WELCOME IN EGYPT - Recently Updated Pages

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jeffmc01 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:47:37 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Hieroglyphics

valentino3x — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:32:46 CDT

Say the word "Egypt" to most people and ask them to free associate. The first three words out of their mouths will probably be: mummy, pyramids, and hieroglyphics. All three seem to stand out as ciphers, as enticing mysteries. Mummies look so much like humans that it's almost as if you can speak to them. The pyramids, with their unfathomable size, invite you to ask what motivated them. But hieroglyphics, the form that Egyptian writing took, are especially inviting because they seem almost readable. You can identify the symbols, for they are, after all, pictures; so it's almost as if you're always on the verge of understanding them like a memory you know you have but just can't bring to consciousness

However, the surprising thing about hieroglyphics is that they aren't really pictures at all, but picture letters and syllables (similar to cuneiform). For this reason, the meaning of hieroglyphics faded from human consciousness from about the fourth century AD to the nineteenth century AD, when they were finally deciphered.

Like most forms of writing, hieroglyphics originally began as pictures. The growth of cities and public administration created a need for record-keeping and accounting; the simplest way to record a transaction involved pictures. "Five cows," for instance, can be represented with five marks and a picture of a cow. But, as you can imagine, this type of writing is enormously inefficient (millions of pictures) and sometimes confusing ("Is that a cow or a hippo?" Five hippos?"). So the Egyptians developed a shorthand out of their pictures, in which a picture of a single-syllable word could stand for that syllable whenever it occurs in a word. Let me give you an example in English. Suppose we were to come up with a hieroglyphic system in English similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics. We have a single-syllable word, "cat," which we represent with a picture of a cat. So when we write the word, "catalog," we write the first syllable of the word with a picture of a cat. That's how hieroglyphics work. Simple, right? No. There is a twist. The Egyptians never indicated vowel sounds in their writing, so the picture of a cat actually stands for the syllable "ct." So the word "cut" would also be written by using a picture of a cat, and in the word "recite," the last syllable would also be a picture of a cat. But check this out: the word "react," since the last syllable consists only of the two consonants, "ct," would also be a picture of a cat.

You can see now how difficult it must have been to decipher this mess. Even the Egyptians had problems. For instance, in English the words "recite," "recut," and "react" would be spelled exactly the same way in hieroglyphics (if you spelled the words in English without vowels, the three words would be spelled "rct," "rct," "rct"). So the Egyptians would add a picture at the end of the word to identify the word; "recut," for instance, might be followed by a picture of a knife, "recite" might be followed by a picture of a mouth.

As interesting as all this is, the most important aspect of Egyptian writing was what Egyptians thought of it, that is, how they conceived of writing in their view of the universe. The Egyptians called their writing, medu netcher, or "the words of the gods" ("hieroglyph" is a Greek word which means "sacred writing"). The Egyptians believed that writing was given to them by Thoth, the keeper of records among the gods. But Thoth didn't just give humans writing, he gave them the language of the gods. To write hieroglyphs was to speak "god-language." In other words, the Egyptians believed that the gods "spoke" in pictures and in things. This is a powerfully important insight into the Egyptian world view. If the "words of the gods" are pictures and things, that means that the entire world is a speech by the gods, full of meaning and symbol; this means that the universe itself can be "read." Since Thoth taught humans the "words of the gods," he taught them also how to read and understand the universe itself. Above everything else, understand that for the Egyptian everything in the world and universe was writing that resembled all the human writing they inscribed on their tombs and monuments. For this reason, while Egyptian writing is a form of art, all Egyptian art is a form of writing—it has meaning, symbolism, and precision.

Egyptian Food

valentino3x — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:30:54 CDT

FOOD AND DRINK
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 1700 or 1800 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 1300-1600, dinner 2000-2400. 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. Soups And Salads
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. Fruit 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 For Food
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 visit in Egypt

valentino3x — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:29:20 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Egypt weather

