When choosing a place for your vacation, you need to put a few things in mind; a place where you can relax, enjoy yourself and experiment new things you wouldn’t normally come across in your own country. That being said, Egypt is a very rich country when it comes to culture, sightseeing and various aspects you’ll experiment during your visit. The following are some of the reasons, why you should definitely pay Egypt a visit before the end of 2011.


1. The People : Every nation has something special about them and while we don’t like to stereotype, but Egyptians are known for a few lovely characteristics. Their sense of humor, has been witnessed by many people, even during the revolution, you would find the funniest slogans representing their objections. Truthful, cheerful, great hospitality and always there to lend a helping hand. And if you ask us, the characteristics of a countries’ nation is always a plus to make your vacation unforgettable.



2. Sightseeing : If we start to point out the beautiful places and monuments you can visit in Egypt, it’ll be such a long list. Starting off with Cairo, the largest city in the Middle East and Africa, it’s the place where you can enjoy the mix of modern versus ancient (Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, Sakkara, Nile Cruises or Old Cairo).


- Alexandria is also full of great surprises and you’re in for a treat if you visit it during the summer, as it’s the hotspot and especially when you travel a few miles further to the North Coast.


- You can experience the breath-taking cities such as Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada for sun, sea and sand; in other words the ultimate relaxation trip. Water sports such as diving, snorkeling and windsurfing are a hit there. Diving is of course a must especially in Hurghada due to the very rare colored coral reefs that amaze divers.



- Next up are Luxor and Aswan, which are certainly our favorites. Luxor is considered by some to be the world's largest open-air museum with the most famous spots such as Karnak, Luxor Temples and the Valley of the Kings & Queens. The best time to visit Aswan is during the winter, where you can enjoy the Nubian Museum, Queen Hatshepsut's unfinished Obellisk and Elephantine Island. The oriental food there is definitely worth mentioning.



3. Fashion : While Egyptians might not see this or admit it at least, but we do have a lot of places for extremely unique shopping. Whether you’re looking for high-end pieces, up and coming designers inspired by their lovely Middle Eastern culture or unique jewellery, you’ll certainly find what you’re looking for. Khan el Khalili is the perfect place to enjoy the Middle Eastern blend, buy gifts, jewellery and costumes, while experiencing the oriental atmosphere. Azza Fahmy is also one of Egypt's stars worldwide, with her exquisite jewellery. As for the high end Boutiques, we strongly recommend you pay the First Mall a visit or hit Hip Boutique, Lalloushi, Villa Babushka, Amuse and Mounaya. And as for the unique designers, we can’t help but mention Amina Khalil, El Horreya, Boho Sharky, Shibshibi, Nihal Basha, Karma, Nuniz, Baheya, Nazeeka and the list goes on, but the main point is, they are all extremely talented and you’ll be getting your hands on very unique finds. Make sure to drop us a note if you need help or direction when you’re in Cairo.



4. Atmosphere : All we can say about the current atmosphere in Egypt is how priceless it is. It’s amazing how energetic, cheerful and optimistic everyone is. From young people cleaning the streets, everyone cheering and working like never before. How can you miss such a spirit on the streets?



5. Food: We’re actually among the people who love good and delicious food, and we’re sure there are a lot of people out there just like us. While Italy has their pastas and pizzas, we do have our own delicious food too. Have you ever tried Koshary, Kebab and Kofta, Sambousak, Molokheya and Rice Pudding? These are all many people’s favorites, not only in Egypt but also worldwide, so you must imagine how delicious and mouth-watering they are.



6. The view : Imagine you’re staying in a hotel with a Nile view, you’re enjoying your cup of tea in the early mornings and just staring at this incredible scene. We’re not making this up, we have been told by many of our friends abroad, how unforgettable that sight was for them when they visited Egypt. If your hotel isn’t near the Nile, make sure to walk past “Qasr El Nile” Bridge, which is right beside the world famous Tahrir Square.



