DESTINATION EGYPT

Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian and traveller, once descibed Egypt as `the gift of the Nile', and since long before the birth of Christ travellers have been drawn by images of pyramids, the Sphinx, ancient Luxor and the Nile river. The Pharaohs, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Turks and the British have all ruled Egypt, and modern Egypt is an amalgam of these legacies and the influences of Islam and the 20th century.

Mud-brick villages stand beside Pharaonic ruins surrounded by buildings of steel, stone and glass. Bedouins live in goatskin tents and farmers till the earth with the simple tools of their ancestors. Townsfolk dress in long flowing robes, others in Levis and Reeboks, and city traffic competes with donkey-drawn carts and wandering goats. Nowhere are these contrasts played out so colourfully as in Cairo, a massive city thronged with people and ringing to the sound of car horns, ghetto-blasters and muezzins summoning the faithful to prayer. Egypt isn't all chaos and clatter, however. It's also a diver's dream dip, a quiet camel caravan through the desert or a long lazy punt down the Nile.

Map of Egypt (13K)

Slide Show

Facts at a Glance
Environment
History
Economy
Culture
Events
Facts for the Traveller
Money & Costs
When to Go

Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
Lonely Planet Guides
Travellers' Reports on Egypt
On-line Info

Facts at a Glance

Full country name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Area: 1,001,449 sq km
Population: 62,359,623
Capital city: Cairo
People: Berbers, Bedouins and Nubians
Language: Arabic
Religion: 90% Islam, 7% Christian
Government: Democracy
President: Mohammed Hosni Mubarak

Environment

Hacking a whopping square chunk out of Africa's north-east corner, Egypt stretches over more than a million square km. More than 90% of the land area is barren desert though, which has induced 99% of the population to squish into just 3% of the total land area, the fertile Nile Valley and Delta.

Egypt borders Libya in the west, Sudan in the south, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, and the Red Sea and Israel in the east. The eastern region, across the Suez Canal, is Sinai. This region slopes up to the high mountains of Mt Catherine (Gebel Katherina at 2642 metres is Egypt's highest point) and Mt Sinai. Along Egypt's Mediterranean coast there are countless white-sand beaches, some developed as tourist resorts but many still pristine and isolated. North of Cairo the Nile splits into a series of tributaries that flow into the Mediterranean.

Most of the animals worshipped by the ancient Egyptians are now extinct in the country. Gone are the leopards, cheetahs, oryx and hyenas, and only two of the three varieties of gazelle still survive. There are plenty of rodents and bats, but domesticated camels and donkeys are the most visible forms of Egyptian animal life. There are around 430 species of birds, some of which breed in Egypt, but most pass through on migration from Europe to southern Africa. Up to two million birds are thought to pass over Egypt on annual migrations. There are also 34 varieties of snakes, the most well known of which is the cobra. Scorpions are common throughout the country, but being nocturnal, they are rarely seen. The Red Sea supports sharks, stingrays, turtles, dolphins, colourful corals, sponges, starfish and various molluscs.

There were four guards, but one lost his head (23K)

Egypt's climate is hot and dry most of the year. During the winter months - December, January and February - average daily temperatures stay up around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) on the Mediterranean coast and a pleasant 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) in Aswan. Maximum temperatures get to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) and 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively. Winter nights only get down to 8 degrees Celsius, a very Egyptian version of chilly. Alexandria receives the most rain with 19 cm each year, while Aswan is almost bone-dry with just 2 mm annually. Between March and April the khamsin blows in from the Western Desert at up to 150 km per hour.

History

Egyptian history is inextricably tied up with the Nile. The river has been the source of economic, social, political and religious life since the area was first settled. While the river connected early communities, many fiercely held onto their own independence, and small kingdoms developed. Eventually these congealed into two separate states, one covering the valley as far as the Delta, and the other consisting of the Delta itself. Around 5000 years ago Upper and Lower Egypts were unified under the rule of Menes, giving rise to the first stable dynasty of kings. More than 50 pharaohs, 30 dynasties and 2700 years followed before Alexander the Great swept in with a long unbroken period of foreign rule.

