Must-see attractions in Egypt

  • Decorated columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall in the Amun Temple enclosure in Karnak, Egypt; Shutterstock ID 2287618019; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
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    Amun Temple Enclosure

    Luxor

    Amun-Ra was the local god of Karnak (Luxor) and during the New Kingdom, when the princes of Thebes ruled Egypt, he became the preeminent state god, with a…

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    St Catherine's Monastery

    Sinai

    This ancient monastery traces its founding to about AD 330, when Byzantine empress Helena had a small chapel and a fortified refuge for local hermits…

  • The Temple of Edfu, Egypt - from the Ptolemaic period.
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    Temple of Horus

    Southern Nile Valley

    This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the…

  • Painted bas relief of Osiris and Isis wearing the headdress of Hathor at the Temple of Seti I.
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    Temple of Seti I

    Northern Nile Valley

    The first structure you’ll see at Abydos is the Great Temple of Seti I, which, after a certain amount of restoration work, is one of the most complete,…

  • Trajans Kiosk on Philae Island near Aswan, Upper Egypt.

    Temple of Isis

    Southern Nile Valley

    Built to honour the goddess Isis, this was the last temple built in the classical Egyptian style. Construction began around 690 BC, and it was one of the…

  • Chalk formation in White desert, Egypt
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    White Desert National Park

    Western Desert

    Upon first glimpse of the 300-sq-km national park of the White Desert, you’ll feel like Alice through the looking-glass. About 20km northeast of Farafra,…

  • LUXOR, EGYPT - FEBRUARY 5 2016 - Unique shot of the Ramesses VI tomb in Valley of the Kings. Obtaining permission for taking images there is painstaking but worth it.; Shutterstock ID 467883095; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Southern Egypt temples article
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    Valley of the Kings

    Luxor

    The west bank of Luxor had been the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but it was the pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (1550–1069 BC) who chose…

  • Pyramids of Giza during sunset.

    Pyramids of Giza

    Giza

    The last remaining wonder of the ancient world; for nearly 4000 years, the extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry and sheer bulk of the Giza Pyramids…

  • A guide briefs tourists before canopic jars which contained the organs of the ancient Egyptian New Kingdom Pharaoh Tutankhamun (1332-1323 BC) at his tomb KV62, displayed with the Tutankhamun collection at the Egyptian Museum in the centre of Egypt's capital Cairo on November 6, 2022. - The resting place of Egypt's pharaoh Tutankhamun has become the world's most famous tomb, its discovery 100 years ago among the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

    Egyptian Museum

    Cairo

    One of the world’s most important collections of ancient artefacts, the Egyptian Museum takes pride of place in Downtown Cairo, on the north side of Midan…

  • It is the most remarkable construction of the necropolis of Saqqara, south of the city of Memphis. Some tourists walk next to the pyramid..Saqqara, Egypt. March 27, 2008

    Saqqara

    Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta

    Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…

  • Ram-headed sphinxes ,Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt.
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    Karnak

    Luxor

    Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad but also to the greater glory of pharaohs…

  • Cairo, Egypt - October 26, 2019: Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo; Shutterstock ID 1557780782; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
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    Museum of Islamic Art

    Cairo

    This museum, on the edge of Islamic Cairo, holds one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic art and is Egypt's (and one of the entire Middle East's)…

  • The Osireion at the Temple of Seti l.

    Abydos

    Northern Nile Valley

    As the main cult centre of Osiris, god of the dead, Abydos (known as Ibdju in ancient times) was the place to be buried in ancient Egypt. The tomb of Djer…

  • Tomb of Seti I (KV 17)

    Luxor

    One of the great achievements of Egyptian art, this cathedral-like tomb is the finest in the Valley of the Kings. Long closed to visitors, it is now…

  • Mt Sinai, Sinai Desert, Egypt, Africa

    Mt Sinai

    Sinai

    Known locally as Gebel Musa, Mt Sinai is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews, all of whom believe that God delivered his Ten Commandments to Moses at…

  • Interior of Dendera temple or Temple of Hathor, Egypt. Dendera , also spelled Denderah, is a small town and former bishopric in Egypt situated on the west bank of the Nile, about 5 kilometres south of Qena, on the opposite side of the river. It is located approximately 60 kilometres north of Luxor. It contains the Dendera Temple complex, one of the best-preserved temple sites from ancient Upper Egypt.

    Dendara

    Northern Nile Valley

    Dendara was an important administrative and religious centre as early as the 6th dynasty (c 2320 BC). Although built at the very end of the Pharaonic…

  • Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

    Bibliotheca Alexandrina

    Alexandria

    Alexandria’s ancient library was one of the greatest of all classical institutions, and while replacing it might seem a Herculean task, the new…

  • Medinet Habu temple.

    Medinat Habu

    Luxor

    Ramses III’s magnificent memorial temple of Medinat Habu, fronted by sleepy Kom Lolah village and backed by the Theban mountains, is one of the west bank…

  • The Luxor Museum.

    Luxor Museum

    Luxor

    This wonderful museum has a well-chosen and brilliantly displayed and explained collection of antiquities dating from the end of the Old Kingdom right…

  • Bell towers of Saint Anthony church, Eastern Desert, Egypt.

