Egypt is probably the world's oldest civilization
having emerged from the Nile Valley around 3,100 years ago,
historically. Egypt is probably one of the oldest vacation spots. Early
Greeks, Romans and others went there just for fun, and to see the
wonders of some of mankind's earliest triumphs, but Egypt is much more
than Pyramids and monuments. It is also Red Sea scuba diving, hot night
spots, luxury hotels and five star restaurants. It is romantic cruises
down the Nile on festive river boats, a night at the grand opera and it
is a cultural experience like none you have ever experienced. Egypt is a
land bustling with life, sound, visual beauty and excitement. More than
anything else, we want you to think of Egypt as fun. For thousands of
years, it has been the playground of emperors and kings, and we hope you
will take the time to find out what is the reason behind.
Language:
Arabic (official), English and French widely
understood by educated classes
Major Religions:
The poulation of Egypt is about 80 millions, 75 %
is Muslim Sunni and 25 % is Christians and others
Economy:
Labor force is 22.4 million (2004) . Unemployment
rate.16.4% (2004). Inflation Rate s 5.9% (2004). Gross domestic product
(total value of goods and services produced annually) is $267.1 billion
(2004 est.). Budget is $19.8 billion. Debt is $30.5 billion (2004).
Exporting is $5.1 billion, primarily crude oil and petroleum products,
cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals. Importing
is $15.5 billion, primarily machinery and equipment, foods, fertilizers,
wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods. Defense
spending is 8.2% of GDP (2004 est.). Highways are 73,000 km (2004)
Visa & Passports:
Non-Egyptian visitors arriving in Egypt are
required to be in possession of a valid passport. Entry visas may be
obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions Abroad or from
the Entry Visa Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and
Nationality Administration (TDINA). It is, however, possible for most
tourists and visitors to obtain an entry visa at any of the Major Ports
of Entry. Please check with your nearest Egyptian Consular mission for
more details concerning visa regulations applying to your citizenship.
The visa form must then be completed, either by printing it out and
filing it in or via a graphics editor and sent to the nearest Egyptian
Embassy or Consulate. Visitors entering Egypt at the overland border
post to Taba to visit Gulf of Aqaba coast and St. Catherine can be
exempted from visa and granted a free residence permit for fourteen days
to visit the area. Citizens of the following countries are required to
be in possession of a pre-arrival visa: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya, Croatia, Georgia,
India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Lebanon,
Macau, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine,
The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri-Lanka, Tadzhikistan,
Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African
countries. Residents of the above countries may apply for a visa through
their nearest Egyptian Consulate or Embassy. Click here to find the
Embassy or Consulate nearest you. Those in possession of a residence
permit in Egypt are not required to obtain an entry visa if they leave
the country and return to it within the validity of their residence
permit or within six months, whichever period is less. There are three
types of Egyptian visa: Tourist Visa: is usually valid for a period not
exceeding three months and granted on either single or multiple entry
basis. Entry Visa: is required for any foreigner arriving in Egypt for
purposes other than tourism, e.g. work, study, etc. The possession of a
valid Entry Visa is needed to complete the residence procedure in Egypt.
Most travelers
can obtain their Visa upon entry to Egypt. They just need to
fill in a particular form to obtain it. Visa
applications are normally passed out by airlines prior
to landing at an Egyptian airport. The obtained entry visa
upon arrival is just a stamp. It is bought from the bank at
the airport or the port. It is simply stuck in the passport
and that is it. To the right , is a photo of the visa which
obtained upon arrival
The fees for a single-entry
visa are as follows: * UK citizens: £15 * US citizens: US$15 * Australian citizens: A$45 * Canadian citizens: C$25 * Other countries: $15
Major Ports:
Airports: Cairo International (2
terminals), Nozha airport and Borg El Arab airport in Alexandria city,
Luxor airport in Luxor city, Aswan airport in Aswan city, Hurghada
airport in Hurghada city and Sharm airport in Sharm El Sheikh city
Marine Harbors:
Alexandria Port, Port Said and Demiyatte Port on The Mediterranean
Sea. Suez Port on the Gulf of Suez, Nuweiba Port on Gulf of Aqaba
and Hurghada Port, Sharm Port and Safaga Port on The Red Sea
OverlandPorts:
Salloum, northwestern border (to and from Libya) Rafah,
northeastern border (to and from Gaza strip, the Occupied
Territories and Israel) Taba, eastern border (to and from Israel)
Culture:
Egypt is a Middle Eastern country and has Middle
Eastern customs. Whether Muslim or Copt, the Egyptians are deeply
religious and religious principles govern their daily lives. Combined
with religious belief is commitment to the extended family. Each family
member is responsible for the integrity of the family and for the
behavior of other members, creating an environment that would be envied
by many people in the West. Certainly, the result is that the city of
Cairo is safer than any western metropolis. Yet when westerners visit
Egypt they are often apprehensive. Their views of Egyptians and Arabs,
fomented by unkind and untrue media stories, often bear no relation to
reality. Travelers are often surprised by their friendly, hospitable
reception and take home with them good feelings about Egypt and its
population. Egyptians have been raised in a social environment steeped
in Islam, a background that can color their decision-making in a way
difficult for foreigners to understand. Yet it is precisely this
training that makes Egyptians some of the most charming and helpful of
hosts. By understanding the culture and with consideration for your
hosts, you can be a welcome guest in Egypt.
Religious Limits:
Devout Muslims do not drink alcohol though most
do not object to others imbibing in reasonable amounts. If in doubt,
ask. In addition to the prohibition on alcohol, the faithful do not use
drugs or eat pork, which is considered unclean. Explicit sexual
material--magazines, photos, tapes, or records--is illegal and subject
to confiscation. Keep in mind that proselytizing is illegal in Egypt.
Foreigners actively working to convert Egyptians have been asked to
leave. Remember, almost all the Egyptians are either conservative
devoted Moslems or Coptic’s.
