Egypt remains the most popular and varied destination in the Middle East and The Rough Guide to Egypt a trusted companion. “The best of the four guides we sampled,� wrote the Irish Times, “full of indispensable, erudite advice.� With a 200-page section devoted to Cairo and the pyramids alone, and full coverage of desert travel, Red Sea diving and Nile cruises, this is the indispensable handbook. Dan Richardson is the author of several other Rough Guides, including Moscow, Romania and St Petersburg.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

COLOUR SECTION
Colour map of the country
Introduction to Egypt
Where to go
When to go
Things not to miss


BASICS
Getting there
Getting there from Israel and Jordan
Red tape and visas
Information, websites and maps
Insurance
Health
Costs, money and banks
Getting around
Accommodation
Eating and drinking
Communications
The media
Public holidays and festivals
Monuments and sites
Cultural hints
Crime and personal safety
Working and studying
Travellers with disabilities
Women travellers
Travelling with children
Senior travellers
Gay and lesbian travellers
Directory


THE GUIDE

1 CAIRO AND THE PYRAMIDS
Arrival
Information
City transport
Accommodation
Central Cairo
Islamic Cairo
Old Cairo, Roda Island and the southern suburbs
Gezira and the West Bank
The northern suburbs
The Pyramids
Consumers’ Cairo
Excursions from Cairo
Travel details


2 THE NILE VALLEY
Travel restrictions and routes
Middle Egypt
Beni Suef
Minya
Mallawi
The rock tombs of Beni Hassan
Hermopolis and Tuna al-Gabel
Tell el-Amarna
Assyut and around
Sohag
Upper Egypt
Abydos
Dendara and Qena
Luxor
Karnak
The Theban Necropolis
Valley of the Kings
Tombs of the Nobles
Valley of the Queens
Esna
Edfu and around
Kom Ombo
Aswan and around
Felucca journeys
Nile cruises
The Aswan Dams Cruises and fishing trips on Lake Nasser
Philae
Kalabsha
Wadi el-Seboua, Amada and Qasr Ibrim
Abu Simbel


3 THE WESTERN DESERT OASES
Wadi Natrun
Desert driving
Desert safaris
The Fayoum
The Great Desert Circuit
Bahariya Oasis
Farafra Oasis
Dakhla Oasis
Kharga Oasis
The Gilf Kebir and Jebel Uwaynat
The Great Sand Sea
Siwa Oasis


4 ALEXANDRIA AND THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST
Approaches and arrival
Information
City transport
Accommodation
The City
Corniche beaches
Eating and drinking
Nightlife and entertainment
Listings
Moving on from Alexandria
The Mediterranean coast
Abu Sir and Burg al-Arab
El-Alamein
Mersa Matrouh


5 THE DELTA
Rosetta and Damanhur
Tanta
Zagazig and the ruins of Bubastis
Tanis, Avaris and the “Land of Goshen�
Mit Damsis and El-Mansura
The Monastery of St Damyanah
Damietta
Delta beach resorts


6 THE CANAL ZONE
Suez and Port Tewfiq
Ismailiya
Port Said


7 SINAI
Visiting Sinai
The Gulf coasts
Diving and snorkelling
Serabit el-Khadim and the Turquoise Mines
Ras Mohammed
Sharm el-Sheikh, Na’ama Bay and Shark Bay
The Tiran Strait and Nabeq
Dahab and Asilah
Nuweiba and Tarabeen
Between Nuweiba and Taba
Inland safaris and treks
St Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai
The High Mountain Region and Feiran Oasis
The Wilderness of Wanderings
Northern Sinai
El-Arish


8 THE RED SEA COAST AND EASTERN DESERT
The Red Sea monasteries
Hurghada
The Red Sea Mountains
Port Safaga
El-Quseir
Mersa Alam
Rock art of the Eastern Desert
Berenice to the Sudanese border


CONTEXTS
The historical framework
Islam
Monumental chronology
Music
Books

LANGUAGE
Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian food and drink terms
Glossary of Egyptian terms

INDEX AND SMALL PRINT
Full index
Rough Guide credits
Publishing information
Help us update
Acknowledgements
Readers’ letters and emails
Photo credits

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