ALEXANDRIA
AND SURROUNDING
AREA
Founded
by Alexander the
Great in 331 B.C.,
Alexandria is a 3-hour
drive from Cairo
and is Egypt’s
second largest city. The
setting of the legendary
relationship between
Antony and Cleopatra,
Alexandria has a
Mediterranean ambience
rather than Middle
Eastern. Highlights
include:
• ROMAN
AMPHITHEATER - the
only Roman Theater
in Egypt
• POMPEY’S
PILLAR - the
tallest
ancient monument
in Alexandria
• CATACOMBS
OF KOM AL-SHUQAFA - Greco
-Roman tombs cut
into 100 feet into
solid rock
• THE
ROYAL JEWELRY MUSEUM - collection
of exquisite jewelry
from the era of
Mohammed Ali to
King Farouk
• CITADEL
OF QAITBAY - 15th
century fort built
on the site of the
Pharos lighthouse
• GRECO
ROMAN MUSEUM - a
vast collection
of fascinating finds
from the city and
surrounding region
• ALEXANDRIA
LIBRARY - One
of the greatest
research libraries
in Egypt, it is
also the site of
three museums, five
research institutes,
six art galleries,
a planetarium, and
more.
CAIRO
AND SURROUNDING
AREA
There
is a lot to see
and do in Cairo:
numerous historic
buildings, ancient
monuments, shopping,
soaking up the culture. Highlights
include:
• EGYPTIAN
MUSEUM - holds
the
greatest collection
of Egyptian treasures
in the world
• THE
PYRAMIDS OF GIZA - the
last survivor
of the Seven Wonders
of the World. For
information on
the
archeology, and
geology of the
area,
visit The Giza
Plateau
Mapping Project.
• THE
SPHINX - Consisting
of the body of
a lion and the head
of a pharaoh, the
Sphinx is believed
to be the head
of Khafre and his
guardian spirit.
Carved from the
natural limestone
of Giza, the Sphinx
continues to disintegrate,
with entire pieces
dropping off to
the desert floor
below. It is not
believed to have
chambers inside,
like those found
in the pyramids
at Giza.
• THE
STEP PYRAMID AT
SAQQARA - Considered
to be the first
freestanding
stone structure
in the world and “the
beginning of architecture.”
• THE
OPEN AIR-MUSEUM
OF MEMPHIS - Egypt's
first capital; huge
statue of Ramses
II
• THE
PROVINCE OF EL FAY0UM - Originally
named Crocodilopolis,
El-Fayoum was the
main place of worship
of the crocodile
god, Sobek. It
is one of Egypt’s
largest Oasis
and
an excellent spot
for bird watching.
KHAN
EL KHALILI BAZAAR – An
open-air marketplace
filled with labyrinths
of authentic shops
for the bargain hunter.
Best buys include
jewelry, perfume,
alabaster and papyrus.
MEDIEVAL
(ISLAMIC) CAIRO
• The
Citadel a
spectacular medieval
fortress perched
on a hill above the
city that has dominated
the skyline for over
800 years. Highlights
in the Citadel include:
• the
Mosque
of Mohamed Ali (The founder of
modern Egypt)
• The
Mosque of AL-Nasir
Mohamed
• The
Military Museum
• El-Gouhara
Palace
• National Police Museum
• Ibn
Tulun Mosque - the
oldest original
mosque and
the largest
in Egypt
• Al-Azhar
mosque - Unlike
many mosques, Al
Azhar is fully
open
for visitors; stunning
architecture
OLD
(COPTIC) CAIRO
• The
Hanging Church—This
church, which is
located within
the
old Babylon fortress,
gets its name from
a suspended nave.
It has an incredible
collection of over
a hundred icons
dating back to
the 8th and 13th
centuries.
• Ben
Ezra synagogue--Believed
to be the
site where the box
containing Baby
Moses was found
BOOZER'S
GUIDE TO CAIRO - You
never know when
this might come
in handy.
LUXOR
AND SURROUNDING
AREA
Luxor
is a living museum
with unparallel
numbers of ancient
Egyptian monuments.
