The Rough Guide to Egypt 5

by Richardson, Dan

• ISBN13: 9781843530503
• ISBN10: 1843530503
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-03-24
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

Egypt remains the most popular and varied destination in the Middle East and the Rough Guide to Egypt a trusted companion. "The best of the four guides we sampled, " wrote the Irish Times, "full of indispensable, erudite advice." With a 200-page section devoted to Cairo and the pyramids alone, and full coverage of desert travel, Red Sea diving and Nile cruises, this is the indispensable handbook. Dan Richardson is the author of several other Rough Guides, including Moscow, Romania and St Petersburg.

Table of Contents

Colour section	i
Colour map of the country	ii
Introduction to Egypt	v
Where to go	vi
When to go	xi
Things not to miss	xiii
Basics	9	(72)
Getting there	11	(12)
Getting there from Israel and Jordan	23	(3)
Red tape and visas	26	(3)
Information, websites and maps	29	(4)
Insurance	33	(1)
Health	34	(5)
Costs, money and banks	39	(6)
Getting around	45	(7)
Accommodation	52	(3)
Eating and drinking	55	(4)
Communications	59	(3)
The media	62	(1)
Public holidays and festivals	63	(3)
Monuments and sites	66	(1)
Cultural hints	67	(1)
Crime and personal safety	68	(2)
Working and studying	70	(2)
Travellers with disabilities	72	(2)
Women travellers	74	(1)
Travelling with children	75	(1)
Senior travellers	76	(1)
Gay and lesbian travellers	77	(1)
Directory	78	(3)
The Guide	81	(700)
Cairo and the Pyramids	8	(279)
Arrival	89	(4)
Information	93	(1)
City transport	94	(6)
Accommodation	100	(8)
Central Cairo	108	(24)
Islamic Cairo	132	(42)
Old Cairo, Roda Island and the southern suburbs	174	(17)
Gezira and the West Bank	191	(10)
The northern suburbs	201	(8)
The Pyramids	209	(28)
Consumers' Cairo	237	(41)
Excursions from Cairo	278	(3)
Travel details	281	(6)
The Nile Valley	287	(192)
Travel restrictions and routes	292	(3)
Middle Egypt	295	(2)
Beni Suef	297	(1)
Minya	298	(4)
Mallawi	302	(1)
The rock tombs of Beni Hassan	303	(3)
Hermopolis and Tuna al-Gabel	306	(2)
Tell el-Amarna	308	(9)
Assyut and around	317	(5)
Sohag	322	(4)
Upper Egypt	326	(1)
Abydos	326	(9)
Dendara and Qena	335	(8)
Luxor	343	(23)
Kamak	366	(11)
The Theban Necropolis	377	(11)
Valley of the Kings	388	(18)
Tombs of the Nobles	406	(10)
Valley of the Queens	416	(6)
Esna	422	(2)
Edfu and around	424	(5)
Kom Ombo	429	(5)
Aswan and around	434	(20)
Felucca journeys	454	(2)
Nile cruises	456	(3)
The Aswan Dams	459	(3)
Cruises and fishing trips on Lake Nasser	462	(1)
Philae	462	(6)
Kalabsha	468	(2)
Wadi el-Seboua, Amada and Qasr Ibrim	470	(3)
Abu Simbel	473	(6)
The Western Desert Oases	479	(100)
Wadi Natrun	483	(1)
Desert driving	484	(3)
Desert safaris	487	(5)
The Fayoum	492	(16)
The Great Desert Circuit	508	(2)
Bahariya Oasis	510	(11)
Farafra Oasis	521	(8)
Dakhla Oasis	529	(11)
Kharga Oasis	540	(10)
The Gilf Kebir and Jebel Uwaynat	550	(8)
The Great Sand Sea	558	(3)
Siwa Oasis	561	(18)
Alexandria and the Mediterranean coast	579	(54)
Approaches and arrival	585	(1)
Information	586	(1)
City transport	587	(1)
Accommodation	588	(2)
The City	590	(15)
Corniche beaches	605	(3)
Eating and drinking	608	(4)
Nightlife and entertainment	612	(2)
Listings	614	(1)
Moving on from Alexandria	615	(1)
The Mediterranean coast	616	(2)
Abu Sir and Burg al-Arab	618	(3)
El-Alamein	621	(3)
Mersa Matrouh	624	(9)
The Delta	633	(18)
Rosetta and Damanhur	637	(4)
Tanta	641	(3)
Zagazig and the ruins of Bubastis	644	(1)
Tanis, Avaris and the ``Land of Goshen''	645	(3)
Mit Damsis and El-Mansura	648	(1)
The Monastery of St Damyanah	649	(1)
Damietta	649	(1)
Delta beach resorts	650	(1)
The Canal Zone	651	(22)
Suez and Port Tewfiq	656	(5)
Ismailiya	661	(6)
Port Said	667	(6)
Sinai	673	(68)
Visiting Sinai	680	(2)
The Gulf coasts	682	(1)
Diving and snorkelling	683	(6)
Serabit el-Khadim and the Turquoise Mines	689	(1)
Ras Mohammed	690	(2)
Sharm el-Sheikh, Na'ama Bay and Shark Bay	692	(14)
The Tiran Strait and Nabeq	706	(1)
Dahab and Asilah	707	(8)
Nuweiba and Tarabeen	715	(5)
Between Nuweiba and Taba	720	(4)
Inland safaris and treks	724	(2)
St Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai	726	(5)
The High Mountain Region and Feiran Oasis	731	(2)
The Wilderness of Wanderings	733	(1)
Northern Sinai	734	(2)
El-Arish	736	(5)
The Red Sea Coast and Eastern Desert	741	(40)
The Red Sea monasteries	745	(4)
Hurghada	749	(18)
The Red Sea Mountains	767	(4)
Port Safaga	771	(2)
El-Quseir	773	(2)
Mersa Alam	775	(1)
Rock art of the Eastern Desert	776	(3)
Berenice to the Sudanese border	779	(2)
Contexts	781	(54)
The historical framework	783	(22)
Islam	805	(5)
Monumental chronology	810	(4)
Music	814	(5)
Books	819	(16)
Language	835	(12)
Egyptian Arabic	837	(3)
Egyptian food and drink terms	840	(3)
Glossary of Egyptian terms	843	(4)
Index and small print	847	(10)
Full index	848	(8)
Rough Guide credits	856	(1)
Publishing information	856	(1)
Help us update	856	(1)
Acknowledgements	857	(1)
Readers' letters and emails	857	(1)
Photo credits	857