Moral Codes:
In Egypt there are hardly any restrictions on
foreign women. Ticket lines, for example, are occasionally segregated.
Women should line up with other women (especially since the lines are
usually shorter). On buses, the driver may want you to be seated in the
front with other women. On the metro lines, the first car is usually
reserved for women. For men, speaking to an unknown Egyptian woman is a
breach of etiquette. Take care in any liaisons you form because some
families still follow ancient traditions.
Social Mores:
In general, Egyptians are most accommodating and
they will go out of their way to help you and respond to any questions
you have. Most Egyptians require little personal space and will stand
within inches of you to talk. You will find that whenever you start
talking with an Egyptian, you will inevitably draw a crowd, and often
the Egyptians will start discussing among themselves over the correct
answer to a question.
Invatations:
Egyptians, if offered anything, will refuse the
first invitation which is customary. Therefore (unless you're dealing
with Egyptians used to Western frankness) you should do the same. If
the offer is from the heart and not just politeness, it will be
repeated. If you're invited into a home, especially in small villages,
and have to refuse, the householder will often press for a promise from
you to visit in the future, usually for a meal. If you make such a
promise, keep it, for having foreign guests is often considered a
social coup. If you fail to arrive, your would-be host will be
humiliated. To repay invitations, you may host a dinner in a restaurant,
a common practice.
Baksheish:
Please do not offer tips to professionals,
businessmen, or others who would consider themselves your equals. You
may seriously offend them by your act. Women Before the famous Egyptian
feminist Hoda Shaarawi deliberately removed hers in 1922, the veil was
worn in public by all respectable middle-class and upper-class women,
Muslim, Jew, or Christian. By 1935, however, veils were a comparative
rarity in Egypt, though they continued to be worn as an item of fashion
in neighboring countries like Syria and Jordan for 30 more years and
have remained obligatory in the Arabian Peninsula to this day. Nowadays
in Egypt, some women still wear the veil demonstrating either modesty or
Muslim piety. One reason this is favored by many young professional
women, is that it tends to discourage male advances, physical or
verbal. From the 1930s onwards, Egyptian women began to enter into
business and the professions. Thus by 1965, thanks in part to social
changes affected in the course of the July Revolution, Egypt could
boast a far higher proportion of women working as doctors, dentists,
lawyers, professors, diplomats, or high officials than might have been
found in the US or in any European country outside of Scandinavia.
Women Traveling Alone:
In Egypt, a woman traveling alone is generally
safe, but she will be noticed, less in large cities than in the
country. However, if problems do occur, seek help from the police or any
shop nearby. Although you probably will never be accosted, take simple
precautions as you would anywhere: don't walk in deserted areas alone.
Although most invitations are innocent, don't accept them from
strangers.
Visitors Responsibilities:
Major tourism mosques are open to the public
unless services are in progress (the main service is on Friday at
noon). Other mosques are not. Keep in mind that a mosque differs from a
western church in that Christian churches are considered houses of God,
while mosques are more a gathering place for the faithful of Islam.
Unless otherwise posted, tickets to some that have been restored are
sold by the caretaker for about LE3-6. All visitors to mosques,
mausoleums, and madrasas must remove their shoes. Most Muslims walk
around in their stockings but those mosques that are major tourist
attractions have canvas overshoes available; a tip of 50PT to LE1 is in
order for the people who put them on for you. Women must cover bare
arms and should also have a hat.
Crime and Drugs:
Crime in Egypt is nearly nonexistent, and
violence is usually limited to family feuds. However, in tourism areas
some pickpockets and petty thieves may exists, so be careful and
remember that the ever helpful tourism police are usually nearby. Women
must be cautious, especially in out-lying areas. Stay completely away
from drugs and leave yours at home.
Calendars & Public Holidays:
The business and secular community in Egypt
operates under the Western (Gregorian) calendar (BC/AD). But other
calendars have official status in Egypt. The Islamic calendar (AH),
used to fix religious observances, is based on a lunar cycle of 12
months of 9 or 30 days. The Muslim year is thus 11 days shorter than
the year according to the Gregorian calendar and months move forward
accordingly. In the Gregorian calendar, for example, April is always in
the spring, but in the Muslim calendar all months move through all
seasons in a 33-year cycle. The Coptic calendar (AM) is based on a
solar cycle and consists of 12 months of 30 days and one month of 5
days. Every four years a sixth day is added to the shorter month. An
adaptation of the Coptic calendar is used by many farmers for planting
and harvesting crops. It is used by the authorities of the Coptic
Orthodox Church. The following are months for the Muslim and Coptic
calendars
Public Holidays:January 7th is the Coptic
Christmas, February 22nd is the Union Day, April 25th is Sinai
Liberation Day, May 1st is Labor Day, June 18th is The Evacuation
Day, July 1st is the Bank Holiday, July 23rd is the Revolution Day,
September 11th is the Coptic New Year, October 6th is The Armed
Forces Day
Offical Cultural Events:
Cairo has been the entertainment capitol of the
Arab World for more than a century. You can tell if you were there
during New Year's Night. The entire city looks like one big party. Cars
and people walking in the streets until the next day. Either poor or
rich, everybody is cheerful and trying to have fun on the last night of
the year. Thousands of Arabs, from North Africa and the Middle East,
fly to Cairo for that special night. Beginning the year is the
International Book Fair sponsored by the General Egyptian Book
Organization at the Madinat Nasr Exhibition Grounds in Cairo. It is a
three-week affair with displays by foreign and local publishers. Also
in January is the International Documentary and Short Film Festival
sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. February has two interesting
observances. The first is a gift from the ancient Egyptians. In Abu
Simbel the ascension of Ramsses II to the throne of ancient Egypt is
celebrated on February 22. Ramsses ordered the temple built in such a
way that on this day the sun penetrated into the inner sanctuary of the
temple lighting his statue within. The second event is the
International Fishing Tournament held at Hurghada on the Red Sea.