Highlights
include:
• LUXOR
TEMPLE - one
of the most beautiful
temples in Egypt
• MUMMIFICATION
MUSEUM - Detailed
and fascinating
display of the history
and practice of
mummification, one
the most important
rituals in ancient
Egypt. On display
are several mummified
animals and Maserharti,
a XII Dynasty official,
and several original
implements and
tools used in the
mummification process.
• LUXOR
MUSEUM - contains
a small but choice
collection of
statues and funerary
goods from local
temples and the
Theban necropolis.
• TEMPLES
OF KARNAK - Nearly
every god and goddess
of Ancient Egypt
is represented
over a period of
about 2,000 years.
• THE
VALLEY OF THE
KINGS:
PHOTO
GALLERY, TUTANKHAMEN’S
TOMB scores
of magnificent
tombs were carved
into the desert
rocks, richly
decorated by
skilled artisans
and filled with
treasures considered
essential for
the pharaoh’s
journey into
the
afterlife. More
than 60 tombs
have so far been
discovered
here, the most
famous
of which is
of course
that of the
boy King Tutankhamen
whose fabulous
treasures
now occupy 12
rooms
in the.
• VALLEY
OF THE QUEENS - Contains
over 80 tombs
belonging
to queens, royal
children and
high
officials, including
Queen Hatshepsut’s
temple as well
as
one of the most
famous and most
beautiful
tombs in Egypt,
that of Queen
Nefertari, wife
of Ramses
II.
• THE
COLOSSI OF MEMNON - two
gigantic seated
statues which originally
guarded the entrance
to the mortuary
temple of Amenophis
III.
LEARN
ABOUT THE ARCHEAOLOGY
OF THEBES: Theban
Mapping Project
SINAI
AND SURROUNDING
AREA
• MOUNT
SINAI - Believed
to be where Moses
received the 10
commandments,
it is a 3-hour
climb
to the 7,498-foot
peak. Learn
more
about Biblical
Sinai.
• ST.
CATHERINE’S
MONASTERY - Built
on the site of
the Burning Bush.
• FEIRAN
OASIS - Few
places are as steeped
in Biblical history
as the great Wadi
Feiran - Sinai's
largest Oasis.
It was here, according
to legend, that
Moses struck a
rock with his staff,
bringing forth
a
spring so his
people
could drink.
• Ras
Mohammed National
Park - a
slender peninsula
at the very southernmost
tip of the Sinai
overlooking gloriously
rich coral reefs.
Nearby dive sites.
SINAN
AND
SURROUNDING
AREA
Situated
alongside wide,
green stretches of
the Nile, dotted
with pretty islands,
Aswan is Egypt's
sunniest and southernmost
city—as
well as one of
the most beautiful.
High desert hills
topped with the
Aga Khan's Mausoleum
serve a dramatic
backdrop. Located
about 81 miles
south of Luxor,
Aswan has a distinctively
African atmosphere.
PHILAE
TEMPLE - Beautiful
temple complex
dedicated to the
goddess Isis.
ABU
SIMBEL - the
temples of Ramses
II and Queen Nefertari
ASWAN
DAM - A
great engineering
feat, the huge
dam created Lake
Nasser, a body
of water so vast
it has actually
changed weather
patterns in areas
of Egypt, bringing
rain where it
has never rained
before.
ELEPHANTINE
ISLAND - A
beautiful rocky
island in the middle
of the Nile and
the site of a major
Ancient Egyptian
trading town. It
is now home to
several major historic
and religious sites, including
the Temple of Khnum,
the Temple of Satet
and the Kalabsha
Temple.
THE
NUBIAN MUSEUM - One
of the best museums
in the world documenting
the Nubians and
their history and
culture.
TEMPLE
OF HORUS AT EDFU - Located
about 65 miles north
of Aswan, the Edfu
temple complex is
the second largest
after Karnak. Though
somewhat less well
known than Karnak,
this temple is
remarkably well
preserved and well
worth the visit.
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