valentino3x — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:27:56 CDT

Throughout Egypt, days are commonly warm or hot, and nights are cool. Egypt has only two seasons: a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October. The only differences between the seasons are variations in daytime temperatures and changes in prevailing winds. In the coastal regions, temperatures range between an average minimum of 14° C in winter and an average maximum of 30° C in summer.
Temperatures vary widely in the inland desert areas, especially in summer, when they may range from 7° C at night to 43° C during the day. During winter, temperatures in the desert fluctuate less dramatically, but they can be as low as 0° C at night and as high as 18° C during the day.
The average annual temperature increases moving southward from the Delta to the Sudanese border, where temperatures are similar to those of the open deserts to the east and west. In the north, the cooler temperatures of Alexandria during the summer have made the city a popular resort. Throughout the Delta and the northern Nile Valley, there are occasional winter cold spells accompanied by light frost and even snow. At Aswan, in the south, June temperatures can be as low as 10° C at night and as high as 41° C during the day when the sky is clear.
Egypt receives fewer than eighty millimeters of precipitation annually in most areas. Most rain falls along the coast, but even the wettest area, around Alexandria, receives only about 200 millimeters of precipitation per year. Alexandria has relatively high humidity, but sea breezes help keep the moisture down to a comfortable level. Moving southward, the amount of precipitation decreases suddenly. Cairo receives a little more than one centimeter of precipitation each year. The city, however, reports humidity as high as 77 percent during the summer. But during the rest of the year, humidity is low. The areas south of Cairo receive only traces of rainfall. Some areas will go years without rain and then experience sudden downpours that result in flash floods. Sinai receives somewhat more rainfall (about twelve centimeters annually in the north) than the other desert areas, and the region is dotted by numerous wells and oases, which support small population centers that formerly were focal points on trade routes. Water drainage toward the Mediterranean Sea from the main plateau supplies sufficient moisture to permit some agriculture in the coastal area, particularly near Al Arish.
A phenomenon of Egypt's climate is the hot spring wind that blows across the country. The winds, known to Europeans as the sirocco and to Egyptians as the khamsin, usually arrive in April but occasionally occur in March and May. The winds form in small but vigorous low-pressure areas in the Isthmus of Suez and sweep across the northern coast of Africa. Unobstructed by geographical features, the winds reach high velocities and carry great quantities of sand and dust from the deserts. These sandstorms, often accompanied by winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour, can cause temperatures to rise as much as 20° C in two hours. The winds blow intermittently and may continue for days, cause illness in people and animals, harm crops, and occasionally damage houses and infrastructure.

M o n t h	T y p e	Cairo Min/ Max	Alexandria Min/ Max	Luxor Min/ Max	Aswan Min/ Max	Hurghada Air/ Water Average	Sharm Air/ Water Average
		Forecast	Forecast	Forecast	Forecast	Forecast	Forecast
Jan	C F	8.6/19.1 47/66	9.3/18.3 49/65	5.4/23 42/74	8/23.8 46/75	24/18 75/64	24/18 75/64
Feb	C F	9.3/21 48/69	9.7/19.2 49/67	6.8/25.4 44/78	9.4/26.1 49/79	25/18 77/64	25/18 77/64
March	C F	11.2/23.7 52/75	11.3/21 52/70	10.7/29 51/84	12.6/30.4 54/86	26/20 79/68	26/20 79/68
April	C F	13.9/28.2 56/83	14.5/23.6 58/75	15.7/35 60/95	17.5/36 63/97	31/25 88/77	31/25 88/77
May	C F	17.4/32.4 63/90	16.7/26.5 62/80	20.7/39.3 69/103	21.1/38.5 71/101	35/26 95/79	35/26 95/79
June	C F	19.9/34.5 68/95	20.4/28.2 69/83	22.6/41 72/107	24.2/42.1 76/108	37/28 99/82	37/28 99/82
July	C F	21.5/35.4 71/96	22.7/29.6 73/86	23.6/40.8 74/106	24.5/42 76/108	40/28 107/82	40/28 107/82
Aug	C F	21.6/34.8 71/95	22.9/30.4 73/87	23.5/41 74/107	24.7/41.3 76/107	42/29 108/84	42/29 108/84
Sept	C F	19.9/23.3 68/89	21.3/29.4 71/85	21.5/38.5 71/101	22.2/39.6 72/103	38/27 100/81	38/27 100/81
Oct	C F	17.8/29.8 64/86	17.9/27.7 64/82	17.8/35.1 64/95	19.3/36.6 66/99	32/25 90/77	32/25 90/77
Nov	C F	12.1/24.1 54/75	14.8/24.4 59/76	12.3/29.6 54/85	14.5/30.2 58/86	26/23 79/73	26/23 79/73
Dec	C F	10.4/20.7 51/69	11.2/20.4 52/69	7.7/24.8 45/76	9.9/20.5 50/69	26/19 79/66	26/19 79/66

Eygpt informations

valentino3x — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:26:11 CDT

Basics info

Language Description: Arabic.

Passport/Visa U.S.: Passports and visas needed by Australian, Canadian, U.K. and U.S. citizens. Air passengers may obtain a renewable 30-day visa upon arrival. Others must obtain a visa in advance. Reconfirm travel document requirements with carrier before departure.

Population: 67,273,906

Religion: Islamic (Sunni), Christian (Coptic).