Sponsored by several associations and the Ministry of Tourism, this
event welcomes fishermen from around the world. March heralds the
spring and the Annual Flower Show at the Orman Gardens, Sharia Giza, in
Giza. It is accompanied by the International Children’s Film Festival,
sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. The hot summer has little to
offer in the way of festivals, but September and October are busy
months. A new festival is the Alexandrias of the World Festival: the
cities bearing that name (there are over 40 in the world) join in the
four-day celebration held in Alexandria, Egypt. The second yearly
celebration at Abu Simbel, this time commemorating the birth of Ramsses
II, occurs in October. Every year in October the Alexandria
Mediterranean Biennale offers a wonderful venue for artists. Toward the
end of the month is the annual commemoration of the Battle of Al
Alamein, with services conducted by both former Allied and former Axis
countries. In Ismailia, the International Folk Festival is attended by
participants from all over the world. And then there is the Pharaoh’s
Rally, an 11-day, 2,900 mile (4,700 km) daredevil motor vehicle race
through the deserts of Egypt. November hosts the Egyptian Arabian Horse
show, with fine Arabian horses on display, and the International
Children’s Book Fair at the Madinat Nasr Exhibition Grounds, while
December is high-lighted by the International Film Festival. Details of
these events are usually advertised in local English language
publications including Cairo Today, Places in Egypt, and Cairo’s, all
available at bookstores throughout the country.
Weather:
Egyptian summers are hot and dry in most of the
country and humid in the Delta and along the Mediterranean Coast. In
recent years the humidity has spread to Cairo and the city swelters in
August. Winters are mild with some rain, but usually there are bright,
sunny days and cold nights. There is a short spring and autumn and
during the 50 days (khamseen) between the end of March and mid-May, dust
storms can occur sporadically.
Temperatures Table:
Month
Type
Cairo Min. / Max
Alexandria Min. / Max
Luxor Min. / Max
Aswan Min. / Max
January
C
9/19
9/18
6/23
8/23
February
10/21
10/19
7/25
9/26
March
11/23
11/21
11/29
12/30
April
14/28
14/23
15/35
17/36
May
17/32
15/26
20/39
21/38
June
20/34
19/28
22/41
24/42
July
22/35
22/29
23/41
25/42
August
22/35
22/30
24/41
25/42
September
20/30
21/29
21/38
22/39
October
18/28
18/27
17/35
19/36
November
12/24
15/24
12/29
14/30
December
11/20
11/20
8/19
9/20
Foods and Drinks:
In Egypt, dining out can range from stand-up
sandwich bars to luxurious five-course meals. You can find small,
inexpensive establishments that serve good Egyptian food for only a few
pounds. If you're in a hurry, try the local snack bars. While the
cubbyholes off the street (which probably have running water) are
generally safe. The larger cities even have Western-style fast-food
chains like McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, but they're
relatively expensive. In cities both food and water are safe although
the change in your diet may produce short-term gastrointestinal upsets.
Egyptian Meals:
Although Egyptian eating habits may seem erratic,
most natives begin the day with a light breakfast of beans (or bean
cakes), eggs, and/or pickles, cheeses, and jams. Most families eat
their large, starchy lunch around 1400-1700 and follow it with a siesta.
They may take a British-style tea at 17:00 or 18:00 and eat a light
supper (often leftovers from lunch) late in the evening. Dinner
parties, however, are scheduled late, often no earlier than 2100, with
the meal served an hour or two later. In restaurants lunch is normally
13:00-16:00, dinner 20:00-24:00.
Restaurants:
In Egypt, as in the rest of the world,
restaurants are only as good as the cooks they employ, and cooks seem
to be continually changing. For current information on the best
restaurants, the expatriate community is unbeatable, and the magazine
Cairo Today includes monthly tips listing places to try, and publishes
an annual dining guide. Most establishments use native ingredients and
will offer fruits and vegetables in season. Menus are in both Arabic and
English except in Alexandria, where they are in Arabic and French. In
large restaurants, the maitre d'hotel will speak English, French, and
possible German, Italian, or Greek. These establishments serve a mixture of international
cuisine but often include Egyptian or Middle
Eastern fare as well. Most hotels also maintain 24-hour coffee
shops. Many of the smaller, Egyptian-style restaurants specialize in
basic meat and fava-bean dishes. They are simple and inexpensive.
Waiters speak little English, so use your phrase book.
Snack Bars:
Throughout Egypt, little stand-up shops dispense
the Egyptian version of the fast food. Most of these shops in major
cities are clean and offer quick, inexpensive, and nutritious meals.
Most shops have helpful staff, but during their busy times you may have
to push your way into the pack of Egyptians to get waited on. You can
buy roasted chickens that the shop will season for you. You can also
get shawirma (Gyros), lamb cooked on a vertical split, available most of
the day.
Egyptian Home Cooking:
If you're lucky, you may be invited to dine in an
Egyptian home. There are no set times for dinner; often hours will
depend upon your host's profession. Although invitations may be issued
for as late as 0100, generally if no time is set, guests are expected
between 2100-2200 hours. If you wish, you may bring flowers,
chocolates, or a bottle of wine (if you hosts drink--many Muslims do
not). You will be introduced to other guests and perhaps the host's
entire family, many of whom will not stay to eat. Dining customs vary
throughout the country, so try to follow examples set by your host and
any fellow guests. Depending upon the family's own customs and the size
of the party, men and women may split up for cocktails (nonalcoholic
drinks in strict Muslim homes) and then rejoin at the dinner table,
where seating is usually random. All the food is set in the middle of
the table at the beginning of the meal. If no silverware is provided,
use your bread as a combination fork and spoon. Guests are not expected
to clear their plates, and you'll need to refuse more than once to
convince your host that you really can't eat anymore. Complimenting the
hostess on her cooking skills as well as (for women) asking her for
recipes are in good taste and appreciated. After dinner, guests remove
from the dining room to drink mint tea or coffee. Wait at least a
half-hour from the end of the meal before you take you leave; compliment
the cook again, and extend your thanks (alf shokren).
