Egypt 2012

We visited Egypt in a year of political unrest, which resulted in a sharp decline in tourism. Even at the most popular tourist sites, we never had to wait in line and our view was rarely blocked by other people. Furthermore, we went with a private tour guide from Egypt Fun Tours, who took good care of transportation and hotels, and provided competent explanations of the sites we visited. Within two weeks, we travelled to Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, made a Nile cruise and a safari into the western desert. Along the way, we have seen pretty much all the highlights of Egypt, like the pyramids of Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel, the Luxor and Karnak temples, the valley of kings and so much more. Egypt can be strenuous sometimes, but the cultural sights and the beautiness of the desert are absolutely worth the effort.

Index pages:

Number of images: 300

Luxor Temple (cont.)

Avenue of Sphinxes

Portrait with Sphinx

First pylon

First pylon with obelisk and statue of Ramses II

Ramses II

First pylon and mosque

Colonnade of Amenhothep III

Sun Court of Amenhothep III

Relief with name cartouche of Alexander the Great

Relief

Christian painting

Statue of Tutankhamun and his wife

Back of the Sun Court of Amenhothep III

Sun Court of Amenhothep III

Colonnade of Amenhothep III

Statues of Ramses II

Portrait with head of Ramses II

Mosque of Abu al-Haggag

Karnak Temple of Amun

Avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, first pylon and column

Avenue of ram-headed sphinxes

First pylon

Ramses II

Great Hypostyle Hall

Column in the Great Hypostyle Hall

Tourist police man

Relief

Statue

Obelisks at the fourth pylon

Obelisk of Hatshepsut

Pylon

Ninth pylon

Banana Island

Boat

Path to the plantation

Portrait on the banana plantation

Tour guide on the banana plantation

Nile crocodile

Portrait while smoking a waterpipe (sheesha)

Sailing on the nile

Bahariya Oasis

Portrait with guide and AWD vehicle

Panoramic view on the oasis and Hot Springs Hotel

Historic buildings and tomb

Golden mummy

Desert

Tea with a local farmer

Portrait on a sand dune

Shadows on a sand dune

Sunset view from the English Mountain on the oasis

Black Desert Safari

AWD vehicle on a sand dune

Walking on a sand dune

On top of the sand dune

Runnung down a sand dune

Walking through a desert gorge

Gorge

Portrait in the gorge

Basalt stone and desert sand

Panoramic view from a mountain peak on the desert

Portrait in the desert

Portrait behind a bush

Lunch in El-Haiz

Desert road at Chrystal Mountain

Chrystal Mountain

Portrait underneath an arch at Chrystal Mountain

White Desert Safari

Aqabat

Walk in the desert of Aqabat

Panoramic view of Aqabat

Aqabat

AWD vehicle and tour guides at Aqabat

Rock formation at the camp ground

Panoramic view of the White Desert

Rock formation

Camp ground

Rock formation

AWD vehicle and rock formations

Mushroom-shaped rock

Camp ground

Rock formation at sunset

Sunset

Camp

Desert fox

Alexandria

Alexandria Library

Student demonstration at the Alexandria University

Alexandria Library and shore line

Panoramic view on the Alexandria Library

Fort Qaitbey

Mosque of Abu Abbas al-Mursi

Inside the Mosque of Abu Abbas al-Mursi

Pulpit and niche of the Mosque of Abu Abbas al-Mursi

Catacombs of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa

Ruins at Pompey's Pillar

Pompey's Pillar

Apis