Practical information Egypt

The civilization of Ancient Egypt, whose origins date back to ancient times (3,000 years BC), is still admired by travelers who have chosen to go up the majestic and languorous course of its mythical river: the Nile. 

Already at the time of the Romans, visitors to Egypt were filled with admiration for the archaeological remains bequeathed by a civilization that was more than 2000 years old.

With its temples, its tombs, its immense sculptures, its sarcophagi and its crocodiles without forgetting its illustrious figures (Ramses II, Tutankhamun, Cleopatra or Alexander the Great), Egypt lives for eternity, the imagination of those who discover.

But beyond the organized cruises and the pyramids are also a generous and welcoming people. Yes, besides its spellbinding treasures and monuments, Egypt is an often mysterious blend of East and West, beauty, new and old.

By going through our guide, we invite the reader to discover what makes the very essence of this country with a thousand facets. We will also discuss the history of the country, its geography, its culture and the most beautiful trips that allow you to contemplate and visit it. Let's embark together, there, at the foot of the pyramids of Giza or in the gigantic city of Cairo for a wonder that history whispers to us...

And the story began with the birth of writing!

It was in 1798 that the scholars and scientists of the Egyptian campaign cast off in Alexandria. Then, they will then discover unsuspected wonders of the Pharaonic Egyptian civilization. 

Wandering from one site to another. First of all, they endeavor to copy the mysterious writings painted or engraved on the temples and on the tombs. The jubilation is there, but what can all these symbols mean? Everyone has the dream of being the one who will discover the secret. But the competition is fierce. Scientists and linguists rush to obtain the best documents, the most explicit copies or even papyri in good condition... An exceptional person who devoted his entire existence to this task will succeed: Jean-François Champollion, born in 1790 and died in 1832…

Informations pratiques -Oasis Egypte - Le Sphinx

Important dates in the history of Egypt

Historians have identified 8 major periods and 30 dynasties in the history of ancient Egypt.

  1. The Thinite period: 3100 to 2675 BC. AD It brings together the first and the second dynasty
  2. The Old Kingdom. It is between 2675 and 2200 BCE. This period includes the Third and Fourth Dynasties.
  3. The First Intermediate Period. It extends from 2200 to 2046 BC. JC And concerns the sixth until the eleventh dynasty.
  4. The Middle Kingdom. This period is between 2046 and 1710 BC. AD And incorporates the end of the Eleventh Dynasty and the Thirteenth Dynasty.
  5. The Second Intermediate Period which goes from 1710 to 1543 BC. AD It unites the thirteenth to the eighteenth dynasty.
  6. The New Kingdom Period. It spans from 1543 to 1070 BC. AD Historians have included the Eighteenth Dynasty through the Twentieth. 
  7. The Third Intermediate Period is between 1070 and 664 BC. J.-C: Dynasties 21 to 25 are grouped there.
  8. Late Period. It goes from 664 to 332 BC Dynasties 27 to 30 compose it.

The great history of Egypt

It was for nearly six centuries that Egypt would shine and make its neighbors jealous. Thutmose III, Seti Ier, Amenophis III, Akhenaten, Hatshepsout, Tutankhamun, Ramses II… the New Kingdom is not lacking in famous figures. Whereas, with its kings who willingly practice the art of war, Egypt creates for itself an immense empire which extends from the fourth cataract of the Nile in Nubia to the north in Syria. 

The tribes, (the contribution of the losers), as well as the prisoners disembark. Refinement is key. To realize this, just take a look at the buried treasure that the young pharaoh Tutankhamun buried in the graves of dignitaries. 

Egypt is at the height of its power. Thebes. The religious capital is full of riches and brings together the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings. Karnak, becomes the largest temple of the empire… The cities of Pi-Ramses and Memphis, located in the Nile Delta, not far from Avaris of the Hyksôs, are also radiant.

In fact, the pharaohs truly devoted fortunes to the construction of temples: cattle, precious stones, gold, the gods deserve the finest riches... To serve and honor them, staff work in the temples. All of this is very expensive, too expensive above all. 

But rulers rely on the Empire to pay the bill. And inevitably. The day they lose control and management of a large part of their land, the crisis arrives!. Finally, an unmanageable political and economic crisis that swept away the New Empire.

Thus, from 525 BC, a much less glorious history of Egypt began, marked in particular by Alexander the Great and Queen Cleopatra.

Geography of Egypt: The important points

At first glance, the people of Egypt do not seem to be very spoiled by the geography of their territory. In fact, a space which is equivalent to twice the French territory…but a living area limited to too little land. Consequently, a hot and arid climate, a blazing sun for most of the year, although a Nile which has fierce whims. 

In addition, behind this table, many assets exist. And especially the Egyptians since Antiquity have learned to exploit the best of what they are. And the least we can say is that they do it very well!

Sand for the horizon

Not discouraged by a territory invaded by dunes and sand, men choose to appropriate it. And above all, they go proof of an extraordinary adaptation.