Native Foods:
Egyptian food reflects the country's melting-pot
history; native cooks using local ingredients have modified Greek,
Turkish, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian traditions to suit Egyptian
budgets, customs, and tastes. The dishes are simple; made with naturally
ripened fruits and vegetables and seasoned with fresh spices, they're
good and hearty. Food in the south, closely linked to North African
cuisine, is more zesty than that found in the north, but neither is
especially hot. The best cooking is often found in the smaller towns.
Although Egyptian cooking can be bland and oily when poorly done, most
of the cuisine is delicious. Enjoy!
Bread:
The mainstay of Egyptian diets, aysh (bread)
comes in several forms. The most common is a pita type made either with
refined white flour called aysh shami, or with coarse,
whole wheat, aysh baladi. Stuffed with any
of several fillings, it becomes the Egyptian sandwich. Aysh shams
is bread made from leavened dough allowed to rise in the sun, while
plain aysh comes in long, skinny, French-style loaves. If you find
yourself faced with hard, dry aysh, do like the Egyptians: soften
it in water, and if you have a fire available, warm it over the open
flame.
Beans:
Along with aysh, the native bean supplies most of
Egypt's people with their daily rations. Ful can be cooked several
ways: in ful midamess, the whole beans are boiled, with vegetables if
desired, and then mashed with onions, tomatoes, and spices. This mixture
is often served with an egg for breakfast, without the egg for other
meals . A similar sauce, cooked down into a paste and stuffed into aysh
baladi, is the filling for the sandwiches sold on the street.
Alternatively, ful beans are soaked, minced, mixed with spices, formed
into patties (called ta'miyya in Cairo and falaafil in Alexandria), and
deep-fried. These patties, garnished with tomatoes, lettuce, and tihina
sauce, are stuffed into aysh and sold on the street.
Molokhiyya:
A leafy, green, summer vegetable, molokhiyya is
distinctively Egyptian, and locals will proudly serve you their
traditional thick soup made from it. The chopped leaves are generally
stewed in chicken stock, and served with or without pieces of chicken,
rabbit, or lamb. This soup can also be served with crushed bread or
over rice. If you're served it straight, it's polite to dunk your aysh.
Mezze These small dishes of various forms are usually served with
drinks. Those resembling dips are made with tihina, an oil paste of
sesame seeds. Tihina mixed with oil and seasoned with garlic or chili
and lemon can be served alone, but when combined with mashed eggplant
and served as a dip or sauce for salads, its called baba-
ghanoug. In Alexandria, chickpeas are added to
the tihina to make hummus bi tihina. Tihina also forms the base for many
general-purpose sauces served with fish and meats and replaces
mayonnaise on Egyptian sandwiches. Turshi includes a variety of
vegetables soaked in spicy brine--it's always good with beer.
Soup and Salad:
In addition to molokhiyya, the Egyptians make a
variety of meat (lahhma), vegetable (khudaar), and fish (samak) soups
known collectively as shurbah, and all are delicious. Salads (salata)
can be made of greens, tomatoes, potatoes, or eggs, as well as with
beans and yogurt. Western-type salad bars have come into vogue in
larger cities, and here, for a few pounds, you can make a whole meal of
the fresh produce. Yogurt (laban zabadi) is fresh and unflavored; you
can sweeten if you wish with honey, jams, preserves, or mint. It rests
easy on an upset stomach. Main Courses Rice and bread form the bulk
of Egyptian main courses, which may be served either as lunch or
dinner. For most Egyptians, meat is a luxury used in small amounts,
cooked with vegetables, and served with or over rice, but meat dishes comprise most restaurant fare. Torly, a mixed-
vegetable casserole or stew, is usually made with
lamb, or occasionally with beef, onions, potatoes, beans, and
peas. To make Egyptian-style kebab, cooks season chunks of lamb in
onion, marjoram, and lemon juice and then roast them on a spit over an
open fire. Kufta is ground lamb flavored with spices and onions
which is rolled into long narrow "meatballs" and roasted like
kebab, with which it's often served. Pork is considered unclean by
Muslims, but is readily available, as is beef. Although native chickens
(firaakh) are often scrawny and tough, imported fowl are plump,
tender, and tasty. You can order grilled chicken (firaakh mashwi) in a
restaurant or buy one already cooked at the street-side
rotisseries and fix your own meal. Hamaam (pigeons) are raised
throughout Egypt, and when stuffed with seasoned rice and grilled,
constitute a national delicacy. They are small, so you will need
to order several; the best are usually served in small, local
restaurants where you may even have to give the cook a day's notice (a
good sign), but beware--hamaam are occasionally served with their
heads buried in the stuffing. Egyptians serve both
freshwater and seagoing fish under the general term of samak. The best
fish seem to be near the coasts (ocean variety) or in Aswan, where they
are caught from Lake Nasser. As well as the common bass and sole,
try gambari (shrimp), calamari (squid), gandofli (scallops), and
ti'baan (eel). The latter, a white meat with a delicate salmon
flavoring, can be bought on the street already deep-fried.
Vegetables:
Ruzz (rice) is often varied by cooking it with
nuts, onions, vegetables, or small amounts of meat. Bataatis (potatoes)
are usually fried but can also be boiled or stuffed. Egyptians stuff
green vegetables with mixtures of rice; wara' enab, for example, is made
form boiled grape leaves filled with small amounts of spiced rice with
or without ground meat. Westerners often know them by the Greek name of
dolmadas or dolmas, but beware ordering them by that name; in Egypt,
doma refers to a mixture of stuffed vegetables.
Cheese:
Native cheese (Gibna) comes in two varieties:
gibna beida, similar to feta, and gibna rumy, a sharp, hard, pale
yellow cheese. These are the ones normally used in salads and
sandwiches, but gouda, cheddar, bleu, and other Western types are
becoming available. Mish is a spiced, dry cheese made into a paste and
served as an hors d'oeuvre.
