Exploring Egypt

The sacred lake was a pool of water next to the temple. It represented the world before time began. The priests used water from the sacred lake to perform rituals in the temple.

The courtyard was a large open room without a roof. The outer walls showed scenes of the pharaoh in battle. The inner walls showed the pharaoh making offerings to the gods and goddesses. People were only allowed to enter the temple courtyard on festival days.

The ancient Egyptians believed that temples were the homes of the gods and goddesses. Every temple was dedicated to a god or goddess and he or she was worshipped there by the temple priests and the pharaoh.

Think you can't just walk into the local liquor store to refresh the mini bar in your hotel in Cairo? Think again. Alcoholic beverages, specifically beer and wine, were a staple of the ancient Egyptian diet (though perhaps beer far more than wine). It is said that beer was introduced to the Egyptians by the god Osiris. Some concoctions were, those served to royalty and high officials, were very sophisticated, while the masses mostly drank relatively crude beer. We really do not know if alcohol has been available throughout Egypt's complete history, though in some form it probably has, even during the deepest period of archaic Islamic rule. During the earlier Christian Period, alcoholic production is certainly evident even in monasteries, were we find a number of wine presses, and certainly after the French invasion, and thereafter into modern times, it has been present.

Haggling has become an art form in Egypt. Many tourists would rather do anything than haggle over the price of a gold cartouche while on holiday in Egypt. But, from the local point of view, haggling is expected, sometimes encouraged, as a way of communication and human contact. It is also legal in Egypt to haggle, bargain and ask for a discount.

Egypt is a wonderland of shopping opportunities. Of course, there are the famous bazaars such as the Khan el-Khalili, but then there are also thousands of unusual stores scattered about the country, and especially in Cairo, though some products are better purchased perhaps from the locale from which they are produced, such as alabaster in Luxor. However, Cairo provides a huge variety of everything from antiques to fine clothing and especially jewelry.

As the Director of Operations for One World Tours, I often get asked about Egypt as a destination and for people who have extra time available, they ask me, should we just do Egypt, or should we take in other neighboring countries too? Here is my advice... Read More