Resources from Pearl Linguistics

EGYPTIAN Facts & Figures

Size: 387,048 square miles

Population: 81,015,887

Capital: Cairo

Currency: Egyptian Pound

Weather / Climate:

Most of Egypt's rain falls in the winter months. South of Cairo, rainfall averages only around 2 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) per year and at intervals of many years. On a very thin strip of the northern coast the rainfall can be as high as 410 mm (16.1 in), mostly between October and March. Snow falls on Sinai's mountains and some of the north coastal cities such as Damietta, Baltim, Sidi Barrany, etc. and rarely in Alexandria. Frost is also known in mid-Sinai and mid-Egypt.

Temperatures average between 80 °F (27 °C) and 90 °F (32 °C) in summer, and up to 109 °F (43 °C) on the Red Sea coast. Winter temperatures average between 55 °F (13 °C) and 70 °F (21 °C). A steady wind from the northwest helps lower temperatures near the Mediterranean coast. The Khamaseen is a wind that blows from the south in spring, bringing sand and dust, and sometimes raises the temperature in the desert to more than 100 °F (38 °C).

Prior to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the Nile flooded annually (colloquially The Gift of the Nile) replenishing Egypt's soil. This gave the country consistent harvest throughout the years.

The potential rise in sea levels due to global warming could threaten Egypt's densely populated coastal strip and have grave consequences for the country's economy, agriculture and industry. Combined with growing demographic pressures, a significant rise in sea levels could turn millions of Egyptians into environmental refugees by the end of the century, according to some climate experts.

Taken from wikipedia

EGYPTIAN languages

Official language

The official language of Egypt is the literary Arabic and is used in most written media. Egyptian Arabic is the commonly spoken language, and is occasionally written in Arabic script or Latin script. English, French, and Germanare also widely spoken and used in business and educated circles.

Arabic languages

Arabic came to Egypt in the 7th century, and Egyptian Arabic has become the modern spoken language of the Egyptians. Of the many varieties of Arabic, Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood first dialect in the Middle East-North Africa, probably due to the influence of Egyptian cinema throughout the Arabic-speaking world.

A Bedouin Arab minority speaks a variety of Bedouin Arabic mostly in the Sinai Peninsula. Sudanese Arabic is also spoken by the Sudanese minority.

Nubian languages

In the Upper Nile Valley, around Kom Ombo and Aswan, there are about 300,000 speakers of Nubian languages, mainly Nobiin, but also Kenuzi-Dongola.

Historical languages

The Egyptian languages (also known as Copto-Egyptian) consist of ancient Egyptian and Coptic, and form a separate branch among the family of Afro-Asiatic languages. The Egyptian language is among the first written languages, and is known from hieroglyphic inscriptions preserved on monuments and sheets of papyrus. The Coptic language, the only extant descendant of Egyptian, is today the liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

The "Koiné" dialect of the Greek language was important in Hellenistic Alexandria, and was used in the philosophy and science of that culture, and was also studied by later Arabic scholars.

Immigrant languages

There are also about 42,000 (2004) speakers of Modern Greek in Alexandria, and a comparable number of Armenian speakers, mostly in Cairo, and there are also around 7,500 speakers of Italian between Alexandria and Cairo

Other languages

Approximately 77,000 speakers of Beja live in the Eastern Desert and along the coast of the Red Sea.

Some 234,000 (2004) Dom speak the Domari language (an Indo-Aryan language related to Romany) and are concentrated north of Cairo and in Luxor.

The Berber languages are represented by Siwi, spoken by about 5,000 in the Siwa Oasis.

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Egypt

EGYPTIAN culture

Long known for its pyramids and ancient civilisation, Egypt is the largest Arab country and has played a central role in Middle Eastern politics in modern times.

Egypt’s history is one of the richest, oldest and most varied of any country in the world, ever since the creation of the powerful kingdom in around 3180 BC. The pre-Hellenic period is distinguished by Kingdoms (Old, Middle and New) and divided into dynasties, including the IV dynasty with the construction of the Great Pyramid, and Tutankhamun’s rule briefly during the XVIII dynasty. The Pharaonic period was brought to an end by Alexander the Great, in 332 BC.

From the middle of the fourth century, Egypt became part of the Eastern Empire, and the Fatamids gained control of the country in the late 10th century. The arrival of Napoleon in AD 1798 brought Egypt once more into violent contact with a European power. By 1805, however, the struggle for independence had been won, with Muhammad Ali being recognised as Sultan. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869; British occupation lasted from 1882 - 1936. Thereafter, Egypt was formally independent but severely constrained by the British.

In the 1950s President Gamal Abdul Nasser pioneered Arab nationalism and the non-aligned movement, while his successor Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel and turned back to the West. The protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 put Egypt at the crossroads once again.