Fruits:
In Egypt a multitude of fresh fruits are
available year-round, but since all are tree- or vine-ripened, only
those in season appear in suqs (markets) or on vendors' stands. In the
winter, mohz (bananas), balah (dates), and burtu'aan (any of several
varieties of oranges) appear. Special treats are burtu'aan bedammoh
(pink oranges), whose skin looks like most oranges, but their pulp is
red and sweet. The Egyptian summer is blessed with battiikh (melon),
khukh (peach), berkuk (plum), and 'anub (grapes). Tin shawki is a cactus
fruit that appears in August or September.
Nuts:
Goz (nuts) and mohamas (dried seeds) are popular
snack foods in Egypt, and vendors can be found selling them nearly
anywhere. All are tasty; try bundok (hazelnuts), loz (almonds), or
fuzdo (pistachios). If you like peanuts, the ful sudani are especially
tasty in Aswan. Desserts Egyptian desserts of pastry or puddings are
usually drenched in honey syrup. Baklava (filo dough, honey, and nuts)
is one of the less sweet; fatir are pancakes stuffed with everything
from eggs to apricots; and basbousa, quite sweet, is made of semolina
pastry soaked in honey and topped with hazelnuts. Umm ali, a delight
named for Mamluk queen, is raisin cake soaked in milk and served hot.
Kanafa is a dish of batter "strings" fried on a hot grill and stuffed
with nuts, meats, or sweets. Egyptian rice pudding is called
mahallabiyya and is served topped with pistachios. French-style
pastries are called gatoux. Good chocolate candies are likewise
difficult to find, though Western-style candy bars are beginning to make
their appearance. The Egyptian ice cream runs closer to ice milk
or sherbet than cream. Most restaurants and many
homes serve fresh fruits for desserts, and it makes a perfect, light
conclusion to most meals.
Shopping of Foods:
The easiest way to stretch your food budget is to
patronize the local stands and suqs, buying fresh fruit and vegetables
you can eat raw. The prices are normally posted in Arabic and are
fixed. Since there is no bargaining involved, you can just point to what
you want, indicate how many or how much, and hold out your money; most
vendors and small storekeepers are scrupulously honest. Small, local
grocery stores occupy nearly every street corner and sell canned goods,
preserves, bread, cheese, and soda pop as well as staples at government
fixed prices. If the local grocery doesn't stock beer, there is
probably a store nearby that does; ask. Here or at the brewery you can
buy Stella by the case. Bakeries supply various types of bread and
pastries at fixed prices.
Drinks:
Coffee Developed and popularized in the Middle
East, the drinking of ahwa (coffee) remains a national tradition, and
local coffeehouses still cater to men who come to drink coffee, discuss
politics, play tawla (backgammon), listen to "Oriental" (Egyptian)
music, and smoke the shiisha (water pipe). Although the traditional
poetry and high-powered politics have migrated to fancy homes and
offices, the coffee remains. You will also be offered the thick, strong,
but tasty brew in homes, offices, and bazaar shops. Turkish coffee is
made from finely powdered beans brewed in a small pot. As the water
just begins to boil, the grounds float to the surface in a dark foam;
the ahwa is brought to you still in the pot and poured into a demitasse.
The heavier grounds sink to the bottom of the cup and the lighter ones
form a foam on the top, the mark of a perfectly brewed cup. Sip
carefully to avoid the grounds in the bottom of the cup. (If you don't
like the foam, you can blow it aside under the guise of cooling your
drink.) Although Turkish coffee has a reputation for being tart, its
actual flavor depends on the mix of beans used in the grind; the larger
the percentage of Arabica, the sweeter and more chocolate flavor. Ahwa
comes in several versions: ahwa sada is black, ahwa ariha is lightly
sweetened with sugar, ahwa mazboot is moderately sweetened, and
ahwaziyada is very sweet. You must specify the amount of sugar at the
time you order, for it's sweetened in the pot. Most people order
mazboot, which cuts the tartness; ahwa is never served with cream. Most
hotel and restaurant breakfasts include strong French coffee usually
called Nescafe; you may have to specially order it with sugar (bil
sukkar) or milk (bil laban).
Tea and Other Hot Drinks:
Egyptians adopted the custom of formal afternoon
tea from the native Arabians, and it's served with milk, lemon, and
sugar on the side. The domestic or Bedouin version of shay is boiled
rather than steeped and is often saturated with sugar; this strong tea
is served in glasses. A refreshing change from after-dinner coffee is
shay bil na'na' or mint tea.; dried mint is mixed with tea leaves and
the mixture is brewed like regular tea . Kakoow bil laban (hot
chocolate) is available during the winter, as is Sahlab, a thick liquid
that tastes like a cross between Ovaltine and oatmeal. Karkaday, a
clear, bright red, native drink especially popular in the south, is
made by steeping dried hibiscus flowers, sweetened to taste, and served
either hot or cold; the locals claim this delicious drink calms the
nerves.
Cold Drinks:
Bottled water (mayya ma'daniyya) is available in
all areas frequented by tourists; both large and small bottles are sold
on the street and from ice buckets at most of the antiquities sites. Be
sure the cap is sealed. Mayya shurb or mayya ahday (drinking water) is
safe in most metropolitan areas. A delectable treat in Egypt are the
fresh fruit juices (asiir) available at small stalls throughout Egypt.
The shopkeepers blend the whole fruit and small amounts of ice and sugar
water and then strain this mash into your glass--the resulting drinks
have been described as ambrosia. Juices, which are made from fruits in
season, include farawla (strawberry), manga (mango), mohz (banana),and
burtu'aan (orange) and are especially welcome in hot weather. In
addition to pure fruit juices, you can also get them made of vegetables
such as khiyar (cucumber), tamaatim (tomato), and gazar (carrot). For a
new experience, experiment with some of their combination drinks: nuss
wa nuss (carrot and orange), an unexpectedly delightful concoction, or
mohz bi-laban, a blend of bananas and milk; an Egyptian milkshake. Asiir
lamoon, common throughout Egypt, is a strong, sweet version of
lemonade. In the past few years canned and packaged juices have become
common, but their flavor cannot compare with the freshly made
varieties. Western soft drinks are ubiquitous in Egypt, but most are
domestically bottled. You can find Schweppes, Fanta, Seven-Up, Coke,
and Pepsi; club soda is also available, but Collins mix is nearly
nonexistent. If you buy from street-side vendors, you're expected to
drink the soda right there and return the bottle; if you want to take a
bottle with you, you'll have to pay for it.