7. Culture : As you know Egypt has approx. seven thousand years of recorded history, culture and civilization. It's the land where art meets history and stunning places. Mentioning culture, we definitely can’t forget theater, movies and amazing poets, who are pretty popular in the Middle East.



8. Weather : Egypt’s a sunny place around the year. It rarely rains in the winter and you’ll always find perfect weather at one of Egypt’s cities.



9. The Walk: Have you ever heard of the perfect walk? Try walking from “Qasr El Nile” Bridge to Tahrir Square, then all the way to the old Opera Square (downtown) and Abdeen Palace. Let us know how you feel afterwards, because we personally were swept off our feet.



10. Diversity of places : Are you a person who enjoys relaxation or do you prefer a crowded full of life place ?! Egypt certainly knows how to combine between a lot of aspects; a glamorous nightlife, oriental places, Nile cruises or the ultimate getaways.



- With all that being said, if you have an Egyptian friend, make sure to ask him to help you organize your trip. We’re certain they’ll be all more than happy to get you the best offers and advice on where to go and what to visit. If you don’t have an Egyptian friend, make sure to drop us an email at " info@Egyptouring.com " and Egyptouring’s Team in Egypt will make sure to help direct you to the right place.

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The area of Egypt we now call Nubia follows the River Nile from Aswan, 350km south to the town of Dabba, near the Fourth Cataract and the Sudanese border. It is thought that the name Nubia may be derived from the ancient Egyptian word for gold, ‘nbu’, as it was from this land that Egypt obtained most of its rich source of gold and Nubia was the passage from ancient Egypt to the exotic African lands farther south. Many pharaohs built small temples and fortresses along the banks of the Nile in Nubia and exported ebony, ivory, incense and precious metals and minerals back to Egypt, as well as Nubian slaves. Throughout Egyptian history Nubia has been alternatively an enemy or a conquered race, apart from a brief period in Dynasty XXV, when the Nubian (or Kushite) kings rose to rule Egypt as pharaohs.
Archaeologists have found close cultural ties between Egypt and Nubia from Prehistoric times and there is much evidence of this from the Egyptian objects found in Nubian graves. Scholars generally divide the history of Nubia into different cultural groups, assigning letters to each group: A, B, C, D etc. A-Group and B-Group cultures are loosely tied to the Early Dynastic Period and the Old Kingdom in Egypt. C-Group culture arose towards the end of the Old Kingdom and stretched into the Early New Kingdom, whilst the Third Intermediate Period is represented by the Kushite Kings and the Persian, Late and Ptolemaic Periods in Egypt were contemporary with the Meroitic Period in Nubia. At the peak of the Meroitic Period, around the 1st century AD, Egypt became a Roman province. Nubian culture went into a decline after this time and was dominated by different groups of desert tribes until the 6th century AD – a period assigned to X-Group culture. In 380AD, the Byzantine Emperor Theodisius I declared Christianity the official state religion in Egypt and ten years later banned all pagan religions in all parts of his empire, ordering the closure of temples in all parts of Egypt and Nubia, including the Temple of Isis at Philae in Aswan. The Nubians resisted and Isis continued to be worshipped for another two centuries, although by this time the new religion had found its way into the hearts of the Nubian people and many Coptic monasteries and churches had been built. By the 8-9th centuries, the Arabs had also established their presence in Nubia.
This is perhaps an over-simplified history of the Nubian culture, but it is this rich and varied heritage which is represented by the new Nubian Museum in Aswan. The new museum is definitely a product of the 21st century and supplements the old Aswan Museum which is situated on the southern end of Elephantine Island. Many treasures have been brought from other museums in Egypt to enhance the collection.
1 Statue of a lion, from Qasr Ibrim, Meroitic Period
2 Statue of Harwa, steward of Divine Adoratrice Amenirdis I, Dynasty XXV
3 Ankhnesneferibre, ‘God’s Wife of Amun’, Dynasty XXVI, from Karnak
4 Silver crown studded with carnelian stones, 3rd-6th centuries AD, from Ballana
The new Nubian Museum was opened in 1997 and the beautiful lines of its architecture alone is worth seeing. Nestled into the hillside, it covers 50,000 square metres of landscaped gardens and buildings which are divided up into different sections. It is partly an open-air museum where the visitor can wander the paths, meandering between a prehistoric cave with painted rock-art, ancient Egyptian statues, obelisks and columns, Roman frescoes and even a complete Nubian house.
How to get there
The new Nubian Museum is situated east of the Old Cataract Hotel, at the southern entrance to the town and about half an hour’s walk from the town centre. You should allow yourself at least two hours for a quick tour if you want to see all the exhibits, but I have found several visits are necessary to take it all in properly. Entrance tickets to the Nubian Museum cost LE50