Egypt's ancient past and the fact that it was one of the first Middle Eastern countries to open up to the West following Napoleon's invasion have given it a claim to be the intellectual and cultural leader in the region. The head of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque is one of the highest authorities in Sunni Islam. But the historic step by President Anwar Sadat to make peace with Israel in the 1979 Camp David agreement led to Egypt being expelled from the Arab League until 1989, and in 1981 Mr Sadat was assassinated by Islamic extremists angry at his moves to clamp down on their activities.

President Hosni Mubarak then took a more moderate line, but Islamic groups continued their campaigns sporadically. They have been responsible for deadly attacks that have often targeted tourists and resort areas, and more recently have begun to target Egypt's Coptic Christian community. While providing stability and a measure of economic progress, Mr Mubarak's rule was inwardly repressive .An emergency law in force since 1967 - apart from an 18-month interruption in 1981 - muzzled political dissent, and the security forces became renowned for their brutality. Corruption was widespread.

Mounting popular anger burst to the surface in huge anti-government demonstrations in January 2011, which eventually led President Mubarak to step aside. He was arrested and put on trial in August 2011 over deaths during the demonstrations. An interim military administration took charge, promising to effect a quick transition to democracy. Under continuing pressure from pro-democracy protesters, a new interim government was formed. In March 2011, a series of constitutional changes paving the way for early elections were approved. But a key demand of the revolutionaries - the lifting of Egypt's emergency law - has not been fulfilled. There are also fears that the first post-Mubarak elections could lead to lead to the political dominance of various shades of political Islam, with possible repercussions for religious minorities, such as Coptic Christians, women’s' rights and the tourism industry.

Egypt's teeming cities - and almost all agricultural activity - are concentrated along the banks of the Nile, and on the river's delta. Deserts occupy most of the country. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, tourism and cash remittances from Egyptians working abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. However, rapid population growth and the limited amount of arable land are straining the country's resources and economy.

From iconic pyramids and medieval bazaars, to natural beauty and a vibrant contemporary culture, Egypt is a land packed with captivating treasures. The pyramids at Giza - the sole survivors of the seven ancient wonders - the lotus-columned Temples of Luxor and Karnak, sunrise across the Valley of the Kings, and the sound-and-light show at the mighty tombs of Abu Simbel have thrilled visitors to Egypt for centuries. Egypt's natural assets are equally as potent, with the white desert's wind-polished rock formations, the iron-clad mountains of the Sinai, and the gleaming underwater landscapes of the Red Sea. A pulsing modern Arab state throbs beneath the surface, and, ultimately, Egypt is best understood not so much under the shadow of its great monuments, splendid though they are, but in the call to prayer at sunset, in the chatter of hooves on tarmac in a rural village, or tea and talk with Egypt's garrulous residents in a random coffeehouse.

About 90% of the population is Muslim; the majority of the rest is Christian, including followers of the Coptic Christian faith. There is also a small Jewish minority.

Islam is not merely for Fridays and holidays. The religion is part of all aspects of daily life with many social conventions stemming from the teachings of the Koran, the Muslim holy book. Hospitality is a significant element, especially to visitors. Shaking hands is the normal greeting but male visitors should wait for a woman to offer her hand before assuming it is acceptable (and vice versa). Dress should be conservative and women should avoid wearing revealing clothes, covering upper arms and legs. This is particularly important when visiting religious buildings (when hair should be covered) and conservative towns. Standards can be relaxed when in modern nightclubs, restaurants, hotels and bars in Cairo, Alexandria and other tourist resorts. Official or social functions and smart restaurants usually require more formal wear. Smoking is very common, with few restrictions in public places. Tourists will have to pay a fee to take photographs inside pyramids, tombs and museums. Ask permission when taking pictures of someone, especially women. Some traditionally-dressed locals demand money when they ‘pose’ outside historic sites, especially temples and pyramids.

Holidays

Coptic holidays are not official, although Coptic Christians may observe them. Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon.

· January – Coptic Christmas Day

· February – Birth of the Prophet

· April – Sham el-Nassim, Coptic Easter

· 25 April – Sinai Liberation Day

· 01 May – Labour Day

· 23 July – National Day

· August – Bairam Feast, End of Ramadan

· September – Coptic New Year

· 06 October – Armed Forces Day

· October – Feast of the Sacrifice

· November – Islamic New Year

Taken from:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.worldtravelguide.net

EGYPTIAN people

Egypt is the most populous country in the Middle East and the third-most populous on the African continent (after Nigeria and Ethiopia). Nearly 100% of the country's 80,810,912^[1] (2011 est.) people live in three major regions of the country: Cairo and Alexandria and elsewhere along the banks of the Nile; throughout the Nile delta, which fans out north of Cairo; and along the Suez Canal. These regions are among the world's most densely populated, containing an average of over 3,820 persons per square mile (1,540 per km².), as compared to 181 persons per sq. mi. for the country as a whole.

