About Egypt

Country

Name: Arab republic of Egypt.
Capital: Cairo (population: around 16 million people).
Total area: 1,001,500 sq.km.
Administrative territorial division: 27 ìóõàôàç (governments), that divide into ìàðêàçû (districts). ìàðêàçû divide into íàõèè (townships).
Political system: president republic.
Head of state (President): Hosni Mubarak.
Official language: arabic.

Population

Size: 67.9 million people.
Density: 66.8 people/sq.km.
Average lifetime: 66.5 years.
Urban population: 45.4%.

Economy

Gross national product (GNP): 214.3 billion USD.
GNP per head: 3,420 USD.
Import: 21.5 billion USD.
Export: 14.7 billion USD.
Unemployment rate: above 20%.
Monetary unit: Egyptian pound (EGP/LE), 1 USD = 5.67LE.

Country history facts

Èñòîðèÿ ñòðàíû íàñ÷èòûâàåò more than six thousand years. One of hypothesis concerning origin of Egypt asserts that the first Egyptians were some mysterious resettlers. Ancient Egyptian myths came up to our days as temple inscriptions, epitaphs, and a few extant ancient papyruses.
Since the great antiquity to present day, Egypt suffers from civil and foreign conflicts: ãèêñîñ nomad raids, war with Libyans and Nubians, conquest by Alexander the Great, conquest by Romans, the Napoleon and British forces intervention, and confrontation with Israel.
The permanent leader of Egypt in the last years is Õîñíè Ìóáàðàê. To let the beloved President stay for the third term, Egyptian managed to pass special law, which hold true only for Ìóáàðàêà. Truly, Egypt is an amazing country!

Places of interest

The Pyramids. Probably, everyone would agree, that the «âèçèòíàÿ êàðòî÷êà» of Egypt are its pyramids, that were among the Seven Wonders of the World. There are around hundred pyramids here – small and big, staged and smooth ones that have come to our days almost pristine, looking more like a shapeless cairn. The best known pyramids are located in outskirts of Cairo. Here in Giza there are three Great Pyramids – the Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure pyramids and the Great Sphinx.
Luxor. It’s the biggest open air museum. Here in the «ãîðîäå æèâûõ» there are two majestic temples – Luxor and Karnak temples. The famous Valley of the Kings, where everyone has a unique opportunity to see the tomb of Nephertity – wife of the pharaoh Ramses II, is located here as well.
National Museum of Egypt. This museum has the richest collection of cultural treasures of the dynastic period. Over 150 thousand exhibits set out in more than a hundred galleries. The basis of all the museum rarities is treasures found during unsealing Òóòàíõàìîíà tomb, miraculously spared by the hands of the «black archeologists».

Tours with ethnic features

In Egypt you can also take less historical tours, visit the Museum of papyrus or the Bedouin village, for instance. Usually, the Museum of papyrus can be found in every big city, and it differs from an ordinary ëàâêè òîðãîâöà ñóâåíèðàìè only because it’s bigger and has wider choice of papyrus. Safari with visiting Bedouin village doesn’t have much common neither with the real safari, nor with real Bedouins. Never the less, this tour is quite interesting. You can become more closely acquainted with the desert, behold Arab night sky, when it feels like a fairytale from “One thousand and one nights” of Scheherazade becomes true.

Ethnic cuisine

Shakshuk – meat and tomato omelet.
Ìîëîêõåéÿ – thick soup with chicken, èç êóðèöû, herb, garlic and vegetables.
Êèáäà – mutton or beef liver with rice or in flat, or with apples, bananas and oranges.
Chicken Cairo – previously pickled or boiled chicken, tallowed and put in scorching oven for minute.
Õóìóñ – soaked in acidulous water and boiled beans or chick-pea, mashed with seed-oil. There are aubergine, ñâåêîëüíûå, pepper, and garlic õóìóñû, depending on ingredients.
Eastern sweets: ïàõëàâà, ìàëàõàáèäæà, sweet flats with pistachios, sesame and pistachio halvah, local types of lakoums, sugared nuts and dried fruits – dates, fig and dried apricots.

Traveler’s guide

Local time. One hour slow from Moscow time.
Clothes. Summer clothes will suit for any season. In winter it’s recommended to have a pullover and wind-breaker for areas to the north from Cairo, and for cold nights in southern part of Upper Egypt and the Red Sea area. Visiting pyramids, the Valley of the Kings and other temples one should have special shoes protecting legs.
Traditions. On the territory of hotel one can wear whatever he thinks appropriate, but coming out to city, one should remember, that Egypt is an Islam country, people here a very religious, traditions are ñòðîãèå. Naked shoulders and miniskirts are not appropriate for city walks. Although, these rules are often disrespected. Moslems of Egypt don’t drink alcohol, although, they usually don’t mind when someone does.
Tips. In Egypt it’s essential to leave tips, or baksheesh, for small services in Egypt. ïðèíÿòî to tip chambermaids 10 pounds per week, porters and doormen 1-2 pounds, cleaners – 50 piastres. In restraint usually tip 10% of the check. Don’t try to tip one whose profession or social status is equal to yours, because it can be considered as an affront. Alcoholic beverages. During the visit to Egypt, tourists may buy 2 liters of alcoholic beverages and 20 cans of beer in duty-free stores located in all major tourist centers and airports. Remarkably, that the marks about buying alcoholic beverages are set in buyer’s passport.
Customs rules. Tourists older than 20 years may take up to 1 liter of alcoholic beverages and 2 liters of beer, ones older than 15 years may take 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars. Exporting antiquity from Egypt is forbidden. Collecting and exporting corals is forbidden as well. Don’t set hopes upon inattention of Egyptian customs officials trying to export even a small piece of local color. Such an offence can lead to serious troubles, besides we should care about Egypt’s nature.