Despite the mighty testaments to the times of the Pharaohs - the pyramids, temples, public works and art - not very much is known about the period. The Pharaohs were considered divine and they ruled over a highly stratified society. The first pyramid was built in the 27th century BC, and over the next 500 years as the Pharaohs became more powerful, their temples and pyramids got grander and bigger. Monarchical power was at its greatest during the 4th dynasty when Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus built the three Great Pyramids of Giza. Through the 6th and 7th dynasties (between around 2490 and 2330 BC) power was diffused and small principalities began to appear. A second capital at Heracleopolis (near present-day Beni Suef) was established, feudalism set in and Egypt plunged into civil war.

Relief in the Mastaba of Ti, Saqqara (19K)

An independent kingdom was established at Thebes (present-day Luxor) and, under Metuhotep II, Egypt again came under control of a single Pharaoh. For the next 250 years Egypt prospered but then nobles and governors began squabbling again. The empire was weakened and Egypt was ripe for conquest by an outside power. The Hyksos invaders came from the north east and ruled Egypt for more than a century until they were expelled. For the next 400 years (1550 to 1150 BC) the New Kingdom bloomed under rulers such as Tuthmosis I, the first Pharaoh to be entombed in the Valley of the Kings; his daughter Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's few female rulers; and Tuthmosis III, Egypt's greatest conqueror, who expanded the empire into western Asia.

Amenophis IV renounced the teachings of the priesthood and took on the title of Akhenaten in honour of Aten, the disc of the rising sun. He and his wife Nefertiti established a new capital called Akhetaten devoted solely to the new god (perhaps the first form of organised monotheism). Akhenaten's son-in-law was Tutankhamun, who ruled Egypt for nine years then died while still a teenager. Thereafter, Egypt was ruled by generals: Ramses I, II and III, and Seti I. They built massive monuments and temples, but the empire began falling apart and it was in disarray when the Greek conqueror, Alexander the Great, arrived in 332 BC. Alexander established a new capital and modestly named it Alexandria. Under Ptolemy I, Alexandria became a great city. The Greeks ruled Egypt for 300 years, but their reign was plagued by great rivalries amongst the nobles and many people were exiled and assassinated.

Meanwhile an expanded Roman empire began taking an interest in Egypt and the scene was set for one of the ancient world's more celebrated soap operas. Between 51 and 48 BC, Egypt was jointly ruled by Ptolemy XIII and his older sister Cleopatra VIII, when Julius Caesar sent his rival, Pompei, from Rome to watch over them. Ptolemy XIII had Pompei killed and banished Cleopatra. Julius Caesar came to Egypt, threw Ptolemy into the Nile, appointed another of Cleopatra's brothers, Ptolemy XIV, as joint leader, and became Cleopatra's lover. In 47 BC Cleopatra gave birth to Caesar's son and two years later had her brother killed. Caesar was assassinated the following year. Marc Antony came from Rome and he and Cleopatra fell in love. They stayed together ten years until an unhappy Roman senate sent Octavian to deal with Marc Antony. Antony and Cleopatra pre-empted Roman intervention by suiciding in 30 BC after which Egypt became part of the Roman Empire.

Hieroglyphics in the Passage of Victory, Temple of Horus, Edfu (22K)

As the Roman Empire fell apart in the 3rd and 4th centuries, invaders again arrived in Egypt: the Nubians came from the south and north Africans came from the west. Later the Persians invaded. Despite these wars and a major famine, Byzantine Egypt was relatively stable until 640 AD when the Arabs arrived. The Arabs brought Islam to Egypt and established Fustat (on the site of present-day Cairo) as the seat of an unstable government. Ultimately it was the Fatimids who came to control Egypt, and under Al-Muizz a Greek called Gawar built the city of Al-Qahira (Cairo). Egypt prospered under the Fatimids and Cairo became a thriving metropolis with buildings 10 storeys high.

