Egypt

From iconic pyramids and medieval bazaars, to natural beauty and a vibrant contemporary culture, Egypt is a land packed with captivating treasures.

The pyramids at Giza - the sole survivors of the seven ancient wonders - the lotus-columned Temples of Luxor and Karnak, sunrise across the Valley of the Kings, and the sound-and-light show at the mighty tombs of Abu Simbel have thrilled visitors for centuries.

Egypt's natural assets are equally as potent, with the white desert's wind-polished rock formations, the iron-clad mountains of the Sinai, and the gleaming underwater landscapes of the Red Sea.

A pulsing modern Arab state throbs beneath the surface, and, ultimately, this country is best understood not so much under the shadow of its great monuments, splendid though they are, but in the call to prayer at sunset, in the chatter of hooves on tarmac in a rural village, or tea and talk with Egypt's garrulous residents in a random coffeehouse.

Geography

Traditional home of the roaming Bedouin, most of Egypt's landmass is comprised of flat, mostly featureless desert, supportive of minimal vegetation.

The Mediterranean Sea forms Egypt's northern border, bringing cooler weather to the seaboard city of Alexandria and providing a coastal getaway for Cairo's residents. To the east, lies the mountainous Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Territories; to the south, the deserts of Egypt quietly roll into the deserts of Sudan; to the west, the Great Western Desert forms an almost seamless wilderness through Libya and beyond.