Middle East - Anthony Ham [96]
EGYPT DIRECTORY
ACCOMMODATION
ACTIVITIES
BUSINESS HOURS
CHILDREN
COURSES
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
DISCOUNT CARDS
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELLERS
HOLIDAYS
MONEY
POST
SHOPPING
TELEPHONE & FAX
TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES
VISAS
WOMEN TRAVELLERS
TRANSPORT IN EGYPT
GETTING THERE & AWAY
GETTING AROUND
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‘It has more wonders in it than any other country in the world and provides more works that defy description than any other place.’ (Herodotus, 5th century BC)
The land that gave birth to the first great civilisation needs little introduction. The pyramids, the minarets, the Nile – the scope of Egypt is magnificent.
Visitors are surprised to discover that those legendary pyramids are merely the tip of the archaeological iceberg. Pharaonic nations, ancient Greeks, Romans, Christians and Arab dynasties have all played their part in fashioning Egypt’s embarrassment of architectural wealth.
Cairo’s chaos whirrs around a medieval core that has remained unchanged since the founding days of Islam. Upriver, Luxor, the site of ancient Thebes, is lined with warrens of opulent burial chambers and boasts some of the most formidable monuments in all antiquity. Further south at Aswan, even more geometrically imposing temples write a testament to the power of archaic gods and omnipotent pharaohs. It is here that the Nile is best explored by ancient sail, on a felucca (Egyptian sailing boat) at the hands of the prevailing currents and winds.
Out west, Egypt’s ocean of sand stretches infinitely to the Sahara, with a handful of oases feeding solitary islands of green. Hivelike, medieval fortresses cower out here, interspersed with bubbling springs and ghostly rock formations. Meanwhile, the deep, crystal waters of the Red Sea lie brilliantly awash in coral, surrounded by an aquatic frenzy of underwater life. In the deserts of Sinai’s interior, visitors can climb the mount where God had word with Moses, and spend their remaining days in halcyon bliss at coastal Dahab’s backpacker Shangri-La.
Though it is one of the more politically stable countries in the region, modern-day Egypt is not without strife. Thirty years of authoritarian rule, an erratic economy and rising living costs fan the flames of social unrest. Still, Egyptians are a resilient lot, and visitors making the journey here will find as much ancient history as they will modern hospitality.
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FAST FACTS
Area 997,739 sq km
Capital Cairo
Country code 20
Language Arabic
Money Egyptian pound (E£); US$1 = E£5.35; €1 = E£8.39
Official name Arab Republic of Egypt
Population 81.7 million
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CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO
Egypt’s climate is easy to summarise: hot and dry, except for the winter months of December, January and February. Temperatures increase as you travel south and while Alexandria receives the most rain, in Aswan, in the far south, rain is rare.
Summer temperatures range from 31°C on the Mediterranean coast to a scorching 50°C in Aswan. At night in winter, the temperatures sometimes plummet to as low as 8°C, even in the south of the country. In the mountains of Sinai, night-time temperatures in winter can fall well below zero.
June to August is unbearable in Upper Egypt (the area extending south of Cairo to the Sudan), with daytime temperatures soaring to 40°C or more. Summer in Cairo is almost as hot, and the combination of heat, dust, pollution, noise and crowds makes walking the city streets a real test of endurance.
For visiting Upper Egypt, winter is easily the most comfortable time – though hotel rates are at a premium. In Cairo, from December to February skies are often overcast and evenings can be colder than you’d think, while up on the Mediterranean coast, Alexandria is subject to frequent downpours.
The happiest compromise for an all-Egypt trip is to visit in spring (March to May) or autumn (October and November). For more weather details, see Climate Charts, Click here.
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HISTORY
About 5000 years ago an Egyptian