My partner John and I had talked about going to Egypt for years. We finally made it on an organised tour in October 2012. There had been some sort of revolution the year before we went, so there were very few tourists – great for us but not so good for the tourist industry.
Egypt is a place we’ve all heard about, and probably learnt about in school – the pharaohs, the pyramids and of course the mighty Nile. Sometimes, places fail to live up to expectations. But Egypt was everything we thought it would be and more.
It’s a country with a population of about 85 million, 90% of whom live along the Nile. Although it’s in North Africa, Egypt’s culture relates more to the Arab world, and literally attacks your senses, with its colour, smells, noise, and animation.
Day 1 in Egypt. Credit: Sue Ablett
Our journey took us to Cairo, then a short flight to Aswan, where we joined a boat and cruised to Luxor. From Luxor, we flew back to Cairo and then home. I found it a bit confusing that they talk of Upper Egypt, which is actually at the bottom, and Lower Egypt at the top.
Temples dominate any visit to Egypt and there are certainly lots of them. They do differ, though and there was always something new to see and learn.
Below, I’ve pulled together seven things to see and do in Egypt.
1. Explore Cairo
The Sphinx. Credit: Sue Ablett
Cairo is the largest city in Africa and it’s said that it will soon be the world’s most polluted city. The area of Greater Cairo consists of Giza, on the left bank of the Nile, and Cairo, on the right bank.
The highlight of any visit to Cairo has to be your first sight of the pyramids. I wrongly assumed we would drive into the desert to see them. We arrived at our hotel late at night. In the morning I stepped outside for some fresh air – I hate air conditioning – and there right next to the hotel were the pyramids! Of course, they would have been deep in the desert originally but the city has gradually encroached.
The Giza Pyramid complex is the last remaining wonder of the ancient world. The oldest and largest, the Pyramid of Cheops, was built around 2,500 years ago. Each pyramid was dedicated to a single pharaoh.
It’s said that Napoleon would amuse himself by calculating that, with the stones in the biggest pyramid, he could build a wall three metres high and 30 centimetres thick around the entire border of France. He never did but I love this kind of trivia!
Sue at the pyramids. Credit: Sue Ablett
While the pyramids seemed enormous, the Sphinx, by contrast, appeared really quite small. In fact, Alan Bennett noted in his diary: “seeing the Sphinx is like meeting a TV personality in the flesh. He’s always smaller than one had imagined!”
Nonetheless, with the body of a lion and the face of a god, the Sphinx is considered to be the biggest and oldest statue in the world. It’s carved from the solid bedrock, and most visitors, us included, kept asking themselves what it was for, and why it was there.
Our final stop in Cairo was the Egyptian Museum. No photos are allowed in the Museum but it’s incredible to think most of the exhibits are around 4,000 years old. It’s one of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts.
The absolute highlight of the museum visit was seeing the King Tutankhamun Collection. Tut only ruled for nine years and died at the age of 18, but he was buried with around 5,000 gold and other items. Seeing the famous Death Mask was an unforgettable experience.
2. Take a short flight to Aswan
A short (1.5-hour) flight from Cairo takes you to the small city of Aswan. With just two million people, there were none of Cairo’s traffic jams. But the heat was incredible.
There are many interesting things to see in and around Aswan. One is a visit to the old Aswan Dam, which was built from 1898–1902, as part of a hydroelectric project by the British. It was once the largest dam in the world but, as the population grew, the Old Dam couldn’t meet the need for more cultivated land, electricity, and drinking water.
In the 1960s, work started on the new Aswan High Dam and was finally completed in 1971. Building the High Dam resulted in the creation of the huge Lake Nasser. There were inevitably some environmental disadvantages, with some temples submerged and thousands of people relocated. Hugely important but a Dam doesn’t make a great photo!
Here’s some more great trivia – 17 times as much material went into building the High Dam as in the Giant Pyramid of Cheops at Giza, and enough metal to make 17 Eiffel Towers!
Lovers of Agatha Christie might like to visit the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan. It was here that she stayed while writing Death on the Nile.
Aswan is home to the Sharia el Souk Market, the best bazaar outside Cairo. It was on the old spice caravan route and the range of stalls, particularly the fruit and spices was fabulous. The stallholders had a great sales patter, too. I particularly loved hearing “Stop here. Poundland Price!, Primark Price!”
Sharia el Souk Market: Credit Sue Ablett
3. Discover the temples of Abu Simbel
Temple of Ramses II Abu Simbel. Credit Suett Able
From Aswan, we had the option of taking a short (25-minute) flight to visit Abu Simbel. It involved a 4.30am wake-up call. We’re early risers so that wasn’t a problem. I was at school when the High Dam project started and remember learning that 35 temples would be submerged but 17 would be saved. I wasn’t going to miss the chance to see two of the most famous.
