Egypt

Cities, towns, and villages

• Cairo (القاهرة) — is the capital of Egypt and, with a total population of Greater Cairo metropolitan area in excess of 16 million people, one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East (the regions which it conveniently straddles). It is also the 19th largest city in the world, and among the world's most densely populated cities.
  On the Nile river, Cairo is famous for its own history, preserved in the fabulous medieval Islamic city — with historic Cairo inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Egyptian Museum in the city centre is a must see, with its countless Ancient Egyptian artefacts, as is shopping at the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. No trip to Cairo would be complete without a visit to the Giza Pyramids and to the nearby Saqqara Pyramid Complex, where visitors will see Egypt's first step pyramid built by the architect Imhotep for the third dynasty pharaoh Djoser.
  Though firmly attached to the past, Cairo is also home to a vibrant modern society. The Midan Tahrir area situated in downtown Cairo, built in the 19th century under the rule of Khedive Ismail, has strived to be a "Paris on the Nile". There also are a number of more modern suburbs including Ma'adi and Heliopolis, while Zamalek is a quiet area on Gezira Island, with upmarket shopping.
  Cairo is best in the fall or spring, when the weather isn't so hot. A felucca ride on the Nile is a good way to escape from the busy city, as is a visit to Al-Azhar Park.
• Alexandria (الإسكندرية / al-Iskanderiyya) is Egypt's second largest city, its largest seaport and the country's window onto the Mediterranean Sea.
  Few cities of the world have a history as rich as that of Alexandria; few cities have witnessed so many historic events and legends. Founded by Alexander the Great (Iskander al-Akbar) in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt; its status as a beacon of culture is symbolized by Pharos, the legendry lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
  The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos) was built in the third century BC by Ptolemy I on the island of Pharos. The height of the lighthouse was between 115 and 150 meters, so it was among the highest structures in the world, second only to the Great Pyramids. The lighthouse was built on 3 floors: a square bottom with a central heart, a section octagonal average and above an upper section. And on the top there was a mirror that reflected sunlight during the day and used fire for the night. But it was damaged by 2 earthquakes in 1303 and 1323.
  The Library of Alexandria was the largest library of the ancient world and the place where great philosophers and scientists of that age came to seek knowledge.
  In all, Alexandria was one of the greatest cities in the Hellenic world, second only to Rome in size and wealth, and while it changed hands from Rome to Byzantine and finally Persia, the city stayed the capital of Egypt for a millennium.
  Today's Alexandria is a dusty seaside Egyptian town with an over-inflated population of 5 million, yet its status as Egypt's leading port keeps business humming, and tourists still flock to the beaches in the summertime. And while much of the city is badly in need of a lick of paint, history both ancient and modern is everywhere if you peer closely enough: the French-style parks and the occasional French street sign survive as a legacy of Napoleon, one of Alexandria's many conquerors, and the few remaining Greek restaurants and cafés still dominate the cultural scene.
• Port Said (بورسعيد) — is Egypt's third largest city, its second largest seaport and the entry point of the Suez Canal by the Mediterranean.
  Port Said has a cosmopolitan heritage and seems special in its various architectural styles for its buildings. It is on the west bank of the canal, facing its twin city, Port Fouad (Bur Fouad).
  The Lighthouse of Port Said was built in 1869 using reinforced concrete for the first time in the history, The height of the lighthouse is 56 meters. The lighthouse now is the only original building still standing in Port Said.
  Since its establishment Port Said had a prominent place among Egyptian cities and we do not exaggerate if we said among global cities as well, for instance the city was the third in Egypt to witness a film screening after Cairo and Alexandria in the year 1898, also it enjoyed electricity in 1891, nine years after New York City.
  Today's Port Said is considered one of the Egyptian business centers, as it was declared a duty-free port in January 1976, attracting people from all over Egypt.
• Aswan (أسوان‎) — is the southernmost city of Egypt, some 870 km south of Cairo, just below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser. Aswan is far more relaxed and smaller than Cairo and Luxor, full of amazing sights.
  Aswan is today a well-developed tourist city, but hasn't grown to the extent of Luxor, so it feels more relaxed. The climate is hot desert: almost no rain falls here, and all the waters of the lake and Nile have come from over 1000 miles south. It's very hot in summer but pleasantly warm in winter.
• Luxor (الأقصر) — is the premier travel destination in Upper (southern) Egypt and the Nile Valley. gateway to the Valley of the Kings, amongst other fabulous attractions , Claim as oldest continuously inhabited city in the world
  The modern city of Luxor is on the east bank. This area has the train and bus stations, most of the hotels and restaurants, some museums, tourist shops and so on. Most visitors (and almost all tour groups) stay on the east bank and travel across for the tourist sites.There are also some small hotels on the west bank, which has a more relaxed vibe, and many independent travellers stay there.
  Although a relatively small city by Egyptian population standards, Luxor is quite extensive. It divides naturally into the areas on each side of the river Nile.
  
