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Egypt
Cairo - Egypt's capital, is the largest city in Africa, Cairo straddles the Nile River and includes two islands - Gezira and Roda. Bridges connect the river-banks and the islands. Also Known as the City of thousand Minarets, Cairo streets and alleyways conceal countless treasures of islamic art. Worthy of a visit are the ancient gate towers of the Roman Fort of Babylon, the Egyptian Museum, The Hanging Church, Amr Ibn al-As and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. The Pyramids of the Giza Plateau lie on the western outskirts of the City. Take a short drive to the south and you will find the necropolis of Saqqara and the remnants of the ancient Capital of Memphis.
North Coast, Alexandria - Home to over four million people and the country's largest seaport, Was founded by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C, after his Greek armies took over Egypt. As a center of science and learning, Alexandria became one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. The Library of Alexandria was the most famous library of ancient times. Today, Alexandria is Egypt's second largest city, many sites recall the city's glorious past. The Greco-Roman Museums preserves objects from Alexandria's old period. Upper Egypt - Luxor the ancient capital of Thebes, and Aswan are the two cities of Upper Egypt that serve the tourists, from the Valley of the kings, and Tutankhamun tomb to Abu Simbel, Karnak temple, and the Colossus of Memnon, Upper Egypt is synonymous with ancient Egypt treasures. Upper Egypt is also home to Nubia. Aswan Egypt's southernmost City and once the gate to iner Africa, Aswan is the place to unwind, the City is famous for its two dams: Barrage dam, and themore dramatic High Aswan Dam.Charming insights of everyday life can be seen while visiting one of the Nubian villages in the area. The Sinai Peninsula - is part desert and part rocky mountains. It has more camel trails than roads. Bedouin nomads (wanderers) have lived in the Sinai for centuries. Now, vacationers and tourists visit the Sinai's seaside resort towns. Which has some of the most amazing desert scenery you can imagine, and a must see 6th century monastery, and a spectacurlary remote Pharaonic site. Southern Sinai is flanked by two arms of the Red Sea - the Gulf of Suez on the west and the Gulf of Aqaba on the east. Snorkelling and scuba diving are major attractions. The resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, on the peninsula's southern tip, was once a small fishing village. Now it's the Sinai's largest city, the seabed here resembles a gigantic coral aquarium, when the sun sets the town comes to life with bustling cafe terraces and hotel discos. Hurghada a favourite resort visitors flock to the town centre, known as the Ed-Daha quarter. Sahl Hashish, Gouna and Hurghada's Soma Bay all combine first class resorts with beautiful beaches and great diving. Marsa Alam is one of the fastest growing holiday destinations in the region, rich blue coastlines fringed with coral reef barriers. Western Desert and Oases - Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, Bahariya and Siwa make up the oases of Western Egypt, appearing as a string of islands in the endless expanse of the Sahara.Enjoy a sunset from the back of a camel before setting in at a Bedouin Camp at night, or how about a dip in warm sulphur spring or a nap under a palm tree at an idyllic Oasis. - Siwa produces massive volumes of dates and olives. Visit the Temple of Amen and Fatnas Island, a palm fringed peninsula located on the edge of a saltwater lake. - Baharia is still the most accessible oasis, linked to the capital by an asphalt road. They are four villages surrounded by dunes topped with volcanic rocks. - Farafra is the smallest and least frequented of the five oases with only 5000 inhabitants, Farafra offers a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle fo the Nile Valley as well as an ideal base for visiting the White desert located 45 kilometres north of the oasis. - Dakhla Blanketed with palm groves,orchards and market gardens, to fully experience this place there is choice of excursions to such sites like the deserted Citadel of El-Qasr, the necropolis at Balat, and the temple of Deir el Haggar. - Kharga the southernmost of the western desert oases is an undeniable modern town with apartment blocks and interminable avenues. Although not considered to be a proper representation of auithentic oasis life Kharga is still worth a visit for its numerous ancient sites. |