Officially speaking, Cairo was founded in AD 969. The city's long journey across history started more than four million ago. A journey through Cairo is a virtual time travel: from the Pyramids, Saladin's Citadel, the Virgin Mary's Tree, the Sphinx, and Ancient Heliopolis, to Al-Azhar, the Mosque of Amr, Saqqara, the Hanging Church, and the Cairo Tower. With an estimated population of more than 15 million, It is the largest city in Africa and the Middle East. It is the capital of Egypt, and indeed her history is carefully intertwined with that of the country. Today, her official name is Al-Qahira (Cairo), but to Egyptians, she is simply Masr : Egypt.
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Alexandria is the largest port in Egypt, and the most important summer resort in the Middle East. It lies on the Mediterranean , west of the Nile Delta, 255 KM from Cairo by the agriculture road and 221 KM by the desert road. Named after Alexander the Great, it was built at his orders on the site of a small village called Racotis, in 332 B.C to be the capital of his realm in Egypt, and a sea port close to his homeland, as well as a center of Greek culture and civilization . Alexandria remained for centuries a beacon of cultures from the world over, and left its mark on the history of mankind. Today, Alexandria is the second capital of Egypt. It is ideally situated, has a temperate climate and soft sandy beaches that extend from Agami west to Abu-Kir east. It is indeed the pearl of the Mediterranean.
Geographically: Quna from North - Asswan from South - Red Sea from East - West Desert from West Historically: Its ex-name was Thebes and since Arabic age it become Luxor Climate: Dry hot in summer - warm in winter Luxor City has a lot of Pharaonic monuments such as temples-tombs-museums This monuments are distributed by the two nile banks (A)The East Bank Monuments (B)The West Bank Monuments.
Aswan, Egypt's sunniest southern city and ancient frontier town located about 81 miles south of Luxor, has a distinctively African atmosphere. Its ancient Egyptian name was Syene. Small enough to walk around and graced with the most beautiful setting on the Nile, the pace of life is slow and relaxing. Every night Nubian dancers and musicians perform in the Cultural Center, just off the Corniche. Folklore troupes recreate scenes from village life and perform the famous Nubian mock stick-fight dances.
Paradise of scuba diving, snorkeling deep-sea fishing and underwater photography frequently head for Hurghada on the Red Sea. A town ring by mountains, desert a clean sandy shore and a clear blue sea. About three miles south of town is a burgeoning resort area, where visitors are seeking recreation rather than a luxurious life, to help in developing a modern infrastructure of tourism. The visitor may enjoy a good view of the fascinating coral reefs and multi-colored fish. There is also a marine biology museum at Hurghada, where one of its unusual exhibits is a number of sirens. The tourist may also visit some Romaine ruins (71 km South of Hurghada) and remains of Roman temples at Gabal El- Dokhan (65 KM North of Hurghada).
At the southern top, situated between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. Sharm EL Sheikh has some of the finest snorkeling and diving sites in the world. It is also noted for its weather, fishing, diving and pure relaxation. Sharm EL Sheikh is also noted for its sulphur springs which are considered cures for those suffering from rheumatic and skin diseases.
Stretches from the Bedouin village of Assalah in the North to the Southern Oases at Wadi Qinai, About 54 miles from Sharm El Sheikh. Dahab means "Gold" and it said that it was given by Arab Bedouins, who linked the shimmering sands to gold dust. Dahab boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in South Sinai.
Taba has a unique location overlooking the Aqaba harbor in Jordan, the Saudi Arabian mountains. Taba has all the excitement and fascination you could want, the beach with its clear limpid blue waters, its colored reefs and rare fish, and the privacy of intimate sunbathing where you can relax and spend a leisurely afternoon enjoying the calm sea.
Ras Sudr is one of the main towns is South Sinai where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the red sea the Sinai mountains. Ras Sudr locates on the Suez Gulf in South Sinai Governorate.
About 135 KM south of Quseir, it has several rest houses such as the Egyptian Shooting Club and is rich with marine life and therefore very suitable for fishing. It's connected to Edfu by a paved desert road, 280 Km long.