Western European Christians seized Palestine and much of the rest of the weakening Fatimid Empire in the Crusades of the 11th century. The Syrian-based Seljuks sent an army into Egypt and Salah ad-Din (Saladin) established the Ayyubid dynasty in Egypt, fortifying Cairo and expelling the Crusaders from Jerusalem in 1187. Salah ad-Din sought to strengthen his grip on power and enlisted Mamluks (Turkish mercenaries) to help him. However, the Mamluks ended up overthrowing the Ayyubid dynasty and ruled for two and a half centuries before Egypt fell to the Turks in 1517. Since most of the Mamluks were of Turkish descent, the Turkish Ottoman sultans, based in Constantinople, largely left the governing of Egypt to the Mamluks and restricted themselves to collecting taxes. This continued until Napoleon invaded in 1798, only to be ousted by the British in 1801, who were in turn expelled by Mohammed Ali, a lieutenant in the Albanian contingent of the Ottoman army. When he died in 1848, his grandson Abbas succeeded him. Abbas was in turn succeeded by his son, Said Pasha, who started digging the Suez Canal. In 1869 the Suez Canal was opened by Ismail Pasha.

Restored relief in the Tomb of Nefertari, Luxor (24K)

Crippling national debt enabled British and French controllers to install themselves in 1879, and the British terminated the suzerainty that Turkey still had over Egypt. During WWI Egypt aligned itself with the Allies, and shortly afterwards the British allowed the formation of a national political party - the Wafd. King Fuad I was elected head of the constitutional monarchy and for the next 30 years the British, the monarchists and the Wafdists jockeyed for power. The Arab League was founded after WWII by seven Arab countries, including Egypt, but the war had left Egypt in a shambles, and its defeat in Israel's 1948 War of Independence saw the chaos escalate. In 1952 a group of dissident military officers, led by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, took government in a bloodless coup. The British and French were reluctant to relinquish control and they invaded. The USA and the Soviet Union found themselves on the same side and the United Nations deployed peacekeepers and insisted that the invaders should leave. Nasser became a hero, particularly amongst Arabs.

Another (er?) restored relief in the Tomb of Nefertari, Luxor (24K)

Nasser attempted to unite Egypt, Syria, Yemen and later Iraq in the late 1950s and early 60s, emphasising Arab unity and demonising Israel. Following months of heightening tension between Egypt and Israel, the Jewish state launched a pre-emptive attack on 5 June 1967, starting what became the Six Day War. Israel destroyed the Egyptian air force, captured Sinai and closed the Suez Canal (it seized the Golan Heights from Syria and the West Bank from Jordan also). Anwar Sadat, Nasser's vice president, took over from Nasser when he died in 1970, and set about improving relations with the west. On 6 October 1973 Sadat launched a surprise attack on the Israeli occupiers of Sinai, and although Egypt lost the war the east bank of the Suez Canal was secured in ceasefire negotiations. In 1977 Sadat began making peace with Israel, leading to the 1979 Camp David agreement. Israel agreed to withdraw from Sinai, and Egypt officially recognised Israel's right to exist. There was, however, no resolution of the Palestinian issue, and many in the Arab world felt Sadat had betrayed them. He was assassinated on 6 October 1981.

Hosni Mubarak, Sadat's vice president, was sworn in and has been the country's leader ever since. Mubarak has surprised many with his deft political footwork in the troubled region, improving relations with Israel and with the other Arab states as well. With the rise of fundamentalism in the Arab world Mubarak's position has at times been a very precarious one and he has suffered numerous attempts on his life. He sent 35,000 troops to fight against Iraq in the Gulf War, and although the war was seen as western imperialists fighting Arabs, Egypt's commitment proved useful in improving its relations with the west.

In 1992-3 Islamic fundamentalists began a campaign of violence and intimidation against tourists and Egyptian security forces. The group is campaigning to overthrow the government and to have Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman released from a US jail for planning to blow up the UN headquarters in 1996. See the warning below for more information.

Economic Profile

GDP: US$37 billion
GDP per head: US$658
Annual growth: 3%
Inflation: 16%
Major industries: Oil, gas, tourism and agriculture (especially cotton)
Major trading partners: USA, Italy, Germany and France

Culture

For most Egyptians life and lifestyle have changed little for hundreds of years. The 20th century has certainly made impressions in the form of Coca Cola, Levis and TV. However, for the majority fellahin (peasant farmers) population, things today are much the same as they have always been. There's a prevailing attitude amongst most Egyptians that whatever will be will be. An almost fatalistic outlook prevails, born out of thousands of years of plague, famine, invasion and flood. Life for most Egyptians is prescribed by the same circumstances that existed for the generations before them.