Small communities spread throughout the desert regions of Egypt are clustered around oases and historic trade and transportation routes. The government has tried with mixed success to encourage migration to newly irrigated land reclaimed from the desert. However, the proportion of the population living in rural areas has continued to decrease as people move to the cities in search of employment and a higher standard of living.

According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics and other proponents of demographic structural approach (cliodynamics), the basic problem Egypt has is unemployment driven by a demographic youth bulge: with the number of new people entering the job force at about 4% a year, unemployment in Egypt is almost 10 times as high for college graduates as it is for people who have gone through elementary school, particularly educated urban youth, who are precisely those people that were seen out in the streets during 2011 Egyptian revolution.

Egypthas a population of 82,999,393 (APR 2011).^[5] According to the OECD/World Bank statistics population growth in Egypt from 1990 to 2008 was 23.7 million and 41 %.^[4]

According to the International Organization for Migration, an estimated 2.7 million Egyptians live abroad and contribute actively to the development of their country through remittances (US$ 7.8 in 2009), circulation of human and social capital, as well as investment. Approximately 70% of Egyptian migrants live in Arab countries (923,600 in Saudi Arabia, 332,600 in Libya, 226,850 in Jordan, 190,550 in Kuwait with the rest elsewhere in the region) and the remaining 30 % are living mostly North America (318,000 in the United States, 110,000 in Canada) and Europe (90,000 in Italy).^[6]

The vast majority of the population of Egypt consists of ethnic Egyptians (99.6% according to the CIA Fact-book, 76.4 million(2007est)according to Al-Ahram Weekly). The vast majority of Egyptians are native speakers of modern Egyptian Arabic (Masri). According to the CIA World Factbook, approximately 91% of the population is Muslim and 9% is Christian (8% Coptic Orthodox, 1% other Christian).

Ethnic minorities in Egypt include the Bedouin Arab tribes of the Sinai Peninsula and the eastern desert, the Berber-speaking community of the Siwa Oasis and the Nubian people clustered along the Nile in the southernmost part of Egypt. There are also sizable minorities of Beja and Dom.

The country was host to many different communities during the colonial period, including Greeks, Italians, Syrians, Jews and Armenians, though most either left or were compelled to leave after political developments in the 1950s. The country still hosts some 90,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly Palestinians and Sudanese.

Taken from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Egypt

EGYPTIAN food

Egyptian cuisine makes heavy use of legumes and vegetables, as Egypt's rich Nile Valley and Delta produce large quantities of high-quality crops.

Egyptian cuisine's history goes back to Ancient Egypt. Archaeological excavations have found that workers on the Great Pyramids of Giza were paid in bread, beer, and onions, apparently their customary diet as peasants in the Egyptian countryside. Dental analysis of occasional desiccated loaves found in tombs confirm this, in addition to indicating that ancient Egyptian bread was made with flour from emmer wheat. Though beer disappeared as a mainstay of Egyptian life following the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the year 654,onions remain the primary vegetable for flavoring and nutrition in Egyptian food. Beans were also a primary source of protein for the mass of the Egyptian populace, as they remain today.

Egyptian cuisine is notably conducive to vegetarian diets, as it relies heavily on vegetable dishes. Though food in Alexandria and the coasts of Egypt tends to use a great deal of fish and other seafood, for the most part Egyptian cuisine is based on foods that grow out of the ground. Meat has been very expensive for most Egyptians throughout history, and a great deal of vegetarian dishes have developed to work around this economic reality.

Bread

Bread forms the backbone of Egyptian cuisine. Bread is consumed at almost all Egyptian meals; a working-class or rural Egyptian meal might consist of little more than bread and beans. The local bread is a form of hearty, thick, glutenous pita bread called Eish Masri or Eish Balad . In modern Egypt, the government subsidizes bread, dating back to a Nasser-era policy. In 2008, a major food crisis caused ever-longer bread lines at government-subsidized bakeries where there would normally be none; occasional fights broke out over bread, leading to fear of rioting.^[2] Egyptian dissidents and outside observers of the former National Democratic Party regime frequently criticized the bread subsidy as an attempt to buy off the Egyptian urban working classes in order to encourage acceptance of the authoritarian system; nevertheless, the subsidy has continued after the 2011 Revolution.

On a culinary level, bread is most commonly used as an edible utensil besides providing the carbohydrate and much of the protein in the Egyptian diet. Egyptians use bread to scoop up food, sauces, and dips and to wrap kebabs, falafel, and the like in the manner of sandwiches. Most pita breads are baked at high temperatures (450°F or 232°C), causing the flattened rounds of dough to puff up dramatically. When removed from the oven, the layers of baked dough remain separated inside the deflated pita, which allows the bread to be opened into pockets, creating a space for use in various dishes.

