs and traditions.

◾ The Magical Sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Egypt. The statue represents the body of a lion with the head of Pharaoh of Egypt carved in the form of a large statue, up to 73 meters long, and up to 20 meters high. The Sphinx is located next to the three pyramids of Giza, and it is believed that the statue was built to protect the Pharaonic tombs inside the pyramids from evil spirits.

◾ Khan Al Khalili

Khan el-Khalili is one of the most famous neighborhoods in Egypt and is located within the area known as Old Cairo. One of the most distinctive features of this Khan is the presence of many important and lively bazaars, as well as the presence of many popular restaurants and cafes as well, which enriched this neighborhood and made him all this great value.

◾ Al Azhar Mosque

Al-Azhar Mosque is considered one of the most important mosques, not only in Egypt but in the whole Islamic world. Al-Azhar has great value throughout Islamic history. This great mosque was created by the essence of Sicily when Cairo was conquered in the tenth century and ordered the construction of this mosque, the Fatimid caliph al-Mu'izz of the religion of God. established the first prayer in 7 Ramadan 361 AH / 972 AD, and was the Friday prayer.

◾ The Egyptian Opera House

This ancient house is considered an alternative to what was known as the Khedive Opera House. The modern house was set up in the twentieth century, in cooperation with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

My 14 days Egypt Tour Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor to Aswan Nile Cruise

It was the best choice to book through Trips In Egypt. Great experience and it was well planned just a week before the trip. The company was very responsive throughout planning the trip. The hotels were really good especially at Hurghada, Our tour guild Reham was really friendly and knowledgeable. She took care of everything at Cairo and Alexandria trip.

From Luxor our tour guild was Mohamed and he really gave us a lot of information not only of the history but also about the current and local life and we felt very safe and took great care throughout the Nile cruise.

Through this tour, I visited these attractions:

In Cairo: Giza pyramids, the Sphinx, the Valley Temple, Saqqara pyramid, the Egyptian Museum, Salah Eldin Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque, and finally Khan El Khalili bazaar.

In Luxor: Karnak temples, Luxor temple by night, Hatshepsut temple, Valley of The Kings, and finally Colossi of Memnon.

In Aswan: Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo temple, Philae temple, Aswan High Dam, the unfinished obelisk, and finally the great temple of Abu Simbel.

In Hurghada: I have free days in Hurghada and some splendid excursions such as Safari trips, snorkeling excursions, diving tours, and other sea activities.

Finally, I would highly recommend Trips in Egypt to anyone looking to visit Egypt.