At the Khan
The Khan el-Khalili, Cairo, Egypt “Shopping“ Touring Egypt 33: The Khan el-Khalili in old Islamic Cairo has been a bazaar for centuries. Originally, it was the Cairo terminus for camel trains across the great Sahara desert. Today, completely surrounded by the city of Cairo, it is a warren of fascinating shops, peopled by wonderful, warm, […]
Spiral View
Ibn Tulun, Cairo, Egypt “The View“ Touring Egypt 31: Cairo is full of mosques (as mentioned in previous posts). One of the oldest and most historically significant is the mosque of Ibn Tulun. Whereas the mosque of Sultan Hassan remains a working house of worship, ibn Tulun is now mostly a preserved historic site. (Ibn […]
Well Preserved
Medinet Habu, near Luxor, Egypt.
Touring Egypt 29: “Might I suggest….” My guide, Mr. Muhammad, did not think much of the normal tour, for which I had paid. This was our second day together, and he wanted to recommend a destination that would be better for my interests (read: obsessive photo addict). One pretty cool feature of touring in Egypt (unlike many parts of the world) is that every party gets their own individual tour. You will not be tossed into a bus with 25 other random tourists. If you are with a group, your guide will collect you and your group up with an appropriately sized vehicle (and driver). …
Unexpected Market
Esna Dam, The Nile River, Southern Egypt “To Market, To Market“ Touring Egypt 27: The sudden commotion surprised everyone in my party (though the shoppers among us did recover quickly). After a long, hot day, the evening was beginning to cool and tea time was in full swing on the sun deck at the very […]
At the Center
Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt “The Hall“ Touring Egypt 25: Here we are at Karnak Temple, just outside of the modern town of Luxor. Several generations of pharaohs built onto this temple as the center of the ancient Egyptian religion (and therefore government). Karnak is probably the most significant temple complex in Egypt. One can get […]