Aish Merahrah [?eis an Egyptian flat bread made with 5-10% ground fenugreek seeds and maize. It is part of the traditional diet of the Egyptian countryside, prepared locally in village homes. The loaves are flat and wide, and usually about 50 cm in diameter. The bread is made of maize flour that has been made into a soft dough that is fermented overnight with a sourdough starter, shaped into round loaves that are then allowed to rise or "proof" for 30 minutes before being flattened into round disks, which are then baked. They can be kept for days in an airtight container. The addition of fenugreek seeds increases the protein content, storage length and digestibility of the bread; on the other hand, it causes the eater to exude a distinctive odor in his or her sweat, which is occasionally mocked by more urban Egyptians.

Egyptian cuisine is characterized by dishes such as Ful Medames, Koshari, rice-stuffed pigeon, 'Molokheyya, and Fetir Meshaltet. Egyptian cuisine also shares similarities with food of the Eastern Mediterranean region, such as rice-stuffed vegetables, grape leaves, Shawerma, Kebab, Falafel, Baba Ghannoug, and baklava Some Egyptians consider Koshari - a mixture of rice, lentils, and macaroni - to be the national dish.

In addition, Ful Medames (mashed fava beans) is one of the most popular dishes. Fava bean is also used in making falafel (also known as "ta`meyya"), which originated in Egypt and spread to other parts of the Middle East.

Ancient Egyptians are known to have used a lot of garlic and onion in their everyday dishes. Fresh mashed garlic with other herbs is used in spicy tomato salad and is also stuffed in boiled or baked aubergines (eggplant). Garlic fried with coriander is added to Mulukhiyya (IPA: [molo?xej?æ]), a popular green soup made from finely chopped jute leaves, sometimes with chicken or rabbit. Fried onions can be also added to Koshari.

Egyptian desserts are not so different from other Eastern Mediterranean desserts. Basbousa (IPA: [bæs?bu?sæ]), sometimes called Harissa (in Morocco and Alexandria), is a spicy dish made from semolina and is soaked in a sugar syrup. It is usually topped with almonds and traditionally cut vertically into pieces so that each piece resembles a diamond shape. Baklava is a sweet dish made from many layers of phyllo pastry, an assortment of nuts, and soaked in a sweet syrup. Eish el-Saraya^[4]Fatir are pancakes (filo dough) stuffed with everything from eggs to apricots or fruit of choice. Polvorón is a common dish in all of North Africa. It is a sweet dish similar to kahk but much thinner. It is like shortbread and is usually topped with roasted almonds.

Kahk is a traditional sweet dish served most commonly during Breakfast Feast in Egypt. It is a shortbread biscuit covered with icing sugar, which may be stuffed with dates, walnuts, or agameya (like Turkish-delight) or just served plain. Kun?fah (IPA: [ko?næ?fæ]) is a dish of batter "fingers" fried on a hot grill and stuffed with nuts (usually pistachios), meats, heavy whipped cream or sweets. Luqmat al-Qadi literally translates to "The Judge's Bite". They are small, round donuts which are crunchy on the outside and soft and syrupy on the inside. They may be served with dusted cinnamon and powdered sugar. Qatayef (IPA: [???t???jef]) is a dessert reserved for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, a sort of sweet crêpe filled with cheese or nuts. Roz be laban (IPA: [??ozz?eb ?læbæn], “rice pudding”) is made with short grain white rice, full-cream milk, sugar, and vanilla. It may be served dusted with cinnamon. Umm Ali , a national dish of Egypt, is a raisin cake soaked in milk and served hot.

Other desserts include:

Feteer meshaltet^[5]
Couscous Egyptian style.
Halawa
Honey and coconut pie.
Ladida
Malban
Mehalabeyya
Melabbes

Cakes

Traditional apple cakes are seasoned with various spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon, which provide additional flavour. Upon the addition of spices the batter can also be accompanied by crushed nuts, the most popular being walnuts and almonds. Sponge cake is a cake based on flour (usually wheat flour), sugar, and eggs, sometimes leavened with baking powder, that derives its structure from an egg foam into which the other ingredients are folded Vanilla slice , from French: Mille-feuille) is a pastry made of several layers of puff pastry alternating with a sweet filling, typically pastry cream, but sometimes whipped cream, or jam. It is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white and brown (chocolate) strips, and combed.

Religious varieties

Although Ramadan is a month of fasting for Muslims in Egypt, it is usually when Egyptians pay a lot of attention to food in variety and richness, since breaking the fast is a family affair, often with entire extended families meeting at the table just after sunset. There are several special desserts almost exclusive to Ramadan such as Kun?fah and Qatayef. In this month, many Egyptians will make a special table for the poor or passers-by, usually in a tent in the street, called Ma'edet Rahman which translates literally as Table of (God) the Gracious (Merciful). These may be fairly simple or quite lavish, depending on the wealth and ostentation of the provider (dancer and actress Fifi Abdou's Ma'edah is famous for its unusual richness to the point where jokes about it are common).

