Lonely Planet Egypt (Lonely Planet Egypt) - Softcover

Andrew Humphreys; Siona Jenkins; Lonely Planet

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1864502983 ISBN 13: 9781864502985

Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications, 2002

Synopsis

Whether you want to cruise down the Nile, explore ancient sites or soak up the sun in Sinai, this guide is the perfect companion for exploring Egypt – a land that has tempted travellers for centuries.

• 104 detailed maps, including a full-colour country map
• special section on Pharaonic Egypt, including a who's who of gods & goddesses and a user's guide to reading hieroglyphs
• the lowdown on camel trekking in Sinai, desert safaris and felucca trips
• up-to-date advice on where to stay and eat on any budget
• hot tips on where to dive and snorkel in the Red Sea

About this title

From the Publisher

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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Destination: Egypt

Egypt is the most extraordinary place. Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, noted as much more than a century before the birth of Christ when he wrote, "Concerning Egypt I will now speak at length, because nowhere are there so many marvellous things, nor in the world besides are there to be seen so many things of unspeakable greatness..." By which he meant the Pyramids and the immense wealth of awe-inspiring temples and monuments left by the pharaohs. But to those you can now add the legacy of the Greeks and Romans, the churches and monasteries of the early Christians, and the overwhelming profusion of art and architecture accumulated from centuries of successive Islamic dynasties.

Around these ancient wonders day-to-day life goes on. Egyptian society and culture offer as much intrigue and magic as the country's historical treasures: whether it's the voice of diva Umm Kolthum wafting from a busy Cairo coffeehouse at dusk, or taking passage on a local Nile ferry to reach a small family restaurant on the far bank.

Then there's the incredible natural beauty of the country. The fine white sand, clean clear water, and purple mountain backdrops of the Sinai and the Red Sea coasts have long been known to divers, who come to enjoy offshore reefs with sheer drop-offs that plummet to unknown depths, for coral-encountered shipwrecks and for the abundance of amazing marine life. Equally other-worldly are the vast expanses of blinding white sand and rippling dunes of the Western Desert, now more accessible through a growing number of desert-safari outfits. There's far more to Egypt than just the Pyramids.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1864502983
• ISBN 13: 9781864502985
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 544