Egypt – The Land of Pyramids

Egypt is the homeland of the first great civilization and we have all are familiar with it since our school times through history speaking about its pyramids, the minarets, the River Nile, and much more. Wished to tour this nation once, I finally visited this magnificent territory of ancient history and contemporary hospitality with my relatives who stay there in Cairo.

The capital Cairo’s madness is seen in its medieval atmosphere core that has hardly changed. Next comes Luxor that holds the mazes of lavish burial chambers and some arduous monuments. To the south at Aswan, the geometrically impressive shrines seem to pay homage even today to the ancient gods and supreme pharaohs. The western Egypt is occupied by the sand ocean holding a few oases extending to the Sahara. For aquatic experience, the deep and translucent waters of the Red Sea are just perfect for underwater life.

Prime Attractions

• Cairo:
  We visited the dusty and old Garden City along with the maze of collapsing 19th and early-20th century buildings, the Cairo Tower, the Cairo museum, and Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha.
• Giza:
  Located at 20 km southwest of Cairo, we saw some of the most imposing ancient structures dating back to 26th century B.C. including a complex of ancient Egyptian royal and sacred structures – the Great Sphinx – a lion-bodied guard, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and many other large pyramids and shrines. Even older than 4,000 years, the pyramids are the burial chambers of the Cheops, Kefren, and Mykerinos kings. Among these, the biggest pyramid of Cheops’ is called the Great Pyramid due to its tallest height.

• Saqqara:
  Located at 30 km south of Cairo, this is an extensive old funeral ground that was once a cemetery for Memphis, the ancient Egyptian capital. We actually wandered at many pyramids among which the most amazing one was the most ancient step pyramid in the world and numerous mastabas. I was completely stunned to discover that the legendary pyramids are actually the apex of an archaeological iceberg. Further, we explored Zoser’s funerary complex, Mereruka’s tomb, and Serapeum – a large limestone structure containing mummified Apis bulls in huge granite coffins.
• Luxor:
  Situated at 500 km south of Cairo, this is the ancient city of Thebes that was known as the world’s greatest open-air museum. The East Bank is the modern city where I could see the ruins of the Luxor and Karnak temples that are considered among the world’s most imposing and wonderful religious sites. The West Bank situated on the opposite of the river Nile offered us the tombs and funerary temples belonging to a few of the Egypt’s greatest rulers including the Valley of Kings and Valley of Queens. Currently, this site is horde by the 21st century farmers.
• Valley of the Kings in Thebes:
  Due to the fear of stealers, the rulers of the 18th to 20th dynasties – 26 pharaohs – were buried in the valley. Popular tombs here are of Tutankhamun, Ramses the Great, and Tuthmosis III.
• Abu Simbel:
  Located at a distance of 850 km south of Cairo (close to the Sudanese border), this is an archaeological location where we discovered two huge rock temples made from a mountainside at the time of Pharaoh Ramesses II in 13th century B.C. This is actually restored at a different current location in the 1960s to prevent any harm due to the formation of Lake Nasser. Currently, the temples are now on a man-made hill created from a domed structure above the Aswan High Dam reservoir.

• Abydos:
  This is site of pilgrimage that is believed to be the burial chamber of the god Osiris who was revered in the ancient civilization.
• White Desert:
  Here we took a four-wheeler drive viewing the ghostly white rock formations from the sands.
• Dakhla Oasis:
  We were thrilled to see the twisted roadways of mud-brick hamlets.
• St Katherine’s Monastery:
  This is situated in the desert – surprised to see a pilgrimage in the sand dunes and sunny air.
• Dahab:
  Experiencing calm environs, this is the coastal backpacker nirvana.
• Mt Sinai:
  Located in the deserts of Sinai Peninsula’s interior, we climbed until the heights of this sacred mountain to view the sunrise. It is believed that it was here where God had spoken with the Moses.
• Red Sea:
  Discover this extensive and unspoiled underwater coral mountains crowded with marine life that is perfect for scuba diving.

• Aswan:
  This is an ancient town where we took the pleasure of watching the sunset over the expanse of the River Nile.
• Nile River:
  Do not miss the exciting ride at Aswan of a felucca – an Egyptian sailing boat, dahabiyya, or floating hotel to experience the historic and wonderful river. Nile cruises are for different periods that vary considerably from either three, four, or seven nights. The shorter tours cover the route between Luxor and Aswan, while the longer tours take you to the far north to Dendera and more distant sites.

Best Time to Visit

This cannot be said generically as it is based on where you want to go. In Egypt, winter season from December to February is the peak season, while summers of June to August is the low season except on the coasts and in Cairo. I am saying this because of the hotel prices that fluctuate greatly.

For Luxor, Aswan, and south Cairo, June to August time where temperature is 40 degrees Celsius is simply very sunny, dusty, polluted, and noisy that makes it unbearable to visit. However, if you wish to on the beaches of southern Sinai, the Alexandrian coast, or the Red Sea; this is the atmosphere that you might want. However, be ready to rush for hotel rooms and adjusting with the locals and gulf Arabs for it on their summer holidays.

The reasonable adjustment for an all-Egypt journey is to come during in spring from March to May or in autumn from September to November.

Accommodation

For accommodation, you can have a variety of options according to your budget in the capital and in other major cities such as Alexandria and Aswan. It is recommended to opt for a package tour that will provide you with a knowledgeable guide.