Telephone Codes: 20, country code; 2, Cairo city code; 3, Alexandria city code

Time Zone: 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+2 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the last Friday in April to the last Friday in September

Tipping Overview: It's common to leave small tips for restaurant staff. Use the 10% rule for bills up to E 200; for bills that are more than E 200, it's acceptable to leave a smaller percentage.

Baksheesh is a word every visitor hears within an hour of arrival. It means "gift," and is usually a justified request for a tip for services rendered (waiters, taxi drivers, porters, doorkeepers, etc.). Keep a supply of small change or small notes ready. But there is a gray area where a request for baksheesh is a request for a bribe to get something done that you might feel shouldn't require additional remuneration. Bear in mind that such bribes aren't considered to be seriously wrong in Egyptian culture. Decide for yourself whether you feel the request is justifiable. There are also those who simply ask for baksheesh without rendering a service. It's not considered rude to turn down such requests.

Voltage Requirements: 220 volts. Plugs have two round prongs

Shopping in Egypt

Among the interesting souvenirs that Egypt offers are mother-of-pearl inlaid wood, jewelry, brassware and leather goods (though some of the cheaper items may not be adequately cured). Other items include carpets, shisha water pipes, alabaster and soapstone carvings, paintings on papyrus, rag rugs, Egyptian clothing, silver and copper ware, perfumes and reproductions of antiquities. For the reproductions, the Egyptian Antiquities Museum is a good source. Elsewhere, if an item is presented to you as an antique, it's probably a fake (and if it is genuine, it can't be legally exported). In fact, be very careful when buying something that may appear to authorities to be of historical importance -- the police have detained tourists for days while determining that well-made reproductions were not authentic. Look for campy postcards and stationery that looks as if it were first printed 40 years ago. And do go into one of the herb shops. They carry everything from dried lizards to licorice powder.

The Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in Cairo is a good spot to shop for many of these items, and its fun just to walk through even if you're not very interested in shopping. The streets leading up to it are wild and woolly -- lots of interesting shops can be found. Bargaining is acceptable almost everywhere: Even fine shops will consider bids on big-ticket items. The bargaining process may seem to be a waste of time to people used to just taking items to a cash register, but try to enjoy the process -- the key is to try to keep the price low without being arrogant or insulting. Learn to fake astonishment at a suggested price or walk slowly out of a shop if necessary. But don't bargain if you're not truly interested in buying. (The proffered tea or soft drinks do not obligate you to buy anything.) Above all, keep smiling.

Traditional &Culture

valentino3x — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 06:23:23 CDT

Culture and Traditions in Egypt

Egypt is a country of cultural mix, there is an immense cultural mix, in every major city in Egypt you will find traditions that remained from the pharaoh’s times, and in other parts you will find pure tribal customs, which were brought by many invaders throughout the centuries. That contradiction and contrast between areas of Egypt when you compare it with other middle eastern countries, you will find Egypt is considered advanced among others, yet here you will find that the customs and mentality tends to be full of warmth towards visitors and foreigners. This is the secret why Egypt is considered the most attractive country in the region for travelers. The pure nature of the local Egyptians when they are always there when you need help, or when they invite you into their houses and they hardly know you, or when they smile in your face, makes a visit to Egypt a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

Egypt’s population consists of 67 million 57 million of them are Sunni Muslims and about 10 Million are Coptic Christians (Christian Egyptians). Although public statistics indicate that they are not more than 7 million. Whether Muslim or Copt, the Egyptians are moderately religious and religious principles is quite noticed in their daily lives. Here each family member is responsible for the integrity of family and for the behavior of other members, creating an environment that would be envied by many people in the West. Here they are so close to each others, family ties are far stronger than in the west, hence you will find any major city in Egypt, is safer than any western metropolis.

Yet when travelers come to 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 when they meet Egyptians are often surprised by their friendly, hospitable reception and take home with them good feelings about Egypt and its population.

Egyptians form a society of a mixture of Middle Eastern family standards, taken from the different religious rules whether in Islam or Christianity, it created a sort of 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.

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.

Although most of the Muslims in Egypt do not drink alcohol, they do not o bject to others drinking, but imbibing in reasonable amounts. In Egypt people don't eat pork, and rarely when you find a place that offers pork choice on their menu.

People here fast at the time of Ramadan , it is the time when they all come close to each other and respect each other, I t is the time when they go out till late at night and fast by day. During this month, donations, almsgiving and charity would be at its highest rates, it is the time for forgiveness and love. It is a wonderful month.

Christmas is preceded by forty days of fasting for strict members of the Coptic Church. Christians abstain from eating any kinds of animal products including meat, poultry and dairy during the month of December.