  1. East Bank: The city, the Luxor Temple, the Temple of Karnak, museums, trains, hotels, restaurants.
  2. West Bank: The major ruins including Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and other important sites; the Western Valley ruins, and a few hotels.
  The Valley of the Kings (Arabic: Wadi el-Muluk, وادي الملوك; also known as Biban el-Moluk, the "Gates of the Kings") is an Egyptian archaeological locality in the hills immediately behind the West Bank of Luxor. As such, it is one of the most remarkable archaeological destinations in the world - the burial place of most of the pharaohs of Egypt of the New Kingdom.
• Hurghada (الغردقة) — a town on the Red Sea, filled with all-inclusive resorts and numerous diving options, Hurghada is especially appealing to those with little experience of scuba diving, who come to marvel at the underwater reefs and awesome marine life.
  Hurghada was once a fairly small and unimposing fishing village, next to the Red Sea. It has a number of superb beaches. Today, the resort of Hurghada is almost unrecognizable from its past life and has become a major destination in Egypt for budget tourists especially from Europe and Russia. It has more than 100 hotels, many of which line the shoreline, and numerous flights particularly from airports across Europe.
• Sharm el-Sheikh (شرم الشيخ) — is a large resort at the south tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. The main reasons to visit are for scuba-diving and other water and beach activities, and to explore the Sinai desert. Often abbreviated to "Sharm", in Arabic it's pronounced Sharm i-Shaykh: the "Sha" is a sun-letter that absorbs the preceding "el-". It's the most developed and most cosmopolitan of the Sinai resorts.
• El Quseir (القصير) — a historical town with an old Fort and Down Town at the Red Sea coast, with some of the best diving spots and holiday destination in Egypt. It was a crucial harbour for goods from the far east (silk, spices) which got transported with caravans to the Nile. On the way back the caravans brought pilgrims and wheat to ship them to the Arabian peninsula. The city of around by coral reefed beaches, and hotels. We probably live in the early stages of this coast becoming another Sharm. It still retains its charm with the locals, and the hotels are impeccable.
• Taba (طَابَا) — is a town on the Sinai Peninsula near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, A purpose-built resort nestling between mountains and the sea with 5 large hotels, diving & water sports centre and a golf course. There is also a residential complex for employees and regular visitors who own homes. There is a small promenade of shops providing local crafts in the Uptown area along with cafes and restaurants. From the beach you can see Occupied Palestine to the left and Jordan and Saudi Arabia on the opposite shore of the Gulf of Aqaba.
• Dahab (دهب‎) — at Sinai, east of Sharm el Sheikh, a backpacker central, with excellent scuba diving
  Dahab was once an isolated coastal village inhabited only by the local Bedouin. In 1980, there were fewer than 30 Bedouin families in Dahab. Like the Bedouin inland, they had a self-sustaining lifestyle but in Dahab this was based on fishing as well as traditional goat herds. During the summer, many inland Bedouin came to Dahab for fishing and to collect dates, and to enjoy life by the sea. To this day, favourite presents from Dahab (for the inland Bedouin) are dried fish and dates.
  Dahab's isolated location, idyllic setting and laid-back Bedouin hospitality made it a favourite destination for all who stumbled upon it. During the 1980s it turned into a hippie hangout , and in the 1990s adventure enthusiasts from around the world began to discover Dahab's natural wonders. The combination of Red Sea and Sinai desert make Dahab perfect for world class windsurfing, scuba diving, freediving, rock climbing and of course desert trekking with the Bedouin. Add to this cheap accommodation on or near the beach, inexpensive food and drink and a relaxed atmosphere, and you have a heady enticement for the young and young at heart.
  Today's Dahab has evolved into an "alternative resort" - the home of independent and adventurous travellers, but also with some more upmarket resorts and hotels. Most of the latter are in the Laguna area or outlying. For some people, this mix is part of Dahab's charm ("everyone welcome"), others regard the mix up as a problem: Prices in Assalah are artificially increased which makes it less and less interesting for backpackers, though some locally-run camps still keep affordable. In contrast to that, many package tourists and families won't feel comfortable with the lacking conveniences and the all-handmade-look among the hippies. Note the grotesque, forever unfinished concrete structures as a sign of this mismanagement.
  Still, for everyone with an open mind, Dahab is definitely worth a visit and a place to fall in love with. Particularly in the old part of Dahab (Masbat and Mashraba), you will rarely find a visitor who comes only once to Dahab. To many people this has become a second home.

Hippie (الهيبيز) is a social phenomenon. The hippie movement was originally a youth movement that emerged in the United States in the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, and then spread to other Western countries. This movement, which appeared among students of some universities in the United States as a phenomenon of protest and rebellion against the leadership of adults and manifestations of materialism, utilitarianism, consumer culture, and opposition to capitalist values, where some disgruntled youth rebelled against these values ​​and called for a world of freedom, equality, love, and peace. They distinguished themselves by long hair, wearing ragged and loose clothing, and roaming and moving freely in different places barefoot as an expression of their closeness to nature and their love for it.
These groups of young people found in drugs, sex, and rock music an outlet for them and a way to rebel against values ​​and try new things. This youth movement reached its peak during the days of the hippie band The Beatles, which was able to attract millions of young people in the West. However, it is noticeable that this movement began to decline as quickly as it came, as many people left it either because of their advanced age or because they were absorbed into society.