egypt tourism to visit

8/10/2019 Egypt Tourism to Visit

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10 Top Tourist Attractions in Egypt

Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the worlds most famous monuments,

including the Giza pyramids, the Great Sphinx and the ancient temples of Luxor dating back

thousands of years. Although focus of most tourist visits remains the great monuments along theNile, possibilities for Egyptian travel also includes snorkeling and diving along the Red Sea coast.

Other tourist attractions in Egyptinclude camel trips into the mountains of Sinai, tours to remote

oases or visits to the Coptic monasteries of the Eastern Desert.

10. Mosque of Ibn Tulun

Built between 876 and 879 AD, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun is one of the oldest mosques in Cairo. It

was commissioned by Ahmad ibn ln, the Abbassidgovernor of Egypt. The mosque isconstructed around a courtyard, with one covered hall on each of the four sides. The minaret, which

features a helical outer staircase similar to that of the famous minaret in Samarra, was probably built

several centuries later. Parts of the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me were filmed at the

Mosque of Ibn Tulun.


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9. Dahab

Dahab is located some 85 km (53 miles) north of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Gulf of Aqaba,

near the southern tip of Sinai. Once an isolated coastal village, Dahab turned into ahippie hangout in the 1980s and became something of an alternative resort, mixing

cheap accommodation with a laid back lifestyle. The combination of Red Sea and Sinai

desert make Dahab perfect for world class windsurfing, scuba diving, rock climbing and

desert trekking with the Bedouin. Add to this cheap accommodation near the beach,

inexpensive food and drink and a relaxed atmosphere, and you have a strong

enticement for the young and young at heart. Dahab is mostly the home of independent

and adventurous travelers, but it also has some more upmarket resorts and hotels. Most

of the latter are in the Laguna area or outlying.


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8. Siwa Oasis

Located near Egypts western border, SiwaOasis remained culturally isolated from the rest of the

country until late in the 19th century. Surrounded by the Egyptian Sand Sea, the Siwan people

developed their own unique customs as well as their own language, Siwi, a Berber dialect. The small

community was not unknown to the outside world, however, even centuries ago. The famous

Temple of the Oracle of Amun, believed to have been built in the 6th or 7th century B.C., made the

oasis a place of pilgrimage. The most famous visitor to seek the oracles wisdom was Alexander the

Great.

Today, Siwa Oasis is an increasingly popular travel destination. Vacationers come to the city to

enjoy the towns many freshwater springs, to stroll through acres of palm groves and to explore

ancient mud-built fortresses and remnants of Siwas Greco-Roman past. Bubbling springs are in

abundance here. One of the most popular is a stone pool known as Cleopatras Bath. A more

secluded pool is located on an island in Lake Siwa. Visitors reach Fatnas Spring by navigating a

narrow causeway.


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Cafs in the small town of around 23,000 people are designed for relaxation as well. Local and

visitors alike enjoy sipping tea and smoking from a communal hookah. Siwas inhabitants are deeply

conservative, however, and immodest dress and public displays of affection are discouraged. A trip

to the local marketplace gives visitors the opportunity to explore the citys unique culture and to

sample dates and olives grown in the region.

7.Egyptian Museum

Home to at least 120,000 items of ancient Egyptian antiquities, the Egyptian Museum is one of

Cairos top attraction. There are two main floors of the museum, the ground floor and the first floor.

On the ground floor there is an extensive collection of papyrus and coins used in by the ancient

Egyptians. On the first floor there are artifacts from the final two dynasties of Ancient Egypt and also

many artifacts taken from the Valley of the Kings. Highlights include the objects from the Tomb of

Tutankhamen and the Royal Mummy Room containing 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times.


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6. Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel is an archaeological site comprising two massive temples in southern Egypt on the

western bank of Lake Nasser. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside

during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses The Great in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to

himself and his queen Nefertari. Archaeologists have concluded that the immense size of the statues

was intended to scare potential enemies approaching Egypts southern region, as they travelled

down the Nile from out of Africa. With the passage of time, the temples fell into disuse and

eventually became covered by sand until they were rediscovered in 1813 by Swiss explorer Jean

Louis Burkhart.

The complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s to avoid their being submerged during the

creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan

High Dam on the Nile River.


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5. Explore the valleys of the kings

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to

11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and privileged nobles of the New Kingdom.

The valley contains 63 tombs and chambers, ranging in size from a simple pit to a complex tomb

with over 120 chambers. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and

give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. All of the tombs seem to have been

opened and robbed in antiquity. Only the famous tomb of Tutankhamun was spared from the worst

of the tomb depredations. The fabulous riches of the tomb are no longer in it, but have been

removed to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Most of the tombs are not open to the public, and the public ones are closed periodically for

restoration work. Tour guides are no longer allowed to lecture inside the tombs and visitors are

expected to proceed quietly and in single file through the tombs. This is to minimize time in the

tombs and prevent the crowds from damaging the surfaces of the decoration.


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4. River nile cruiser

Cruising the Nile is a popular way of visiting upper Egypt. The Nile River has been Egypts lifeline

since ancient times and there is no better way to trace the passage of Egypts history than to follow

the course of the Nile. Almost all Egyptian cruise ships travel the Luxor-Aswan route which is safe,

scenic and terminates at two of Egypts most important towns. Taking a Felucca down the Nile is an

adventurous option. Feluccas are sail boats that have been used on the Nile since antiquity. A

Felucca is not quite as comfortable as a luxury cruise ship but nothing can beat sailing in a quiet rig

that was designed thousands of years ago.


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3. Red sea reef

The Red Sea, off the coast of Egypt, is one of the most beautiful places in the world to go diving.

The waters of the Red Sea are renowned for their spectacular visibility and features some of the

most exotic seascapes. With its wide expanse of coral formation on the reefs, it is home to

thousands of different sea creatures. Red Sea beach resorts are located on both sides of the sea, on

the east side and part of the Sinai peninsula is the long established Sharm el Sheikh and its neo-

hippy counterpart, Dahab. On the west coast of the Red Sea lies relatively old and touristy Hurghada

and a cluster of new resort towns.


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2. karnak

Although badly ruined, few sites in Egypt are more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest ancient

religious site ever built, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of Egyptian

builders. The Temple of Karnak actually consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples,

and several outer temples located about 2.5 kilometers north of Luxor. One of most famous

structures of Karnak is the Hypostyle Hall, a hall area of 5,000 m2 (50,000 sq ft) with 134 massive

columns arranged in 16 rows.


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1. Giza necropolis

The Giza necropolis, situated in the immediate vicinity of the southwestern suburbs of Cairo

is probably the most famous ancient site in the world. The pyramids, together with the Sphinxat the base of the Giza plateau, are the iconic image of Egypt. They were built over the span

of three generationsby Khufu, his second reigning son Khafre, and his grandson

Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and sole remnant of the Seven

Wonders of the Ancient World. Over 2 million blocks of stone were used to construct the

pyramid, during a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The pyramid is an awe-

inspiring 455 feet (139 meters) high making it the largest pyramid in Egypt, although nearby

Khafres Pyramid appears to be larger as it is build at a higher elevation. The most distinctive

feature of Khafres Pyramid is the topmost layer of smooth stones that are the only remaining

casing stones on a Giza Pyramid. At a height of 204 feet (61 meters) the Pyramid of

Menkaure is the smallest of the three great pyramids.

The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex. Current consensus among

Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre. Along with these major


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monuments are a number of smaller satellite structures, known as queen pyramids,

causeways and temples.

egypt tourism to visit

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