Mountainous or flat, Egypt is above all a desert.

Confined to the delta and the valley of the Nile. While Egypt is limited to the west by the Libyan desert. On the other hand, this desert composed of vast plateaus and also of the great sand sea. In fact, it is the third largest sand space in the world. It is 600 kilometers long in its North-South crossing and 250 to 400 kilometers wide on its West-East section.

Here, living creatures are not legion. Indeed, neither animal nor plant. Simply, the breath of the wind god Shou. On the other hand, in this vast desert, five oases. They are like islands of greenery: Kharga, Bahariah, Farafrah, Dakhla, and Siwa. The furthest from the banks of the Nile. Underground water reserves bring lush life here.

While on its eastern part, the Nile valley is limited by the Arabian desert and its long chain of mountains which flow into the Red Sea. To the far north, a wide strip of land connects it with the triangle of the Sinai Peninsula. Point of connection between Egypt and the Asian continent. In fact the territory of Sinai offers a gateway to Palestine and Syria. As well as military and commercial expeditions.

 Since its construction in 1869. Egypt is like cut by the Suez Canal connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean basin. So, with its arid and dry mountains. The Sinai is no different from the Arabian Desert. In addition, his greatest pride ultimately comes down to dominating the entire territory of Egypt from the top of its 2,638 meters of altitude with Mount Saint Catherine. 

The sand forms, so to speak, a concrete shelter that is very difficult to cross. All the more, the desert confers on the Egyptian ground natural protections of great quality that only the nomadic tribes accustomed to the sand desert can venture without danger into Egyptian territory.

The Nile Valley for life

The life of the Egyptians, until 1970 (the year of the construction of the dam) was largely organized according to the floods of the river which made it possible to bring the essential silt to the cultures. However, in June, the level of the Nile began to rise. Then, in the second half of July, it began to swell to reach its maximum level in October.

It is in the delta and in the valley of the Nile that the greatest part of the population is found in particular. As this region is called the region of Black Earth or Kemet. While obviously there is no life without the bed of the Nile. With nearly 250 millimeters per year, the rains are faible only near the Mediterranean coast and are very insufficient to water the crops. 

The valley of the Nile in the south shelters banks not exceeding ten kilometers of width. Whereas and here the sand directly borders the banks of the river. We are in Upper Egypt.

To the north of the metropolis of Cairo, the vegetation is greener and the Nile delta, irrigated today by two branches of the river, corresponds to Lower Egypt. A real paradise for anglers! The vine in particular also grows there.

About the weather 

Egypt, with sunshine almost present the twelve months of the year has something to make the countries of the North jealous. On the other hand, this is not always without complications and with global warming, major droughts are to be expected...

Weather in winter

In the winter, that is to say from December 15 to the beginning of March, the metropolis of Alexandria is subject to heavy rains and strong gales.

 Cairo alternates between gray and sunshine and the waters of the Red Sea cool off. Be careful, night temperatures especially in the desert are freezing. Only the territory of Upper Egypt (Aswan, Luxor) retains a very generous sun.

In winter, it is better to bring a few sweaters for Sinai and Lower Egypt. As well as a windbreaker to visit Alexandria. In factn Egypt, heating appliances do not exist. Only air conditioners have a heating function when they are reversible.

Spring weather

Spring from March to April is weak and short. We go from winter to summer abruptly. It is then the so-called khamsin season. While a scorching desert wind carrying sand two to four times in the season. Heavy rains can surprise the traveler in Alexandria, a city in which the temperature can rise from 20 to over 40°C in one morning!

summer in egypt

The summer season is marked by scorching temperatures, but remains periodically wet on the Mediterranean coasts and extremely arid in the South. You will need to compose the schedule of your days by scheduling visits very early in the morning and taking a break from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at a minimum. In Nubia and southern Egypt, the thermometer very regularly displays 50°C!

Autumn in Egypt

Fall is our favorite season. It runs from late September to early December. Temperatures are then between 26 and 34°C throughout the country. The level of sunshine remains very generous…and Alexandria is not yet watered by torrential rains.

Culture in Egypt

In Egypt, the culture is strongly influenced by religion and local traditions. Thus the Egyptian people are rich in an ancestral and popular culture which was forged around a thousand-year-old civilization. Let's discover what still characterizes in 2020, the culture of Egypt.

Egyptian cinema

Egyptian cinema experienced its real development around 1930 when Tala'at Harb invented the Banque Misr studio. But we had to wait until 1936 and see the feature film Wedad for the talent of the emblematic singer Oum Kalsoum to express itself on screen. The star system of Egyptian cinema was born…

The place of music in Egypt

Music is almost everywhere: in homes, streets and shops. The songs mingle in a joyous cacophony.

Between the legends of Egyptian and Arab music (Abdel Halim Hafez, Oum Kalsoum, Abdel Wahab…) and the wide variety of artists that young people adore, it is not easy to find your way around.

