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Cairo
Egypt's capital, Cairo, was founded in the sixth century by Arab settlers.
This is a metropolis which offers visitors a harmonious blend of the past
and present.
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Pharaonic Cairo
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The Pyramids and Sphinx,
located 9 miles west of Cairo.
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The Solar Boat, the world's oldest boat
is exhibited near the Cheops Pyramid.
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The Step Pyramid, at Saqqara, 20 miles
south of Giza, is the world's first great stone structure.
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Coptic Cairo
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El Mouallaqa Church, called
the hanging Church, is next to the Copdc Museum in Old Cairo. It was
built by the Romans in the 1st century B.C.
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Abou Serga Church, not far from El
Mouallaqa, is said to mark the place where the Holy Family rested on the
Flight to Egypt.
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Islamic Cairo
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The Citadel of Salah El-Din,
located in eastern Cairo at the foot of the Mukattam Hill. This is a
13th century fortress. One of its buildings is the Mohamed Ali Mosque.
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Mosque of Ibn Tulon, is distinguished by
the external staircase that winds around the minaret. This mosque dates
from 819 A.D.
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Mosque of Sultan Hassan, at Salah El-Din
Square, built in the 14th century, this is Cairo's largest mosque with
the tallest minaret.
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Al Azhar Mosque and University,
El-Hussein Square, founded in the 10th century, Al Azhar is the world's
oldest university.
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Mosque of Qalawun, a 13th century mosque
in the Mouski area. Its imposing facade incorporates Corinthian columns
with Islamic architecture.
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Museums of Cairo
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Egyptian Museum, behind the
Nile Hilton Hotel. Contains the world's richest collection of Pharaonic
antiquities. King Tutankhamum treasures are on the 2nd floor; so are 27
mummies. Open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and Fridays, 9:00 am to
11:15 am and 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm
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Coptic Museum, in Old Cairo: Contains
rare collections dating back to the early Christian era. Open daily from
9:00 am to 4:00 pm Summer hours 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
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Islamic Museum, Ahmed Maher Square.
Exhibits cover the entire range of Islamic art, and are collected from
all parts of the Moslem world; the same opening hours as the Egyptian
Museum.
Luxor
Center of Egyptian power from 2,100 to 750 B.C., Luxor, which lies on the
East bank of the Nile about 400 miles South of Cairo, is a city unlike any
other in the world. Its awesome tombs, temples and statues are a witness to
man's ageless achievement.
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East Bank of Luxor
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The Temple of Luxor:
in the
center of town, built by Amenophis 111 and dedicated to the God Amon-Ra,
it was expanded by Ramses 11.
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The Temple of Karnak:
2 miles North of
Luxor Temple. Built over 2,000 years ago, each Pharaoh added his own
contribution. It houses the Hypostyle Hall, the largest of any temple in
the world, covering 50,000 square feet, and containing 134 huge columns,
and Queen Hatshepsut's 97 feet obelisk.
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Luxor Museum:
between the Luxor and
Karnak Temples. A small but beautifully arranged museum featuring unique
Ancient Egyptian artwork.
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Sound and Light Spectacle:
performed
every evening at the Kamak Temple. Visitors walk through the temple
until they reach the thearre of the Sacred Lake where the narration
continues.
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West Bank of Luxor
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Colossi of Memnon:
two
mammoth statues of Amenophis 11.
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Temple of Queen Hatshepsut:
built as a
series of grand terraces with rows of square granite columns blending in
with the mountains.
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The Valley of the Kings:
in the foothills
of the mountains of Gourna. Over 60 tombs of Pharaohs and noblemen can
be visited.
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The Tomb of Tutankhamun:
Still contains
one of the three original stone sarcophagi with a golden coffin, guarded
by apes painted on the wall. Its treasures are displayed in the Egyptian
Meseum in Cairo.
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The Tomb of Amenophis II:
has a modern
look with a richly decorated sarcophagus.
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The Tomb of Ramses Vl:
excellent wall and
ceiling drawings illustrating the goddess floating in the sky with the
stars and several suns.
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The Tomb of Seti I:
breathtaking wall
drawings and reliefs. The funerary chamber has a spectacular gold and
black astrological ceiling.
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The Tombs of the Nobles:
spread along the
edge of the desert, these tombs of priests and nobles show many details
of the daily life of ancient Egyptians.
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The Tomb of Nacht:
has scenes of
banquets, dancing girls. musicians, fruit gathering and grain reaping.
Aswan
An interlude of relaxation known for its dry climate, Aswan presents some
of the country's most beautiful scenery, and the Aswan High Dam, the modern
engineering feat. The city is 600 miles South of Cairo, and 115 miles from
Luxor.
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The Aswan High Dam:
completed in 1964, is located 4 miles South of the old dam. The High Dam
has created a 300-mile long lake. It can be visited by taxi from the
city.
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Kalabsha Temple:
six miles
South of the High Dam on the West bank of the lake. The Temple is
dedicated to the Nubian God Mandulis.
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Themple of Philae:
on
Agilka Island where it was recently moved to save it from the rising
Nile water. The Great Temple of Isis is the largest and most distinctive
with a balanced collection of pylons and colonades. The Temple of Hathor
has beautiful wall paintings of musicians and dancers.
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Elephantine Island: can be
reached by felucca (sailing boat), to cross the Nile North of the New
Cataract Hotel. Visit the ruins of the ancient town, the museum, and the
Nilometer.
