Snapshots of Egypt

Back from Egypt, back to work, and there is nothing like looking for a new apartment to bring you sharply back to reality.  But let’s ignore the woes of a new flat and move on to something more positive – a quick recap of our trip to Egypt before we dive in to a location by location overview!

During our two week family trip in Egypt we went to five different cities along the Nile from Alexandria on the Northern border with the Mediterranean Sea to Abu Simbel in the South near the border with Sudan.  We took four intra-Egypt flights as well as a cruise up and down the Nile to get to all of these locations and here are the highlights from the five main cities from North to South:

Alexandria  |  Located at the end of The Nile (confusing as it flows from South to North) the city of Alexandria is even prettier than I was expecting with it’s crystal blue water and rich history.  We visited the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Fort Qaitbey, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and the Montazah Gardens on a truly picturesque day.

Cairo   |  A massive city even if you don’t count the adjoining town of Giza. We spent a total of six days in Cairo and saw most of what the city has to offer including  Citadel of Salah al-Din, the Alabaster Mosque, the Egyptian Museum, the Khan el-Khalili bazaar and souq , and of course the Pyramids of Giza (on more than one occasion).

Luxor | After a few days in Cairo flew down to Luxor , located in central Egypt, and spent quite a few nights in the city as the West Bank of the Nile in particular is where the most ancient artefacts have been uncovered (which makes sense as it was the capital in Ancient Egyptian times) We saw many impressive sites including the Temple of Karnak, the Temple of Hathor, the Temple of Luxor, Hatshepsut’s Temple and the Valley of the Kings among others. 

Aswan   |  From Luxor we cruised down the Nile River to Aswan, another city rich with history, and not only saw ancient sites but a ton of nature as well.  To get our Egyptian history quota we visited the Kom Ombo Temple, the Unfinished Obelisk, and the Temple of Isis but also visited many newer sites such as the Aswan High Dam and the Old Cataract Hotel as well as a traditional Nubian village.

Abu Simbel  | Of the five cities we visited Abu Simbel was the smallest and the last, but certainly not the least.  Located near the Sudanese border in Southern Egypt it was put on the map by two temples which many of the guide books called “indescribable” and after seeing them in person I have to agree.   The best work I can use to describe the Great Temple at Abu Simbel is massive with its four colossal statues of Ramesses II which are 66 feet tall each.  And then the no less impressive Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari. 

Overall we had a fantastic time and I can not wait to show you more!