| Egypt is one of the most fascinating
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| | counterfeit, and it is in any case
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| destinations on the world tourist map.
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| | illegal to export the real
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| This extra ordinary country is today the
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| | article.Alexandria, monument to Alexander
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| favourite vacation spot for many, just
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| | the Great, is located 180 km to the
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| like it was in the days of the early
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| | northwest of Cairo. The city has a
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| Greeks and Romans. The thoroughly
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| | Mediterranean temper and compared to the
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| cultured Greeks, in particular, were
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| | hothouse of Cairo has a cooler and more
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| fascinated by this civilization that
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| | pleasant climate. The Greco-Roman Museum
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| predated theirs by at least 2000 years.
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| | is within central Alexandria and has on
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| The biggest draw continues to be the
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| | display artifacts from the period 300 BC
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| amazing abundance of historical
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| | to AD 300. You will see mummies,
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| treasures- temples, pyramids and museums
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| | sarcophaguses, pottery, tapestries and
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| –contained in this one country. But
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| | the granite sculpture of the bull god
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| the destination offers more than just the
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| | Apis. Other sights in the area include
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| wonders of antiquity. Your visit to Egypt
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| | the Roman Amphitheater, the Royal Jewelry
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| can be rounded off by a cruise down the
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| | Museum and the Roman era catacombs of Kom
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| Nile and a beach vacation at the top
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| | el-Shukafa.The island of Pharos, near the
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| notch Red Sea and Sinai resorts.The
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| | harbour is the site of the Great
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| unification of the Kingdoms of Lower and
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| | Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of
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| Upper Egypt around BC 3180 marks the
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| | the Ancient World. Today, what remains on
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| point from when Egypt became a
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| | the site is a 15th century fortress.
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| significant power. This event is credited
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| | After immersing yourself in antiquity,
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| with Menes, who thus became the first
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| | you can take a dip at some beach resorts
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| Pharaoh. Menes went on to establish a new
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| | within 20 km to the west of the city. At
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| capital at Memphis, just to the south of
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| | the resort of Marsa Matruh, 230 km
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| where Cairo stands today. For the next
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| | further on, you will find some excellent
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| 3000 years and under 30 dynasties of the
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| | beaches and an opportunity for reef
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| Pharaohs, a dynamic and culturally
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| | diving. This area right from Alexandria
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| sophisticated civilization flourished. It
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| | along the coast is part of Egypt's Med.
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| was not however smooth sailing for the
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| | It is still relatively undeveloped
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| descendants of Menes and power was for
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| | despite long stretches of white sand
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| short periods in the hands of foreigners.
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| | beaches and turquoise waters.If your
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| Historians who as usual want to simplify
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| | primary interest is ancient Egypt, bear
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| things, have divided up the reign of the
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| | in mind that about 80% of Egyptian
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| Pharaohs into three periods: the Old
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| | antiquities are in the vicinity of Luxor.
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| Kingdom (2575-2134 BC), Middle Kingdom
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| | The city sits on the site of the ancient
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| (2040-1640 BC) and New Kingdom (1550-1070
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| | city of Thebes and together with the
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| BC).It is a curious fact that most
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| | surrounding areas carries magnificent
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| monuments of the Pharaohs relate to
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| | treasures of antiquity such as palaces,
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| death. Though moderns may view this as an
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| | temples and royal tombs. The royals of
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| unhealthy preoccupation with death, some
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| | those times whiled their afterlife at
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| scholars see it as an indication of the
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| | what is referred today as the Valley of
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| ancient Egyptians great love for life and
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| | the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tombs
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| desire for continued existence. The
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| | of the Nobles. The tombs contained
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| pyramid was the highest evolution in the
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| | treasure that has been plundered over the
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| practice of preparing elaborate tombs for
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| | centuries. Some of the more famous tombs
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| the departed. Pyramids were the final
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| | are those of the boy king Tutankhamen and
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| resting place, from where the Pharaohs
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| | the queen Nefertari.On the east bank of
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| enjoyed the afterlife. The most famous of
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| | the Nile you find the Temple of Luxor and
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| these edifices are the Pyramids of Giza,
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| | the Temple of Karnak, packed with
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| built in the 4th Dynasty (2575-2465 BC),
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| | obelisks, wall murals and statues with
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| when the power of these ancient kings was
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| | heads of gods. If you overnight here,
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| at its peak.Religion was another reason
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| | enjoy the evening sound-and-light show at
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| for the great monuments of ancient Egypt.