When Christmas Eve comes on the 6th of January, people go to church for the evening service dressed in new clothes and find hundreds of candles illuminating the building in honor of the candles Joseph lit to keep the Virgin Mary from catching cold on the night of the Nativity. At the conclusion of the service, the sound of bells tells families that their fasts are over and they make their way home for the traditional meal of Fata (rice, garlic and boiled meat) and Qurban
(a biscuits marked with a cross and 12 dots representing Jesus' disciples). Christmas morning is a time for visiting friends and family and for sharing a shortbread called "Kaik" and a drink called "Shortbat". Egyptian celebrations of Christ's birth and the time the Holy Family spent in Egypt conclude that evening as families reflect on the Christmas season.

Major days off and public holidays:

Day	Description
First day of the spring (2nd Monday after the Coptic Easter day)	It is called Sham EL-Nessim day Just Avoid going out in this day to national parks and the zoo
25th of April	Sinai liberation day.
1st of May	Labor day
23rd of July	1952 revolution day
6 October	Armed forces day, victory day 1973
13 October	Suez liberation day
23rd of December	Victory day
Eid EL Adha Sacrifice feast	Comes right after the pilgrimage season, it last for 4 days
Eid EL Fitr Breakfast feast	Comes right after the Holy Fasting month of Ramadan

Communications

valentino3x — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:24:01 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Guide Crew

valentino3x — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:49:56 CDT

We are a group of tour guides in Egypt ,we made this site to help the travelers and the people who have no experience in traveling or tourism as well,So we give them Egypt Informations and Weather also is so important,we provide meet and assist at the airport where doing facilaties for Entry visa.

My name is Ahmed Maher and my nick name is Valentino am English tour guide,really we have in Egypt more than 10,000 guide they are very strong guiding crew with all langua ges for example we have English,French,Italian, Espagnol,German, Russian,Japanese, Chinese Tour guides ,here we as a tour guides in Egypt make all the facilities for individuals and groups who have not any experience to come and enjoy with Egypt Sight seeing, and taste the Egyptian Food not only that we also work with travel agents by providing them with Hotel where you can know evey thing about hotel rates ,
Tour packages,means of transportations,Nile cruise reservations, and any information needed by the agents .
We also give the chance for the tour guides to join us and be one from our guiding team crew just for guides who have a lience number. here

Come to Egypt.....

our site name is come that is because we can make the trip so easy and enjoyable also come is easy word used for moving from place to another place ,we believe that coming Egypt is very easy

Why Egypt ......?

Nowadays in the age of technology , and fast life style the world achieved a great progress cant be neglected ,but now we have a lot of modern tools and unlimited informations fields ,so lets go back by the history more than 7000 years ago and imagine the life style in then and how they could made a civilization like that ,most of the people who come to Egypt to live the ancient and see this civilization, enjoy with the weather and know about the Egyptian people and thier traditional and culture

The Two Lands

valentino3x — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:26:23 CDT

From 3900 to 3100 B.C., the villages along the Nile valley grew in wealth and power. Two of these villages became particularly powerful and wealthy, so much so that it is not an exaggeration to think of them as cities. In the north, the city of Nekheb (named by the Greeks, Hieraconpolis or "city of the falcon") grew powerful, while in the south, Nekhen grew powerful. Around 3000 BC, the rivalry between these two towns erupted into war. Upper Egypt would emerge victorious in this war and dominate all of Egypt. We are told that this unification was brought about by the warrior-king Menes, whose name in Egyptian was Narmer. Of all the kings of Egypt, Narmer is among the most legendary; for according to Egyptians, he united the two parts of Egypt and became the first king of the Two Lands, Upper and Lower Egypt. The unification of Egypt, however, probably took a few generations. Whatever the truth, the history of Egyptian kings begins with Narmer (Menes) who founded the first dynasty of Egyptian kings. The symbol of this unification are the two crowns of Egypt, the white crown (Upper Egypt) and the red crown (Lower Egypt); these crowns would be combined to form the single crown of the king.

The unification of the two lands was the single most important event in Egyptian history. It allowed for a centralization of authority which then undertook massive administrative and building projects. Large-scale irrigation projects were begun as well as large-scale distribution of food and regulation of trade. Egypt's wealth increased exponentially. The first kings of Egypt were so successful, that they could build expensive tombs for themselves; these tombs, called mastaba were dug into the ground and covered by a rectangular building. They were larger and wealthier than anything ever seen before.

At the same time, the Egyptians invented writing. Large-scale bureaucracy and the need for record-keeping certainly motivated this invention. This early form of writing which took the form of pictures (pictographic writing) eventually developed into hieroglyphics or medu netcher ("words of the gods") in ancient Egyptian.

