8 MUST VISIT PLACES CAIRO
 

-EL FISHAWY: Sip Egyptian Tea at the oldest Cafe in Cairo
-KHAN EL KHALILI: Shop for souvenirs at the oldest Souk in the Middle East
-AL-AZHAR MOSQUE: Marvel at one of the oldest Mosques in Egypt
-CITADEL & MOHAMMED ALI MOSQUE: Go back in time and learn about the Medieval Islamic-era
-NATIONAL MUSEUM of EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION: Examine 22 Royal Mummies of the Pharonic period
-ROYAL PERFUMES & OILS: Make your own perfume out of essential oils like ancient Egyptians once did
-ABO TAREK: Devour a bowl of Koshari—Egyptian “comfort food” made of lentils, rice, noodles + chickpeas topped with spiced tomato sauce & savory crispy onions
-NILE RIVER via FELUCCA: Cruise on the longest river in the world via a traditional Egyptian sailboat

FUN FACT: The above ITINERARY can be completed in ONE FULL DAY in Cairo 

7 MUST VISIT TEMPLES in EGYPT 

-Kom Ombo Temple (Aswan)
-Luxor Temple (Luxor)
-Philae Temple (Aswan)
-Edfu Temple (Aswan)
-Great Temple of Abu Simbel (Aswan)

-Temple of Nefertari (Aswan)
-Karnak Temple (Luxor)

The most interesting architectural sights of Sharm El Sheikh

This is a Coptic Orthodox church. It was built quite recently, in 2010. It is interesting that the parishioners themselves collected funds for its construction, and the building turned out to be really impressive both in size (the temple is not inferior in size to the central mosque of El Mustafa) and in interior decoration.

From the outside, the Coptic church looks very elegant, the snow-white building seems to be floating in the air. The Muslim influence is clearly visible in its architecture, but the crosses on the domes clearly indicate the Christian affiliation of the temple. They have an unusual shape - they are oriented in all directions, so from which side you look, the cross will be visible everywhere.

Inside, the walls of the church are covered with the richest paintings and mosaics, since two local artists worked on the interior for two years. All the walls inside are painted with Old Testament and New Testament scenes. Thus, the entire Bible is placed before your eyes.

The church looks most impressive at night, when generous lighting is turned on - it is simply impossible to pass by and not notice such beauty! The Coptic Church is surrounded by a high fence, next to it there are several checkpoints where police officers are constantly on duty. Despite this, the temple is open to all visitors and photography is allowed inside.

Currently, most of the services are held in Arabic, and the most famous prayers are read in Kop. The reading of the Holy Letter itself is performed in two languages, therefore, books, as a rule, are printed in Arabic and Kopi with parallel texts. As well as in all churches, benches for prayers are installed inside this church. Women in the church can be without hats.

Even if you are an unbeliever, I strongly advise you to visit the Coptic Church. The atmosphere of kindness and hospitality, grandeur and extraordinary beauty will cover any heart.

November 26, 1922. Valley of the Kings. Egypt.

“At first I couldn’t see anything, hot air was rushing out of the room, causing the flame of the candle to flicker, but soon, as soon as my eyes got used to the light, the details of the room slowly appeared from the fog, strange animals, statues and gold – gold glitter everywhere”

⠀

This is how Howard Carter, the man who showed Tutankhamun to the world, describes one of the most important discoveries in the history of Egyptology.

⠀

But few people know that this discovery could not have happened at all!

⠀

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Valley of the Kings was dug up and down, scientists who worked there for years said that all the main finds had already been made and one should not expect anything more

⠀

But here an excellent set of circumstances came into play.

⠀

In 1901, the British Lord Carnarvon, being an avid motorist, had an accident and, during rehabilitation, he was recommended to change the cold British climate to a more suitable Egyptian one.

⠀

In Egypt, he became interested in history and even began his excavations.

⠀

Things did not go well until he met Howard Carter, a British archaeologist and Egyptologist who had just retired from the Antiquities Service.

⠀

It was the tandem of these two people that revived the name of the golden pharaoh.

⠀

Carter dreamed of finding the untouched tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen. And for 15 years (!!!), with the generous funding of Carnarvon, he went to his dream ...

⠀

At the same time, I found only 13 jugs and 2 huts of construction workers

⠀

Having not received the desired result, Lord Carnarvon decides to close the excavations. However, Howard Carter's optimism is noticeably fading away.

⠀

It was decided that the 1922-1923 season would be the last in the Valley of the Kings.

⠀

November 4, 1922, three days after the start of the excavations, a local water carrier boy, taking a jug from a donkey, notices a step under a layer of sand...

⠀

And a month later, Carter was already looking through a hole in the wall into the sixty-sixth tomb in the Valley of the Kings, which belonged to Pharaoh Tutankhamen, a ruler who went down in history by chance.

⠀

The Great Sphinx of Giza in vintage photographs, 1850-1940 

At 240 feet (73 m) long, 62 feet (19 m) wide and 66 feet (20 m) high, the Great Sphinx is one of the largest statues in the world.

Even the ancient Egyptians themselves were puzzled by the distant antiquity and the purpose of the Great Sphinx at Giza.

This article contains various vintage photographs of the Sphinx over the past 170 years.

The common name "Sphinx" was given to it in classical antiquity, about 2000 years after the generally accepted date of its construction, in reference to the Greek mythological beast with the head of a woman, falcon, cat or sheep and the body of a lion with the wings of an eagle.

(although, like most Egyptian sphinxes, the Great Sphinx has a human head and no wings).

The Sphinx is a monolith carved from the rock of the plateau, which also served as a quarry for the pyramids and other monuments in the area.

The Egyptian geologist Farouk El-Baz suggested that the head of the Sphinx may have been carved first from a natural yard, that is, from rock sculpted by the wind.

Khan El Khalili Bazaar in Cairo

- the oldest and largest market in the territory of modern Africa, the first information about which dates back to the early Middle Ages. At the moment, the area occupied by the retail facility has already exceeded 5 thousand square meters. m.

For centuries, the Al Khalili market in Old Cairo has been the city's most visited place, where locals socialize, share the latest news and shop. Centuries later, little has changed - the market is still very popular, with more than 3,000 people coming here every day. The attraction is very popular among tourists - foreigners appreciate this place for its color and unique atmosphere.

Khan el Khalili will be interesting not only for shopping lovers, but also for those tourists who want to look at the ancient architecture that this part of Cairo is famous for.

Prices in the market are higher than in neighboring shopping centers, since it is primarily aimed at tourists. Nevertheless, the cost of most goods is quite acceptable, and the purchase will not hit your wallet much. Moreover, the amount of money spent in Cairo depends only on your ability to bargain.