For Egypt, an ancient civilization, 2022 is an important year. The Great Egyptian Museum in Cairo has been long-awaited and is expected to be officially opened to the public in November 2022. This is the largest archaeological museum in the world, and the exhibits are expected to reach 50,000 pieces, which can fully present the rare treasures in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. This also made Egypt included in Lonely Planet’s 2022 Best Travel Destinations.
Cairo walks through the bazaars of the colorful capital
Cairo is the grandest, most annoying and most beautiful feast of chaos. High up, the muezzin’s prayers echoed one after another in the minaret. And on the ground, car horns mingle in an atonal symphony on faded 19th-century avenues, and donkey carts rattle on dusty driveways lined with monumental monuments from the Fatima and Mamluk times.
This loud and noisy big city is home to about 22 million inhabitants. You will have a tingling scalp here, the dust will dye your nose black, and small vendors will harass you all the time, but for so little It is worth the price to be close to Cairo, which the Egyptians revered as “Umm AdDunya” (Mother Earth).
Blow your nose, laugh off these little annoyances, and see the city for what it is through the dust. If you love Cairo, it will love you too.
Giza Pyramids
This is the only remaining miracle in the ancient world. For nearly 4,000 years, the unique shape, perfect geometry and huge body of the Pyramid of Giza make people wonder: how was it built, and why was it built?
After centuries of research, part of the answer has emerged: Pyramids are huge tombs ordered by the pharaoh and built by tens of thousands of strong workers. Today, these majestic pyramids are like a tribute to the power, organization and achievements of ancient Egypt.
Most tourists head straight for the four most famous sights: Khufu’s Pyramid, Khafre’s Pyramid, Menkaure’s Pyramid and the Sphinx. But for those who want to explore further, the desert plateau surrounding the pyramids is littered with cemeteries, temple ruins and slightly smaller satellite pyramids.
The only thing to do near the Pyramids that is always mentioned is the unforgettable camel ride through the desert at sunset with the majestic Pyramids in the background.
Grand Egyptian Museum
The site of the Great Egyptian Museum, located near the Pyramids of Giza, has attracted worldwide attention since its construction began in 2005. 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the excavation of the famous Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is of great significance to choose to officially open this year.
In addition to the relics from the tomb of Tutankhamun, the treasure of the town hall, the collection also includes the statue of Ramses II and several royal mummies. The size of the pavilion is also amazing, and it is said that the central hall can “park a Boeing 747”. According to the museum’s official website, it is expected to be unveiled in November, so let’s look forward to the world’s largest archaeological museum.
Marsa Alam Relax in a summer eco-beach campsite
The “Red Sea Riviera” is a place with a thousand charms, and the Red Sea coast may surprise you after digging deeper. Savvy divers have been heading straight to the port of Alem for years, fascinated by its waters, which offer some of the best dive sites in Egypt along its winding coast.
The “Red Sea Riviera” is a place with a thousand charms, and the Red Sea coast may surprise you after digging deeper. Savvy divers have been heading straight to the port of Alem for years, fascinated by its waters, which offer some of the best dive sites in Egypt along its winding coast.
Wadi Gimal Protectorate
As the source of the famous Egyptian emeralds, the southern part of the Eastern Desert has many dry white-sand rivers and steep and rugged peaks that are rarely visited by tourists. The beautiful Wadi Gimal Protectorate stretches about 85 kilometers inland from the coast just south of Port Alem.
The reserve is home to a variety of birds and gazelles, as well as many mangroves. There are also scattered ruins of emerald and gold mines from the Pharaonic and Roman times. In ancient times, the whole world used emeralds produced here, and it was naturally the exclusive gem mine of the Roman Empire.
Luxor Take a walk in the world’s largest open-air museum
This wonderful place is difficult to describe in words. It is the most concentrated place of ancient Egyptian temples. In terms of scale and grandeur, the ruins of the ancient capital Thebes are second to none in the world.
