Category Archives: Egypt

The Ancient Culture of Egypt in Cairo

The Ancient Culture of Egypt in Cairo

Visiting Egypt should be started from visiting Cairo, Egypt’s capital city. This city, while known to be the largest city in the entire Arab and Africa world, is also known to be the closest city to the ancient culture of Egypt. Other called Cairo as “the city of thousand minarets” because the architecture of this city is heavily influenced by Islam architecture. Having a holiday in Cairo means you can travel around this city and enjoy the beautiful site it offers starting from Coptic Cairo to Citadel of Saladin.

The first thing you should remember while traveling to Cairo is to wear the appropriate dress which is a dress that covers your shoulder and legs before entering any building in here. If you visit Cairo you can start from Coptic Cairo, part of Old Cairo which includes Babylon fortress, Coptic museum, Hanging church and so many other sites. By visiting this place, you will be able to imagine what Cairo would look like in the ancient times. This area is also known to be the center of ancient Coptic Christian community thus included 5 original Christian churches. Taking a walk around Coptic Cairo while enjoying the architecture of the buildings and taking picture of them is what tourist usually do when they visit Coptic Cairo.

Egypt would not be Egypt without its pyramids; Egyptian pyramid is what makes this country well known all over the world. In Cairo, you can visit a site which called Gizeh Plateu that includes 3 great pyramids and Sphinx. Gizeh Plateu is located around 25 kilometers southwest of Cairo city center and 9 kilometers from Giza. It is known that the pyramids are unique and thus made it into the Seven Wonders of the World but it also the oldest ancient structure. The 3 pyramids within the Gizeh Plateu are Pyramids of Khufu, Pyramids of Khafre and Pyramids of Menkaure, other magnificent architecture in this place is the Great Sphinx. Since this pyramids is the main reason why people comes to Egypt, it usually get crowded all day long so you would want to come as early as possible to enjoy the pyramids. Renting a camel is advisable in here; not only for the experience but since the complex is pretty large it is better to use a camel.

The next destination you should not miss in Cairo is the Citadel of Saladin. This site is Mokattam hill near the center of Cairo City and was used as Egypt center of government for many Islam dynasties. Aside as center of Islamic government, this citadel is also used as a fortress and it was able to guard Egypt form outside attacks. As a center of Islamic government, it is a given that within this citadel stand some magnificent mosque such as the Mosque of Mohammad Ali and Mamluk Mosque of El Nasser Mohammed. Aside from mosques, you can find museums in here also such as the Military Museum, the Police Museum and the Royal Carriages Museum. The Citadel of Saladin is located on top of a high hill which allows you to enjoy the view of the Cairo City.

Egypt Treasure in Giza

Egypt Treasure in Giza

Giza in Egypt is known to be a city with advanced technology yet holds magnificent ancient structure in its plateau. Coming to Giza, the first place people would visit would be its pyramids. It is long known that pyramids holds mysterious information that people nowadays has not yet discovered. From the location of the pyramids that is said to be based on stellar constellation until the curses inside the pyramids to keep the body of their dead pharaoh intact. Though it is scary yet it never stops people to learn and trying to discover new information of the pyramids.

Pyramids of Giza are complex of pyramids in Giza consists of 3 big pyramids which are the Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre and Pyramid of Menkaure. Those 3 pyramids has been the center of tourist attraction and also the main reason why people would want to spend their holiday in Giza. It is said that the Pyramids of Giza act as the final resting place of Egypt ancient king or usually called as Pharaoh. Ancient Egyptian believes that when a human died, not all of his spirit leaving his body, some part remains which called Ka. Due to that reason a proper burial for the pharaoh is needed and also several other items to be used by him in the afterlife. The pyramids while act as the tomb also act as the storage of these items.

The biggest and oldest pyramid in the Giza complex is called Pyramid of Khufu or Great Pyramid of Giza. With height of 146.59 meters and base wide of 220 meters, this pyramid has been the tallest man made structure for 4500 years until 1888. Pyramid of Khufu is built between 2589 BC until 2566 BC under the command of Khufu son of Snefru and the 2nd ruler of the 4th dynasty. Three burial chambers are situated inside the pyramid; an underground chamber, the Queen’s chamber and the King’s chamber. While the Queen’s chamber is never intended to house one of Khufu’s wives but the statue of the king, the sarcophagus of Khufu is located inside the King’s chamber that is also at the center of the pyramid. Other interesting fact about this pyramid is that even though it has an enormous size, the architecture and accuracy of this pyramid is really high until the error is only 58 millimeters in length. A really great masterpiece considering the time this pyramid was built.