But perhaps the most important consequence of unification of the invention of a state system. In order to legitimate the authority of the king, the early dynastic kings and their administrators invented an institution which transcended the individual king or his administrators. The king became a divine king, a living god incarnate in the king, who brought about fertility and life to the people he ruled. Egypt, then, was a theocratic ("theo"=god, "cratic"=ruled by) state. To question the authority of the king was blasphemy.

Old Kingdom

valentino3x — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:25:26 CDT

While the unification of Egypt in the Archaic period was the single most important event in Egyptian history, it was a long and drawn-out affair. Although Narmer is credited with unifying the country, all the kings of the first two dynasties had to fight constant wars against considerable opponents all along the Nile. But the third dynasty of Egyptian kings began powerfully; the second king of that dynasty, a man named Netcheriche or Djoser (or Zoser) became powerful enough to control the whole of the country. Egypt had, meanwhile, prospered and grown beyond everyone's wildest dreams. Agricultural production had been revolutionized by the building of massive irrigation projects; trade had ballooned to super-human proportions; the population had swelled exponentially. Suddenly Egypt found itself wealthy; the country literally exploded with creativity for the next several generations. This period,from 2650-2134, the Old Kingdom, was the richest and most creative period in Egyptian history. All the pyramids were built at this time; the growth in population and wealth allowed the kings to apportion vast amounts of labor and materials to these monuments to themselves.

And the first to build one was Djoser himself. Pyramid-building is mathematically not a complex affair, but the Egyptians learned the art slowly. Djoser's pyramid, called the Step Pyramid, is not a smooth pyramid, but a series of six bases built one on top of another. A later king, Snofru, would build a pyramid closer to the classic design, but it was his son, Cheops, who built the largest of them all, the Great Pyramid of Giza. All of the enormous pyramids were built in the lifetimes of only four kings: Snofru, Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerinus, but they remain an icon of the richest and most powerfully creative period of Egyptian culture
What do they represent? What did an Egyptian of the Fourth Dynasty see when those massive man-made mountains of stone loomed on the horizon? They represented the institution of the monarchy itself. The king was a living god. As a god he was above every other human being; his power was not given to him, it was an aspect of his divine nature. As a god, he brought life, fertility, order, stability, and rationality to the Egyptian state just as the gods brought life, fertility, order, stability,and rationality to the universe as a whole. He stood aloof and distant from the rest of humanity, and only the king had the right or the ability to join the gods after he died. The Egyptian in the street did not expect an afterlife of bliss or rebirth during the Old Kingdom; it was only in later Egyptian history that rebirth was seen as common to all humans. The pyramids represent all of these things. As monuments, they represent the inherent power of the king. As geometry, they represent the order, balance, and rationality of the universe and its incarnation in the king himself. As tombs, they represent the life after death available to the king as living god.

There's no question that the first pyramids were almost entirely political in nature. All the pyramids were built during the lifetime of the king who would occupy it; if the king died, the pyramid would be abandoned. The very first pyramid, Djoser's Step Pyramid, has a Sed ("slaughter") court where the king would perform the Sed celebrations reconfirming his position as king

The Old Kingdom lasted for four dynasties (3-6), but declined rapidly near the end of the sixth dynasty. The annual floods of the Nile, which would water the ground and bring rich soil, fell off precipitously. People began to starve, and the once proud united kingdom fell into disarray and chaos until it fell completely into the darkness of the First Intermediate Period.

Middle Kingdom

valentino3x — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:24:32 CDT

For one hundred years after the decline of the Old Kingdom (2134-2040 BC), the once proud land of Egypt splintered into dozens of independent states. It seemed as if the Two Lands and the king of the Two Lands would never appear again; but two kings, Intef and Mentuhotep, in the region of Luxor re-established order and reinstituted the institution of the Egyptian king. The dynasty they began, the Eleventh Dynasty, marks the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. Under these kings, trade with foreign countries began again, irrigation projects were repaired, and the writing of texts started up from scratch. The power of the king, however, never really returned. Local cities and villages had become accustomed to their independence and local governors operated indendently. This was a major threat to the monarchy; in fact, one king, Amenemhet I, seems to have been murdered by a conspiracy among local governors. Only well into the Middle Kingdom period did a king, Sesostris III, finally break the local governors and return the monarchy to its previous power.
The Foreigners

As the kings of Egypt slowly regained the authority of the monarchy, Egypt again grew in wealth and population. A large part of that population were non-Egyptians who migrated to the Nile Valley in order to enjoy the prosperity. There was no such thing as naturalization in Ancient Egypt or the Middle East; no matter where you lived, you always belonged to your original tribe or nation. If you migrated to Egypt, you did not become an Egyptian, but became a "sojourner" or "foreigner." The life of a foreigner in Egypt and elsewhere occupied a range of possibilities: sometimes foreigners had fewer privileges and rights, but more often they were allowed to form their own communities with their own leaders and laws. They were required only to pay taxes and tariffs.

