Location: Northeast corner of Africa
Size: approximately 1,000,000 sq. km
Capital: Cairo
Official language (today): Arabic
Official language (ancient): combination Semitic and Hamitic
Religion: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian & Other 6%
Population: approximately 80 Million
Major river: The Nile (divides Egypt in half) see I was right!
Deserts: Libyan, Nubian, and Eastern. They were barriers of protection, shielding the people against invasion by surrounding civilizations
Topography: The highest lands are in the south and the land slopes gently toward the Mediterranean Sea. There are some mountains located on the southern Sinai peninsula. Some of these reach over 2600 meters (8530 feet high).
Climate: very dry; there is almost no rainfall on a regular basis. The people depend on the annual summer floods of the Nile River for water. The floods begin in June and end in October.
The world's oldest civilization rose on the banks of the Nile around 5000 years ago when the first dynasty of pharaohs came to power under Narmer.
Egypt is the cradle of civilization, the land of religions and the gateway to Africa, but above all, Egypt is the gift of the Nile.
For more than fifty centuries Egypt has witnessed the development of cultures and civilizations through the different Pharaonic, Christian and Islamic periods.
Egypt, the country where past and present coexist, inundated with the permanently warm climate, and full of the ancient splendours of the Pharaohs, the early glories of Christianity and the masterpieces of Islam, and exploring its seas which are renowned to have the most beautiful seafloors in the world, as well as its deserts which have been isolated from the fertility of the Nile.
Egypt is also a modern developing country which is at the same time a seemingly imaginary one, so rich in its contrasts and contradictions. Just as centuries ago; today you can see camels and donkeys on the dusty roads lined with Beduin tents which sit in contrast to futuristic skyscrapers alongside the remains of stone walls from the Pharaonic period.
Most Recently: Protests begin on January 25, 2011; Mubarak resigns on February 11, 2011.
The world's oldest civilization rose on the banks of the Nile around 5000 years ago when the first dynasty of pharaohs came to power under Narmer.
Egypt is the cradle of civilization, the land of religions and the gateway to Africa, but above all, Egypt is the gift of the Nile.
For more than fifty centuries Egypt has witnessed the development of cultures and civilizations through the different Pharaonic, Christian and Islamic periods.
Egypt, the country where past and present coexist, inundated with the permanently warm climate, and full of the ancient splendours of the Pharaohs, the early glories of Christianity and the masterpieces of Islam, and exploring its seas which are renowned to have the most beautiful seafloors in the world, as well as its deserts which have been isolated from the fertility of the Nile.
Egypt is also a modern developing country which is at the same time a seemingly imaginary one, so rich in its contrasts and contradictions. Just as centuries ago; today you can see camels and donkeys on the dusty roads lined with Beduin tents which sit in contrast to futuristic skyscrapers alongside the remains of stone walls from the Pharaonic period.
Most Recently: Protests begin on January 25, 2011; Mubarak resigns on February 11, 2011.
The CONTIKI ITINERARY
Day 1 CAIRO
- A visit to the iconic Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. They are the only survivors of the 7 ancient wonders of the world and are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
- A Visit to the Egyptian Museum; viewing an amazing collection that includes Tutankhamen’s treasure, royal mummies and jewels raided from their tombs.
- Overnight Train to Aswan - And I've heard we can get our drink on -on the way!
Day 2 ASWAN
- A boat ride on a white-sailed felucca with the group and drift out to the lush Botanical Gardens. Exploring the island’s 6.3 hectares, bursting with exotic plants, huge palm trees and birds.
- Back on the felucca, feast your eyes on the elegant tomb of Aga Khan, made of pink and white granite, set high upon the Nile’s West Bank.
- Tonight, there’s a chance to learn about Egyptian mythology in the dramatic setting of the Philae Temple under night lights.
- Optional Excursion to Abu Simbel, UNESCO World Heritage site. Fly over the vast desert and one of the world’s biggest man-made lakes, Lake Nasser. Hear the story on Ramses II from the expert Local Guide.
- Visit the Temple of Karnack – an enormous 2sq km site crammed full of remains, obelisks and sanctuaries, including the world’s largest religious structure, the Temple of Amun.
- Experience the afterlife and the city of the dead with an Optional Trip to the Valley of the Kings, where Tutankhamen is buried and where you’ll visit some of the 63 royal tombs with the specialist Local Guide.
- Retracing ancient trade routes, we travel across the Eastern Desert to the Red Sea Resort of Hurghada.
- Chill out on white sandy beaches, swim or head out onto the Red Sea with an Optional Cruise.
- On the Cruise: discover the world-famous coral reefs just off the coast, and submerge yourself in the stunning underwater world.
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