Egypt Overview

Overview

Egypt is a North African desert country, but has probably the most magnificent man-made buildings from the ancient world. The Pyramids of Giza, among the 'Seven Wonders of the World', were started in 2690 BC and are still the largest stone structures man has ever made. Their shapes still tower over the Cairo skyline. Cairo today is a huge capital city overwhelmed with people and traffic, but it has much to offer the tourist, from the wonders of the Cairo Museum to the bustling bazaars. The views from the Citadel and the Muhammad Ali Mosque, looking down on Cairo and the massive City of the Dead, should not be missed.

The Nile valley was always the centre of civilisation and life carries on today much as it has for thousands of years. The great river stretches from Lake Nasser on the Sudanese border to the south, to the busy port and seaside resort of Alexandria, on the northern point of the Nile delta. To the west lies the vast Libyan Desert and to the east the Red Sea, with its modern day resorts.

The best way to see the spectacles of the Nile valley is on one of the many cruise boats travelling between Aswan and Luxor. Luxor is the site of ancient Thebes. On the eastern bank of the river sit the great temples of Karnak and Luxor, whilst on the west is the Valley of the Kings, with all the magnificently decorated tombs of the Pharaohs. An early morning balloon ride over the area is a wonderful experience, if only one has the time and the money!

Between Luxor and Aswan several stops are made by the boats at other temples, the greatest being Edfu with its amazing hypostyle hall. At Aswan one can take a romantic felucca ride around the islands and, in the town, the colourful spice market is a photographer's delight. The building of the Aswan dams threatened the temple of Philae until it was re-sited and a short boat ride carries visitors to its lovely island site.

The massive Temples of Abu Simbel were also saved, by enormous international effort, from the rising waters of Lake Nasser in the 1960's. A plane, bus or boat ride from Aswan will be well rewarded by the sight of these temples carved out of the solid rock, with the huge statues of their builder Rameses II, one of Egypt's greatest Pharaohs.