Bahariya Oasis is surrounded by black hills made up of ferruginous quartzite and dolorite. Most of the villages and cultivated land can be viewed from the top of the 50-meter-high Jebel al-Mi'ysrah, together with the massive dunes which threaten to engulf some of the older settlements. The Oasis was a major agricultural center during the Pharaonic era, and has been famous for its wine as far back as the Middle Kingdom. Wildlife is plentiful, especially birds such as wheatears; crops (which only cover a small percentage of the total area) include dates, olives, apricots, rice and corn. There are a number of springs in the area, some very hot, such as Bir ar-Ramla but probably the best is Bir al-Ghaba, about 10 miles north east of Bawiti. There is also Bir al-Mattar, a cold springs which poors into a concrete pool Otherwise near the Oasis is the Black and White deserts, though traveling to the White desert seems not practical from the oasis. The Black Desert was formed through wind erosion as the nearby volcanic mountains were spewed over the desert floor. Finally, there are the ruins of a 17th Dynasty temple and settlement, and nearby tombs where birds were buried.
With a population of about 23,000, Siwa, the most inaccessible of all Egypt's oasis until very recently, is also one of the most fascinating, lying some 60 feed below sea level.. On the edge of the Great Sand Sea, its rich history includes a visit from Alexander the Great to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 BC. Archaeologists, such as Liana Souvaltsis and implied that the great military leader was buried here, but no real evidence has come from this. The King of Persia lead a 50,000 man army to the area to destroy the oracle, but the entire army was lost in the desert. The area has a nice climate, chilly in winter, hot in the summer and moderate in the spring and autumn. Lake Siwa to the west of the town of is a large, saltwater lake.
Outside the main center is the Temple of Hibis, built on the site of an 18th dynasty settlement of Saites, Persians and Ptolemies. One of the few Persian monuments in Egypt, the 6th century BC temple is well preserved with painted vultures and huge reliefs of Darius greeting Egyptian gods on the outer walls. Ten kilometers away, the Necropolis of al-Bagawat contains 263 mud brick chapels with Coptic murals, including the Chapel of Peace with images of Adam and Eve and the Ark on it's dome. There is also the Chapel of the Exodus with frescoes of pharaonic troops pursuing the Jews, led by Moses, out of Egypt. Pharaonic monuments include the al-Ghuwaytah Temple which dates from 522 BC and the Temple of Amenebis.
Dakhla sits in a depression surrounded by pink cliffs. There are about 30,000 acres of cultivated land. Most of its 70,000 or so residents are farmers who constantly fight the battle of the dunes that threaten their fields and orchards. The fields and gardens are filled mostly with mulberry trees, date palms, figs and other citrus fruits. Dakhla has retained most of its culture and charm even though it has increased in size by about double and government funding and technical training has revitalized the economy. Dakhla is the only place in Egypt where new water wheels which are driven by buffaloes are constructed. They are made of palm timber and clay jars and are called saqiyas. The oasis is connected to Kharga by a 120 mile (200 km) road that has buses running daily.
Farafra, known as Ta-iht or the Land of the Cow in pharaonic times, is a single village. The most isolated of the New Valley Oases it is renowned for its strong traditions and piety. According to folklore, the villagers once lost track of time and had to send a rider to Dakhla so they could hold the Friday prayers on the right day. The oldest part of the village, on a hillside, is next to peaceful walled palm groves; a short ride away there are hot sulphur springs at Bir Setta and swimming at El-Mufid Lake.
Just 60 Km south of Hurghada on the Red Sea is safaga, a sleepy harbor of sun and water sports that is just beginning to awaken as a winter tourist resort. Known best for its fantastic coral reefs, safaga also is a centre for phosphate mining.
Just 24 Km south of Hurghada, EL-Gona resort is considered on of the most fantastic resorts in the Red Sea. EL Gona is rich with its fantastic sea views, Golf Clubs and the yacht marine
South Magawish is one of the most attractive resorts on the Red Sea, just 15 Km South of Hurghada. South Magawish has lots of fine sea views, Sporting clubs and fishing areas.