Egypt is one of the cradles of human civilization, first united as a kingdom about five thousand years ago. More than just a repository for historical monuments and artifacts, Egypt is truly another world that can provide sensation and experience quite unlike anything one has ever had before.

While Cairo is the center of Egyptian political and cultural life, there is plenty to see outside Cairo. These places can be accessed by train or plane.

Alexandria

Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great and was the capital of Egypt during the Ptolemy Dynasty and Roman times. It was the site of the Great Library, where much of the knowledge of the western world was once stored. It remains an impressive port city today, with interesting historical attractions.

Roman Amphitheatre

In the midst of ongoing excavations, the Roman amphitheatre is the only one of its type in Egypt. One can still see the marble seats, the mosaic flooring, and the columns that formed the original structure. Nearby there is a Graeco-Roman street, a newly discovered Roman villa, called the Villa of the Birds after the mosaics on the floor, and a museum.

Fort at Qaitbey

The fort was built in the fifteenth century on the site of the Lighthouse of Pharos, one of the great ancient wonders of the world, using stones from the lighthouse that was toppled by an earthquake a century before. The naval museum is located inside the fort, woth artifacts dating from Roman times to the Napoleonic Wars.

Pompey’s Pillar

Pompey’s Pillar, misnamed by the French, was actually raised in honor of the Emperor Diocletian in the third century. On the western side of the column is engraved, "To the just Emperor, the god of Alexandria, the invincible Diocletian." The site is the home to the Serapeum, a temple to Serapis, the god created by King Ptolemy 1 in order to unite Egyptians and Greeks in shared worship. The only things left are the pillar and two sphinxes on the nearby hill top.

Mosque of Abu Abbas al Mursi

The mosque is Alexandria’s largest, with a high minaret and four domes. The interior, including the underside of the dome, is quite ornate. The interior is made up of eight monolithic granite columns and a colonnade of elongated arches. It was originally built in the 18th Century over the tomb of a medieval saint Ahmed Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi who had joined and then lead the Shadhali brotherhood. It was rebuilt in the 1940s.

Luxor

Luxor is on the site of Thebes, the capital of Egypt during the time of the New Kingdom and a city dedicated to the god Ammon-Ra. The vast number of monuments are divided between the East Bank of the Nile (city of the living) and the West Bank of the Nile (City of the Dead)

The Temple of Karnak

The Temple of Karnak is one of the largest in the world, containing within it Great Temple of Amon-re, the Temple of Khonso, the Ipt temple, the temple of Ptah, the temple of Montho and the temple of god Oisiris. Facing the entrance to the temple is a boulevard lined with ram headed sphinxes. Within the complex, one can find numerous courtyards, sanctuaries, columns, obelisks, and walls painted with hieroglyphs.

Before leaving Karnak you should visit the Sacred Lake which goes back to the time of Tuhtmosis III. It measures 80 m in length and 40 m in width. Near the Sacred Lake is a scarab which is considered the biggest scarab left from Ancient Egypt. It dates back to the reign of Amenhotep III.

Luxor Temple

The Luxor Temple is one of the most beautiful in Egypt. It runs along the bank of the Nile, north to south. It was built by the Pharaoh Amenhotep III and consecrated to Ammon in his fertility aspect Ammon-Min. Ramses II added the front part and completed the temple. He added the present large forecourt and a Pylon at the northern front of the temple. Many more small additions were done by Kings Merenpetah, Seti I, Ramsis III, Ramses IV, RamsesVI. Alexander the Great rebuilt the Sanctuary.

Like the more famous Temple of Karnak, the Luxor Temple is fronted by an avenue lined with sphinxes. The temple itself is a series of colonnades and chambers with covered with reliefs. Note also the two obelisks in front of the Great Pylon of Ramses II.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings was a royal cemetery, consisting of a number of underground tombs dug in an out of the way, inaccessible place to discourage tomb robbers. There are about sixty two tombs, including the famous one of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, discovered in the early 20th Century and having contained an immense amount of treasure, now displayed in the Egyptian Museum. Some of the recommended tombs, for their well preserved hieroglyphs and other art, include those of Ramses 6th, Amenhotep II, Thutmose, Ramses IX, and Mernpatah.

Hatshepsut Temple at Elder EL-Bahari

This temple, built of limestone, is dedicated to the 18th Dynasty Queen Hatshepsut and serves as her tomb. The temple is also a sanctuary to the god Ammon-Ra. The temple consists of three raising imposing terraces. The two lower ones would have been full of trees in ancient times. On the southern end of the first colonnade there are some scenes among them the famous scene of the transportation of Hatshepsut’s two obelisks. The second and third terraces are accessible by ramps. There are more scenes depicting the life of the Queen, including a famous expedition she commissioned to the Land of Punt (modern Somalia.) There is also a shrine to the goddess Hathor and one for the god of the dead, Anubus.

Colossi of Mennon

The colossi of Mennon are huge sandstone representations of Amenhotep III and were likely in front of his tomb, which was destroyed in ancient times. The colossi are the first things one will see on a visit to the west bank of the Nile at Luxor. The Greeks named the statues after the hero Mennon, who was killed by Achilles in the Trojan War.

Aswan

Aswan is a beautiful city in the south of Egypt, with many shopping streets and stunning views of the Nile.

Kom Ombo Temple

The Kom Ombo Temple consists of actually two temples: Temple to Sobek and a Temple of Haroeris. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank near here. There are two entrances, two courts, two colonnades, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries. The left, or northern side is dedicated to Horus who was the falcon headed sky god and the right to Sobek (the crocodile headed god). Inside Kom Ombo there's a famous baby crocodile mummy, dedicated to Sobek.

Philae Island Temple

This temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis and contains numerous hieroglyphs dedicated to her. It's various shrines and sanctuaries, which include the Vestibule of Nectanebos I which is used as the entrance to the island, the Temple of the Emperor Hadrian, a Temple of Hathor, Trajan's Kiosk (Pharaohs Bed), a birth house and two pylons celebrate all the deities involved in the Isis and Osiris myth. The temple is actually on Agilika Island about 550 meters from its original home on Philae Island) where it was disassembled and moved in the wake of the High Dam..

Abu Simbal

The original temple of Abu Simbal was carved out at the west bank of the Nile in the 13th century BC by Pharaoh Ramses II. It was moved higher to its current location south of Aswan to avoid the waters of Lake Nasser, created by the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The temple is dedicated to Ra, Amun, Ptah and to Ramses II himself. There four huge statues of 20M in height of the three gods and the pharaoh himself. Inside the sanctuary are numerous hieroglyphs depicting the life of the Pharaoh and his relationship to the Egyptian gods.

Visiting Egypt

Egypt can be visited by plane through Cairo and then by plane or rail to the rest of the country. There are numerous river cruises between Aswan and Luxor available.

The best time to visit Egypt is during the Spring and Fall months, when the temperature is most comfortable. One should also pay attention to Moslem holy periods, such as Ramadan, where tourist attractions are closed early.

Modest dress, which covers the arms and legs, as well as head covering for women, is highly recommended when visiting holy sites. The souks or marketplaces are also highly recommended for a visit. Bargaining, half negotiation and half performance art, is expected and, with practice, can be rather fun. A good rule of thumb is to counter offer half the price that’s offered for an item and go on from there.