Behind the Scenes
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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 502 Behind the Scenes SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK We love to hear from travellers – your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better. Our well-travelled team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. Although we cannot reply individually to postal submissions, we always guarantee that your feedback goes straight to the appropriate authors, in time for the next edition. Each person who sends us information is thanked in the next edition – the most useful submissions are rewarded with a selection of digital PDF chapters. Visit lonelyplanet.com/contact to submit your updates and suggestions or to ask for help. Our award-winning website also features inspirational travel stories, news and discussions. Note: We may edit, reproduce and incorporate your comments in Lonely Planet products such as guidebooks, websites and digital products, so let us know if you don’t want your comments reproduced or your name acknowledged. For a copy of our privacy policy visit lonelyplanet.com/ privacy. Wheeler, Zeina Abou Kheir, Marwa and Moham- OUR READERS med Abdel Rehim, Tim Baily, Aiman Zaki, and Many thanks to the travellers who used the Dr. Haitham Ibrahim and Mohamed Ezat of the last edition and wrote to us with helpful Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency. hints, useful advice and interesting anec- dotes: Jessica Lee Sara Marie Atkinson, Maximilian Benner, Ron In the Western Desert a huge alfa shuk to Mahdi Bongers, Kate Cinamon, Carolyn Davison, Jo Hweiti and Mohsen Abd Al Moneam, whose Fisher, Martin Hämmerle, Rob Jenneskens, enthusiasm for their job and incredible wealth Matthew Lombardi, Beatriz López-Ewert, An- of knowledge on all-things-oases puts other drew Machin, Morgan McDaniel, Paul Melian, tourist boards to shame. Thanks also to Salama Ahmed Rifky, Birger Storgaard, Stefan Thiele, Abd Rabbo and Sameh Tawfik for catch-ups and Peter Voelger tourism gossip, the staff of HEPCA in Hurghada, and my awesome driver Ahmed Nasser in Alex for off-road adventures – and blown tyres – on AUTHOR THANKS the way to Matruh. Anthony Sattin Among the many people who have provided ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, assistance, information, advice and gossip Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated during the research and writing of this book, I World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Clas- would particularly like to thank HE Hisham Zaa- sification’, Hydrology and Earth System Scienc- zou, Minister of Tourism, to the Egyptian Tourist es, 11, 1633¬44. Authority, and Mrs. Omayma El Husseini, direc- Illustrations pp 126-7 and pp 402-3 by Javier tor of the Egyptian State Tourist Office London, Zarracina. to the experts Ali and Elisabeth at the Inter- Cover photograph: Sitting Colossi of Ram- national Travel Bureau of Egypt, to Dr.Mounir ses II at Luxor Temple; James May/Alamy. Neamatalla, Heba Bakri, Christopher Tutty, Rafic Khairallah, Christoph Schleissing, Linda 503 Sattin. This guidebook was Charlotte Orr, Susan Paterson, THIS BOOK produced by the following: Sally Schafer This 12th edition of Lonely Destination Editor Helen Assisting Cartographer Planet’s Egypt guidebook was Elfer Rachel Imeson researched and written by An- Product Editor Kate Kiely Cover Researcher Naomi thony Sattin and Jessica Lee. Senior Cartographer Parker Dr Joann Fletcher co-authored Corey Hutchison Thanks to Kate James, BEHIND THE SCENES the Ancient Egypt & Pharaohs Wendy Elizabeth Jones, Anne Mason, chapter and other Pharaonic Book Designer Wright Claire Naylor, Karyn Noble, Egypt content. The previous Assisting Editors Andrea Katie O’Connell, Martine edition was written by Zora Power, Alison Ridgway, O’Neill, Michael Benanav, Dobbin, Bruce Evans, Kate Mathews, Anne Mulvaney, Jessica Rose, Luna Soo, Jessica Lee and Anthony Amanda Williamson ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 504 Index A Al-Aswany, Alaa 455, 456 Nekheb 234 cruises 30, 34-5 Ababda people 370 Al-Azhar 75-9, 76, 78 Tanis 162 drinking 252 Aboukir 330 alcohol 486 ancient Egypt 430-47 Elephantine Island 242-3 Abu Nuss Lake 282 Alexander the Great 291, animals 466-7 entertainment 252 Abu Simbel 12, 51, 261-4, 292, 305, 306-7 crocodiles (Nile) 247 food 250-1 263, 12 Alexandria 15, 51, 305-329, dolphins 369 internet access 252 Abu Sir 151-3, 152 305, 306-7, 310-11, 15 dugongs 44 shopping 252 accommodation 304, Abydos 13, 178-80, 178, 13 Arab music festival 24 tours 248 319-21 accommodation 476-7, see Arabic language 16, 480-1, travel to/from 253 activities 318 also individual locations 497-500 travel within 253 beaches 319 activities 22-4, 477, see archaeological sites Aswan Dam 253-4 climate 304 also boat travel, diving, ancient