Observant Copts (Egypt's Oriental Orthodox Christian population) observe fasting periods according to the Coptic Calendar that practically extend to more than two-thirds of the year. The Coptic diet for fasting is essentially vegan. During this fasting, Copts will usually eat vegetables and legumes fried in oil as they avoid meat, chicken, and dairy products including butter.

Beverages

Tea is the national drink in Egypt, followed only distantly by Egyptian or Turkish coffee. Egyptian tea is uniformly black and sweet, usually not served with milk, and generally in a glass. Tea packed and sold in Egypt is almost exclusively imported from Kenya and Sri Lanka. The Egyptian government considers tea a strategic cropand runs large tea plantations in Kenya. Egyptian tea comes in two varieties, Koshary and Saiidi.

Koshary tea, popular in Lower (Northern) Egypt, is prepared using the traditional method of steeping black tea in boiled water and letting it sit for a few minutes. It is almost always sweetened with cane sugar and is often flavored with fresh mint leaves. Adding milk is also common. Koshary tea is usually light, with less than a half teaspoonful of tea per cup considered to be near the high end.

Saiidi tea is common in Upper (Southern) Egypt. It is prepared by boiling black tea with water for as long as 5 minutes over a strong flame. Saiidi tea is extremely heavy, with 2 teaspoonfuls of tea per cup being the norm. It is sweetened with copious amounts of cane sugar (a necessity since the formula and method yield a very bitter tea). Saiidi tea is often black even in liquid form.

Tea is a vital part of daily life and folk etiquette in Egypt. Tea typically accompanies breakfast in most households, and drinking tea after lunch is a common practice. Visiting another person's household, regardless of socioeconomic level or the purpose of the visit, entails a compulsory cup of tea; similar hospitality might be required for a business visit to the private office of someone wealthy enough to maintain one, depending on the nature of the business. A common nickname for tea in Egypt is "duty" (pronounced in Arabic as "wa-jeb" or "wa-geb"), as serving tea to a visitor is considered a duty, while anything beyond is a nicety.

Green tea is a recent arrival to Egypt (only in the late 1990s did green tea become affordable) and is highly unpopular. This contrasts with certain parts of the Maghreb and Sahara, where gunpowder tea has traditionally been used to make Touareg tea and the tea for the Moroccan tea ceremony.

Besides true tea, tisanes (herbal teas) are also often served at the Egyptian teahouses. Karkadeh, a tea of dried hibiscus sepals is particularly popular, as it is in other parts of North Africa. It is generally served extremely sweet and cold but may also be served hot. This drink is said to have been a preferred drink of the pharaohs. In Egypt and Sudan, wedding celebrations are traditionally toasted with a glass of hibiscus tea. On a typical street in downtown Cairo, one can find many vendors and open-air cafés selling the drink. In Egypt, karkadeh is used as a means to lower blood pressure when consumed in high amounts. Tisanes of mint, cinnamon, dried ginger, and anise are also commonly found, as is sahlab. Most of these tisanes are considered to have medicinal properties, as well; particularly common is a tisane of hot lemonade in which mint leaves have been steeped and sweetened with honey, used to combat mild sore throat.

Coffee is considered a part of the traditional welcome in Egypt. It is usually prepared in a small coffee pot, which is called dalla or kanakah in Egypt. In Egypt, sugar cane juice is called "aseer asab" and is an incredibly popular drink served by almost all fruit juice vendors, who can be found abundantly in most cities.

Licorice teas and carob juice drinks are traditionally drunk during the Islamic month of Ramadan, as is qamar ad-din, a thick drink made by reconstituting sheets of dried apricot with water. The sheets themselves are often consumed as candy.

A sour, chilled drink made from tamarind is popular during the summer.

Taken from wikipedia

Places to go in EGYPT

One of Egypt’s best shopping experiences is Cairo’s medieval market Khan-el-Khalili. Everything from cheap souvenirs to household goods, reproduction ‘antique’ jewellery, spices, brass, copper utensils and cotton goods fill the narrow noisy alleyways. There are also modern shopping centres and small fashionable shops, particularly near Cairo’s Tahrir Square. In Alexandria, antique stalls cluster the Attareen neighbourhood. Luxor’s souk is mainly geared for the tourist market, but it’s a fun place to wander around in the evenings. Haggling is expected, and usually encouraged: the vendor is likely to charge what he feels happy with charging, usually a hugely inflated price for foreigners. Bargain hard! Check the price of everything before purchasing (and consuming), even food and drink.