Alcoholic Drinks:
Although devout Muslims refrain from drinking
alcohol, beer, wine, and hard liquor are available in bars,
restaurants, and some grocery shops. Imported beer and wine are the
most expensive, but the local beer called Stella is a light lager that
is quite good, provided it has not sat in the sun too long. It comes in
large (about 20 oz.) bottles and runs about LE4-5. Stella Export,
available in bars and restaurants, is more expensive (LE4), comes in
smaller bottles, and is stronger--closer in alcohol content to most
Western beers. Marzen, a dark, bock beer, appears briefly during the
spring; Aswanli is the dark beer made in Aswan. Brandy is drinkable
only when diluted, and the local rum is not much better. However,
zibib, the Egyptian version of Greek ouzo or Mexican anasato, is good
either on the rocks or diluted with water (which turns it milky) as a
before-dinner cocktail. Other hard liquors are imported and therefore
are limited (the ports at Suez and Alexandria seem to have the widest
variety) and expensive. If you drink regularly, plan on stocking up at
a duty-free store before you enter Egypt.
What to Wear:
Egypt is a conservative country and visitors
should respect this attitude. No topless or nude bathing is permitted.
On the practical side, leave your synthetics at home as they will prove
to be too hot in summer and not warm enough in winter - bring materials
that breathe. It is advisable to wear cotton in summer as the heat can
be like a furnace. In winter wear layers that can be taken off during
the heat of the day and put back on for cool evenings. Wear loose and
flowing garments, which are not only modest, but practical in a hot
climate. Have you ever wondered why the Bedouin wear layers of flowing
robes? Why they cover their heads and the back of their necks?
Centuries of living in desert climates have taught them that loose
garments keep one cooler and layered garments allow wind to enter and
circulate, creating a natural ventilation system. Protecting the head
and neck from loss of moisture prevents heat stroke. Bring comfortable
shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking and temple floors are far
from even. In summer, wear a hat to protect yourself from the heat of
the Egyptian sun.
What to Bring:
Get wheels for your
luggage and leave heavy items at home. If you didn’t bring a camera you
will be sorry. Sun glasses are a must as the sun is very strong in Egypt.
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface; what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories about the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction hypotheses are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place. There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only pyramid in Egypt known to contain both ascending and descending passages. The main part of the Giza complex is a setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and constructed over a 14 to 20 year period. Khufu's vizier, Hemon, or Hemiunu, is believed by some to be the architect of the Great Pyramid.It is thought that, at construction, the Great Pyramid was originally 280 Egyptian cubits tall, 146.5 metres (480.6 ft) but with erosion and absence of its pyramidion, its present height is 138.8 metres (455.4 ft). Each base side was 440 royal cubits, 230.4 metres (755.9 ft) long. A royal cubit measures 0.524 metres.The mass of the pyramid is estimated at 5.9 million tonnes. The volume, including an internal hillock, is roughly 2,500,000 cubic meters. Based on these estimates, building this in 20 years would involve installing approximately 800 tonnes of stone every day. Alternatively looking at the construction from another angle, since the Great Pyramid consists of an estimated 2.3 million blocks, completing the building in 20 years would involve moving little more than 12 of the blocks in place each hour, day and night, during the 20 year period. The first precision measurements of the pyramid were done by Egyptologist Sir Flinders Petrie in 1880–82 and published as The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh. Almost all reports are based on his measurements. Many of the casing stones and inner chamber blocks of the Great Pyramid were fit together with extremely high precision. Based on measurements taken on the north eastern casing stones, the mean opening of the joints are only 0.5 millimeters wide (1/50th of an inch)...READ MORE !
In a depression to the south of Chephren's pyramid sits a creature with a human head and a lion's body. The name 'sphinx' which means 'strangler' was first given by the Greeks to a fabulous creature which had the head of a woman and the body of a lion and the wings of a bird. The sphinx appears to have started in Egypt in the form of a sun god. The Egyptian sphinx is usually a head of a king wearing his headdress and the body of a lion . There are, however, sphinxes with ram heads that are associated with the god Amun. The Great Sphinx is to the northeast of Chephren's Valley Temple. Where it sits was once a quarry. Chephren's workers shaped the stone into the lion and gave it their king's face over 4,500 years ago. The sphinx faces the rising sun with a temple to the front which resembles the sun temples which were built later by the kings of the 5th Dynasty. The figure was buried for most of its life in the sand. King Thutmose IV (1425 - 1417 BC) placed a stela between the front paws of the figure. It describes when Thutmose, while still a prince, had gone hunting and fell asleep in the shade of the sphinx. During a dream, the sphinx spoke to Thutmose and told him to clear away the sand because it was choking the sphinx. The sphinx told him that if he did this, he would be rewarded with a kingship. Thutmose carried out this request and the sphinx held up his end of the deal. The sphinx is built of soft sandstone and would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried for so long. The body is 200 feet (60m) in length and 65 feet (20m) tall. The face of the sphinx is 13 feet (4m) wide and its eyes are 6 feet (2m) high. Part of the uraeus (sacred cobra), the nose and the ritual beard are now missing. . The beard from the sphinx is displayed in the British Museum. The statue is crumbling today because of the wind, humidity and the smog from Cairo. Attempts to restore it have often caused more harm than good. No one can be certain who the figure is to personify. It is possible that it is Chephren. If that is so, it would then be the oldest known royal portrait in such large scale. Some say that it was built after the pyramid of Chephren was complete. It may have been set as a sort of scarecrow to guard his tomb. Still others say it is the face of his guardian deity, rather than Chephren himself. The image of the sphinx is a depiction of royal power. Only a pharaoh or an animal could be shown this way, with the animal representing a protective deity. ..READ MORE !
