A mesmerizing country of ancient civilization, Egypt’s culture and mysterious past fascinate generation after generation. Egypt once ruled an empire from Al Qahira – Cairo, the City Victorious. The metropolis is packed with soaring minarets and medieval schools and mosques, some of the greatest architecture of medieval Islam. At the same time, Egypt’s native Christians, the Copts, have carried on their traditions that in many respects – such as the church’s liturgical language and the traditional calendar – link back to the time of the pharaohs. Tap into the history in Cairo’s early churches and in remote desert monasteries. With sand-covered tombs, austere pyramids and towering Pharaonic temples, Egypt brings out the explorer in all of us.
Throughout Egypt, days are commonly warm or hot, and nights are cool. Egypt has only two seasons: a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October. The only differences between the seasons are variations in daytime temperatures and changes in prevailing winds. In the coastal regions, temperatures range between an average minimum of 14 C in winter and an average maximum of 30 C in summer.
Temperatures vary widely in the inland desert areas, especially in summer, when they may range from 7 C at night to 43 C during the day. During winter, temperatures in the desert fluctuate less dramatically, but they can be as low as 0 C at night and as high as 18 C during the day.
Places to Visit in Egypt
Pyramids of Giza
And perhaps there is nothing more mysterious, and more worthy of seeing in Egypt than the esteemed Great Pyramids of Giza. These are the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. These perfectly shaped structures leaves everyone in awe and in wonder about how exactly they were made, considering that the ancient Egyptians had no advanced technology to work with.
Sphinx
And of course, if you're going to go to the Great Pyramids, then you might as well go to the Sphinx. This is one of the most mysterious structures in Egypt. Even now, archaeologists are still arguing about its origin and its purpose, making it the subject of the famous phrase, "the Riddle of the Sphinx."
Abu Simbel
These two temples were built by Pharaoh Ramesses II to commemorate himself and his wife, Nefertari. It's a breathtaking place, and its temples are hailed as one of the most beautiful in Egypt. What's even more interesting about the Abu Simbel is the amount of effort put into relocating and preserving it.
Cairo
And of course, if you really want to immerse yourself in Egyptian culture, it would be best for you to go to the capital city, Cairo. The place is teeming with bazaars and restaurants where you can buy your taste of Egyptian culture. It's surely not a place to miss.
Temples of Karnak
What better way to experience ancient Egypt than to visit the very place where they worshipped their gods. The Temples of Karnak is the biggest site for Egyptian worship. It has a monument to just about every god in the Theban religion.
The Nile River
And of course, you can't miss out on the famous Nile River. It is, after all, what nourished Egypt and turned it into the place of wonder that it is. In fact, what's great about visiting the Nile is that you can take a Felucca and sail down the legendary river, taking in the sights of the city and the sunset.
Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings or Biban El Moluk is the place where Egypt's most esteemed pharaohs were buried. This place is teeming with mummies and undiscovered treasures. In fact, this is the place where archaeologists found one of the most famous mummies of all time - Tutankhamun.
Egyptian Museum
Of course, since it would be unwise to leave the Egyptian treasures in the tombs they were found in, the archeologists put them in the Egyptian museum where they would be put under high security. If you want to learn about Egypt, this is the best place to start. There's no other place with a higher concentration of Egyptian artifacts, and you can even follow the tour so that you can be oriented with the history of each of the artifacts.
Siwa Oasis
Egypt isn't all about temples and pyramids, there's a place where you can just let loose and have fun - the Siwa Oasis. Here, you can take a swim in the cool waters to ward off the desert heat. It is rumored that Alexander stopped here during his great conquest.
Necropolis of Sakkara
And indeed, you can't miss something as intriguing as a 'Necropolis' or, if translated, a City of the Dead. Here, you will find the less popular pyramids of Egypt, the step pyramids. However, though they are less popular than the great pyramids, they're still suffused with great history and culture.
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