Egypt
Egypt facts & history
in brief
Egypt is surrounded by the Mediterranean and
Red Sea, Israel, Sudan and Libya.
Mainly hot and arid, year/s can pass without rain.
Most of the population of nearly 60 million, live in
or around Cairo or the fertile Nile valley.
Egypt's history goes back five thousand years or so
and being one of the first civilisations on earth.
Some of the interesting things are the history, Pyramids,
Sphinx, other ruins, Suez Canal, Aswan High Dam, the
River Nile and the great Qattara Depression.
We entered the Sinai from Eilat in Israel.
After a lot of hassle at the Egyptian Border Post, we
had to return to Eilat, get another Visa and have another
try the next day.
After some more hassles with the transport operators
and a delay of 5-6 hours, we were on our way in a rickety
old taxi to the St Catherine's Monastery in the desert,
at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
Christians, Muslims and Jews around here all believe
in buckshi (Bribe or tip).
By a van, that rushed just before a scheduled bus to
'pinch' his customers, (We only found out as we progressed),
we crossed the other half of the Sinai to Suez.
After exploring Suez and the sorrounds, we bussed to
Alexandria.
From Alexandria we trained to Cairo and after a few
days on to Aswan.
In Aswan we took time out to fly to Abu Simbel.
Finishing with Aswan we were driven by a van to Luxor,
visiting all the attractions in between, like Kom Omo
Temple and many others.
Luxor of course another thing altogether.
It is chock-a-block with attractions.
Karnak and Luxor Temples, Hatshepsut and the Valleys
of the Kings and Queens just to mention a few.
Than we returned to Cairo to for a final look and farewell
Egypt and an unforgettable experience.
Alexandria
is the chief port and second largest city, after
Cairo in Egypt and is on the Mediterranean Sea at the
western end of the Nile Delta.
The city has been a major port and cultural centre since
ancient times.
Alexandria has a double harbour formed by a T-shaped
peninsula.
The second largest industrial centre in Egypt, has two
oil refineries, a car assembly plant, a cottonseed oil
processing factory, dyeing plants, and textile plants.
Alexandria attracts many tourists because of its beauty
and its location along the sea.
Alexander the Great, the king of Macedonia, founded
Alexandria in 332 B.C.
After his death, Ptolemy, one of his generals, made
Alexandria the capital of Egypt in 323 B.C.
The city flourished as a centre of trade and culture.
It became famous for its great library and for the Lighthouse
of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World.
Cleopatra, ruled from Alexandria in the first century
before the birth of Christ.
In 642 A.D. Muslim troops captured the city and moved
the capital and Alexandria slowly become a small fishing
village.
In 1517 it became part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
Napoleon captured Alexandria in 1798.
Population is around 3 million.
You can click on
these photos for an enlargement.
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