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Mausoleum of Aga Khan:
on a
hill facing the Minarets of Bilal.
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Monastery of St. Simon:
Built by Coptic monks in the 6th century A.D. The ruins are located
behind the Mausoleum.
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Plantation Island:
has a
unique and wide variety of exotic plants from all over the world.
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Unfinished Obelisk:
near
the granite quarries where stones were cut for use in ancient monuments.
The obelisk is 125 ft. Iong and is estimated to weigh 1,170 tons.
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Aswan Area
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Temple of Edfu:
70 miles
North of Aswan, Edfu Temple boasts the Temple of Horus, the best
preserved of all Pharaonic remains. Its foundation was laid in 237 B.C.
during the reign of Ptolomy III and took 200 years to complete.
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Temple of Kom Ombo: 30
miles Norrh of Aswan, the temple is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile
God, and Haroeris, the winged God.
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Temple of Abu Simbel: 170
miles South of Aswan, built 3,500 years ago by Ramses II. To save it
from inundation, the Temple was cut into 2,000 pieces weighing about
40,000 tons, moved 90 feet higher and reassembled. The Temples of Ramses
and Hathor are a proof of the outstanding architecture of ancient
Egyptians. You can reach Abu Simbel Temple by air from Cairo or Aswan,
or by road.
Sinai
The Sinai Peninsula is a great triangle of land, 36,600 miles in area with
long coasts, high granite mountains, deep chasm and fertile green oases. It
has its fascinating history, holy places and unique beauty. It was in the
Sinai that Moses received the Ten Commandments, that the prophet Elyah
sought refuge from Queen Jezebel and that the Holy Family traveled on the
Flight into Egypt.
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St. Catherine Monastery:
built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century to shelter Christian
monks. The Monastery contains the Chapel of the Burning Bush, the Mosaic
of the Transfiguration of Christ and a library containing early
Christian manuscripts.
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Mount Moses:
beyond the
Monastery. The monks built a staircase of rocks with 3,750 steps leading
to the summit.
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Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab and Nuweiba:
3 dive resorts, 300, 350 and 400 miles respectively from Cairo, with
clean and comfortable accommodation and fully-equipped dive centers run
by professional diving instructors.
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Taba:
Last resort on the
Red Sea Coast of Sinai, unique in position; Jordan, Saudi Arabia and
Israel are visible from there with the naked eye.
Red
Sea
A virtual paradise for diving enthusiasts, the Red Sea is recognized by
experts as the best dive site in the world. A myriad of exotic species of
tropical reef fish, hard and soft unique coral formations and beautiful
desert add to the charm of the Red Sea.
Oases
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Kharga and Dakhla:
located
in the New Valley area in the southern reach of the Western Desert. From
Assiut, it is 142 miles to Kharga - a three hour drive. The oasis are
also accessible by Air Sinai from Cairo. Dakhla is about 120 miles to
the West of Kharga. The road from Kharga is good and can be covered in 3
hours by car.
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Sightseeing in Kharga: the
Nadura Temple, dating back from the time of Antonius Pius, on the site
of the Roman Town of Thibis. There are also Roman fortresses. In the
center of the oasis is Kasr El Guewoka with a sanctuary dedicated to the
God Amon. And further south is Baris, a temple consecrated to Isis and
Serapis.
At Dakhla is a stone monastery dedicated to Amon. An unusual sight is
the Chalybeate Springs, gushing forth at 95o
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Fayyum:
Egypt's largest
oasis, Fawum is 65 miles southwest of Cairo, overlooking Lake Qarun
which is a popular spot for hunting and fishing. Visitors can see the
remains of the Temple and Pyramid of Amenemhat III, and Qasr Qarun, a
well preserved temple of the Greco-Roman era.
Alexandria
Alexandria, called the "Pearl of the Mediterranean" is Egypt's
second largest city; population about 5.5 million. It offers visitors some
remains of its ancient glory, a wide stretch of Corniche and wide sandy
beaches.
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Pompey's Pillar:
in a small
park about 1.5 miles southwest of the city center is a column 93 feet
high, erected in the house of Emperor Diocletian by his troops. The name
is a mistake made by Crusaders in the 13th century who thought the
pillar marked the tomb of Pompey the Great.
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Catacombs of Kom El Shokafa:
near the Pompey's Pillar. Three tiers of burial chambers dating from 2nd
century B.C., carved into the rock, 100 feet below ground. A winding
staircase descends to the chambers of the first floor.
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Greco Roman Museum:
on El
Mathaf Street. Contains statues, teas reliefs, jewelry and other
artifacts of the Greek and Roman days. Room 9 is devoted to the relics
of the cult of the crocodile including a mummified crocodile.
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The Roman Amphitheatre:
close to the Greco-Roman Museum. Discovered in 1963 and dating back to
the second century A.D., the 12 tiered amphitheatre is in a remarkable
condition.
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Fortress of Qait Bay:
on
the western side of the Cornich, this is a medieval stronghold dating
from the 15 th century, on the site where the Lighthouse of Pharos, one
of the world's seven wonders, once stood. It also houses the Navel
Museum. And across the street is the Aquarium.
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Ras El Tin Palace: not far
from the fortress. The Palace was the summer residence where ex-King
Farouk signed his abdication.
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