The two huge temples of Ramses II (known as the architect of ancient Egypt) and his black Nubian wife Nefertari are enormous and utterly awe-inspiring. The large figures at the front are 20 metres high. But what is completely mind-blowing is learning what was involved in literally dismantling these temples block by block – using hacksaws, labelling every individual bit, and then relocating them 200 metres away and 60 metres higher, well above water level.
The Nile sands are constantly shifting and it’s amazing to think that until 1813, these two huge temples were completely submerged under sand. They then disappeared under the sand for another 90 years.
4. Cruise the Nile
River Nile. Credit: Sue Ablett
Our trip included three nights on a river cruiser as we sailed from Aswan to Luxor. The boat would’ve taken 100 passengers. But, because of the recent revolution, there were just 14 in our group. All the way along the river were boats mothballed due to the lack of tourists.
The Nile is the longest river in the world – 4,160 miles. It starts in Burundi and flows through three countries to the delta on the Mediterranean Sea. We all associate the Nile with Egypt but, in fact, only 22% of the river is in Egypt. It’s known as the River of Life and is the only source of drinking water in Egypt.
River cruising is conducted at a leisurely pace, giving time to unwind and take in the sights. I was really struck by the fact that so much of the farming was still manual, using donkeys, and yet this is a country that, centuries ago, built the pyramids.
As we cruised we had plenty of time off the boat, exploring different towns and temples.
River cruise boat. Credit: Sue Ablett
5. Explore Luxor and the Valley of the Kings
Luxor was the capital of Egypt for 1,000 years, from 1900-900BC. It’s described as a huge open-air museum with sites on both sides of the Nile, and an awe-inspiring collection of ancient monuments.
Top of the sights to see in Luxor is the Valley of the Kings, a baking hot lunar landscape. Sixty-four pharaoh tombs have been excavated here, including that of King Tut. Your entrance ticket allows you access to three tombs, though you pay extra for Tut’s tomb. They rotate the opening days to preserve the amazing frescoes in the tombs – and photos are allowed here.
The discovery of the tomb of King Tut is the stuff of legend. English archaeologist, Howard Carter, had spent six years in the Valley, looking for the tomb. When he found the first step and then the rest of the flight of steps to the tomb, it was actually underneath the tomb of Ramses VI. The tomb was surprisingly small but it was hastily built, and the contents were intact. I couldn’t get over how tiny the embalmed body of King Tut was. Fingers crossed we’ve escaped the famous Curse of Tutankhamun!
There was always a one-way system for visiting temples. Inevitably the way out took in a market. Bartering is a must. I found myself haggling for something on the steps of our bus as the trader wouldn’t give up on a sale.
The market as you leave the Valley of the Kings. Credit: Sue Ablett
6. Visit the vast temple complex of Karnak
Avenue of Sphinxes, Luxor. Credit: Sue Ablett
From the Temple of Luxor, which nowadays sits rather bizarrely in the middle of a traffic island, to the Temple of Karnak is a wonderful Avenue of Sphinxes. Nothing like the size of the one in Cairo, of course, and all with the heads of rams, but impressive nonetheless just because of the sheer number of them.
The Karnak complex is enormous and consists of several temples, obelisks, and monuments, all dedicated to the greater glory of the pharaohs. Perhaps the most impressive part of the complex is The Hippostyle Hall, with 134 pillars, described as one of the most spectacular sights in Egypt. Each column is so large it takes the outstretched arms of six people to encircle it.
The Hippostyle Hall, Karnak. Credit:Sue Ablett
There were originally two enormous obelisks in the temple complex. But now one remains – the Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, built in 1457 BC. She was the first female pharaoh. Made of a single piece of pink granite, the Obelisk is around 97 feet tall, and possibly the tallest of all the Egyptian obelisks. The second one was reportedly stolen, something which defies the imagination!
7. Get to grips with hieroglyphics
For centuries, the theory was that the hieroglyphs just represented symbols and not a spoken language. It was a Frenchman, Jean-François Champollion, who, in the 1820s, is credited primarily as the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs, following the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.
Many of the temples we visited were decorated with incredible hieroglyphics, mostly in a wonderful state of preservation. Looking closely it was possible to identify birds, particularly barn owls and hawks, but also hares, starfish, and other things such as sets of surgical instruments. It was a fascinating step back into ancient Egyptian life.
Final thoughts…
Apart from the thrill of visiting the pyramids and sphinx in Cairo, the amazing temples at Abu Simnel and Luxor, and much more, I learned so much on this trip. I could now tell you how papyrus was made or describe the mummification process. I could even show you how to make an elephant out of towels, having learnt the skill from our cabin steward!
Egypt is a fascinating place for anyone who loves history and learning – at times, it really can feel like stepping back in time.
For further reading, check out our articles: 9 facts about Ancient Egypt and 8 hidden gems on a Nile river cruise.
Have you been to Egypt? Or perhaps it’s on your travel list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.