The monuments at Abu Simbel were practically unknown in the Egyptological world until Johan Ludwig Burckhardt visited the site in 1813 when he saw the upper part of a temple façade almost covered by sand. Giovanni Battista Belzoni visited the site shortly afterwards in 1817 and discovered the entrance door. Since that time many adventurers have been struck by the awe-inspiring façade of the temple built by Rameses II around 3000 years ago with its giant colossal statues of the king sculpted from the mountain rock.
In the 1960s the new High Dam was built at Aswan which resulted in a build-up of water which threatened to engulf the monuments along its Nubian shores. In a dramatic race against time UNESCO began a US$40 million rescue operation in 1964, the like of which had never been seen before. In the incredible salvage operation the temples were dismantled and cut up into manageable-sized blocks, then painstakingly reconstructed 65m higher than the original site, away from the dangers of the encroaching water. Inside a specially constructed mountain, two gigantic reinforced concrete domes protect the rebuilt temples.
Visitors to the temples today are easily able to forget that they are not in their original position. Such great care was taken in the landscaping and orientation of the monuments and it is only the fact that one may enter the artificial dome to view its construction which reminds us that the site of Rameses’ temple has now vanished below the waters of the lake. Each evening there are three performances of a Sound and Light Show in seven different languages.
The Great Temple of Rameses II

The façade of the Temple of Rameses II is dominated by four colossal seated statues carved out of the cliff face, each 20m high and depicting the king, with Nubians carved in the base at his feet. The faces of the statues appear to show Rameses in different stages of his life, although it is thought that the temple was built quite early in his reign. The figures are immense when you are standing at their base looking up at them. Rameses the Great obviously did not want to be forgotten when he built this Nubian Temple.
His mother Tuya, his Chief Wife Nefertari and some of his many children can be seen in smaller scale at his feet. The monument is dedicated to the gods Re-Horakhty, Amun and Ptah, as well as the divine Rameses himself. There are later inscriptions carved on the statues. A Greek inscription by the soldiers of Psamtek II of Dynasty XXVI is carved on the most ruined of the colossi.

Above the entrance door the king worships the figure of the falcon-headed sun god Re-Horakhty who is also greeted by carved baboons on top of the wall. Inside, the temple is conventional in its design, with the floor level rising noticeably towards the sanctuary at the rear and in the first pillared hall there are eight Osiris pillars in two rows. On the left, the colossal statues depict Rameses wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt and on the right the king wears the double crown of the Two Lands. On the walls of this first hypostyle hall are scenes showing the king’s victories over his enemies, usually Libyans and Nubians. The north wall is painted with scenes of the battle of Kadesh, Rameses’ greatest victory, and on the other walls are various depictions of the king in single combat or being presented with prisoners from various lands. The goddess Nekhbet on the ‘vulture ceiling’ leads us inwards towards the Vestibule.

