Egypt brings to mind vivid pictures of the magnificent Pyramids, the enigmatic Sphinx, endless deserts and incredible belly dancers. This land of fascinating history and exotic beauty is one of the major tourist destinations of the world and truly lives up to its image.
We start our journey from Cairo - an amalgamation of the very old with the latest. In startling contrast to the ancient Pyramids of Giza, nearly 5000 years old, the latest branded products are available in the various malls lining the roads in Nasr city area. The best place for souvenir shopping in Cairo is the Khan-al-Khalili market which is a treasure house of good stuff at reasonable prices.
Tourism being the main source of revenue, all foreigners are welcomed enthusiastically by the shop owners who quote random prices for their goods and then settle down to bargain cheerfully. Be prepared to get fleeced if you are the shy sort.
The major attractions in and around Cairo are:
The Pyramids of Giza
There are three main pyramids belonging to the trio of pharaohs - Cheops, his son pharaoh Khafren and his grandson pharaoh Menkaure. They are the last surviving structures of the original seven wonders the world. The light and sound show is worth a see.
The Sphinx
This famous structure has the face of a human and the body of a lion—probably to signify the power of the Pharaoh. Pharaohs often fabricated stories regarding themselves which declared them to be the sons of gods and hence gods themselves. This allowed them to build structures depicting their might as king-gods with supernatural powers.
The Egyptian Museum
The museum is well-known for the mummies of the pharaohs recovered from the Valley of the Kings as well as the treasures found in the tomb of King Tutankhamen, discovered intact in1922. One of the best collections of ancient Egyptian sculptures and history can be seen here.
The next stop in our itinerary is Luxor. An overnight luxury train from Cairo brings us to our destination. Luxor is a city which truly brings back the glory of ancient Egypt. The only annoying feature of this city and most parts of Egypt, for that matter, are the pesky shopkeepers who appear every few minutes with their wares till you either give in and buy something or just learn to ignore them.
Luxor is famous for the Temple of Luxor and the Karnak Temple. The two temples are connected by the Sphinx Avenue which was used to take out processions during the reign of the ancient pharaohs.
The Karnak temple is the most magnificent structure amongst the ancient Egyptian ruins. It is dedicated to the sun god Amon. There are huge pylons and columns and massive obelisks made out of single granite rock. These obelisks were made in granite quarries in Aswan and then transported by ships to the temple. The Temple complex is so massive and elaborate that it took nearly 1500 years to complete.
Valley of the Kings
It is the burial ground of the Kings. As the ancient Egyptians believed in life after death, pharaohs made arrangements to ensure a comfortable afterlife while still alive.
The Pharaohs initially got huge pyramids built to rest after death. But as these pyramids were repeatedly looted for their treasure troves, later kings built their resting places inside mountains in far away western deserts which were not easily accessible. Most of these were eventually looted, but the famous tomb of King Tutankhamen was found intact in1922. All the treasure was carted to the Egyptian museum along with the king’s mummy where it resides to date.
The Nile cruise
We board a ship to navigate along the Nile for a four day cruise. The stopovers are at Edfu, Kom-Ombu and Aswan. The cruise organizers usually arrange for an Egyptian night replete with local delicacies and yes, belly dancers.
At Edfu a short ride in a horse-carriage brings us to the Temple of Horus. It is dedicated to the god Horus –depicted as a falcon--who was the protector of the pharaohs.
A few more hours on the Nile brings us to Kom-Ombu. The temple here is dedicated to two Gods - the crocodile god representing evil and the falcon god representing good. The temple is divided into two halves, the walls of each half depicting scenes from the lives of one god.
Our cruise ends at the port city of Aswan which is famous for its High Dam and the Lake Nasser which is the world’s biggest man-made lake. Lake Nasser extends into neighboring Sudan and is the major source of water supply to the whole of Egypt.
With their water supply taken care of, Egyptians no longer have to depend upon the yearly flooding of the river banks by the waters of the Nile for irrigation. Incidentally, bottled drinking water is easily available all over Egypt though the price varies from city to city--it can be bought for anything between two to eight Egyptian pounds.
Abu Simbel
A three hour bus ride into the Nubian Desert brings us to the temples of Abu Simbel. There are two temples—the main one dedicated to Amon Re. It has huge statues of King Ramses II along with his wife Queen Nefertari. The smaller temple is for the queen and devoted to goddess Hathor, who is depicted as a cow in the drawings on the walls.
The Nile waters threatened to submerge the two temples while the high dam was under construction. The temples were literally lifted piece by piece to a higher level and reconstructed inside a hollow mountain in an engineering miracle under the supervision of UNESCO.
Alexandria
A trip to Egypt would be incomplete without a trip to Alexandria. Alexandria is nothing like the rest of Egypt. It is right next to the Mediterranean Sea and the beaches are absolutely great. The city has a very contemporary look and for a change there are no shopkeepers chasing you. So you can just go ahead and enjoy the sights. The Greek influence is clearly visible in the architecture. This gives the city a very European look.
Tips that will help you enjoy a trip to Egypt
Never travel without hats, shades or water in the summer months.
Remember to negotiate for souvenirs down to at least 50% of the original price quoted.
Buy papyrus and alabaster only from recommended shops.
A tour guide is recommended – there is too much history is involved.
Language is a big problem as even the cab fares involve a lot of haggling. Get a price estimate from your hotel before setting out for a night on the town.
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