Godina izdanja: Ostalo
ISBN: Ostalo
Jezik: Engleski
Autor: Strani

Publisher : Rough Guides; 4th edition (December 4, 2000)
Language: : English
Paperback : 704 pages

Each of the regions is discussed in its own chapter introduction; what follows is merely the briefest outline of the main attractions.

Most visitors arrive at Cairo. A seething megalopolis, its chief sightseeing appeal lies in its bazaars and medieval mosques, though there is scarcely less fascination in its juxtapositions of medieval and modern life, with fortified gates, villas and skyscrapers interwoven by flyovers whose traffic may be halted by herds of camels. The immensity and diversity of this `Mother of Cities` is as staggering as anything you’ll encounter in Egypt, while just outside Cairo are the first of the pyramids that range across the desert to the edge of the Fayoum, among them the unsurpassable trio at Giza and the vast necropolis of Saqqara. Besides all this, there are superb museums devoted to Ancient, Coptic and Islamic Egypt, and enough entertainments to occupy weeks of your time.

However, the principal tourist lure remains, as ever, the Nile Valley, with its ancient monuments and timeless river vistas – felucca sailboat cruises being a great way to combine the two. The town of Luxor is synonymous with the magnificent temples of Karnak and the Theban Necropolis, which includes the Valley of the Kings where Tutankhamun and other pharaohs were buried. Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city, has the loveliest setting on the Nile and a languorous ambience. From here, you can visit the island Philae temple of Isis and the rock-hewn colossi at Abu Simbel. Other sites not to be missed are Edfu and Kom Ombo (between Luxor and Aswan) and – for those willing to chance their luck on the fringes of potentially risky Middle Egypt – the amazing temples of Abydos and Dendara (north of Luxor).

Only accessible to tourists in the last two decades, the Western Desert Oases are scattered across a vast, awesomely desolate region. Siwa, out towards the Libyan border, has a unique culture and history, limpid pools and bags of charm. Another option is to follow the `Great Desert Circuit` (starting from Cairo or Assyut) through the four `inner` oases. Though Bahariya and Farafra hold the most appeal, with the lovely White Desert between them, the larger oases of Dakhla and Kharga also have their rewards once you escape their modernized `capitals`. And for those equipped to make serious desert expeditions, there’s the challenge of entering the Great Sand Sea or tracing part of the infamous Forty Days Road. By way of contrast to these deep-desert locations are the quasi-oases of the Fayoum and Wadi Natrun, with their diverse ancient ruins and Coptic monasteries.