Egypt General Information

Egypt is the gift of the Nile, and it is the mother of the world. Its ancient history is talked about by the world. Egypt is the mother of civilizations, the first civilization made by the Pharaohs who built the Pharaonic civilization that the world is witnessing until now, just as Egypt has a distinguished history and God blessed it in the Bible.

Egypt lies in the heart of the whole world from Where its geographical location is the meeting point of the continents of the ancient world, and God has endowed it with the great river Nile, on which civilizations are based, world tourists come to it from all places to see the most luxurious monuments of the world. in this article we will take a brief summary of The great country of Egypt.

Egypt General Information

Since 1971, Egypt has been called the Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE).

Territory: 1001, 5 thousand square meters. km Population: 100 million (2020).

Ethnic groups: Hamites (Egyptians) 90%, Bedouins, Nubians.

Official language: Arabic, ancient Egyptian language preserved only in the liturgical service.

Religion: 75% of the population practice Islam, since the overwhelming majority of people are Swin Muslims, 25% are Christians (Coptics). [souce]

Capital City: The capital is the city of Cairo (about 10 million people).

Large cities: Alexandria (5.2 million people), Giza (8.8 million people), Port Said (650 thousand people), Mansur. check Egypt maps.

Administrative division: 27 governorates (governorates), which are divided into districts (marquises), and districts into districts (nakhii).

Egypt Currency: Egyptian pound = 100 piastrams. Currency in Egypt: Getting and using money

The head of state is the president (Abdel Fattah el-Sisi).

Export: crude oil and light oil, cotton, fruits.

Import: machinery and equipment, vehicles.

Trading partners: USA, France, Germany, Japan. [source]

Borders: in the west – with Libya, in the northeast – with Israel, in the east – with Jordan, Saudi Arabia, in the south – with Sudan, in the north it is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, in the east – by the Red Sea.

The leading industries are: oil producing and oil refining, food, textile, metallurgical.

The main branch of agriculture is agriculture based on artificial irrigation. For the collection of high-quality long-fiber cotton, Egypt ranks first in the world. In 1997, the New Valley project was launched, providing for the irrigation of 1.4 million hectares of land in the Western Desert.

Minerals are extracted: oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, mineral salts, manganese.

An important economic article is tourism. Attractions in the Nile Valley and Delta include: the city of the Dead, the Museum in Egypt (treasures of the tomb of Tutankhamun), mosques and minarets, mausoleums, monasteries and temples, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx.

Egypt General Information: Holidays in Egypt

January 1: New Year Holiday.

January 7: Coptic Christmas Day

January 25: Remembering the Egyptian revolution 2011.

April 12: Coptic Easter Sunday

April 25: Liberation Day of the Sinai Peninsula (in the October war of 1973).

May 1: Labor Day.

June 18: Day of liberation from British rule.

June 30: Remembering the Egyptian revolution. (June 2012)

July 23: 1952 Revolution Day

September 23: Victory Day over Israel in 1956

October 6: National Day – the anniversary of the Doomsday War (Day of the Suez Canal’s transition into the hands of the Egyptians).

October 24: Day of the capture of Suez by the Egyptian army in 1973

December 23: entrance of the Egyptian army to Port Said in 1956. Muslim (New Year, the birth of the prophet, etc.) and Coptic should be added to official holidays.

Zham en-Nessim is one of the most popular holidays in Egypt. It falls on the first Monday after the Coptic Easter (coincides with the Orthodox Easter), and its roots in ancient Egypt. It is a holiday of spring. Egyptian families have picnics on this day.

The Muslim holiday of Ramadan is especially unusual for tourists, when the life of Muslim neighborhoods is quiet during the day due to fasting (from dawn to dusk, you can neither eat, drink, nor indulge in any bodily joys). But after sunset, the post is interrupted. The culmination of the holiday is the 27th night of fasting (Laylet al-Qadr), on that very night, according to legend, the first revelation was sent to Muhammad. The end of the month of fasting marks “small Van-ram” (Eid al-Fitr), which lasts 3 days. In 2002, this lunar year-dependent fast (it lasts 30 days, each year begins 11-12 days earlier) will be held in November.

70 days after the “small Byram,” at the end of the month of pilgrimage to Mecca, a celebration of sacrifice is celebrated in memory of how Ibrahim was preparing to sacrifice his son Ishaq. Livestock is sacrificed. Islamic New Year (Avil saana hiyirlia) is celebrated modestly on the first day of the month of Moharram.

Check our spiritual tours: Egypt Spiritual Tour

Egypt General Information: Egyptian cuisine

In any restaurant, cafe or bistro in Egypt you will be served national cuisine.

What is the original cuisine of Egypt? With its spiciness, an abundance of sauces, spices, unexpected taste decisions. Beans are characteristic of the products. Beans are held in high esteem and they are an integral part of the Egyptian diet. The guest cannot avoid getting to know the so-called Bean Burger. They are served in the form of small cutlets and richly flavored with all kinds of spices.

A trip to Egypt for a vegetarian will be very enjoyable, since many popular dishes of this cuisine are made without meat. Egypt is famous for its fish specialties. Here is a very wide selection of fish dishes, even if you are a connoisseur of them you will not be disappointed!

Meat lovers will also not be left without their favorite food. There is a completely unforgettable very aristocratic dish – a dove with a side dish. As for meat in general, you will find here any of its species, with the exception of pork.

Dessert dishes are mainly represented by fruits and oriental sweets, with honey and nuts.

Well, the Egyptians’ favorite drink is Hibiscus tea, it is served both hot and cold.

So, it remains only to try dishes such as brian – meat or fish, seasoned with loose rice or fuya memes – stewed with seasoning beans.

Koshari

Mahshi

Molokhia

Ta'ameya

Egypt General Information: Recommendations for tourists

Going to Egypt? And do not know about their traditions yet? Then we are in a hurry to advise what you can do in Egypt and what is strictly prohibited.

What not to do in Egypt

• Swim in the Nile. It is strictly forbidden, since the “mother of all living things” is rich in numerous bacteria that are so easy for Europeans to catch.
• BUY vases and figurines made supposedly from natural lapis lazuli. In fact, it can be just ordinary clay. Therefore, be careful not to fall for various fakes.
• GO FOR LONG-TERM EXCURSIONS AND DO NOT GRAVE SUNGLASSES AND SUN CREAM. Without them, you can get very severe burns, sometimes even serious degrees. And do not look at the cloudy and gloomy weather. Remember that you are in Africa.
• BUY alcoholic beverages. Not only are they expensive, and besides, you can run into the most ordinary drinks of local bottling.

Also read: Things to do on holiday in Egypt

What to do in Egypt

• Bring a bathing suit with you. On the upper deck of almost all ships there is a small pool.
• PUT a warm sweater or something that can warm you in a suitcase. Despite the fact that the street is unreal heat, but in winter, after sunset, the temperature drops significantly.
• LEAVE a tip to all those who need it, because these tips, in the amount of 1 pound, make up the salaries of waiters, maids and other employees.