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Travel Guide Introduction

Travellers have marvelled at Egypt's archaeological wonders for centuries, ever since the Ancient Greeks visited the pyramids. Today, millions of tourists are attracted each year to the pyramids, temples, mosques and great monuments of the Nile Valley, as well as the stunning diving resorts of the Red Sea.

In 430 BC, when Greek historian Herodotos visited the magnificent monuments in Egypt, many of them were already 2,500 years old. Most, from the pyramids of Giza to the astonishingly beautiful temples of Karnak or Philae, or the painted tombs in the Valley of the Kings, can still be visited today. The sheer age of this great civilisation is mind-blowing.

The life-giving Nile runs north through the country to the Mediterranean, feeding an emerald ribbon of irrigated fields adjacent to villages shaded by date palms. Whether on a cruise ship or traditional felucca boat, life on the water is a constant visual feast, while the few huge, dusty cities - Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan and Luxor - are a babble of exotic sounds and smells.

Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheik, on the Red Sea coast, are doors to a magical underwater world of technicolour fish and coral that draws divers from around the world, while other adventurous travellers head inland. Here, you can discover monasteries amid the arid mountains of Sinai or the distant desert oases, home to the hardy nomads whose camel trains still wander the Saharan sands.

History

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose around 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks, took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest by Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile river in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to prepare the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.

Climate Egypt is largely a desert, an extension of the great Sahara Desert that bands North Africa. Save for the thin strip of watered land along the river Nile, very little could survive here. As the ancient Greek philosopher Herodotus stated: "Egypt is the gift of the Nile".

Generally, dry and very hot summers with moderate winters - November through to March are definitely the most comfortable months for travel in Egypt. There is almost no rain in the Nile valley, so you won't be needing wet weather gear!

Holidays Banks, shops and businesses will close for the following Egyptian National Holidays (civil, secular). Public transport may run only limited services:

7th January (Eastern Orthothox Christmas) 25th April (Liberation Day) 1st May (Labour Day) 23rd July (Revolution Day) 6th October (Armed Forces Day) 1st Shawwal,the 10th Hijri mounth (Ead Elfitr moslims) 10th Tho-Elhejjah, the 12th Hijri mounth (Ead Aladha)

Useful Information about Egypt

• Location

Egypt's geography comprises mountains, deserts, beaches and its beautiful green Nile Valley, and encroaches on Asia in the Sinai Peninsula.

• Business Hours

Banks are opened daily from 8.30 to 14.00 except Fridays and Saturdays. Shops are generally open from 9.00 to 23.00 except Sundays.

• Culture & Religion

Archeological records of pharaonic civilization, date back to over 5000 B.C. The Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza (one of the seven wonders of the world ), have witnessed the passing by a various cultures and religions on their territory; Persianse, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs, together with the three monotheist faiths Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have left their fascinating traces on this land.

• Tipping

In restaurants approximately 10% of bill.