General
Information About Egypt
Egypt is an old culture, one of the oldest in the world, the
most famous historic monuments are the pyramids and the typical
temple around Luxor and Aswan. The very crowd Cairo is the
biggest city of the African continent.
Here you still can find peaces of the oldest civilization, the
European modernity.
The Red Sea offers for divers and snorkels various underwater
views like corals with endless colors and a rich variety on of
special fiches.
Capitol
- Cairo
Surface - 997.738 sq. Km
Highest point - + 2629 meters
Lowest point
- 133 meters
Citizens
- 70 million
Language
- Arabic
Second language - 220 v
Difference of time - 1 hour
Facts &
Specialties
CULTURE & TRADITION:
For majority of the population (peasant farmers), life and
lifestyle have changed little for hundreds of years. The 20th
century has introduced Coca Cola, Levis and TV. Elements of
western pop music are increasingly being integrated into
contemporary Egyptian music.
Islam is the major religion in Egypt with Coptic Christians
being the second. The essence of Islam is the belief that there
is only one God and that it is the duty of the people to believe
in and serve Him in the manner laid out in the Quran. In Arabic,
Islam means submission and a Muslim is one who submits to God's
will. Muslims are called to prayer five times a day, every day
from the minarets of mosques. Islamic law forbids drinking
alcohol.
Before the arrival of Islam, Christianity was the major religion
in Egypt. The Coptic Church is ruled by a patriarch. The Coptic
language is still used in religious ceremonies with some Arabic
for the benefit of the congregation. Their language is based on
the Greek alphabet with seven additional characters taken from
hieroglyphics.
Egypt is famous for belly dancing which has been found recorded
in tomb paintings dating as far back as the Pharaohs. In the
past, there has been much conflict in Egypt over the
respectability of belly dancing. However, belly dancing is an
Egyptian art form that has made it internationally where it is
taught at night schools and community centers worldwide. Cairo
hosts an annual belly dancing festival.
”Ahwa” is the Arabic word that means both coffee and coffee
shop. An age-old tradition and national pastime, drinking coffee
at one of Egypt's many coffee shops is an experience that don’t
must be missed. Most of the coffee shops still cater to men who
meet with their friends to sip coffee, play backgammon, smoke
“sheeshas” and converse. However, women and sometimes even
families are a more common sight today. “Ahwa” can be ordered
many ways: “ahwa sada” is black, “ahwa ariha” is slightly sweet,
“ahwa mazboot” is medium sweet and “ahwa ziyada” is extremely
sweet. Most Egyptians like their coffee very sweet because it
cuts any bitterness the coffee may have. The Egyptians love also
drink “shay” how the tea is called in Arabic.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
ALEXANDRIA and the immediate area around the City. It could in
fact be argued that this area extends to Marsa Matruh to the
west on the coast. The area has a Mediterranean feel about it,
the attraction is the Mediterranean Sea and to the people of
Cairo, a somewhat cooler climate.
CAIRO and the immediate area around the City. Cairo has
everything: great hotels, entertainment, restaurants, all manner
of monuments from throught the history of Egypt and it is often
the entry point for most people visiting Egypt. It even has
bowling allies and several golf courses to chose from.
LUXOR and the surrounding area. Luxor is a living museum with
vast numbers of ancient Egyptian monuments. It is also highly
oriented to tourists and might be thought of in the same regard
as a theme park, where the attractions just happen to be real
monuments.
ASWAN and the surrounding area. Aswan is probably the least of
the super-site tourist areas, but has great hotels, along with
the huge Lake Nasser just to the south.
SHARM-EL-SHEIKH and the surrounding area including Sharks Bay.
This is the Sinai super-site, again with most everything any
tourist might wish. There are even some wonderful Christian
monuments nearby. The water sports are all inclusive and the sea
offers a wonderful underwater view with corals of endless color
and a rich variety of fishes.
RED SEA is named “Aquarius of Allah”, because it offers to the
divers a wonderful and
unforgetable under water world, full of
so beautiful colored corals and a lot of kinds of fishes.
Hurghada, El Gouna, El Quseir and Marsa Alam wait for you to
give an special experience in a very special country.
CLIMATE & NATURE
From snow to sandstorms, the varied terrain around the
Red Sea can take you from sea level through deserts to high
mountains. In some countries, the temperatures can change
drastically from season to season or even overnight.
Every country has its own delicate eco-system. So be responsable
while you are appreciating the beauty. If you are in the desert,
the rule is Pack it in, Pack it out. If you are in a protected
park, stick to the trail. Wandering away can cause unforeseen
damage to the delicate plant and animal life. Be conscious of
things like water consumption, proper waste disposal, and
turning off air-conditioning units when you are away from your
room. Water is a precious commodity in the desert regions.
In the Red Sea, do not feed the fish, do not collect or remove
any material either living or dead, and do not touch the coral
reef with any part of your body including your fins! Thanks to a
growing number of dedicated environmental agencies, there is a
greater knowledge of Reef Protection awareness. For example,
boats can no longer anchor to the coral.
As far as animals, many of the animals that once flourished
under the ancient Egyptian are extinct. The most visible forms
of wildlife are domesticated donkeys & camels, rodents & bats,
and the occasional desert fox. Egypt is also home to many
species of birds. However, most are on their way from Europe to
southern Africa where they migrate every year. Up to 34
varieties of snakes live in Egypt, including the infamous cobra.
Scorpions are widespread throughout the country, but being
nocturnal they are rarely seen.
In the Red Sea you will find a endless quality and quantity of
fishes and corals that never you will can forget.
And in the borders of the Red Sea, you can enjoy your holiday’s
time in the “Bride of the Red Sea”, how it’s called Hurghada.
And you will find here a special atmosphere like a mix of
Egyptian feeling and European feeling...
