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Cities & Sites Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo , Hurghada, Luxor, Sharm el Sheikh, The Desert Oasis
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aswan is where the valley of the Nile ends and where Nubia begins, a land which provided Pharaohs, gold building materials, valuable woods and the very best soldiers. Historically, the city was a stopping place for caravans coming from southern Africa: the great souk, a market brimming with local foodstuffs and all kinds of spices, is the inheritance and symbol of this trading past. Today, you can find the famous caves from which the Pharaohs of Thebes extracted the granite of their temples, obelisks and statures. You can as well admire the enormous dimensions of the High Dam, a supreme piece of modern engineering work was built between 1964 and 1970 to stem the floods of the Nile. Its construction led to the formation of the immense lake Nasser.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Egypt was the first country to introduce an administrative system with a state capital, which fulfilled a central political and religious role. With the union of the north and south under the rule of King Menes, the city of Memphis became the first capital of united Egypt. The Pyramids of Saqqara and Giza were then build for the pharaohs of the third and fourth dynasties. The Pyramid constructed by King Cheops was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The capital was later moved to Thebes (Luxor). With the arrival of Alexander the Great in Egypt, in 332 B.C., and then transferred to Alexandria where it remained during both the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. In 639 Amr Ibn el As brought Islam to Egypt. In 969 the leader of the Fatimite army, Gohar Al-Sikkilli, founded the new city of Al-Kahira (present - day Cairo), whose name means "the victorious one", which from then on continued to act as the capital of Egypt and center of Islam. The arrival of Salah-el -Din, in 1176 marked a new era in the history of Cairo with the period of the Mamelukes (from 1250 to 1517) representing a phase of building and city planning. The Ottomans from 1517 to 1798 continued the developments started by Mamelukes and also favored important trading activities. After the revolution of 1952, Cairo was given a demographic push by the economic re-launch of the Sixties. Today , this great city counts 18 million inhabitants with a population density of 50,000 inhabitants per square meter. It is considered to be the cradle of Islamic architecture and monuments of particular interest include: the Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tolun, the Mosque of El Azhar dating back to 971 A.D., Which is the oldest Islamic university, the Citadel of Saladin, build in 1176 and containing the magnificent Mosque of Mohamed Ali. The collection of the artistic masterpieces from pre-historic period till Greco-Roman period is presented in the Egyptian Museum. Amongst them, The Treasure of Tutankhamen is the most sensational discovery in the history of archaeology.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In recent times this small isolated fishing village has become a popular tourist resort thanks to its exceptionally blue waters, its intricale coral reef and its wide sandy beaches which stretch out from the feet of the desert mountains. Situated on the western coast of the Red Sea, and enclosed between the sea and the desert, Hurghada enjoys a wonderful climate all year round. One can enjoy a visit to its important marine museum. But the most surprising attraction is the Red Sea itself whose sea floor is populated by unique fauna and flora. The coral reef is inhabited by horny coral, devil fish, shells and colorful and extraordinarily shaped fish. Boat day trips are organized for snorkeling and diving. The coast line is set with new resorts such as el Gouna, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay, Safaga, el Quseir and Marsa Alam.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more than a thousand years, Luxor, was the religious capital of Egypt. The Greeks called it Thebes, "the ancient Thebes of the hundred doors", until the Arabs baptized it Medinet el Kussur, "City of Palaces", from which the name Luxor derived. It was the capital of the Pharaohs of the New Empire which coincided with the greatest period of splendor in the Egyptian history. Evidence of the city's glorious past can be seen in the temple of Karnak erected to the glory of Amon- Ra, king of gods. Measuring 260 meters long it was started by Pharaoh Amon-Ofis III and later completed by Ramses II. The celebration of Opet closed with the priests carrying the sacred boat of Amon-Ra from the temple of Karnak, to the sanctuary of Luxor's Temple. This procession was always accompanied by a celebratory crowd singing and performing sacred dances. On the West Bank, the kings of ancient Egypt, including Seti I Ramses VI and Tubankhamon, thought they would rest undisturbed during their journeys into eternity. The valleys hosting the tombs of the kings, queens, nobles and court dignitaries follow on one after another. Beyond the temple of Queen Hatshepsut you can find the Colossi of Memnon, so called by the Greeks in memory of Homeric hero Memnon, who was said to emerge at sunrise from the statues to greet his mother Eos (Aurora) with musical notes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The most southern point of Sinai has beautiful sandy beaches sitting at the feet of breathtaking mountain chains. With its clear waters and large coral reefs, It is the richest underwater habitat on the planet; corals, turtles, devil fish and more than 100 species of wonderfully colored fish make this area a paradise for sea and diving enthusiasts. Naama Bay, is the most famous and well-developed tourist bay, thanks to its sandy sea floor and year round sunny climate, it is the ideal location for bathing. The gulf is encircled by an attractive pedestrian seafront which is home to most of the best hotels, sports and diving centers, fashionable shops, excellent restaurants with views over the bay and discos providing night time entertainment. Ras Mohamed, is the extreme point of Sinai peninsula from where you can see the coast of Asia on the left and the coast of Africa on the right. It is one of the best underwater diving locations in the world, with both sides of its long beach being flanked with mangrove bushes. The islands of the strait of Tiran are dotted around the intensely blue Gulf of Aqaba. Excursions can take you to Dahab, Nuweiba, the Colored Canyon and the monastery of St. Catherine. The Monastery is overlooked by the Mount Sinai. Tradition has it that this was the mount on which God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. A perpetually burning lamp illuminates the place of biblical vision in the famous chapel of the burning bush. The shrine contains the golden relics of Saint Catherine, while the museum boasts more than 2,000 icons.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The desert oases are part of the real authentic Egypt that one can discover in close contact with nature by Land Rover: Fayoum Oasis, the largest, is famous for its springs and its water wheels that are essential for irrigation. The ruins of the ancient Karanis are evidence of the civilization of the Middle Kingdom. Fishing and hunting can be organized at Lake Karoun. Siwa Oasis is situated on the edges of the El-Qattara depression, it has innumerable springs, many of which are thermal. The population is of Berber origins. It was here that Alexander the Great was crowned as a true Pharaoh in the temple of Amoun. The four oases of the Western Desert, Bahareya - Farafra - Dakhla - Kharga, are situated along a depression created by the drying up of a branch of the Nile in ancient times, and yet they still manage to survive thanks to the river's springs and underground wells. Kharga, with 60,000 inhabitants, is the most important oasis in the Western Desert and boasts the temple of Ibis and the Al Bagawat Necropolis with its 243 chapels decorated in Coptic style. To reach the Oasis of Farafra you cross the Black Desert, and enter into the White Desert, a truly unique and surreal area made up of rocky formations shaped by wind erosion and disappearance of internal waters.
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