The Vestibule is a chamber with four square columns showing Rameses and Nefertari offering to the gods, and other religious scenes. There are various magazines and store rooms leading off to each side which would once have housed the temple’s cultic objects and treasures which may have included tribute from Nubia. Beyond the Vestibule, 65m in from the entrance to the temple, we come to the most sacred place, the Holy of Holies or Sanctuary. Four seated statues of Re-Horakhty, the deified Rameses II, Amun-re and Ptah are carved from the rock of the back wall. A pedestal still remains in the sanctuary on which the sacred barque would have stood. The temple was aligned so that twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, the sun’s rays penetrate the length of the temple and flood the sanctuary with light (which may or may not be significant!).
The decoration of the Great Temple of Rameses II at Abu Simbel serves to glorify the divine pharaoh Rameses, who is seen adoring and making offerings to his deified image. Perhaps it was also a monument intended to keep the wayward Nubian population in line by showing them the might of their great Egyptian ruler.
The Temple of Hathor

The second rock-cut temple at Abu Simbel lies close by to the north of the Great Temple and is similar in plan but on a smaller scale. It was built in honour of Rameses’ Great Wife and most favoured of his consorts, Nefertari. This smaller monument is dedicated to the goddess Hathor. The façade of the temple shows Nefertari on each side of the entrance standing between two colossal 10m statues of Rameses, again with smaller images of royal children at their feet. Never before had a queen been depicted alongside her husband and on the same scale, on the façade of a temple.
The temple interior is very simple and built on a much more human scale than the Great Temple. Scenes on the walls of the pillared hall depict Nefertari taking part in divine rituals with her husband before Hathor and Mut and in the same role as the king. They also show the consecration of Nefertari as divine queen. There are traditional scenes of the pharaoh Rameses II in his warrior role of slaying captives. Six square pillars set in two rows and crowned with Hathor heads give a very gentle and feminine feel to the monument.
In the sanctuary at the rear of the temple a statue in high relief seems to grow out of the rock wall, showing Hathor as the sacred cow-goddess emerging from the Western Mountain.
Chambers open to the north and south of the Vestibule with colourful scenes showing Hathor on her sacred barque. The side chambers have a cave-like feel, being carved from the mountain rock.


Nearby monuments

If the visitor has time, there are also other monuments to be seen at the Abu Simbel site. A number of carved stones documenting Nubian officials have been set into the base of the cliff. There is also the remains of a sun-court to be seen to the north of the Great Temple and nearby is the famous ‘Marriage Stela’ which tells of the marriage alliance between Rameses II and a daughter of a Hittite king.