quarries 237 Aswan High Dam 256-7, feluccas dive sites 317 Barrameya 370 468, 470 ballooning 213 drinking 324-6 Gebel al-Mawta 295 Asyut 174-5, 175 birdwatching 248 entertainment 326-7 Karanis 155 ATMs 482 camel riding 213 festivals 318-19 Kom al-Dikka 310-11 Augustus Caesar 418, 419 Egyptian marathon 22 food 304, 321-4 Necropolis of Avenue of Sphinxes 211 felucca rides 30-1, 214, 247 highlights 305 Al-Bagawat 269-70 fishing 22 history 306-9 Nekheb 234 hiking 353 itineraries 308 Pompey’s Pillar 318 B Bahariya Oasis 11, 285-92, horse riding 128, 213 library 316 Qarat Qasr Salim 285 286, 11 Lake Nasser day trips literature 320 rock carvings 279 baksheesh 449, 481 247-8 markets 327 Ruins of Abu 243-4 Balat 279 safaris 11, 267-8, 390, 11 Pharos 309 Temple of Serapeum 318 ballooning 213 sand bathing 298 shopping 327 Unfinished Obelisk 241 Banana Island 174 snorkelling 49, 378-9 travel seasons 304 Wadi Hammamat 371 bargaining 484 swimming 91, 214, 248, 319 travel to/from 328-9 Wadi Mukattab 380 Baris 274 walking tours (Cairo) 71, travel within 329 Western Quarry 247 Barrameya 370 83, 92 Al-Fayoum 153-8, architecture 20 154 Bartholdi, Frédéric- Ad-Dahar 359-60, 360 Ali, Mohammed 422-3 area codes 485 Auguste 347 Adawiyya, Ahmed 458 Al-Kab 234 Ar-Rashid 330-1 Bashendi 279-80 adventure sports 21, see Al-Khalifa 83 arts 21, 454-9 also activities Bawiti 285-9, 288 Al-Kharga 269-73, 271 ancient Egyptian 10, bazaars, see markets Aghurmi 296 438-40 Al-Kharga Oasis 269-75, beaches Agilika Island 254-6, 255 antiquity theft 168 269 Alexandria 319 ahwas 14, 105, 463, 14, see Al-Qasr 280-1 courses 92 German Memorial 333 also individual locations Fayoum portraits 156 Al-Quseir 41, 365-7, 366 Hurghada 357 Ain Safi 297 festivals 22, 24 Al-Sisi, Abdel Fatah 410, 429 Khashaba 378 Ain Umm el-Dabadib 274 graffiti 73 Al-Tor 377-8 Marsa Matruh 335 air travel 489-90, 491, 491 petroglyphs 238 alternative energy 468 Moon Beach 392 Akhmim 176 temple paintings 233 Amada 261 Ras Mohammed National Al-Arish 407-8, 407 Amr ibn al-As 56, 69, 418 Ascension of Ramses II 22 Park 378 ancient cities Aswan 13, 30, 240-53, 242, Sidi Abdel Rahman 334 , Bubastis 162 244 13 Bedouin people 376, 391, Map Pages 000 Hermopolis 170, 171 accommodation 248-50 395, 408 Photo Pages 000 activities 247-8 beer 464 505 Beit al-Wali 260 Coptic Cairo 65-70, Commonwealth War culture 410-11, 448-53 belly dancing 108-9, 459 102, 68 Cemetery 332 currency 16 courses 92 Doqqi 87-91, 99, 104, 94 Fatimid Cemetery 242 customs regulations 477 Beni Hasan 169-70 Downtown 57-61, 93-7, Giza 125 cycling 491 Beni Suef 165-6 99-101, 105-6 Necropolis of Berber people 292, 451 drinking 104-7 Al-Bagawat 269-70 D INDEX Berenice 372 emergency services 114 Saqarra 144 Dahab 387-94, 388 Besharin people 370 entertainment 107-9 Zawiyyet al-Mayyiteen 167 accommodation 391-2 Bibliotheca Alexandrina etiquette 70, 80 Chahine, Youssef 456 climate 373 313-16, 15 festivals 22, 24, 93 B- diving 37, 40, 389-90 children, travel with D bicycle travel 491 food 54, 99-104 47-9, 91 drinking 393 birds 467 Garden City 64-5, 97-8, Christianity 415-8, 452-3 festivals 391 birdwatching 248 101-2 churches food 392-3 Birqash Camel Market 160 Gezira 85-7, 106-7, 94 Church of al-Azraq 173 safaris 390 Birth of Ramses 24 Giza 9, 121-30, 94, Church of St Anthony safety 393 Birth of Ramses 24 122, 8 352 tours 391 Black Desert 284-5 Heliopolis 130-1, 131 Church of St Barbara 69 travel to/from 393-4 Blue Hole 390 highlights 55 Church of St George 69, travel within 394 boat travel 28-35, , history 56 10 33 173-4 dahabiyyas 31-4 Nile River 10, 28-35, 214, internet access 114 Church of St Michael 173 Dahshur 144, 150-1 247, 30 internet resources 56 Church of St Paul 353 Dakhla Oasis 275-81, 275 to/from Egypt 490 Islamic Cairo 70-85, 98, Church of St Sergius & dangers, see safety within Cairo 91 102, 106 Bacchus 67 Daraw 240 within Egypt 491 itineraries 57 Church of St Simeon the Darb al-Ahmar 79-81 books 410 live music 107-8 Tanner 87 Darb al-Arba’een 270 Book of the Dead 439 markets 70-1, 72, 77, 79, Church of the 101, 110, 111 D-Caf 22 Cairo 108 Transfiguration 401 medical services 114 Deir al-Haggar 281 diving 46 Hanging Church 67 Midan al-Hussein 70 Deir al-Muharraq 173-4 festivals 22 cinema 410, 456-7 Midan Ramses 61, 64, Delta region 50, 142, 160-2, food 461, 464 66 Citadel 81-2, 82 Midan Tahrir 61 143 history 412, 413, 414, City of the Dead 85 415, 418, 422, 423, Mohandiseen 87-91, 104, Cleopatra 214, 305, 307, books 155 424, 427, 428 88-9 317, 434 climate 142 literature 454-6 planning 57 climate 16, 22-4, see highlights 143 Nile River 34 Roda 64-5 also individual regions travel seasons 142 border crossings 490 safety 113 climate change 489 democracy 428-9 bribes 481 shopping 110-11, 112 coffeehouses, see ahwas Dendara 13, 180-1, 182, 181 Bubastis 162 tours 93 Colossi of Memnon 210 desert safaris 11, 267-8, budget