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The reliefs at Kom Ombo are amazing[/caption]
Egypt is one of the world’s most ancient civilizations. For nearly 4,000 years, the Pyramids at Giza were the tallest buildings on earth. The civilization built along the Nile River has had a lasting impact on world history and culture. Much of Roman civilization was built on a study of the Egyptian culture before it. Egypt was also the world’s first tourist destination. It was one of the stops on the Grand World Tour. Visiting the pyramids and seeing the sphinx was required for the well-cultured traveler.
Beyond ancient Egypt, the modern country offers amazing scuba diving, beautiful sunny beaches and a launching pad to explore the Middle East. Recent security concerns have muted tourism, but we found the country can still be explored safely. We visited the country shortly after the January 25th Revolution (or what is also called the Egyptian Uprising of 2011) and had most of the historic sites completely to ourselves. Here is the best of Egypt.
It has been three years since the Arab Spring came to Egypt on January 25, 2011. We watched the events of those days unfold with rapt attention as we wondered if our planned trip only four months away would be possible at all.
Our Middle East adventure continued with a planned day of scuba diving in the Red Sea near Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Sharm el-Sheikh was a sleepy …
The Coptic (Christian) area of Cairo has been peppered with violence over the last several years as locals continue to play out religious conflicts in …
We awoke early again this morning to head straight to the Queen Hatshepsut Temple before it got too hot. The multi-tiered temple is absolutely imposing …
The neighboring Karnak and Luxor Temples are filled with unique statues and carvings that convey the glory of ancient Egypt.
We woke up at about 3:30am and left the boat by 4:00am for our hot air balloon ride in Egypt. We had spent a lot …
Edfu Temple is characterized by its amazing reliefs that soar into the sky and its in tact roof, which has kept some colors vibrant.
Of all the Egyptian Pharaonic temples, none has a more impressive setting than the Kom Ombo Temple. Located literally on the bank of the Nile …
Any visit to Abu Simbel would be spectacular. But being alone (or nearly alone) at the site was an experience in itself.
Intricate, massive carvings made our first temple visit of the trip an impressive stop.