About Egypt

About Egypt 

Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west.

Egypt emerged as one of the world's first nation states in the tenth millennium BC.Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion and central government. Iconic monuments such as the Giza Necropolis and its Great Sphinx, as well the ruins of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings, reflect this legacy and remain a significant focus of scientific and popular interest. Egypt's long and rich cultural heritage is an integral part of its national identity, which has endured, and often assimilated, various foreign influences, including Greek, Persian, Roman, Arab, Ottoman, and Nubian.

Egypt is a land of dreams for travelers looking for a bustling destination with a vibrant culture. For Europeans, Egypt has been a popular spot (among Turkey and Tunisia) to go for a resort getaway with occasional day trips to places like Luxor and Cairo.

► What is the currency in Egypt:

Egypt's currency is Egyptian pound (referred by LE - Livre Egyptienne) and one LE is equal to 100 piasters, or genaeh in Arabic. You will find 25 and 50 piaster notes and various sized coins down to the 5 piasters. At present $1 dollar is equivalent to about 17.5 Egyptian pound In Egypt, most of the banks are open from Sunday to Thursday, from 8:30am to 4:00pm, though banks at major entry points, like airports, are open 24 hours daily.

Banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200.

Pound Sterling, US Dollars, Euro and other major currencies can be exchanged in Egypt. Exchange facilities are available at various bureau de changes and all major towns have ATMs. It's advisable to request bank notes in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases and gratuities. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in the government-run stores, most hotels and Red Sea resorts. Traveller's Cheques are not recommended as they're often difficult to exchange and incur high fees.

Another important point is that Scottish pounds and Irish punts are not accepted by Egypt Banks! You will find plenty of banks at the airport and several foreign currency exchange offices. Your duty-free goods must be purchased within 48 hours after arrival.

If at any point during your tour, you run out of money, and your credit cards are not accepted, you can still have money wired to you from abroad. In Egypt, there are many Western Union branches, and it takes mere moments to have money sent to you.

► Safety in Egypt:

First things first: is Egypt safe? Absolutely! safety wasn’t the biggest concern. Unfortunately, nowadays most of the Middle East is currently in a political or social unrest, but we often forget to see the difference between Egypt and the rest of the Middle East.

The cultural attitude towards women in Egypt is different to that of the West so travelling as a solo female does require consideration to ensure a more comfortable travelling experience. The best way you can avoid unwanted attention is to dress conservatively at all times and this means keeping shoulders and upper arms, legs and chest covered with loose-fitting and opaque clothing. The hot Egyptian sun might tempt you to do the complete opposite in order to perfect your tan but you'll demonstrate respect for the local culture if you make an effort to dress more appropriately. In the Red Sea resorts the Egyptian staff are more familiar with Western culture and therefore a more relaxed attitude to clothing is generally not a problem.

Like any large city anywhere in the world, it's advisable to avoid walking the streets of downtown Cairo at night. Egypt is by no means a dangerous place visitors - Egyptians are hospitable, friendly and humorous people and are likely to leave a lasting positive impression of their country. Tourist attractions are largely safe and not under any threat.

 

► Cultural Tips and Etiquette:

It's not just women that need to consider how they dress when visiting Egypt - it's also best for men to wear trousers and keep their shoulders covered, keeping in line with how Egyptian men dress. Shorts are only acceptable at beach resorts but it's surprising how many visitors to Egypt ignore this. When visiting a mosque both men and women will need to be completely covered with women also required to wear a headscarf. Remember to remove shoes before entering.

Displays of physical affection should not be made in public. It's common to see Egyptian men greet one another with hugs and kisses but members of the opposite sex should refrain from any such contact outside the privacy of their hotel room.

When visiting bazaars, markets and shops, you may encounter persistent offers in an attempt to sell you something. The best way to respond is by being polite and when refusing an offer do so with your right hand over your heart - this is seen as a sign of humbleness and gratitude in Egypt and an extremely polite way of declining any offer.

In Egypt the left hand is considered unclean as it's used to remove shoes and wipe your bottom after going to the toilet so to avoid any embarrassment around the dinner table, use your right hand for eating and when presenting gifts or money to anyone.