The lady in red (17K)

Painting has been part of Egyptian life since the first daubs were applied to the Pyramid of Unas at Saqqara in 24th century BC. But it was the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom who were especially keen on adorning the interiors of their tombs with vivid images of the afterworld and resurrection. Contemporary Egyptian painting was heavily influenced by western art and it wasn't until midway through this century that Egyptian painters began to break away from these influences. Some of the country's better known contemporary artists include Gazbia Serri, Inji Eflatoun, Abdel Wahab Morsi, Adel el-Siwi and Wahib Nasser.

Popular music in Egypt meant, until recently, the ubiquitous voice of Om Kolthum, the `mother of Egypt'. She died in 1975 but her music and her legend outlive her. Her songs, based on poetry and operettas, are the most well known Egyptian music to western ears. Other notables were Abdel Halim al-Hafez and Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab. Elements of western pop music are increasingly being integrated into contemporary Egyptian music, and exponents of newer styles include Iheb Tawfik, Mohammed Fouad and Hakim.

The Egyptian gumshoe - `Have you seen this woman?' (9K)

Although Egypt is famous for belly dancing, wiggling the body around is generally regarded as vulgar and a sign of promiscuity. Many of the dancers at belly-dancing shows at the resorts and tourist hotels are in fact European or American, because it's considered improper for Arab women to behave so provocatively. In fact, those dancers who are Egyptian, like Fifi Abdou, have body guards for protection against the excesses of Islamic zealotry. However, at large family gatherings - at wedding or private parties - dancing is sometimes part of the fun.

Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize in 1988 for literature for The Cairo Trilogy. Mahfouz has more than 40 novels and 30 screenplays to his name. His 1956 work Children of the Alley is still banned in Egypt, and many people regard it as blasphemous (in 1995 an attempt was made on the life of the 83-year-old author and it's thought that the book was the cause). Other notable authors include Tawfiq al-Hakim, Yahya Haqqi and Yusuf Idris. After Mahfouz, Nawal El-Saadawi is probably Egypt's best known author, although she's better regarded abroad than at home. Her most acclaimed works are Point Zero, The Fall of Iman (banned in Egypt) and Death of an ex-Minister

Events

The Islamic (or Hjira) calender is a full 11 days shorter than the Gregorian (western) calender, so public holidays and festivals fall 11 days earlier each year. Ras as-Sana is the celebration of the new Islamic year, and Moulid an-Nabi celebrates the prophet Mohammed's birthday around July/August. These celebrations include parades in the city streets with lights, feasts, drummers and special sweets. Ramadan is celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calender (presently around January/February/March) and this is important in the Islamic year. During this month the Qur'an was revealed to Mohammed, and out of deference the faithful take neither food nor water until after sunset each day. At the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) the fasting breaks with much celebration and gaiety.

Eid al-Adhah is the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and each Muslim is expected to make the pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime. Streets are decorated with coloured lights and children play in their best clothes. The ritual of Mahmal is performed in each village as passing pilgrims are given carpets and shrouds to take on their journey. This all happens around April/May.

Facts for the Traveller

Visas: All visitors to Egypt are required to have a visa, except for citizens of Malta and Arab countries
Health risks: None
Time: GMT/UTC plus two hours
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric (see conversion table)
Tourism: 2.8 million visitors per year

Money & Costs

Currency: Egyptian Pound
Exchange rate: US$1 = E£3.39
Relative costs:

Budget meal: US$2-4
Restaurant meal: US$6-8
Budget bed: US$3-8
Mid-range hotel: US$40 (double)

Egypt is terrific value. It is possible to spend as little as US$10-15 a day if you're prepared to stay in the cheapest hotels and hostels, eat local vendors' food, limit yourself to one historic site a day and travel on packed third-class trains. The major expense for the traveller in Egypt is transport and site entry - the latter has taken some severe jumps in recent years. Entry to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo will cost you around US$7 and the recently opened Tomb of Nefertari near Luxor is a hefty US$60.