As the sun sets, people start spilling onto the streets, congregating in coffee shops and restaurants. Go to any waterfront - along the Nile in Cairo and Luxor, or the seafronts in Alexandria and Sharm el Sheikh - and you'll find the corniche humming with the chatter of friends cruising arm in arm to catch the breeze. Street vendors selling kebabs, chai-sellers shouldering giant urns and trinket merchants with the latest colourful imports vie for the attentions of passers-by. This is the place to meet the locals, gauge the national mood and share in the jubilations of a local football success. A huge draw for visitors – both domestic and foreign – are the sound and light shows held in spectacular fashion in many of the country's archaeological sites. Here, you can come face-to-face with the spot-lit Sphinx at Giza or watching the entire Temple of Karnak unfold to music at Luxor. The best of these shows is held at the Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel. Commentary is often in different languages every evening so check it’s the right one for you. Sophisticated nightclubs, bars and restaurants can be found in Cairo, Alexandria and most large towns. The nightlife in Luxor and Aswan often includes barbecues along the Nile or dinner cruises.

From the Pyramids of Giza and traders’ banter at Khan al-Khalili bazaar to sailing on the Nile, it’s no surprise that Cairo is dubbed the Mother of All Cities by Egyptians.

Egypt’s capital, and Africa’s largest city, boasts attractions of biblical proportions – literally. Giza’s Sphinx and pyramids are iconic as to be beyond description. Add to this the astonishing gold of Tutankhamun buried in the dusty corridors of the Cairo Museum, the Islamic treasures of bejewelled mosques, labyrinthine medieval alleyways lined with tempting spices and colourful textiles and the daily shrill calls to prayer rising above the cacophony of car horns and crowded streets. Escape from the city’s bustle by ordering a mint tea in a traditional ahwa (coffeehouse) or taking a felucca ride on the river Nile, Cairo’s lifeblood and Africa’s most significant waterway. Islamic Cairo - It’s bustling and busy in ancient Islamic Cairo, but the crowds thin out along the serene street of Al-Muezz Al-Din, with spot-lit mosques and mausoleums lining the pedestrianised cobbled street. A local will doubtless offer to take you up a minaret; ascend the one at Al-Azhar Mosque, with the world’s oldest university, for panoramic views.

Take a trip to Cairo's famous labyrinthine, medieval Khan-el Khalili bazaar, where haggling for spices, copper, perfume and trinkets has been refined into an art form. Don't miss Fishawi's tea house; in business for over 200 years, it is the ultimate place to people-watch.

Camel market (Souq al-Gamaal), Birqash is not the place to buy your souvenirs, but this frenetic (and certainly fragrant) trading takes place most mornings (7am-2pm) and is an entertaining assault on the senses. Camels are transported from Sudan, and prodded and poked by potential purchasers. The market is located around 35km (21 miles) from Cairo on the Western Desert fringe.

Alexandria, nestling the Mediterranean, Egypt's "second city" has a French colonial atmosphere and a relaxed Greek influence, a mix of continental patisseries, art deco architecture and crowded sandy beaches in summer. Don’t miss the mosaics in the Roman Amphitheatre, the hi-tech Bibliotecha, and the new underwater museum filled with Cleopatra’s sunken relics. A walk along the corniche is a good way to work up an appetite for a freshly-caught fish for dinner.

The former frontier town of Aswan is a popular stopping-point for cruise liners, and the feluccas (wooden boats) drifting along the river at sunset is one of Egypt’s enduring sights. Attractions include Elephantine Island in the middle of the Nile, and the nearby Island of Plants upon which Lord Horatio Kitchener built a beautiful botanical garden in the 1890s, and it’s possible to walk along the dunes of the West Bank to see the Monastery of St Simeon, and down to the Aga Khan Mausoleum.

Kom Ombo ('city of gold'), 30km (18 miles) north of Aswan is a largely Nubian settlement, known for its Temple of Haroeris and Sobek. Another common destination on Nile cruises is Edfu, famed for the largest and best-preserved Pharaonic Temple in Egypt, the Temple of Horus.

One of the most famous ancient Egyptian sites, the two temples of Abu Simbel were carved out of sandstone cliffs high above the River Nile in 1257 BC, under the orders of Pharaoh Ramses II (1304-1237 BC).

The most famous of the two features four colossal 20m-high (65ft) statues of Ramses II flanking the entrance, although they are actually dedicated to the sun god Re-Herakhte.

The temples, which were rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Burckhardt in 1813, withstood the passage of time until the construction of the Nasser Dam in 1970, which caused the waters of Lake Nasser to rise significantly. With the support of UNESCO, an international appeal was launched and the temples were gradually relocated to a higher elevation over a four-year period between 1964 and 1968.

Plying the river between Luxor and Aswan a boat ride is the quintessential Nile experience, generally lasting between three and five days. Egrets flock to the water's edge and Egypt's ancient archaeological wonders including Kom Ombo unfold like a storybook along the bank. White-sailed feluccas ply the river, or splash out for a trip on a dahabiya, a luxury furnished wooden boat.