The non-naturalization of foreigners greatly influenced the course of Egyptian history in the Middle Kingdom. As their numbers increased, they settled in increasingly large communities and their leaders became kings in their own rights. The power of these foreigners grew as rapidly as their numbers until the power of the Egyptian monarch fell into oblivion. Egypt entered another period of disorder called The Second Intermediate Period.

New Kingdom

valentino3x — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:23:39 CDT

The Warrior-Kings

After Amosis drove out the Hyksos and established the Eighteenth Dynasty, the Egyptian kings dedicated themselves to preventing the Hyksos disaster from ever happening again. The period of Hyksos domination was a chaotic and shameful time for the Egyptians, and they were determined never to see a foreign king lording it over Egypt ever again. These were warrior-kings, great generals who did not stand apart from their people in divine aloofness. They were active administrators who built up fortifications all along the Egyptian border and actively seized territories outside of Egypt, such as Palestine and Syria. These kings subjugated foreign lands and exacted high taxes, making Egypt wealthy and powerful again. They didn't tolerate foreigners, who were treated relatively badly. Among those foreigners or sojourners were the Hebrews (Egyptian "apiru"="foreigner"), whose national identity was formed in their epic migration from Egypt in the thirteenth century BC.

These warrior kings built mighty statues to their greatness and adorned their tombs with lavish wealth. The greatest of these warrior-kings was Tuthmosis III, a brilliant and fierce general.

Akhenaten

But the period of warrior-kings came to a crashing halt when a young, possibly ill-formed boy came to the throne. Amenhotep IV had a religious conversion and rejected the pantheon of Egyptian gods. Rather, he believed that one and only one god existed and deserved to be worshipped; that god was Aten. Usurping the place of Horus or Re, the traditional Egyptian sun-gods, Amenhotep made Aten the sun-god and created a city dedicated to the worship of that sun-god, Akhetaten, "the Horizon of Aten." Renaming himself Akhenaten, the young king with his wife, Nefertiti, moved into this new city of Aten to concentrate on his new religion. This religion is the first monotheistic ("one god") religion we know of in human history. But Akhenaten devoted himself to his new religion and neglected the storm brewing on the Egyptian horizon. For the Hittite empire was pushing against the Egyptian frontier, and the neglect of Aten's king threatened the very existence of Egypt itself.

Ramses III

The Ramesside Kings

Even though the warrior-kings reappeared with the dawning of the Nineteenth Dynasty and the great Ramesside kings (Ramesses I and his descendants), the Egyptian empire slowly crumbled over the generations as foreign powers encroached on its once mighty empire. The greatest of the Ramesside kings was Ramses II; his tenure as king corresponds to some of the most epic monumental architecture of ancient Egypt. He was followed, however, by a series of weaker kings and Egypt finally collapsed into another period of political chaos: the Third Intermediate Period.

Pre-History

valentino3x — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:10:11 CDT

The Great Desert

Seven or eight thousand years ago, at the farthest reaches of human memory, before there was Egypt or the pyramids, North Africa was a lush and green place. There were vast grasslands and green forests stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Over this enormous green area, humans wandered in small groups; eventually, about eight thousand or so years ago, some of these small groups began to plant and cultivate their food. You might say that this change, which happened so slowly that it probably took a millenium to take place, was the single most important event in human history. For it turned humans into agriculturalists. As farmers, these wandering human groups settled down in one place, and human culture, confined now to villages, radically changed shape.

This revolution, so vital to everything that follows, took shape so slowly that at least one quarter of written human history can be contained in the period of time that it took for humans to become agriculturalists. While this revolution happened all around the world, North Africa was a special case. For about the time humans slowly transformed into farmers, North Africa started to die. It died slowly and imperceptibly, but generation after generation began to notice that it was raining less frequently and that there were fewer plants. The death of the grasslands and forests slowly gave way to sand; in a few thousand years, North Africa became "The Desert" ("Sahara" means "desert" in Arabic). Humans were pushed relentlessly by the encroaching dry and sand. They were pushed south (they are still being pushed south as the Sahara continues to grow), some were pushed north into the Middle East, and some were pushed towards the Nile River. Like a solitary giant, the Nile loomed as the only source of water in the growing desert; in a sea of sand, the Nile was a thin sliver of green, growth, and life.