    Monastery of St Anthony

    Red Sea Coast

    This historic monastery traces its origins to the 4th century AD when monks began to settle at the foot of Gebel Al Galala Al Qibliya, where their…

  • Ramesses VI tomb in Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt.

    Tomb of Ramses VI (KV 9)

    Luxor

    With some of the broadest corridors, longest shafts (117m) and greatest variety of decoration, KV 9 is one of the most spectacular tombs in the valley…

  • Pilgrim church of the monastery of St. Paul the Anchorite, Egypt.

    Monastery of St Paul

    Red Sea Coast

    Dating to the 4th century, the Monastery of St Paul began as a grouping of hermitages in the cliffs around the site where Paul had his cell. The complex's…

  • Exhibits at the Alexandria National Museum.

    Alexandria National Museum

    Alexandria

    This excellent museum sets a high benchmark with its summary of Alexandria’s past. Housed in a beautifully restored Italianate villa, the small but…

  • Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo.

    Al Azhar Mosque

    Cairo

    Founded in AD 970 as the centrepiece of the newly created Fatimid city, Al Azhar is one of Cairo’s earlier mosques, and its sheikh is considered the…

  • Coral Reef at the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt.

    Blue Hole

    Dahab

    Carved into a reef, 8km north of Dahab, is Egypt’s most infamous dive site. The Blue Hole is a gaping sinkhole that drops straight down – some say…

  • The minaret of Qalawun complex rises over Al-Muizz street.

    Sharia Al Muizz Li Din Allah

    Cairo

    Sharia Al Muizz, as it’s usually called, named after the Fatimid caliph who conquered Cairo in AD 969, was Cairo's grand thoroughfare, once chock-a-block…

  • Exhibits of monuments in the Museum of Nubia in Aswan, Egypt.

    Nubia Museum

    Aswan

    The little-visited Nubia Museum, opposite Basma Hotel, is a treat, a showcase of the history, art and culture of Nubia. Established in 1997 in cooperation…

  • The Coptic Museum in Cairo, Egypt.

    Coptic Museum

    Cairo

    This museum, founded in 1908, houses Coptic art from the earliest days of Christianity in Egypt right through to early Islam. It is a beautiful place, as…

  • Paintings in the triconch sanctuary of the church in the Red Monastery at Sohag, Egypt.

    Red Monastery

    Northern Nile Valley

    The Red Monastery, 4km southeast of the White Monastery and hidden at the rear of a village, is one of the most remarkable Christian buildings in Egypt…

  • Statues of Amenemopet, the Chief Steward of Amun, and his wife in his tomb, Valley of Nobles in Thebes, Luxor, Egypt.

    Tombs of the Nobles

    Luxor

    These tombs are some of the best least-visited attractions on the west bank. Nestled in the foothills opposite the Ramesseum are more than 400 tombs…

  • Ancient christian necropolis of Al Bagawat in Egypt.

    Necropolis of Al Bagawat

    Western Desert

    It may not look like much from afar, but this necropolis is one of the earliest surviving and best-preserved Christian cemeteries in the world. About 1km…

  • The tomb of Ti at the Step pyramid of Djoser funerary complex in Saqqara, Egypt.

    Mastaba of Ti

    Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta

    The Mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. This grand and detailed private tomb is not only Old Kingdom art at its best but also one of…

  • Aswan botanical gardens.

    Aswan Botanical Gardens

    Aswan

    Kitchener’s Island, to the west of Elephantine Island, was given to Lord Horatio Kitchener in the 1890s when he was commander of the Egyptian army…

  • The Shali Fortress in Siwa Oasis, Egypt.

    Fortress of Shali

    Siwa Oasis

    Central Siwa is dominated by the spectacular organic shapes of the remains of this 13th-century mud-brick fortress. Built from kershef (chunks of salt…

  • Lantern shop in the Khan El Khalili market in Cairo.

    Khan Al Khalili

    Cairo

    The skinny lanes of Khan Al Khalili are basically a medieval-style mall. This agglomeration of shops – many arranged around small courtyards – stocks…

  • Ancient Egyptian exhibits in the Imhotep Museum.

    Imhotep Museum

    Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta

    In the complex at the entrance to the Saqqara site is this beautiful collection of some of the best finds from Saqqara, and one of the finest small…

  • Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan.

    Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan

    Cairo

    Massive yet elegant, this grand structure is regarded as the finest piece of early Mamluk architecture in Cairo. It was built between 1356 and 1363 by…

  • Reliefs showing the mistress of the house and the chantress of Amun at the tomb of Sennefer in Luxor, Egypt.

    Tombs of Sennofer & Rekhmire

    Luxor

    The most interesting parts of the tomb of Sennofer, overseer of the Garden of Amun under Amenhotep II, are to be found deep underground, in the main…

  • Shaab Samadai Reef is a breeding ground of spinners dolphin in the Red sea, in Marsa Alam, Egypt.

    Sha’ab Samadai

    Marsa Alam

    This lagoon 18km south-east of Marsa Alam is home to three dive sites with a reef system full of interesting coral pinnacles and fish life. What makes…

  • The Qalawun complex in Cairo.

    Madrassa & Mausoleum of Qalaun

    Cairo

    Built in just 13 months, the 1279 Madrassa and Mausoleum of Qalaun is both the earliest and the most splendid of the vast religious complexes on this…

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