Straddling the Nile, Luxor is the site of the ancient city of Thebes. On the east bank lies the spectacular Temple of Karnak featuring epic statues, obelisks and lotus-columned halls. In the city centre is Luxor Temple, spectacular when lit up at night. Rise above the land of the Pharaohs in a hot-air balloon and take a god's-eye view of the colossal works of ancient mortals.

On the West Bank of the Nile, burrowed into the dusty hillsides, the extravagantly painted tombs of kings, queens and nobles have kindled our imaginations for centuries.

The Valley of the Kings is a limestone valley situated in the Theban Hills where the mummified bodies of many Egyptian pharaohs were interred. The area marks a period in ancient Egyptian history in which the pharaohs abandoned the pyramid style and chose instead tombs dug within limestone in order to preserve the mummies for eternity and prevent grave robbing.

The tombs, although stripped of many of their contents centuries ago, still display fantastic wall paintings depicting the lives of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt. The most famous tomb is that of Tutankhamun, discovered in pristine condition by Howard Carter in 1922. The many treasures found in the tomb are now exhibited in the Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo.

Nearby, the wall paintings in the tombs of the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Nobles are equally fascinating. The most famous tomb in the Valley of the Queens is the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, the principal wife of Ramses II, which was only opened to the public in 1995.

Egyptian Museum of Antiquities with more than 120,000 artefacts spanning Egyptian history from the earliest dynasties to the Roman era, the museum represents the world’s largest collection of its kind. Take around three to four hours to see the highlights, and another half day if possible.

Don’t miss the Tutankhamun Galleries, displaying the famous gold and gem-inlaid funerary mask and 1,700 other treasures found in the boy king’s tomb. The Royal Mummy Room houses the corpses of 11 of Egypt's pharaohs including Seti I and his son Ramses II. Away from the crowds, enjoy the relative serenity of the Giza and Saqqara rooms, filled with imposing statues and death masks.

One of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the Pyramids of Giza are Egypt's prime tourist attraction. The oldest, the Great Pyramid of Cheops, was completed in around 2600BC, and is Egypt’s largest at 136m (448t) high. Around 2.5 million limestone blocks were used to house the sarcophagus of King Cheops.

Nearby are three smaller pyramids built for the queens, and beyond are the pyramids of Chephren, son of Cheops, and Mycerinus. The Sphinx guards the entire site, thought to be some 2,600 years older than the pyramids themselves.

Much more recently unearthed, the Solar Boat Museum houses a superbly preserved wooden boat found near the Great Pyramid. Hugely popular, daily sound and light shows in different languages take place after sunset.

Few visitors know before arriving in Egypt that the country's Old Kingdom precedes the building of the pyramids by many centuries. Saqqara was the ancient capital's necropolis, crowned by the Step Pyramid. Nearby Dahshur has is famous for the Bent Pyramid and a huge field of royal tombs.

One of six oases in the vast Western Desert, Siwa is a peaceful haven with palm-fringed salt-water lakes, and the famous Oracle of the Temple of Amun once visited by Alexander the Great. The town is dramatically crowned by 13th-century fortress ruins of Shali, best climbed at sunrise or sunset mainly due to the fierce sun. Siwa is also a good base to make excursions into the desert by jeep.

Hurghada claims the prize of being the first commercial dive base in the Red Sea, dating back to the 1960s. Once an isolated and modest fishing village, it's now a thriving tourist resort devoted entirely to diving and snorkelling enthusiasts. With more than 40km (25 miles) of hotels along the beach, Hurghada can satisfy the needs of every visitor, and provide accommodation to match, from the simplest guest house to the finest five-star hotel. The resort is now home to more than 60,000 people and hundreds of hotels. It's also the gateway to Egypt's southern dive sites, including Safaga, Quseir and Marsa Alam. Long stretches of natural sand beaches and a year-round dry and temperate climate make this area an ideal destination for sun seekers and water sports enthusiasts. Hurghada's waters are clear and calm for most of the year and are popular for water sports, in particular for scuba-diving and snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing and deep-sea fishing. Most of Hurghada's dive sites are offshore and involve a boat ride of at least half an hour. The diving centres provide daily guided boat services as well as extended live-aboard trips. Weather conditions, especially the northerly winds, are a key factor on the daily choice of diving spots.