Other interesting structure in Giza is the Great Sphinx, statue of a creature with human head and lion’s body.  The scholar believes that Great Sphinx was built by Pharaoh Khafre thus it is located in front of Pyramid of Khafre. It is said that the body of the sphinx or the lion is acting as solar symbol and together with a king’s head symbolized power that controlled by the pharaoh intelligence and wisdom. Sphinx also said to be the guardian of cosmic order or Ma’at in Egypt. The statue of the Great Sphinx has length of 72.55 meters and height of 20.22 meters. Until now sphinx remains a mystery for scholars but it will always become the symbol of Egypt. Currently, a restoration is been done by the Egypt people to return the Sphinx to its magnificent shape.

Nosrani Bay 7

Nosrani Bay in Egypt

Nosrani Bay is an exclusive resort offering some of the best hotels in the Sharm el Sheikh region. Noted for its beautiful sandy beach, crystal clear waters and amazing corals reefs, Nosrani Bay is the perfect choice for a quiet relaxing holiday in Egypt. The resort offers a much quieter atmosphere than the cheaper areas of Sharm like Naama Bay. Due to its reliable winter sunshine, the resort is a popular choice for December holidays, with visitors returning year after year for their winter sun holidays. All of the best Nosrani Bay hotels offer family entertainment and children’s activities, hence why the resort is a popular choice for family holiday packages to Egypt. Nosrani Bay boasts top-class hotels with fantastic swimming pools, stylish restaurants, in-house dive centres, private beaches and beautiful tropical gardens. The areas spa hotels, where guests can enjoy whirl pools, steam rooms, Ayurvedic massages, body wraps, facials and body scrubs, are ideal for a romantic getaway.

Declared a National Marine Park, Nosrani Bay has many sheltered beaches with natural surroundings and a secluded feel. There are also water sports centres which offer facilities for windsurfing and water-skiing.

Ras Nosrani has a first-class reputation for diving holidays with excellent dive schools offering courses for beginners and top-class excursions for more experienced divers. Attracting both snorkellers and scuba divers, the world famous Ras Nosrani coral reefs offer amazing undersea scenery and a spectacular variety of marine life. The crystal clear Red Sea offers excellent visibility and great conditions for fascinating night dives. Visitors to Nosrani Bay will have an unforgettable diving holiday, both snorkelling at the house reef or on an exhilarating excursion to some of the best dive sites in the world such as Ras Mohammed.

Apart from lazing on the immaculate sandy beach there is plenty to see and do in the surrounding area. Away from the water the hotels offer a range of activities including yoga classes, tennis, volleyball, 5-a-side football, fitness classes, archery, horse riding and much more. There are excursions for the whole family to enjoy, such as camel treks, horse riding treks, desert jeep safaris, quad bike tours and desert Bedouin feasts under the stars. Neighbouring Sharks Bay, Naama Bay and Nabq Bay offer some excellent restaurants, nightlife and shopping opportunities. There are lots of trips available including a desert tour with a visit to St Catherine’s Monastery, hiking in the Coloured Canyon, exploring the Ras Mohammed Wildlife Reserve and trips to Luxor and Cairo to take in the amazing ancient sites.

Nosrani Bay enjoys a typical Red Sea climate with clear skies, uninterrupted sunshine in both the summer and the winter seasons and crystal clear warm waters all year round. July and August see an amazing 12 hours of sunshine a day with temperatures in the high 30′s, even December and January see 7 hours of sunshine a day with temperatures in the low to mid 20′s. Rain is virtually unheard of the summer and very rare during the winter months. Spring and autumn sees temperatures around 30C and are regarded as the best times to visit. Nights in Nosrani Bay are a lot cooler at any time of the year therefore it is advisable to take some warm clothing for the evenings.

With an all year round sunny climate and reliable winter sunshine the resort is the perfect choice for beach holiday deals at any time of the year. Combine your Nosrani Bay holiday with a Nile River cruise to discover all the ancient wonders of Luxor and surrounding areas.