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| | the Temple of Karnak. Temples on the west
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| The deities found deserving of worship
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| | bank are Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple
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| were truly diverse. And many, many
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| | and The Ramesseum, a once massive edifice
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| temples were built in honour of these
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| | that is today mostly a ruin. You need to
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| gods. Temples for the most esteemed gods
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| | spend at least two days here for your
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| were quite elaborate and were
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| | trip to be worthwhile. You are also
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| administered by high priests. Auxiliary
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| | advised to hire a guide who can explain
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| buildings housed libraries, granaries,
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| | the historical context of each artifact
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| and what may today be considered as
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| | or monuments. Start out early each day
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| research laboratories for astronomers,
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| | before the day-trippers, airlifted from
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| biologists and other scientists. Most
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| | Cairo arrive to crowd you out.Aswan, a
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| gods were linked with specific animals
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| | scenic town by the Nile lies 680 km to
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| and to whom special powers were
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| | the south of Cairo, in the region that
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| attributed. Some gods came and went, but
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| | was so long ago known as Lower Egypt.
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| the sun god was one of the most enduring.
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| | Though not as numerous as elsewhere, you
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| It has been suggested that the design of
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| | can find temples and tombs at those two
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| the pyramids had some association with
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| | islands in the Nile- Elephantine and
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| practices of the sun cult. The Pharaoh
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| | Kitcheners islands. You can get to the
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| was considered to be a living god.The
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| | islands by sailing in a felucca. The
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| Greeks, in the name of Alexander the
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| | Nubian Museum celebrates the history and
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| Great finally brought the Age of the
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| | culture of the Nubian people. Aswan is
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| Pharaohs to an end in 332 BC. He founded
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| | also important in the history of Coptic
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| that city that bears his name,
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| | Christians and the ruins of the
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| Alexandria. The Greeks ushered in a
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| | 7th-century Coptic monastery of St.
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| period of comparative prosperity and
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| | Simeon laze in this area. In
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| stability under descendants of Ptolemy.
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| | today’s Egypt, Aswan is important
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| Ptolemy was the Macedonian general who
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| | as the location of the High Dam that
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| was appointed by Alexander as governor.
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| | finally put an end to the annual bursting
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| The Pharos Lighthouse, one of the seven
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| | of the banks of the Nile.The Red Sea is
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| wonders of the ancient world and the
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| | well known to readers of the Bible as the
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| Great Library of Alexandria were built in
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| | sea that God parted with his own hand so
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| this era.As the Greeks declined, so did
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| | that Moses and his people could cross
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| the Romans rise, and they too cast a
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| | over to Sinai. So named because of its
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| covetous eye upon Egypt. The last of the
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| | red tint mountain ranges, it is home to a
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| Ptolomies was the notorious Cleopatra,
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| | number of resorts, the biggest of which
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| lover to both Julius Caesar and Mark
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| | is Hurghada. The underwater world of the
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| Antony. The Roman Empire too declined
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| | Red Sea is alive with over 800 fish
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| Egypt and was torn apart by foreign
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| | species and the deep-sea fishing is
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| armies. The most significant event at
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| | excellent. Snorkellers can explore the
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| this time was the invasion of the Arabs
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| | coral reef that is reputed to be one of
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| in 462 AD. Though other foreigners
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| | the finest in the world. Hurghada aside,
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| including Ottoman Turks, French and the
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| | there are other resorts in the area that
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| British, subsequently ruled the country,
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| | have good beaches, coral reefs and some
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| it is the Arabs who brought Islam whose
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| | golfing too. The modern day traveler
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| legacy has been the most enduring.Egypt
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| | escaping the city will empathise with the
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| is today a modern vibrant nation that
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| | early Christian hermits who built their
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| carries the burden of its 5,000-year
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| | monasteries here as they sought to get
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| history graciously. Just like in ancient
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| | away from it all. Hurghada lies 380 km to
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| times, the Nile sustains the country and
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| | the southeast of Cairo.Sinai is where
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| upto 95% of the population live in close
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| | Africa meets Asia. Like the Red Sea
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| proximity of the river. The rest of the
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| | coast, it has top resorts and is great
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| country is desolate desert, mitigated
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| | for water sports. Sharm El Sheikh,
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| only by a few isolated oases and the
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| | towards the southern tip of the Sinai
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| habitable narrow strips along the African
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| | Peninsula is the most developed resort
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| Red Sea and the Mediterranean
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| | town. Here you will find entertainment in
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| coastlines.According to the tourism
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| | the form of casinos and nightclubs and
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| ministry, Egypt for the visitor is best
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| | also some good shopping malls. The marine
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| seen as six tourist super-sites. This
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| | life is abundant and the coral reefs are
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| covers the most popular destinations and
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| | great. Sinai is also where the three
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| excludes off-the-beaten-track locations.