On the east bank of the Nile 23km north of Edfu is one of the oldest settlements of Upper Egypt. The ancient town of Nekheb was called Eleithyiaspolis in classical times and comprises of monuments spanning periods of Egyptian history from Predynastic through to Ptolemaic. El-Kab and its sister site of Hierakonpolis on the west bank of the river were the home of Nekbet, the vulture goddess of Upper Egypt.
Tomb of Ahmose Pennekhbet (EK2)
Ahmose Pennekhbet was ‘Overseer of the Seal’ in early Dynasty XVIII. Biographical texts and portrayals of Ahmose with his son and other relatives can be seen around the door jambs.
Tomb of Paheri (EK3)
Paheri was a Mayor of Nekheb during Dynasty XVIII. The well-preserved paintings in his tomb show scenes of offerings at his funeral procession and agricultural scenes of daily life. In a niche in the rear wall is a statue of Paheri with his wife and mother.
Tomb of Setau (EK4)
Setau was a priest in the service of Nekhbet during the reign of Rameses III. On the outside wall of his tomb is a stela showing Setau and his wife adoring Re-Horakhty and Khepri. The paintings inside show the tomb-owner with his relatives in various offering scenes and a depiction of the Barque of Nekhbet with jubilee texts of Rameses III on the west wall.
Tomb of Ahmose, son of Ibana (EK5)
Ahmose in his biographical texts is described as ‘Captain of Sailors’ and was prominent in the wars of liberation against the Hyksos rulers when the southern princes laid siege to the town of Avaris in the Delta. The text tells of the favours Ahmose was granted for his part, including the award of the ‘gold of honour’ and tells that he was given four slaves by His Majesty from the booty he carried off. He was the Grandfather of Paheri (EK3) who is seen offering to him in the tomb. A separate burial chamber opens off to the east.
Tomb of Renni (EK7)
A mayor of Nekheb during the reign of Amenhotep I, Renni’s tomb depicts the usual agricultural scenes, banquet scenes and funeral procession. The remains of a statue of the tomb-owner flanked by two jackals can be see in a niche in the rear wall. The ceiling of this tomb is beautifully painted to represent the cloth roof of a tent or canopy.
There are also Middle Kingdom tombs at El-Kab which are presently inaccessible.
If you have time (and permission) to drive down the Wadi Hellal road which runs 4km west towards the desert, there are many other sites to visit. You will need to collect a guard with the keys to the monuments at the resthouse. At the entrance to the valley is a Ptolemaic rock-sanctuary dedicated to Seshmetet. Just to the southeast higher up the hillside, is a temple of Nekhbet consisting of two halls with Hathor columns and a rock-cut sanctuary. This was built by Rameses II, restored by Ptolemies VIII-X and has a stela of Rameses II cut into the façade. The reliefs inside the temple are not well-preserved, but the steps leading up to it and the courtyard have been recently restored. Back towards the road is a structure called locally el-Hammam (the bath), a square single roomed chapel dedicated to local gods and to the deified Rameses II by his Viceroy of Nubia, Setau (a different person to the owner of tomb EK4).
Further along the valley road is ‘Vulture Rock’, so-called because its shape seen at a certain angle (and with imagination) resembles the shape of a vulture. The faces of the rock are covered with petroglyphs and Old Kingdom inscriptions probably made by pilgrims passing this way on the ancient desert road. Several Old Kingdom kings are named on smooth panels cut into the rock, the earliest cartouche is that of Snofru. There are also Late Period primitive rock-carvings.
A little further on is a small temple dedicated to Hathor and Nekhbet, built by Tuthmose IV and Amenhotep III. The single chamber was apparently a way-station for the barque of Nekhbet when the statue of the goddess was brought to her desert valley. Quite a lot of colour still remains on the wall reliefs inside the temple, depicting Tuthmose IV and his son Amenhotep III. The building was restored in late antiquity and brightly painted scenes of rituals as well as the vulture goddess still can be seen. On the chapel façade is a text by Prince Khaemwaset, the son of Rameses II, announcing his father’s jubilee in year 42, as well as graffiti by other passing travellers.
In December 2000 news was announced that Belgian archaeologists have discovered a small and mostly intact cemetery at El-Kab which has been dated to Dynasty II. The 35 graves, mostly belonging to infants, are reported to be circular stone structures sometimes arranged around natural boulders and 18-20m in diameter. This type of tomb has not been seen before in Egypt and they have been compared to Neolithic burial mounds in Europe. Although there is no evidence of wrapping or mummification, the largest tomb contained fragments of a pottery coffin. It is suggested that the new cemetery represents a ‘missing link’ between the Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic burial ground found within Elkab’s town walls and a recently discovered Third Dynasty mastaba.
During 2003 a team of conservators led by Vivian Davies of the British Museum, began work on the Dynasty XVII tomb of Sobeknakht, a governor of Nekheb. The cleaning process revealed an inscription of a previously unknown attack on Egypt by the Kingdom of Kush and their allies from Punt. The biographical text tells of the Kushite raid and subsequent counter-attack by the Egyptians. Egyptologists are regarding the text as one of the most significant inscriptions about Dynasty XVII military history found to date. Evidence corroborating these events have also recently been found in Sudan, where archaeologists discovered a vessel that was once in Sobeknakht’s tomb.