Cairo
In AD 98 the Roman emperor Trajan enlarged an existing fortress here, called Babylon, likely a corruption of Per-hapi-en-on (Estate of the Nile God at On)…
Must-see attractions in Egypt
Luxor
The latest project from Professor Kent Weeks and the Theban Mapping Project is the first open library in Luxor, a free service with general books in…
Northern Nile Valley
Baqet was an 11th-dynasty governor of the Oryx nome (district). His rectangular tomb chapel has seven tomb shafts and some well-preserved wall paintings…
Sinai
Inside St Catherine's Monastery, this ornately decorated 6th-century church has a nave flanked by marble columns and walls covered in richly gilded icons…
Western Desert
Dominating the cliffs 2km to the north of the Necropolis of Al Bagawat, the ruined Monastery of Al Kashef is strategically placed to overlook what was one…
Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta
The plump-looking chief justice under Teti, Kagemni appears in his own mastaba tomb as though he enjoyed the riches of the land, if the splendid and…
Luxor
Adjacent to the tomb of Tawosret/Sethnakht is a smaller tomb where it seems Sethnakht buried Seti II (1200–1194 BC) after turfing him out of KV 14. Open…
Cairo
Just north of the Amir Taz Palace, behind a green door with an Italian Institute sign, this museum is essentially a meticulously restored Ottoman-era sama…
Southern Nile Valley
Close to the Kalabsha Temple, the Temple of Beit Al Wali, mostly built by Ramses II, is cut into the rock and fronted by a brick pylon. On the walls of…
Mediterranean Coast
One of the most impressive of all Rosetta’s fine buildings, with beautiful lantern lights on the facade and vast expanses of windows with mashrabiyya …
Bahariya Oasis
Clearly visible from the road to Cairo, flat-topped Gebel Al Ingleez, also known as Black Mountain, takes its name from a WWI lookout post. From here…
Aswan
The elegant Tomb of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan belongs to the 48th imam (leader) of the Ismaili sect. In his illustrious life he was hugely influential in the…
Aswan
The Nilometer of the Temple of Khnum (plaque number 7) is below the southern balustrade of the temple. Built in the 26th dynasty, the Nilometer's stone…
Northern Nile Valley
The Tomb of Petosiris, a high priest of Thoth from the late period (between the Persian and Greek conquests), is unusual because it copies the form of…
Western Desert
Set among breathtaking desert scenery, Bir Al Gabal is a gorgeous place for a soak. During the day in winter and spring any ambience here is overwhelmed…
Northern Nile Valley
This tomb, in the southern group, is the finest at Tell Al Amarna, with the images reflecting the importance of Ay and Tiyi. Scenes include the couple…
Southern Nile Valley
Built during the reign of the energetic pharaoh, the interior of the Temple of Ramses II was hewn from the rock and fronted by a stone pylon and colossal…
Greek Orthodox Monastery & Church of St George
Cairo
The first doorway north of the Coptic Museum gate leads to the Greek Orthodox Monastery and Church of St George. St George (Mar Girgis) is one of the…
Alexandria
The Antiquities Museum at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina has a well-curated exhibition of artefacts that romp from the Pharaonic, through the Greek and Roman…
Mediterranean Coast
This gorgeous beach is a real find, with irresistible milky-blue water that’s great for swimming. Even out here, conservative dress for women applies. The…
Luxor
The tomb of Sennedjem is stunningly decorated and contains two small chambers with some exquisite paintings. Sennedjem was a 19th-dynasty artist who lived…
Cairo
As the closest monument to the Bab Al Mahruq entrance to Al Azhar Park, this mosque makes a good landmark for finding your way there. The 14th-century…
Aswan
Gharb Seheyl, the village opposite Seheyl island, has become popular tourist attraction of late, both with excursions from Aswan and for those looking for…
Cairo
Mukhtar (1891–1934) was the sculptor laureate of independent Egypt, responsible for Saad Zaghloul on the nearby roundabout and the Egypt Reawakening…
Northern Nile Valley
Northwest of Seti I’s temple, this smaller, less well-preserved, roofless structure was built by his son Ramses II (1279–1213 BC). Following the…
Northern Nile Valley
At Dirunka, some 11km southwest of Asyut, this convent was built near a cave where the Holy Family are said to have taken refuge during their flight into…
Mediterranean Coast
This museum is an excellent introduction to the North African campaigns of WWII, including the Battle of El Alamein. The museum has separate halls…
Northern Nile Valley
Khnumhotep was governor during the early 12th dynasty, and his detailed ‘autobiography’ is inscribed on the base of walls that contain the most detailed…
Cairo
Dwarfed by Mohammed Ali’s mosque, this beautiful 1318 mosque is the only Mamluk work that Mohammed Ali didn’t demolish – instead, he used it as a stable…
Sharm El Sheikh
At the perennially popular Gardens there are actually three sites in one. Near Garden is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles; Middle Garden features a…
Cairo
Built in AD 1504 by the Mamluk sultan Al Ghouri, this wikala was originally designed as an inn for traders following the caravan routes from the east and…
Cairo
This remarkable mosque, built in 1481 by Prince Sayf Al Din Qijmas, above a row of shops, is one of Cairo's best examples of Mamluk architecture. Its…
Cairo
On the western side of Sharia Al Muizz, opposite the mausoleum, is the second part of Al Ghouri's funerary complex, the intimate and richly decorated…
Aswan
Walking along the Corniche and watching the sunset over the islands and desert across the Nile is a favourite pastime in Aswan. The view from riverside…
Southern Nile Valley
About 1km to the north of the Temple of Ramses II are the remains of the Temple of Dakka, begun by the Nubian pharaoh Arkamani (218–200 BC) using…
Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta
Once quite isolated because of a bad road, Deir Al Baramouse now has more than 100 monks in residence, plus six modern churches in addition to its…
Cairo
Built into the Fatimid walls between 1415 and 1421, the red-and-white-striped Mosque of Al Mu’ayyad Shaykh was laid out on the site of a prison where its…
Northern Nile Valley
Kheti, Baqet’s son, inherited the governorship of the Oryx nome from his father. His tomb chapel, with two of its original six papyrus columns intact, has…
Cairo
The penultimate Mamluk sultan Al Ghouri built his funerary complex in 1504, on both sides of Sharia Al Muizz. At the age of 78, Al Ghouri was beheaded in…
Red Sea Coast
The starkly beautiful desert of the Wadi Gimal Protectorate extends inland for about 85km from its coastal opening south of Marsa Alam, and is home to a…
