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| Travel Information |
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| Egypt’s Cities |
Cairo
The bustling, cosmopolitan city of Cairo and capital of Egypt is a must for all visitors to the country. The largest city in Africa, Cairo is a thriving metropolis steeped in history, yet adapting to life in the 21st Century.
Every visitor to Cairo must take the time to visit the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the only remaining wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A visit to the Egyptian Museum, in downtown Cairo is also worth a visit. Home to many ancient Egyptian artefacts, including the gold mask of the boy-king, Tutankhamen, a visit to Cairo is not complete until you have visited the Museum. Of note, too, is the Citadel, wherein one will find the mosque of Mohammed Ali, perched high above the city and giving the visitor a panoramic view over the city, in particular over the adjacent Islamic quarter.
Last, but not least, a visit to the souk district of Khan El Khalili in the heart of Islamic Cairo is recommended. A labyrinth of alleyways with bazaars selling Egyptian gold and silver, Arab coffee pots, shisha pipes and more, it is well worth a visit.
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Luxor |
Luxor (once the ancient capital of Egypt, then known as ‘Thebes’) is home to many of Egypt’s ancient antiquities.
The main town lies on the eastern bank of the Nile. In the heart of the town, you will find the ancient Temple of Luxor. Close by is Luxor Museum, which houses a small but, nevertheless, interesting collection of artefacts collected from temples and tombs in the vicinity. North of Luxor town stands the awe-inspiring Temple of Karnak, built over some 1300 years; it is a must-see for any visitor to Luxor.
The main treasures, however, lie across the river on the West Bank with its vast necropolis, wherein you can discover the tombs of the great pharaonic leaders of Egypt in the Valley of the Kings and Queens. The Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon are also worth a visit.
Luxor is the main departure point for Nile Cruise boats which ply up and down the Nile, enabling tourists to reach many of the temples both north and south of Luxor.
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Aswan |
Aswan, with a population of 150,000, is Egypt’s southernmost city. It lies on the banks of the Nile and its people are Nubian in origin, with darker skin than their counterparts from the north. Nubians have different customs and traditions to other Egyptians.
Many visitors to Aswan arrive on Nile Cruise boats from Luxor. Key attractions in the area include Philae Temple, which stands on an island in Lake Nasser and Abu Simbel, which can be reached by plane or bus from Aswan.
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Alexandria |
Alexandria is Egypt’s second city with a population of 5 million inhabitants. It occupies a 32km stretch of the Mediterranean coastline and enjoys a Mediterranean climate, cooler than the rest of Egypt.
Founded by Alexander the Great around 331BC who chose it as the new capital, rejecting Memphis (close to Cairo) the then capital, Alexandria is a city rich in Greco-Roman heritage. Foreign visitors to the city should aim to see the Roman Theatre, the Greco-Roman Museum, which houses Egypt’s largest collection of Classical antiquities and the catacombs of Kom es-Shoqafa. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is also worth a visit; built during the late 1990s and officially inaugurated in 2002, it commemorates the original Library of Alexandria, lost to antiquity.
There are modern international hotels in the city such as Hilton and Sheraton. The city is popular with holidaying Cairenes in the summer months when hotels can be fully-booked so probably the best times to visit, to avoid the crowds, are in the spring and autumn.
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