The scenery here is breathtaking, with the Nile flowing between the modern city on the east bank and the necropolis on the west bank, backed by the mysterious cliffs of Thebes. The rich monuments are scattered throughout, from the temples of Karnak and Luxor on the east bank to the numerous cemeteries and temples on the west bank.
Karnak
Karnak was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom period, with sanctuaries, pavilions, tower gates and obelisks, not only dedicated to the three-pillar gods of Thebes, but also to the pharaohs of infinite glory.
The site covers an area of 2 square kilometers, enough to accommodate more than ten cathedrals. At its heart is the magnificent Temple of Amun-Ra, one of the largest religious complexes in the world, with the famous hypostyle hall – a majestic papyrus shape Stone pillars.
Luxor Temple
This temple is located in the center of the modern city and looks very elegant. The temple comes as soon as it opens, before the hordes of tourists arrive, or simply later, when the sun goes down, when the ruins are especially charming in the setting sun.
Whenever you go, be sure to return to the temple after the lights are on at night, when the reliefs, colonnades and scattered light and shadow will work together to create a wonderful spectacle.
Colossi of Memnon
The two colossi of Memnon whose faces are no longer recognizable turned out to be the statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. They are about 18 meters high and stand solemnly on the plain. They are the first ruins they saw on the west bank. The two majestic colossi, both carved from a single block of stone weighing 1,000 tons, sit at the eastern entrance to the largest mausoleum of Amenhotep III on the West Bank.
The Greeks and Romans considered it a blessing to hear the whistling sound of the statue on the north side at sunrise, and they believed that Memnon was crying to his mother, the goddess of dawn, Eos. The reason for this may be that an earthquake in 27 BC left a crack in the upper body of the colossus. When the morning sun scorched the dew-soaked stones, the sand in the cracks fell off, resonating and making a whistling sound.
Valley of the Kings
The west bank of Luxor has been the burial site of members of the royal family since about 2100 BC, and the pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (1550 BC to 1069 BC) chose this uninhabited and only pyramid-shaped mountain Al Qurn ( Clarion Mountain) towering valley.
Once known as the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh or the Place of Truth, there are 63 magnificent royal tombs.
Treasure hunters, floods and mass tourism in recent years have taken a toll on these mausoleums. In the latter case, carbon dioxide, friction and the average 2.8 grams of sweat shed by each visitor have an effect on the stability of the reliefs and frescoes, which are painted on stucco with limestone underneath.
The heritage department has installed dehumidifiers and glass screens in the most affected cemeteries. They also adopted a rotating model: only a portion of the cemetery was always open to the public. Tickets provide access to 3 cemeteries, and additional tickets are required to visit the tombs of Ay, Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses VI.
Aswan Super cool Nubian culture and stunning sunsets
Gazing into the sunset from Aswan, the southern outpost of the Roman Empire, on the edge of the ancient Egyptian kingdom, is an unforgettable travel experience. It is still the gateway to Nubia today: a mix of cultures creates a laid-back atmosphere in Nubia, where people cherish the opportunity to watch the sunset in peace.
Abu Simbel The largest temple of Ramses II
The two temples of Abu Simbel are the Great Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of Hathor, located high on the edge of the Nasser Reservoir, which are famous ancient buildings in Egypt. Thanks to the miracle of modern engineering, the temple can be completely relocated from its original site, without being submerged due to rising water levels, and avoiding the disaster after the completion of the Aswan Dam. The architectural style of Ramses II really matches.
The Great Temple of Ramses II is magnificent, the deified Ramses II is enshrined in this temple along with Ra-Halahuti, Amun and Ptah inside. The four pharaoh colossi at the entrance of the temple are like stalwart guards, monitoring the chariots, horses and people from the south. This design is undoubtedly to show the power of the pharaoh and warn the enemy.