The Nile Civilizations

This is where the great Nile civilizations were fostered and grew: Egypt, Nubia, Meroe. From the desperate human communities forced by the growing desert to live on the banks of the Nile grew one of the first great urban cultures of human history. However, we know almost nothing of these early pre-Egyptian communities. What did they think? What gods did they worship? How did these communities evolve into the great urban centers of the Nilotic kingdoms? Like the grass and trees swallowed by the desert, we'll never know, for they left only graves, tools, knives, pots, and garbage. No words and no speech. We do know that around 5000 BC, people began to live in villages up and down the Nile Valley, and one thousand years later these people were burying their dead with great care and ornamentation (belief in an afterlife?). Around 3800 BC, Nile culture began to flourish. Egyptians discovered the world and began to interact and trade with other cultures as far away as Mesopotamia. Egyptians became master craftspeople; they buried their dead in coffins in lavishly equipped graves; they began to develop sophisticated technologies.

This was the template on which Egyptian civilization would emerge, for out of this crucible would rise The Two Lands, the first states in human history.

History

valentino3x — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 06:07:54 CDT

The Valley of the Nile
Like a giant lifeline in the midst of desperation, the Nile River, longest river in the world, cuts a swath of green and life through the barrenness of the giant Sahara desert in North Africa. Fed by three major sources—the White Nile which begins at Lake Victoria, the Atbara, and the Blue Nile, which joins the Nile near Khartoum in the Sudan—the river rushes down into the Nile Valley and beyond that into the rich alluvial plain of the Nile delta. Swollen by rains, the river yearly floods the Nile Valley, so that the valley literally turns into isolated islands separated by the high waters. In an area without any rainfall, the Nile brings water and life, and in its periodic flooding, it also brings nutrient-rich silt which it deposits on the agricultural land in the Nile Valley.

Along this narrow strip of life, one of the greatest and most enduring human civilizations established itself. It was an African civilization which fed off human cultures to the south, the west, the east, and eventually, the north. At times it was the greatest power in the world; at other times, the Egyptians groaned under the domination of foreign powers. By 300 AD, its greatness had faltered permanently, and this great culture faded from memory. People forgot its religion and its writing; only the stones of their monuments stood as a mute testimony of three thousand years of human experience.

Whatever the Egyptians were, they had little in common with any contemporary cultures. In fact, they are probably the most mysterious culture you will ever encounter. Who were they? What happened for three thousand years? What did they think? How did they view the world? We will start to answer these questions as we journey from the beginnings to the final ends of Ancient Egypt

Programs & Packages

valentino3x — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 04:54:54 CDT

Egypt also enjoys a favorable geographic location as the meeting ground of East and West. A mild climate all year round, a natural environment enriched by the Nile River, Mediterranean and Red Sea beaches, vast expanses of desert, fascinating oases, in addition to a wide variety of handcrafts and above all friendly and hospitable people.

-Cairo Luxor ASwan Program (8 Days/7 Nights).

-Cairo Luxor Aswan Hurgada Program (9 Days/8 Nights).

-Cairo Oasis Cairo (safari) Progran (9 Days/8 Nights).

- Sharm Dahab Cairo Sharm Program(8 Days/7 Nights).

-Sharm Cairo Alexandria Sharm Program (8 Days/7 Nights).

-Cairo Ras Sudr Cairo program (8 Days/7 nights).

Cairo Ras Sudr Cario

valentino3x — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:46:49 CDT

Program 08 Days / 07 Nights

Cairo / Ras Sudr /Cairo

Day 1 : Cairo

Meet & Assist at Cairo international Airport, transfer to the Hotel, check in , overnight.

Day 2 : Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel.( an optional tour Visiting Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, then Drive to visit The Egyptian Museum & Old Coptic Cairo) overnight

Day 3 : Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel ( an optional tour to Alexandria ) overnight.

Day 4 : Cairo / Ras Sudr

Breakfast at Hotel.Driving to Ras Sudr, Arriving Ras Sudr - Transfer to the Hotel, Check in , Free day at leisure on the beach, dinner & overnight .

Day 5 : Ras Sudr

Breakfast at Hotel, Free day at leisure on the beach, enjoying the fantastic atmosphere of Red Sea , dinner & overnight .

Day 6 : Ras Sudr

Breakfast at Hotel, Free day at leisure on the beach, enjoying the fantastic atmosphere of Red Sea , dinner & overnight .

Day 7 : Ras Sudr / Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel,Driving to Cairo, Arriving Cairo - Transfer to the Hotel , Check in , Free time Down Town, overnight .