Be aware that pickpockets operate around tourist sites, so avoid carrying money in your back pocket. Well-known brands of travellers' cheques will be honoured everywhere, although having travellers' cheques in US dollars, UK pounds or in Deutschmarks will prove the most hassle-free. American Express, Visa, MasterCard, JCB and Eurocards are accepted at various stores and hotels displaying the appropriate signage. Visa and MasterCard can be used to obtain cash advances at Banque Misr and Bank of Egypt branches.

A service charge of 12% applies in restaurants and hotels, and a sales tax of 5- 7% is also levied. Additionally, you might find yourself paying a further 1-4% tax on upper-end accommodation, so it is possible to find that a 23% tax has been added to the price you've been quoted for a mid-range or top-end hotel room.

Bargaining is a part of life in Egypt and virtually everything is open to negotiation. This includes your room for the night, your lunchtime roadside snack and the felucca you ride down the Nile in. The few rules to observe in the bazars are these: never offer a price that you're not prepared to pay, get a feel for the real price before you begin haggling, take your time and enjoy the friendly sport of it (which might include a cup of tea from the vendor), and remember that you're never obliged to buy anything - you won't offend anyone.

When to Go

When to go to Egypt will depend a lot on where you want to go. You'll find wandering around Upper Egypt and Luxor uncomfortably hot in the summer months (June to August) and winter is definitely the best time to be in these areas. Summer is also the time when the Mediterranean coast is at its most crowded. However, winter in Cairo can get pretty cool, so spring and autumn are the best times to be there. Ideally, mid-May to mid-April would be the best time to come to enjoy the warm days without the crush of bodies on the beaches and the midday heat of high summer.

Warning

In September 1997, nine German tourists were shot in Cairo. In November 1997, 67 people (57 of them tourists) were killed by terrorists at Luxor. Fundamentalist Islamic militants have warned that they will continue to target tourists in their campaign against the Mubarak government. In the five years since the campaign began, around 100 tourists have been killed. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism claims that Egypt is still as safe as any other country, but US and British authorities are advising their nationals to avoid Luxor in particular. The Egyptian government has asked tourists to remember that around one-sixth of Egyptians rely on tourism for their livelihood.

Attractions

Cairo

Cairo has been the heart of Egypt for more than 1000 years and it demonstrates the dichotomy of all things Egyptian. It's in Cairo where the medieval world and the contemporary western world come together in a confusion of earthen houses and towering modern office buildings, of flashy cars and donkey-drawn carts. Nobody really knows how many people live in Cairo, but estimates put it between 12 and 16 million, and the city's many squatter camps and slums alone accommodate around 5 million people. Housing shortages are terrible and the traffic is appalling, but the government has begun a campaign to ease these pressures, opening an underground metro system and constructing satellite suburbs.

Islamic Cairo (no more Islamic than the rest of the city) is the old medieval quarter, and stepping into its neighbourhoods is like moving back six or seven centuries. This is the most densely populated area of Egypt, and probably the whole Middle East. Districts like Darb al-Ahmar are full of tiny alleyways, mud-brick houses, food hawkers, and goats, camels and donkeys. There are mosques and temples everywhere and the air is filled with the pungent smells of turmeric and cumin, and animals and squalor. Some of Islamic Cairo's highlights include the Ibn Tulun Mosque, dating from the 9th century and one of the largest mosques in the world; the Mausoleum of Imam ash-Shafi'i, the largest Islamic tomb in Egypt where one of Islam's greatest saints was buried; and the Citadel, which is an awesome medieval fortress that was the seat of Egyptian power for 700 years. The Citadel has three major mosques and several museums.