In 1950, Kamal el-Mallakh an architect and archaeologist, was working as an Antiquities Inspector at Giza, when he first noticed a thin line of mortar which delineated the edge of a pair of long narrow pits, end to end, on the south side of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. At the time the area was being cleared for a tourist road and when the men dug further they uncovered 41 huge slabs of limestone in the eastern pit (the western one contained 40 slabs) and a mason's mark with a cartouche of Djedefre, Khufu's successor. The stonework was at first thought to be of little interest and it took Kamal el-Mallakh four years to persuade his superiors that the slabs should be further investigated. On May 26 1954, the team began to dig and eventually Mr el-Mallakh was lowered into a hole in one of the blocks. His first sensation was the sweet smell of cedarwood and a great sense of fulfilment - then with the use of a torch and a mirror he caught sight of the large oar of a full-sized dismantled boat. The pit had been airtight and the boat seemed to be in a remarkable state of preservation, arranged in thirteen neatly piled layers, complete with ropes for rigging and pieces of matting. The boat was laboriously removed from its pit, piece by piece, following preliminary consolidation of the cloth and matting which covered it and in 1958 reconstruction of the boat, by Hag Ahmed Youssef Moustafa the Antiquities Service's principal restorer, was able to begin. This consisted of re-assembling the 1224 individual pieces of cedar, acacia and other elements in a painstaking operation rather like putting together a jig-saw puzzle without a picture. The ancient builders had helpfully indicated on some of the pieces which parts of the craft they had come from, but the work still took over ten years to complete and was finally fully re-assembled in 1968. No nails were used in the construction and the planking was assembled through an ingenious system of stitching through holes with ropes of vegetable fibres. When the wood was swollen by water the ropes would tighten and make the boat watertight. The solar boat measures 43.3m long, 5.9m wide, has a draft of 1.48m and an estimated displacement of around 45 tons. It resembles paintings and models of boats which have survived since ancient times, with a large central panelled cabin, 9m long, an open canopy supported by poles and a smaller one at the fore which was probably for the captain's use. It was steered by five pairs of oars plus one pair at the stern to act as a rudder. It's stem and stern were fashioned in the form of papyrus stalks, as though intended to represent the type of papyrus boat used throughout ancient Egyptian history. . ..READ MORE !
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo. According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BCE. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an important city throughout ancient Mediterranean history. It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile delta, and was home to feverish activity. Its principal port, Peru-nefer, harboured a high density of workshops, factories, and warehouses that distributed food and merchandise throughout the ancient kingdom. During its golden age, Memphis thrived as a regional centre for commerce, trade, and religion. Memphis was believed to be under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of craftsmen. Its great temple, Hout-ka-Ptah (meaning "Castle of the ka of Ptah"), was one of the most prominent structures in the city. The name of this temple, rendered in Greek as Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gy-ptos) by the historian Manetho, is believed to be the etymological origin of the modern English name Egypt. The history of Memphis is closely linked to that of the country itself. Its eventual downfall is believed to be due to the loss of its economical significance in late antiquity, following the rise of coastal Alexandria. Its religious significance also diminished after the abandonment of the ancient religion following the Edict of Thessalonica. The ruins of the former capital today offer fragmented evidence of its magnificent past. They have been preserved, along with the pyramid complex at Giza, as a World Heritage Site since 1979. The site is open to the public as an open-air museum. Memphis has had several names during its history of almost four millennia. Its Ancient Egyptian name was Inebou-Hedjou, and later, Ineb-Hedj (translated as "the white walls"), because of its majestic fortifications and crenulations. Because of its size, the city also came to be known by various other names that were actually the names of neighbourhoods or districts that enjoyed considerable prominence at one time or another. For example, according to a text of the First Intermediate Period, it was known Djed-Sut ("everlasting place"), which is the name of the pyramid of Teti. The city was also at one point referred to as Ankh-Tawy (meaning "That which binds the Two Lands"), stressing the strategic position of the city between Upper and Lower Egypt. This name appears to date from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1640 BCE), and is frequently found in ancient Egyptian texts. Some scholars maintain that this name was actually that of the western district of the city that lay between the great Temple of Ptah and the necropolis at Saqqara, an area that contained a sacred tree. At the beginning of the New Kingdom (c. 1550 BCE)...READ MORE !
