Despite recent political upheavals, Egypt remains one of the most popular destinations for tourists in the world. No other country can rival Egypt when it comes to spectacular monuments and historical attractions. Here are some of the top tourist attractions in Egypt. Visit thomascook.com for some of the best cheap holidays Egypt has to offer.
The Pyramids
Although they can be found in a few other countries, when people think of pyramids they almost always think of Egypt. There are over 80 pyramids in Egypt, most of which were built between 2600 BC and 1500 BC, and all of them can be found near the river Nile. The pyramids were built as tombs for the kings and queens of Egypt, with their corpses being wrapped and preserved by the mummification process. The most famous ones are the Pyramids at Giza, which were built by an estimated twenty to thirty thousand slaves over the course of eighty years. The largest pyramid in the world, known as the Great Pyramid, is a staggering 481 feet high, and can be found in Giza.
Cairo
Cairo is the capital of Egypt, and is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in the country. Popular attractions in Cairo include the Khan al-Khalili market, which is one of the largest in the world, and is a great place to pick up Arabic clothing and exotic perfumes, the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which has over a hundred thousand artefacts in 107 halls, with the most popular attraction being the Tutankhamun Gallery, and Old Cairo.
The Temples of Abu Simbel
These legendary temples were carved out of sandstone cliffs, high above the River Nile. The most famous attractions here are the four colossal twenty metre high statues of Rameses II that guard the entrance. These were moved to higher ground by UNESCO in the 1960s due to fears about rising water levels.
Luxor Temple
Luxor is home to the famous ancient city of Thebes, the city of a hundred gates. The entrance to the Karnak Temple in Thebes is lined with a row of sphinxes, and the most famous section of these temples is a huge hall called the Great Hypostyle Hall.
Siwa Oasis
This area, famous for its dates and olives, is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes and springs in Egypt, and is sixty feet below sea level.
Until relatively recently, it was the most inaccessible oasis in Egypt, but recent improvements to transport links have made it much more accessible to visitors.
By Olivia GrilHey Folks! I'm Olivia from California, United States. I'm a blogger, travel lover, I can travel anywhere, whether it's a new place or already visited. I love meeting new people, clicking photos of every movement, and documenting my adventure. I also, write about travel, travel movies, the best places to visit, etc. Read my stories.
