Egypt

Situated at the north eastern corner of Africa, Egypt is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, in the east by Israel and the Red Sea, in the South by Sudan, and to the west by Libya. The bulk of the country is covered by the Sahara, which north of Aswan is usually called the Libyan Desert; east of the Nile, the Arabian Desert extends to the Red Sea. The outstanding geographical feature is the Nile River, on which human existence depends, for its annual floods provide the water necessary for agriculture. Originally controlled for centuries by the Ottoman Turks, Egypt was seized by Britain in 1882 in order to protect its investment in the newly constructed Suez Canal. Egypt achieved full independent sovereignty in 1945.

Most people who think of Egypt think of antiquities, but Egypt offers much more. Certainly it is a prime location to see our great heritage from the ancient world, including the Pyramids and wonderful temples, but it is also part of the Holy Land, and tours to Christian and other religious monuments are popular. Yet Egypt also offers nature and desert treks, great scuba diving and even golf, fishing and birding expeditions. One may choose to relax on the wondrous Egypt Red Sea or Sinai coasts, take in the high culture of Cairo, or even leisurely float down the Egyptian Nile on a luxurious river boat.

The top tourist attractions are probably Abu Simnel, followed by The Pyramids of Giza, The Great Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Cheops, all at Giza, The Temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings at Luxor, and The Egyptian Antiquities Museum, Khan Al-Khalili and The Citadel, all in Cairo. Egypt is not currently a destination in which AfricaAway offers a tourism product, and we would caution against travel here until its political situation completely settles down again.