Rooftops and minarets of Islamic Cairo (13K)

Coptic Cairo was originally built as a Roman fortress town. It pre-dates the founding of Islamic Cairo by several hundred years and was home to one of the world's first Christian communities. It is, however, a holy place for Jews and Muslims as well as the Coptic Christians who lived there. The one remaining part of the the Fortress of Babylon is a tower which was built in 98 AD and originally overlooked an important port on the Nile before the river changed course. The Coptic Museum is at the foot of the tower and its exhibits cover Egypt's Christian era between 300 and 1000 AD. This stunning collection includes religious and secular art, and includes stonework, manuscripts, woodwork, metalwork, paintings and pottery.

Giza is on the west bank of the Nile and takes in an 18-km-wide swathe which includes the Great Pyramids. These pyramids are considered one of the seven wonders of the world, and despite the crowds that visit every year, they are truly overwhelming when you stand before them. They have survived the rise and fall of great dynasties and conquerors and they share the flat desert surrounds with the Sphinx and a number of smaller pyramids and temples.

There are various precincts with cheap tourist accommodation and places to eat, but central Cairo is popular with budget travellers, particularly Midan Orabi and Midan Talaat Harb.

Luxor

Luxor was built on the site of the ancient city of Thebes, and the magnificent monumental architecture and its excellent condition make Luxor one of Egypt's greatest tourist destinations. For many hundreds of years people have been visiting the temples of Luxor, Karnak, Hetsgepsut and Ramses II. The Nile has feluccas and old barges that shuffle between the luxury hotel ships of the Hilton and Sheraton that cruise between Cairo and Aswan.

Luxor Temple was built by Pharaoh Amenophis III on the site of another Thebian temple and added to by Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Nectanebo, Alexander the Great and various Romans. Excavation work has been underway since 1885. The Temples of Karnak are a series of monuments that were the main place of worship in Thebian times, and they can be divided into the Amun Temple Enclosure, which is the largest; the Mut Temple Enclosure on the south side; and the Montu Temple Enclosure. The Amun and Montu enclosure were once connected by canals to the Nile providing passage for sacred boats during festivals. Luxor is accessible from Cairo by buses or trains which run every day.

A boy and his donkey (10K)

Alexandria

The mighty Macedonian, Alexander the Great, came to Egypt after conquering Greece and selected a small fishing village on the Mediterranean coast to establish his new capital, Alexandria. The city is oriented around Midan Saad Zaghoul, the large square that runs down to the waterfront. Alexandria once had a great library that contained more than 500,000 volumes, and at its peak the city was a great repository of science, philosophy and intellectual thought and learning.

The Graeco-Roman Museum contains relics that date back to the 3rd century BC. There's a magnificent black-granite sculpture of Apis, the sacred bull worshipped by Egyptians, and there are mummies, sarcophaguses, pottery, jewellery and ancient tapestries. The Roman Amphitheatre was only rediscovered recently and it is the only amphitheatre that the Romans built in Egypt. There are 13 white-marble terraces that are arranged around the arena, and they are in excellent condition. Excavation work is still under way, although the dig has shifted a little to the north of the theatre.

Pompei's Pillar is a massive 25-metre high pink granite pillar that measures 9 metres around its girth. When the Christian Crusaders came to Egypt they credited this to Pompei, however the pillar is in fact all that remains of the very grand Serapeum. The pillar was erected in 297 AD in the centre of the Serapeum for Diocletian, and when the Crusaders came around 100 years later they destroyed the Serapeum and Cleopatra's library leaving only the pillar standing. The Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, and they consist of three tiers of burial tombs, chambers and hallways. They were begun in the 2nd century AD and were later expanded to hold more than 300 corpses. There's a banquet hall where the grieving would pay their respects with a funeral feast.

Port Said

Situated on the northern entrance to the Suez Canal on the Mediterranean coast, Port Said is a very young city by Egyptian standards. The city was founded in 1859 by ruler Said Pasha when the excavations began for the Suez Canal. Port Said was bombed in 1956 over the Suez Crisis, and again in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel, and the damage can still be seen here and there, although it was extensively rebuilt. It was built on land reclaimed from Lake Manzela and sits on an isthmus connected by causeways to the mainland. Ferries cross Lake Manzela to Al-Matariyya and across the canal to Port Fouad. The site of the huge ships that line up to enter the canal is something special. Unlike many of Egypt's other Mediterranean towns, Port Said does not get overrun with local tourists seeking sun and sea. Nor do many international travellers come to Port Said, but it is an unusual destination for Egypt with turn-of-the-century colonial architecture and several good museums and gardens.

