13 Best Attractions in Egypt according to Lonely Planet

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13 Best Attractions in Egypt according to Lonely Planet 13. Souqs A souq was originally an open-air marketplace. Historically, souqs were held outside cities at locations where incoming caravans would stop and merchants would display their goods for sale. Souqs took place whenever a caravan or caravans had arrived. 12. Aswan Sunset Aswan is the smallest of the three major tourist cities on the Nile. Being the furthest south of the three, it has a large population of Nubian people, mostly resettled from their homeland in the area flooded by Lake Nasser. Aswan is the home of many granite quarries from which most of the Obelisks seen in Luxor were sourced. Aswan was the ancient Egyptians' gateway to Africa. 11. Coptic Sites It was to the barren mountains and jagged cliffs of the empty sprawl of desert that the first early ascetics came, even then seeking an escape from Egypt's hubbub. Today Coptic monasteries such as those of St Anthony and St Paul, where the tradition of Christian monasticism began, still play an important role in the modern Coptic faith. 10. Abu Simbel Abu Simbel in Upper Egypt was saved from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, growing behind the Aswan Dam, in a massive archaeological rescue plan sponsored by UNESCO in the 1960s. The complex of temples dedicated to the Pharaoh Ramsis II "the Great" remain an evocative and unforgettable destination. 9. Red Sea Diving The Red Sea Coast is a region of eastern Egypt, following the shoreline of the Red Sea for 800 km from Suez in the north to the Sudanese border in the south. It is best known for its warm climate year-round, for its clear azure waters, for its beach resorts and - given the presence of many species of exotic fish and coral - for its value as a diving destination. 8. Siwan Life The historic town of Siwa stands on an isolated oasis situated in the Western Desert region of Egypt. The oasis is one of the most isolated settlements in the country. Siwa nonetheless holds a special appeal for many travelers on account of its isolation and unique character, its natural beauty and its historical associations. 7. Egyptian Museum The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum or Museum of Cairo, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms. 6. Desert Safaris Whether you travel by 4WD, camel or foot, for two hours or two weeks, you'll be able to taste the beauty and isolation of wildest Egypt. The highlights of an excursion in Egypt's Western Desert include camping among the surreal formations of the White Desert, crossing the dunes of the Great Sand Sea and heading deep into the desert to live out English Patient fantasies at the remote Gilf Kebir. 5. Theban Tombs The Theban Necropolis is located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor, in Egypt. As well as the more famous royal tombs located in the Valley of the Kings and Queens, there are numerous other tombs, more commonly referred to as Tombs of the Nobles, the burial places of some of the powerful courtiers and persons of the ancient city. 4. Mount Sinai Mount Sinai is said to be the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God; indeed, the Arabic name Gebel Musa means "Mount of Moses". While there is very little archaeological evidence to support this assertion, the mountain is still a popular pilgrimage site and home to the Monastery of St. Catherine. 3. Cruising the Nile Perhaps the most popular activity in Luxor and Aswan is to do the Nile Cruise on a ship from Aswan to Luxor. It enables you to stop at each location along the Nile where you can see all the famous ancient monuments as well as experience being in the Nile River inside a five-star hotel boat. 2. Temples of Karnak The Karnak Temple Complex comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Building at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic period, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. 1. Pyramids of Giza Giza is best known for the world-famous Pyramids of Giza, situated high on the desert plateau immediately to the west of the urban district. One of the premier attractions of Egypt, if not the world, the Pyramids of Giza represent the archetypal pyramid structures of ancient Egyptian civilisation and - together with the Sphinx at the base of the Giza plateau - are the iconic image of Egypt. SUBSCRIBE http://www.youtube.com/videovoyagetv?sub_confirmation=1 CONNECT Website: http://videovoyage.tv Google+: http://google.com/+videovoyagetv Twitter: http://twitter.com/videovoyagetv Instagram: http://instagram.com/videovoyagetv Tumblr: http://videovoyagetv.tumblr.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/videovoyagetv YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/videovoyagetv