Day 8 : Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel,Transfer to Cairo International Airport, for Final Departure The End of the Program

Rate Includes :

Meet, Assist & Round trip transfer Airport / Hotel / Airport .
03 Nts. Accommodation on B.B. Basis in Cairo ( Ist. Stay )
Transfer Cairo / Ras Sudr/ Cairo in an Air-condition Tourist bus .
03 Nts. Accommodation on H.B. Basis in Ras Sudr .
01 Nt. Accommodation on B.B. Basis in Cairo ( Sec. Stay )

The Rate excludes

Egypt Entry visa .
Tipping .

Sharm Cairo Alexandria Sharm

valentino3x — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:40:40 CDT

Program 08 Days / 07 Nights

Sharm / Cairo /Alexandria/ Sharm

Day 1 : Sharm

Meet & Assist at Sharm International Airport, transfer to the Hotel, check in , overnight .

Day 2 : Sharm

Breakfast at Hotel, free day at leisure on beach ( an optional tour to Ras Mohamed or Taba to visit Salah El Din Citadel ) dinner &

overnight .

Day 3 :Sharm / Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel, early drive to Cairo arrival check in , (an optional tour visiting Giza Pyramids & Sphinx, then Drive to The Egyptian Museum ) , overnight .

Day 4 : Cairo / Alexandria

Breakfast at Hotel, early driving to Alexandria, Arrival,(an optional

tour visiting Quatbey Citadel, Roman Theater & pomp s' Pillar ) Transfer to the Hotel, check in , free day Down Town , overnight .

Day 5 : Alexandria / Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel, driving to Cairo (an optional tour visiting Mohamed Ali Citadel & Old Coptic Cairo ) , overnight .

Day 6 : Cairo / Sharm

Breakfast at Hotel, drive to Sharm , arrival ,check in , free time,

dinner & overnight .

Day 7 : Sharm

Breakfast at Hotel, free day at leisure on the beach, enjoying the

fantastic atmosphere of Red Sea ( an optional tour to St. Catherine visiting Moses mountain,& St. Catherine Monastery, dinner & overnight

Day 8 : Sharm

Breakfast at Hotel, transfer to Sharm International Airport, for Final Departure .

The End of the Program

Rate Includes :

Meet, Assist & Round trip transfer Airport / Hotel / Airport .
02 Nts. Accommodation on H.B. Basis in Sharm ( Ist. Stay ) .
01 Nt. Accommodation on B.B. Basis in Cairo ( Ist. Stay ) .
01 Nt. Accommodation on B.B. Basis in Alexandria .
01 Nt. Accommodation on B.B. Basis in Cairo ( Sec. Stay ).
02 Nts. Accommodation on H.B. Basis in Sharm ( Sec. Stay ).
Transfer Sharm/Cairo/Alex./Sharm in an Air-condition Tourist bus .

The Rate excludes

Egypt Entry visa .
Tipping .

Sharm Dahab Cairo Sharm

valentino3x — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:34:48 CDT

Program 08 Days / 07 Nights

Sharm / Dahab / Cairo / Sharm

Day 1 : Sharm / Dahab

Meet & Assist at Sharm International Airport , Driving to Dahab, Arriving Dahab ,Transfer to the Hotel Check in dinner & overnight

Day 2 : Dahab

Breakfast at Hotel, free day at leisure on the beach, enjoying the fantastic atmosphere of Red Sea ( an optional tour to Saint

Catherine to climb Moses mountain & visiting Saint Catherine

Monastery ) dinner & overnight .

Day 3 : Dahab

Breakfast at Hotel, free time at leisure on the beach, enjoying the fantastic atmosphere of Red Sea ( an optional tour for diving) dinner & overnight .

Day 4 : Dahab / Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel, free day at leisure on the beach, enjoying the fantastic atmosphere of Red Sea, Check out , driving to Cairo, Arriving Cairo - Transfer to the Hotel .Check in , free time down town & overnight .

Day 5 : Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel, ( an optional tour visiting Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, then drive to visit The Egyptian Museum & Old Coptic Cairo ), overnight .

Day 6 : Cairo

Breakfast at Hotel, free day at leisure( an optional tour to Alexandria )& overnight .

Day 7 : Cairo / Sharm

Breakfast at Hotel, driving to Sharm, Arriving Sharm - Transfer to the Hotel . check in , free time , dinner & Overnight .

Day 8 : Sharm

Breakfast at Hotel,transfer to Sharm International Airport, for Final Departure The End of the Program

Rate Includes :

Meet, Assist & Round trip transfer Airport / Hotel / Airport .
03 Nts. Accommodation on H.B. Basis in Dahab
Transfer Dahab / Cairo / Sharm in an Air-condition Tourist bus .
03 Nts. Accommodation on B.B. Basis in Cairo .
01 Nt. Accommodation on H.B. Basis in Sharm .

The Rate excludes

Egypt Entry visa .
Tipping .

Need a guide

valentino3x — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:08:24 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.