Aswan

Aswan, Egypt's southernmost city, has long been the country's gateway to Africa and a prosperous market city on the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes. It sits at the `other' end of the Nile not far above the Tropic of Cancer. It was a garrison town known as Sunt in ancient times and it was also important to the early Coptic Christians. The Nile has Elephantine Island in its centre and this is where the main town and temple area of Sunt were located (the island was known then as Yebu, and later renamed by the Greeks). The temples and ruins here are not nearly as well preserved and impressive as those elsewhere in the country, but there are other good reasons to visit. The Nile is glorious here as it makes its way down from massive High Dam and Lake Nasser, and watching the feluccas glide by as the sun sets over the Nile is about as moving as any travel experience gets.

Off the Beaten Track

Dakhla Oasis

Centred around the towns of Mut and Al-Qasr, this oasis is nearly 200 km from Kharga Oasis and more than 250 km from Farafra Oasis. Mut is a labyrinth of old laneways and mud-brick houses which cling to the slopes of the hill. Atop the hill are the remains of an old citadel which once was the town proper. The views from this hill over the medieval town and the empty backdrop of cliffs, dunes and desert are quite fantastic. There's an old Islamic cemetery near the new town centre. There are also several hot sulphur springs around the town.

Nearby, Al-Qasr is an ancient little town with much of its traditional architecture still intact. The medieval atmosphere is accentuated by the narrow covered streets (built to provide shelter from the summer sun and from desert wind-storms) and the animals that roam through them. Many of the houses and buildings have lintels above their front doorways inscribed with the builder's name, the home-owner's name, the date and a passage of the Qu'ran - the earliest of these dates from 924 AD. There are three buses daily from Cairo to Dakhla.

The woman in the red hejab (24K)

About 145 km south-west into the desert is the Tomb of Sayyid ash-Shadhili who was an important Sufi leader in the 13th century. His tomb was restored earlier this century, but without a guide or a good map you're never going to find it.

Activities

There are plenty of good opportunities for swimming on the many fine beaches along Egypt's Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts. Diving and snorkelling are by far the most popular organised activities in Egypt and the Red Sea is said to have some of the best scuba diving in the world. The waters off Egypt teem with underwater life and the corals, crustaceans and fish come in all sorts of vivid colours and shapes.

Getting There & Away

There is a variety of good options for getting to Egypt, and there are good connections between Cairo and many European cities. Super-cheap holiday packages including hotel vouchers can work out cheaper than booking a flight independently, and you can just chuck the vouchers away if resorts aren't your style. Flights from elsewhere can be expensive and it's worth looking into flying to Europe first and then making your way to Egypt from there, as this is often a cheaper option than flying direct.

Egypt's national air carrier is EgyptAir, and Air Sinai also has good connections in Egypt. Most travellers come into Egypt through Cairo, although people are increasingly disembarking at Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada (Al-Ghardaka) and Sharm el-Shiekh. These airports are serviced by a number of smaller carriers and charter companies with direct connections to Europe.

Other connections from elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East include the bus from Israel via the Gulf of Aqaba or the southern edge of the Gaza Strip and ferries from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Getting Around

There's a very good system of public and private transport in Egypt. Domestic air travel is clearly the quickest way to get around, although it's probably only worth considering if you have lots of money and little time. Otherwise the transport options include buses, trains and boats, and even camels, donkeys and horses.

If you're claustrophobic or have a weak stomach you might be uncomfortable travelling on the buses and trains, but they are a great way to meet local people and get a feel for the culture. Buses service virtually every town in Egypt and the 5000 km of rail also connects just about every town in the country from Aswan to Alexandria.

You can also hire service taxis which shunt car loads of passengers between towns and cities. These vehicles are traditionally Peugeot 504s, however Toyota minibuses are becoming popular as service taxis, and they usually congregate at the train and bus stations. The drivers wait until they're full (very full!) before they budge.