Black desert & White desert Best for stargazing and landscape photography
The appeal of Egypt’s black and white desert is literally thin. These monochromatic landscapes are like something out of a sci-fi movie, but the surreal landscapes are a product of natural geology – the distinctively shaped limestone rock formations of the White Desert give the illusion of a snowy landscape, while the Black Desert features small black volcanic rocks scattered about On bright orange sand.
The weathered rocks leave behind a layer of black powder and stones, covering the tops and plateaus, looking like hell. Most of the group tours from Bahariya Oasis visit the Black Desert and are usually combined with the White Desert tour.
The first time you see the 300-square-kilometer White Desert National Park, you’ll feel like Alice looking in the mirror. The White Desert is located on the east side of the road about 20 kilometers northeast of Firaphila. Spiral-shaped chalk rocks rise from the ground, looking like icing sugar lollipops, licked by the dry desert wind. Familiar or unfamiliar shapes can be called a supernatural landscape.
These rock sculptures are best viewed at sunrise or sunset, as the soft sunlight gives them an orange-pink rim. Between the round tower and the round tower is a wide “avenue” of sand, just like the Champs Elysees in nature. About 50 kilometers to the north are two flat-topped mountains known as the Twin Peaks, which are key landmarks for travelers.
A visit to either of these desert areas is perfect for stargazing camping—a great place for those fed up with temples and big city traffic. The White and Black Deserts are located south of the Bahariya oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert and can be reached by car from Cairo.
Alexandria Egypt’s busy Mediterranean port
Egypt’s second largest city, Alexandria, is famous for Alexander the Great and Queen Cleopatra. It has a long history not only in ancient times but also in modern times. Although the beauty that has been praised for hundreds of years is late, it is still the most charming city in Egypt. Alexandria has fresh seaside air, delicious seafood, a long history, broken ancient buildings and a completely different atmosphere from Cairo. A blend of water and milk.
The contemporary city of Alexandria stretches along a meandering coastline up to 20 kilometers in length, but rarely expands inland beyond 3 kilometers in width. The city center arcs around the eastern port and is almost surrounded by two slender promontories. Interestingly, modern Alexandria was built directly on the ancient city, and basically followed the layout of the ancient streets.
From ancient times to the present, Alexandria sank 6 to 8 meters, so most of the ruins of the ancient city were either buried under the current urban area or sank into the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the above-ground parts have been destroyed due to the development of the city. Underwater, however, things are quite different, with new discoveries from the Ptolemaic period every year.
Siwa Enjoy the paradise-like atmosphere at the end of the road
Siwa, on the edge of the Great sand sea, is the largest and most remote oasis in Egypt’s western desert. In 2007, a human footprint thought to be 3 million years old was discovered here, one of the earliest known human traces in the world. Flint unearthed from the oasis suggests that it was inhabited during both the Paleolithic and Neolithic times, but the early history of Siwa remains a mystery.
About 25 meters below sea level, this fertile basin of olive and palm trees is the epitome of slow-paced oasis life. Not only was it the place where Alexander the Great prayed to the gods, it was also a great place to hang out and rest after a cruise along the Nile. You can bike through the vast palm groves, join a group tour to cold springs, hot springs and lakes, or go sandboarding on the numerous dunes.
While the lush palm groves of the oasis hide some fascinating sights, Siwa’s main attraction is its quiet atmosphere. Siwa is different from other oases in Egypt, it is more remote, more casual and more beautiful.
El Gouna Best vacation spots for digital nomads
Along the pristine coastline of the Red Sea, the fully integrated small town north of Hurghada is always sunny. Conceived by Egyptian billionaire Onsi Sawiris, it is built around lagoons and waterways, ensuring there are plenty of beaches and water views in many places.
It is frequented by trendy Egyptians and European tour groups. With 16 hotels, an 18-hole golf course, many villas, as well as several boutique shopping malls and numerous restaurants and bars, you can escape the chaos and noise that is common in Egypt.
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