Originally a little fishing village, Sharm el-Sheikh has developed into a well-equipped tourist resort and is still in a state of continual expansion. Sunny weather, a plethora of charter flights, world famous scuba-diving sites, plus luxurious five-star hotels, shopping and entertainment make it one of the most important tourist resorts in the Red Sea. Tourists are advised to approach snorkelling, diving and swimming with caution following a series of shark attacks in Sharm El Sheikh in December 2010, including the death of a German tourist. Though attacks by oceanic white tip sharks are extremely rare and shark attacks of any kind are very unusual in the Red Sea. Long stretches of natural sand and pebbles beaches are surrounded by a dramatic landscape. The waters around Sharm are clear and calm for most of the year. Coral reefs and marine life offer an amazing experience for divers. Other popular water sports include windsurfing, parasailing, boating and canoeing. Ras Mohammed Marine National Park, at the tip of Sinai, southwest of Sharm el-Sheikh, is considered as one of the best dive regions in the world. Also famous for its diving sites, the Strait of Tiran is only a few kilometres north of Sharm el-Sheikh. The strait separates Tiran Island from the east coast of Sinai and the main attractions are four coral reefs in the middle of the channel. Inland attractions around Sharm el-Sheikh include casinos, golf courses and spas. Although diving is the best way to see the dazzling marine life and coral, Egypt's spectacular coastline is accessible without a wetsuit. Simply wade out with a mask or snorkel or take a glass-bottomed boat from the shores of Sharm el-Sheik and the fish will come to you.

The Red Sea justly deserves its worldwide reputation for underwater adventure. Teeming with a colourful marine life, the crystal waters are landscaped with coral and dramatic drop-offs. The Ras Mohamed National Park, a headland 20km west of Sharm el-Sheikh, shows off the underwater world at its best.

While it's not a sport readily associated with Egypt, the country is now making quite a golfing name for itself and offers around 20 courses. They range from locations within sight of Cairo's Pyramids to settings alongside the Red Sea.

For centuries, pilgrims of different denominations have been making the journey up historic Mount Sinai to witness the sunrise across the desert landscape. The three-hour trek is breathtaking, but if it sounds too ambitious, stay overnight at St Catherine Monastery, hire a camel and walk down in leisure.

Suez Canal – the best way to see this great feat of modern engineering is by boat; the view from the Peace Bridge that crosses the canal near Isma'iliya, is a good second best. The sight of giant tankers plying the narrow channel between the Red Sea with the Mediterranean is simply surreal.

Taken from www.worldtravelguide.net

Doing business in EGYPT

Egypt's economy depends mainly on agriculture, media, petroleum exports, and tourism; there are also more than three million Egyptians working abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf and Europe. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1970 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population, limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress the economy.^[88]

The government has invested in communications and physical infrastructure. Egypt has received U.S. foreign aid (since 1979, an average of $2.2 billion per year) and is the third-largest recipient of such funds from the United States following the Iraq war. Its main revenues however come from tourism as well as traffic that goes through the Suez Canal.

Egypthas a developed energy market based on coal, oil, natural gas, and hydro power. Substantial coal deposits are in the northeast Sinai, and are mined at the rate of about 600,000 metric tons (590,000 long tons; 660,000 short tons) per year. Oil and gas are produced in the western desert regions, the Gulf of Suez, and the Nile Delta. Egypt has huge reserves of gas, estimated at 1,940 cubic kilometres (470 cu mi), and LNG is exported to many countries.

Economic conditions have started to improve considerably after a period of stagnation from the adoption of more liberal economic policies by the Government, as well as increased revenues from tourism and a booming stock market. In its annual report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rated Egypt as one of the top countries in the world undertaking economic reforms.^[89] Some major economic reforms taken by the new government since 2003 include a dramatic slashing of customs and tariffs. A new taxation law implemented in 2005 decreased corporate taxes from 40% to the current 20%, resulting in a stated 100% increase in tax revenue by the year 2006.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Egypt has increased considerably in the past few years, exceeding $6 billion in 2006, due to the recent economic liberalization and priva tization measures taken by minister of investment Mahmoud Mohieddin.

Although one of the main obstacles still facing the Egyptian economy is the trickle down of the wealth to the average population, many Egyptians criticize their Government for higher prices of basic goods while their standards of living or purchasing power remains relatively stagnant. Corruption is often cited by Egyptians as the main impediment to further economic growth.^[90][91][92] The Government promises major reconstruction of the country's infrastructure, using money paid for the newly acquired third mobile license ($3 billion) by Etisalat.^[93]

Egypt's most prominent multinational companies are the Orascom Group and Raya Contact Center. The IT sector has expanded rapidly in the past few years, with many start-ups selling outsourcing services to North America and Europe, operating with companies such as Microsoft, Oracle and other major corporations, as well as many small and medium enterprises. Some of these companies are the Xceed Contact Center, Raya, E Group Connections and C3. The sector has been stimulated by new Egyptian entrepreneurs with Government encouragement.

An estimated 2.7 million Egyptians abroad contribute actively to the development of their country through remittances (US$ 7.8 billion in 2009), as well as circulation of human and social capital and investment.

Taken from wikipedia