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EGYPT |
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Have you always dreamed of traveling to Egypt? |
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Now' s the TIME |
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 Egypt
is a Middle Eastern country located in the north-east corner
of Africa.
A small part of Egypt , the Sinai Peninsula, is in
Asia. Travelers have been marveling at Egypt's wondrous
antiquities for thousands of years- even the ancient Greeks
and Romans were awed by them. But today, a visit to Egypt is
more than an immersion into past glories-mud-brick villages
sprout TV antennae, stone and glass high-rises tower over
ancient monuments and pop music blaring from radios.
Although modern life coexists with the legacies of the past,
it has also opened up possibilities for exploring a wider
area of Egypt. In addition to the great monuments of the
Nile Valley, an Egyptian itinerary could also include diving
along the Red Sea coast, a desert trek to remote oases or a
visit to the Sinai Peninsula. The hub of transportation --
and most likely your first and last stop in the country --
remains Cairo, a city that never fails to make a strong
impression. |
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Cairo |
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The Triumphant City, known officially as al-Qāhirah is one
of the world's largest urban areas and offers many sites to
see. It is the administrative capital of Egypt and, close
by, is almost every Egypt Pyramids , such as the Great
Pyramids of Giza on the very edge of the city. But there are
also ancient temples, tombs, Christian churches, magnificent
Muslim Monuments, and of course, the Egyptian Antiquities
Museum all either within or nearby the city.
Cairo offers an incredible selection of shopping, leisure
and nightlife activities. Shopping ranges from the
famousKhan El Khalili souk, (or bazaar) largely unchanged
since the 14th century, to modern air-conditioned centers
displaying the latest fashions. Particularly good buys are
spices, perfumes, gold, silver, carpets, brass and
copperware, leatherwork, glass, ceramics and mashrabiya.
including Egyptian cotton, and although you probably won't
want to buy, the Camel Market makes a fascinating trip. This
is, and has been for over a thousand years, truly a
shopper's paradise. |
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Sightseeing |
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The Pyramids of Giza: |
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The most famous structure in the world was built by
King Cheops (IV Dynasty) around 2650 B.C., on an
area of 13 feddans. Its height now is 137 ms
(original height: 146 ms). Almost 2.5 million blocks
of stone were put into building this pyramid, which
measure 230 ms square at the base.
All this, however, dwindles when compared to the
precision and astounding ability of the ancient
Egyptian in building this pyramid. Close to the
eastern flank of the Pyramid of Cheops lie three
small pyramids dedicated either to his wives or
family members. |
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Egyptian Museum: |
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North of Tahrir Sq., The Egyptian museum contains
splendid burial furnishings of Tutankhamen and a
superb collection of Egyptian antiquities one of the
great museums of the world.
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The Sphinx: |
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The Sphinx is one of the best known monuments on
Earth and dates back over 4,500 years to the Old
Kingdom and the time of king Khafre - builder of the
second largest pyramid on the Giza plateau on
Cairo's outskirts.
The head of the Sphinx probably depicts Khafre,
while the body is that of a recumbent lion.
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Memphis: |
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It is the oldest capital of Egypt, was built by King
Menes, and lies 24 km southwest of Cairo, in
Al-Badrasheen. You can see in Memphis, the colossal
statue of Ramsis II that is exhibited in the
Egyptian museum now.
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Saqqara: |
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Saqqara is the ancient site of Memphis City, hence
it abounds in monuments, antiquities and tombs. It
is the most ancient burial ground in ancient Egypt.
It lies on a desert plateau, southwest of Cairo.
Above rises the step-pyramid and mortuary compound,
built by the engineer Imhotep for King Zoser, the
first of the III Dynasty pharaohs circa 2780 BC.
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The Citadel: |
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A visit to the Citadel of Salah Al-Din which
overlooks Cairo one of towering tops of Al-Muqattam
Hills, evokes the memory of its great founder. The
Citadel was built by Salah Al-Din in 1183 AD on the
Medieval castles style, It is including the Mosque
of Soliman Pasha, the Alabaster Mosque, the 90-meter
deep bir yusuf
( Joseph’s well), the Military Museum and Al-Jawhara
Palace.
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Coptic Monuments: |
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Christian monuments in Egypt are of religious and
historic significance, they are regarded as a
transitional period between Pharaonic and Islamic
art.
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