Among the great classics, we can mention Mohammed Abdel Wahab, the multi-generational singer, Oum Kalsoum, the great singer of Arab music, Farid el-Atrache, very often compared to the Italian Tino Rossi, without forgetting Abdel Halim Hafez, the biggest star, all singers combined. 

Much less listened to in the cities, traditional music is generally the most interesting. Saïdie music from the banks of the Nile, perceived from the oases, music from Nubia borrows from an African accent,… All the music can be enjoyed on site, during your stay in Egypt.

Literature

Egyptian literature and writers occupy a prominent place in the history of contemporary Arabic literature. Moreover, the illustrious Naguib Mahfouz thus became the first Arab writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988.

 The many bookstores will offer you a selection of books to better understand the countless riches of Egyptian literature. Among the greatest writers, we can cite Naguib Mahzouf, Al-Aswany, Taha Hussein (the most famous), Sonalla Ibrahim or the writer Nawal el Saadawi.

Your organized trip to Egypt

You can easily book the organized trip to Egypt that suits you. A big Variety of options are available, for example: Cairo stay, Nile cruise, Temple tours, all-inclusive package tour, Upper Egypt and Cairo tour. You are bound to find the Egypt tour package that will give you the best travel experience.

What to visit during an organized trip to Egypt?

A single stay in the land of the pharaohs is never enough to discover the plethora of monuments and wonders that this country offers to travellers. In fact, the whole of Egypt makes this destination a daydream.

How not to have already existed to discover the country which saw the birth of the love between Cleopatra and Caesar. Moreover, romanticism is omnipresent in Egypt. About the monuments scattered all over the Egyptian space, impressive is not a usurped word… Also, thehe Pyramids of Gizeh superbly preserved by the triumphant Sphinx. Especially, the Valley of Queens and Kings with the temples of Karnak and Luxor. In conclusion, all of Egypt seems to have been built by the hands of giants.

You will also not fail to make a passage in the city of Abu-Simbel in Nubia in which you will be able to see more precisely its majestic vestiges of the temples formerly dedicated to Nefertari and Ramses 2. And finally, you will let yourself be enchanted by a soothing atmosphere well off the beaten track from the hordes of visitors.

Go on organized trips to Egypt

The capital of Cairo, in itself, is worth the trip to Egypt. You will discover a subtle blend of Egyptian, Coptic and Muslim culture. Stroll in obviously in its streets and alleys which shelter so many surprises. For example, a walk in the Khan El-Khalili markets, a visit to the Egyptian art museum, oriental dance performances... Everything to captivate you and intoxicate you with pleasure is on the agenda.

In order to discover the great wonders of Egypt as close as possible, consider booking your organized trip to Egypt. On site, a real makeover awaits you for immense and sincere pleasure: a walk in the desert, a cruise on the Nile, or sunbathing? In fact, Egypt is never limited to its archaeological sites, it is also a seaside destination of choice and a playground for sportsmen and adventurers.

Your stay in Egypt in the land of eternity

Your travel agency invites you with an organized trip to let yourself be charmed and bewitched by the mysteries of Egypt. Any time, un trip or a complete stay that will take you back in time: from ancient times through the tumult of Cairo and its legendary pyramids to a visit to the mythical lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the 7 wonders of world. 

Thus, you will shiver with admiration in front of the architectural riches of the temple of Abu Simbel, and will be dazzled by the translucent waters of the Red Sea and even more amazed by the tomb of Nefertiti.

A cruise along the Nile will reveal to your amazed gaze its riches from another time and allow you to discover temples, each one more grandiose than the next. You will live an authentic travel experience that will allow you to understand this culture full of mysteries, beauty and secrets...

The rhythm of your days will be lulled by stories and divine stories. The largest museums in Egypt will reveal to you the precious vestiges of antiquity, such as the famous mummy of Ramses II or even the funerary mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun!

Egypt reserves emotion and pleasure for travellers. In particular, you will find all the valuable information you need to plan your stay or organized trip to Egypt from your travel agency. Our staff will be happy to inform you about the activities to do in Egypt, the monuments, the cities, the museums or even advise you on the best times for your departure.

Between visiting the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, the Nubian Desert, Sharm-el-Sheik or even the beaches of the Red Sea. Also, the ideas for trips to Egypt are virtually endless. Moreover, it is certainly for this reason that many travelers often choose to return to this country to discover new facets.

According to your desire, according to your preferences, you will always find the organized trip to Egypt that is made for your travel profile. Contact your travel agency: Egyptian gastronomy, the temples of Abu Simbel, the sphinx and the pyramids of Gizeh, Karnak, the feluccas of the Nile give you an exceptional appointment.

In conclusion. We have selected the best Egypt tour itineraries for you and make it a point of honor to organize your trip to Egypt to offer you an unforgettable lifetime experience. Assured crush !

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