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| | great monotheistic religions meet. You
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| The six super-sites are anchored on:
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| | can make an excursion to Mt. Horeb, said
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| Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada
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| | to be Mt. Sinai where Moses received the
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| on the Red Sea and Sharm El Sheikh in
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| | Ten Commandments. For Roman Catholics,
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| Sinai. Except for Luxor, none of these
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| | emulate Pope John Paul II who visited
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| destinations relies entirely on ancient
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| | nearby St. Catherine's Monastery in 2000.
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| monuments to attract visitors. Egypt
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| | The monastery is supposed to sit on the
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| tours and vacations are very
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| | site of Moses' burning bush.The people of
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| competitively priced relative to other
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| | Egypt from antiquity to the present day
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| destinations.Cairo is a huge, sprawling
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| | have always built their lives around the
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| and chaotic metropolis. It has all the
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| | Nile. It is no coincidence therefore,
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| amenities of a modern city and is the
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| | that probably the best way to see the
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| usual gateway for the visitor to Egypt.
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| | major sites is by taking a Nile Cruise.
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| Cairo is a young city relative to nearby
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| | There are several luxury cruise ships
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| Heliopolis, Giza and Memphis that are
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| | offering Nile Cruises. The longer cruise
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| associated with the Pharaohs. The city
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| | goes all the way from Cairo to Aswan in
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| began as a Roman trading post called
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| | two weeks. There is however not much to
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| Babylon- in the area now referred to as
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| | see between Cairo and Luxor and you will
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| Coptic Cairo. The area was a settlement
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| | get better value if you take the shorter
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| of one of the world’s first
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| | cruise between Luxor and Aswan. This
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| Christian communities. This predominantly
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| | cruise, which normally takes six days,
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| Christian locale houses a museum that is
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| | goes in both directions and you can
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| a repository of religious art,
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| | embark at either Aswan or Luxor. You can
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| manuscripts, paintings and pottery.But it
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| | get to Luxor or Aswan from Cairo by
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| is the Arab invaders who arrived in the
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| | taking a flight or the overnight sleeper
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| 7th century who can be said to have
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| | train. The adventurous and thrifty can
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| founded the city. They settled just north
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| | also sail along the Nile by using
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| of the area referred to as Old Cairo. The
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| | traditional boats, feluccas.The summer in
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| medieval district of Islamic Cairo is
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| | Egypt, which falls between April and
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| densely packed with people and lots of
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| | October, is hot and dry. The winters are
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| mosques and temples. This is where many
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| | mild with cold nights. The best time to
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| still go during the month of Ramadan to
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| | visit is between November and March,
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| eat and spend the night after a
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| | outside the intolerable summer season.
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| days’ fast. Giza on the
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| | Light clothing is generally recommended
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| Niles’ west bank is where you find
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| | though you may need a sweater and jacket
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| the Great Pyramids. These truly
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| | for winter evenings. Remember that this
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| magnificent monuments were one of the
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| | is a Muslim country and dress for women
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| Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. You
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| | in particular is expected to be modest.
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| will appreciate the achievement of the
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| | All the same, immodest western style
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| builders of these edifices when you
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| | holiday dress is acceptable in
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| reflect on the fact that until the 19th
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| | nightclubs, beaches and hotels in Cairo
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| century they were the world’s
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| | and other locations frequented by
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| largest buildings.The visitor to Cairo
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| | tourists.In the cities and locations
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| will easily tuck in trips to see museums,
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| | popular with tourists, you will find a
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| mosques and monuments such as Pyramids
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| | wide variety of accommodation ranging
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| and the Sphinx. To commemorate your visit
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| | from 5-star luxury to budget lodging.
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| to this unforgettable city, visit the
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| | This in particular covers: Cairo,
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| Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. The wide array of
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| | Alexandria and the north coast, Luxor,
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| souvenirs on sale here includes jewelry,
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| | Aswan and at the Red Sea and Sinai
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| brass, silver and copperware, carpets,
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| | resorts towns. During the popular winter
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| perfumes, alabaster and soapstone
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| | season, advance booking is advised. Egypt
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| carvings. You will also find
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| | hotels and resorts are very good value
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| reproductions of antiquities, which you
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| | and you will find accommodation cheaper
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| are advised to buy as opposed to anything
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| | here than the equivalent in most other
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| presented as original. Such
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| | destinations.
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| “originals” are usually
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