Egypt State Information Service

Egypt State Information Service Address: 3 El Estad El Bahary St., Nasr City, ، Cairo Chairman of State Information Service Tel: 002-2260761 Diaa Rashwan Fax: 002- 22608444 Author E-Mail: Abdelmoeti Abuzaid [email protected] Head of Foreign Media Sector Website: http://www.sis.gov.eg Assistant Editor Nabil Bakr The images in this booklet are the creations of a lar- Translator ge number of the most prominent photographers Nashwa Abdel-Hamid in many historical stages, and the State Information Artistic Vision & Ma- Service extends thanks quette to all of them for their contributions to enrich Hossam Amin this patriotic publication, which is distributed free Artistic Direction & of charge. Production Eng. Rania Saleh Not for Sale Soliman Manaa Cairo 2021 Merhan Sayed Second Edition Printing Supervision Eman Gaafar Contents Preface............................................................................................. 5 Place & Status .................................................................... 8 • Location & Area .......................................................... 10 • Nature, Terrain, Climate & Biodiversity.. 11 • Official Language ........................................................ 20 • National Day ..................................................................... 20 • Currency ............................................................................ 20 • Egyptian Flag ................................................................ 20 • National Anthem ....................................................... 20 • Capital ...................................................................................... 21 • Main Cities ......................................................................... 27 • The Suez Canal ............................................................. 32 • The Nile River & High Dam .......................... 33 • Population ............................................................................ 36 • Political System ............................................................. 39 • Foreign Policy .................................................................. 52 • Al-Azhar ................................................................................. 55 • The Egyption Church ............................................ 58 • Economy & Investment ...................................... 61 • Education .............................................................................. 68 • Social Welfare .................................................................. 70 • Culture & Arts ................................................................ 89 • Archeology & Tourism .......................................131 • Press & Media ........................................................... 136 Preface A glorious past ... a prosperous present ... and a promising future, this is Egypt. The visitor to the Egyptian capital (Cairo) can, within one day, experience all the stages of human history. Every era and civilization has left a treasured deposit on Egypt’s soil, such as the Pyramids and the Sphinx of ancient Pharaonic times; the Babylon for- tress of Greco-Roman times; the historic churches of the Coptic era; the citadel of Salah al-Din, Al-Azhar and Fatimid Cairo from the Islamic period; the Khe- dival luxury palaces of 19th century, up to high-rise buildings and luxury hotels on the banks of the Nile, and modern landmarks such as Cairo Tower and Op- era House and other artistic and creative centers, as well as modern amenities including transportation and subway networks, connecting the capital to high- end suburban areas emerging around it in all direc- tions. This is the case in other Egyptian cities, from Alex- andria in the north to Luxor and Aswan in the south. Thus, Egypt was and will continue to be at the crossroads of the continents of the world, with its people, which have always been characterized by moderation, tolerance and openness to all cultures and peoples. Egypt opens its arms and welcomes all those who visit to enjoy its warm and wonderful climate throughout the year, its picturesque beaches on the Red and the Mediterranean Seas, its ancient mon- uments, its modern landmarks, and the arts and crea- 5 tions of its people in all fields of innovation, as well as visitors seeking the opportunities for investment, trade and cooperation it offers for the common good. Based on all these ongoing geographical, human- itarian and cultural realities, Egypt, in recent years, has embarked on a comprehensive renaissance in all areas of urbanization, construction, progress and prosperity. There are new hubs of work and hope throughout the country: in the Suez Canal and the surrounding area, in the new administrative capital, in Alamein city on the Mediterranean coast, in doz- ens of new cities on the banks of the Nile, and on the shores of the sea or in the heart of the desert. This comprehensive renaissance of mega projects is also manifested in the construction of industrial facilities and manufacturing centers, as well as the building of modern scientific and technological capabilities for millions of Egypt’s youths, and in preparation for a brighter future connecting Egypt’s present to its glorious history. At the same time, Egypt is always active in its regional environment, in the African continent and the international community as a whole, striving to achieve peace, stability, good and constructive cooperation for the benefit of its people and all other nations. This integrated picture of Egypt’s past, present and future is what the authors of this book aspire to present to readers all over the world in the largest number of languages. 6 7 Place & Status Egypt is located at the confluence of the continents of the ancient world: Africa - Asia - Europe. It overlooks two seas: the Red Sea and the Mediter- ranean Sea. It overlooks two Gulfs: the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. The Suez Canal is one of the important international waterways, and Egypt is an intercontinental country. It is located in the northeast of the continent of Africa, and at the same time has an Asian extension, represented in the Sinai Pen- insula. The Nile River, the lifeline of the people of Egypt, flows from Egypt. In connection with this distinguished geographical location, Egypt was the isthmus for the three monotheistic religions, and the forum of cultural interaction between east and west, and between north and south. Egypt was also the place that embraced the prophets, and the land on which they took their steps, the father of the prophets, “Abraham”, peace be upon him, came to Egypt and married “Hagar”, and so did “Joseph”, peace be upon him, who became a minis- ter, and was later followed by his father, “Jacob”. A conversation between Allaah (God) and Moses took place on the land of Egypt. The Holy Family, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ as a child along with Joseph the Carpenter made a blessed historic journey 8 in Egypt’s land. God chose Egypt to be the sanctu- ary, the oasis of peace and safety and the forum of monotheistic religions. God’s honored Egypt by mentioning her five times directly in the Holy Quran and a large number of verses of the Quran indirectly referred to it. Egypt was also mentioned about 700 times in the Holy Bible. There have been numerous civilizations in Egypt. Egypt has been the cradle of the Egyptian civilization, the incubator of the Greek and Roman civilization, the beacon of the Coptic civilization, and the protector of the Islamic civilization ... Egypt has been a beacon of thought and civilization for centuries, embodying the values of moderation, tolerance and coexistence that represent the essence of Islamic teachings. Egypt’s belonging to its Arab surroundings is one of the most prominent principles established in the articles of the Constitution, which stipulates the af- firmation of Arab identity in Egyptian society and in political thought and practice in Egypt. Egypt is also proud of its ties and bonds of fraterni- ty to brotherly African peoples. It is an integral part of the African continent which lives within the mindsets of the Egyptian people. 9 Location & Area Egypt is located between 22° and 32° latitudes north of the equator, between 24° and 37° east of Greenwich, in the northeastern corner of the continent of Africa. A part of Egypt, Sinai Peninsula, is located in the Asian continent. Egypt has an area of 1,002,000 km2 and is administratively divided into 27 governorates. Each governorate is divided into a number of centers, cities, neighborhoods, villages and urban communities. 10 Nature & Terrain The surface features in Egypt are dominated by the equator, with the exception of mountain ranges along the Red Sea as well as the mountains of South Si- nai. The Nile River cuts its land from the south to the north, carrying life and development. The successive civilizations of Egypt were built along the banks of the river, making most of the population concentrated in the Nile Valley and Delta. Climate The climate of Egypt is affected by several fac- tors, the most important of which are the location, the appearance of the surface, the general system of pressure, air depressions and the waterbodies. All this helped divide Egypt into several distinct climatic zones. Egypt is located in the dry tropical region, ex- cept for the northern parts, which are in the temperate zone and enjoy a climate similar to that of the Medi- terranean, which is characterized by heat and drought in the summer months and is

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