Sakkara is one section of the great necropolis of Memphis, the Old Kingdom capital and the kings of the 1st Dynasty as well as that of the 2nd Dynasty are mostly buried in this section of the Memphis necropolis. It has been of constant interest to Egyptologists. Three major discoveries have recently been made at Sakkara, including a prime minister’s tomb, a queen’s pyramid, and the tomb of the son of a dynasty-founding king. Each discovery has a fascinating story, with many adventures for the archaeologists as they revealed the secrets of the past. Sakkara is best known for the Step Pyramid, the oldest known of Egypt's 97 pyramids. It was built for King Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty by the architect and genius Imhotep, who designed it and its surrounding complex to be as grand as it was unique and revolutionary. Imhotep was the first to build stone tombs in honor of the king's majesty. His many titles included 'Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt', 'Administrator of the Great Palace', and 'Imhotep the Builder, the Sculptor, the Maker of Stone Vessels'. Imhotep may have also designed the pyramid of Djoser's successor, Sekhemkhet. 5th Dynasty kings such as Userkaf (pyramid) and Djedkare-Izezi built their pyramids at Sakkara. The last king of 5th Dynasty, Unas, decorated his burial chamber with the famous 'Pyramid Texts', spells written to help the king ascend to the heavens and descend again, which reveal the relationship of the king to the gods. 6th Dynasty kings such as Pepi I, Merenre and Pepi II built their pyramids to the south of Sakkara. Sakkara is also famous for its private Old Kingdom tombs (see our feature story on 1st Dynasty Tombs), which contain beautiful and revealing scenes: men force- feeding geese, cattle crossing a canal, men dragging a statue on a sled to the tomb. The best-known tombs are those of Ti, Kagemni, the 'Two Brothers', and Ptahhotep; the most famous is that of Meruruka. During the New Kingdom (c 1570-332 BC) Memphis took second place to Thebes as Egypt's capital. But although the administration was established at Thebes, the government officials who ruled Upper Egypt lived in Memphis and were buried at Sakkara. Here Geoffrey Martin found the famous tomb that Horemheb built for himself before he became pharaoh, while he was still the overseer of Tutankhamun's army. Martin also found the tomb of Mava, Tutankhamun's Treasurer. The first of the recent discoveries at Sakkara dates from the New Kingdom. This site is being developed by the French Archaeological Mission of the Bubasteion at Sakkara under the direction of Alain Zivie, Director of Research at the Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique at Paris. Zivie started work at a place in Sakkara called Abwab el-Qotat, 'The Doors of the Cats', so called because hundreds of cat mummies were found here. The Ancient Egyptians worshipped the cat goddess Bastet, whose main place of worship was at Tel-Basta near Zagazig in the east of the Delta. At Sakkara her sanctuary or Bubasteion stood above a cliff in which some New Kingdom tombs were cut, some of which were re-used much later for cat burials connected with the Bubasteion..READ MORE !
Have you ever wondered how life was thousands of years ago? This question and others similar thoughts inspired creators to accompany you for a short while to the past, by introducing the sound and light show. It is a magnificent show that brings creatively to life the rule of ancient Egyptians. The artists skillfully created a show to present images of all historical eras. For an hour, you enjoy the sound and light show near the pyramids and the Sphinx. The history is re-told by the Sphinx, telling you the most ancient secrets of the world. In the 21st century, you go back in time thousands of years ago to see how they were built and survived! The show manages to convey the great humane spirit and creativity behind their creation. There you will find the pyramid of Khufu, the Immortal and Sky Grabber, close to its some alters, where the wood-made boats of Khufu are placed, which KING Khufu would use to sail on his journey to immortality. Also, you will find the pyramid built by Khufu’s son Khafre, who made his own smaller and shorter than his father's pyramid; we can see Khafre's face, engraved on a sheet of green diorite stone, so lively as if the artist just finished it. Then, last but not least the pyramid of Menkaure, who was like his father modest and decent enough to make his pyramid smaller than the other two. In one hour, the show would narrate the history of those great kings, their secrets, legends and secrets of ancient history. Every visit to the pyramids and the sound and light shows is magnificent experience. We did not know how the great pyramids were built, the Sphinx may remain a mystery, one of the wonders of the ancient world. We visit the pyramids at the twenty-century, thousands of years after their construction and many years to come, and still they vanquish us with their size and the great human spirit behind them. Pyramid of Khufu, known as the great Pyramid, was built on flat land of 230 square meters and 146.5 meters high when construction was completed about 2000 years BC. The Pyramid is unusual when compared with other pyramids and the other; the king's burial chamber is not below the surface or at the surface of the earth. This pyramid is composed of about 2.3 million block of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tons each. The most widely accepted idea for the establishment of that pyramids was it was built by teams of slaves over 30 years and under the gaze of the Pharaohs vigilance...READ MORE !
Downtown Cairo is the commercial heart of the modern city of Cairo, centered on Midan Talaat Harb and located to the east and north-east of Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square). Formerly known as Midan Ismaili until it was renamed on the 2nd of September 1954 by president Nasser as Midan Tahrir "Liberation Square". Midan Tahrir was the location of Africa's first Hilton hotel, which today houses the Arab league building. The other imposing building on Midan Tahrir opposite the Egyptian museum, is the bay-fronted government Moga'maa building opened in 1952 which houses the bureaucratic offices, and where visitors can renew or extened their Egyptian visas. Although lacking in obvious tourist "attractions", Downtown is nonetheless the convenient location of many smaller hotels, retail outlets, travel agencies and restaurants that would be of interest to the traveller. The district's central location makes it, together with Midan Tahrir, a natural "jumping off point" for exploration of the city. The east end of Downtown is marked by Midan Ataba, the starting point of Islamic Cairo. Downtown Cairo's wide boulevards and streets were laid out in the late 19th century on the orders of Ismail the Magnificent, the Paris of Baron Hausmann being the obvious model for a ruler wishing to Europeanise his capital and his country. The architecture of many buildings is clearly redolent of Paris in the 1870s, if now somewhat run down from neglect and dusty from the Cairene climate. Downtown Cairo's main thoroughfare's are Sharia(St) Talaat Harb and Sharia(St) Qasr El-Nil, intersecting at the central junction of Midan Talaat Harb. Previously known as Soliman Pasha St, before being renamed on the 12th Feb 1964 to Talaat Harb St.The statue of the French General Jean Anthelme Seve also known as Soliman Pasha Al Faransawi, stood where the statue of Talaat Harb, founder of the Banque Misr now stands.Cairienes know this street by both names. Be warned, all hotels/hostels as well as individuals who work the street in downtown will try to sell you vastly overpriced tours around Egypt. They can be very forceful at times as the competition for tourists is strong and they want to take money from you before the next one gets to you. Do not let yourself be bullied into taking one of these until you have spoken to fellow travelers who can give you a more neutral opinion. In fact there are very few places in Egypt where it would be necessary to organize tours from the capital, and fewer where it would be financially advantageous. If you are a confident traveler and used to navigating your way around cities, then Cairo should be no different for you. Downtown has many small tourist oriented tour kiosks. The problem that visitors face is these tours often are inflated in price and always include at least 2 stops to 'uncles' perfume, papyrus, or handicraft shops. This takes away many hours from the tour itself and time at monuments in the hope that at least a few from the coach will buy something. ..READ MORE !
