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5 Must-See Locations Beyond Alexandria
Ancient Egypt, considered one of the four cradles of civilization, is the earliest kingdom in the world. They built the world-famous pyramids and the Valley of the Kings.
With its well-known pyramids, mysterious Sphinx and countless magnificent ancient temples, the African continent has attracted numerous tourists.
Egypt’s location gives it a unique natural setting. Whatever the River Nile’s sunset, the Mediterranean Sea’s romance, or the Suez Canal’s grandeur, they all forge a golden card for Egypt’s tourist industry.
Now let’s take stock of what else is worth visiting in Egypt:
Cairo
Cairo, of course! The pyramids are attractive enough, and people pursue to experience the culture of this ancient country for the first time.
Giza is southwest of the town, home to the Sphinx and five pyramids, including the most famous Pyramid of Khufu. These tombs of ancient Egyptian emperors are magnificent, showing visitors the majesty of their owners.
You can also ride a camel through the desert and take a spectacular panorama.
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities is also a focus for tourists. It was designed and built in 1858 by Auguste Mariette, a famous French archaeologist. The museum is mainly dedicated to the widely collected relics of the Pharaonic period.
The museum’s exhibits include huge stone statues and gilded chariots of Egyptian pharaohs. Also, some prehistoric pottery, stone tools, and elaborate artwork made by ancient artists are fabulous. The mummies made thousands of years ago, remain intact in gold and jewel-encrusted coffins.
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Southern Egypt and is the capital of Luxor Governorate. Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the historic sites in Luxor every year, making a great contribution to the economy.
The ruins of temple complexes are at Karnak and Luxor, the most striking relics, are in the city. Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens are across the River Nile, settled among a lot of tombs and monuments.
Karnak Temple was built over 3,900 years ago. More than 20 temples in different sizes, 134 huge stone pillars and stone statues of lions’ bodies and rams’ heads make the temple magnificent and impressive.
The main hall has magnificent stone columns with carved hieroglyphic inscriptions, including the famous Chronicle of Thutmose III stories and the Battle of Kadesh.
The temple has seen sunrises and sunsets for 3900 years, and has witnessed countless unspeakable histories. Even now only ruins leave there, it is not difficult to imagine its past glory, as if it were just yesterday.
Hurghada
Located in eastern Egypt on the Red Sea coast, Hurghada is a popular tourist city. Its beautiful beaches and the arid temperate climate attract a large number of international tourists.
Hurghada began to develop as a resort city in the 1980s. The coastline of Hurghada stretches for more than 40 kilometers, with abundant sunshine all year round.
Visitors can swim and take part in water activities, such as surfing and fishing. There are also incredibly beautiful coral reefs, and visitors can enjoy the coral scene at the bottom of the Red Sea by submarine.
This luxury resort city has three resort centers: Sigala, El-Dahar and El-Memsha.
Sigala has numerous coastal resorts and mid-size hotels. El-dahar has a long history with a strong local style, so you can visit a large local market there. El Memsha is a leisure place with mid-size hotels and local markets.
Aswan
It is one of the driest places in the world, where the average high temperatures are consistently above 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Aswan, you can visit the Aswan High Dam, built between 1898 and 1902, for irrigation and power generation. The dam cuts off the River Nile in the middle, allowing the river to flow back up 500 kilometers. It also creates an artificial lake with 164 billion cubic meters of water in it, Lake Nasser.
The dam saved Egypt from drought and famine at the River Nile basin in the 1980s.
The Abu Simbel Temples are also famous. Facing the River Nile, the temples feature four 20-meter-high sitting statues of Ramesses II. The temples are known for a miraculous phenomenon:
At sunrise each year on February 21 and October 21 (the days of Ramesses II’s ascent and birth), sunlight from the gates passes through the 60-meter-long hall, reaching directly into the shrine’s statues. But the sunshine never reaches Seth (god of violence) on the left side, who is to remain hidden in darkness forever.
The ruins of Philae Temple are remarkable. The temple contains the last known hieroglyphics and vivid reliefs of Hathor, the god of wealth, and Isis, the god of fertility.
Additionally, Aswan has one of the most beautiful markets in Egypt.
Dahab
If you’re a diving and sea activities enthusiast, be sure to check out Dahab, the small town on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
Dahab’s sea connects to the hot desert, so you can feel the town of half flame and half brine. The seawater of Dahab is pure blue, on a hot summer day, you will be happy to jump into the ocean, which has a constant temperature of 75 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Blue Hole in Dahab is very famous for diving. Blue Hole is actually an underwater cliff, more than 1,000 meters vertical depth, so it has a gorgeous deep blue color.
To reach it, you have to cross a desert. Blue Hole is about 4.3 miles north of Dahab, and you can take a pickup truck or a camel to get there. The most attractive part of Blue Hole is that there is a reef hole at about 34 miles under the water, leads to the open sea at about 15 miles of its horizontal level.
However, the reef hole is dangerous. Divers die here every year, but many come here anyway. Don’t worry, your coach won’t take you this far.
This mysterious continent has deserts and oceans, and a wide variety of plants and animals. It has mysterious deserts, as well as vast forests and endless seas. Have a sit to order a cup of coffee, and listen to an old man on the side of the street tell you a legend pharaoh’s story.
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Seeing the pyrmids has always been on my bucket list. When we can travel again maybe I will go in a couple of years. My family wants to go too. My uncle went many years ago and I loved looking at his photo album. He went on a cruise on the Nile river. They had dinner and drinks. I can’t wait to go!