Why Egypt, then? Why Egypt for me, and why does so much of the world want to travel there? Well, I’ll tell you that what initially drew me to this country was the sheer quantity of sights to see and unique locations to visit.
In 2003, I moved to Egypt for the first time on a language scholarship that required me to choose one country to study Arabic in and then spend the majority of my year in the Middle East in that country. So Egypt was my choice because, out of all the places I could live in the Middle East, I could live in a country that would also let me see so many different things from so many different historical eras in one place.
In addition to the monuments and treasures of the ancient Egyptian civilization, Egypt also contains ancient Rome and ancient Greece. Keep in mind that in 332 BC, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and established what was essentially a dynasty of Greek pharaohs. This dynasty ruled the country until Cleopatra overthrew it and the Roman Empire took control.
Therefore, in addition to the thousands of years of Egyptian history, there are also Greek tombs, Roman amphitheaters, and, in some cases, an extremely singular mixture of multiple imperial artistic traditions. In addition, a single nation contains the remains of the Arabians, the Byzantines, the Persians, and the Nubians.
Then there are Egypt’s modern attractions, like cities, beaches with white sand, turquoise waters, coral reefs, deserts, oases, and so on. Then there are all of the ancient churches and monasteries that literally date back to Christ’s time, as well as the Biblical sites in the Sinai.
Additionally, I believe you have now grasped the concept. You have everything you need without ever leaving a single nation.
That’s why I chose Egypt, and it’s probably also why you want to go there and see what else there is to offer. But you probably want to go for other reasons as well, and there are even more good reasons to go sooner than later that you probably didn’t even know about.
Because of the Pyramids, Egypt is on nearly everyone’s bucket list. The Egyptian Museum‘s collection of King Tut’s treasures is likely another topic of interest to you. Despite being one of the least remarkable Pharaohs in Egyptian history, this individual’s status as the most well-known Pharaoh is remarkable. In contrast to the hundreds of other much greater Pharaohs, we actually have all of his treasures because his tomb was not robbed by grave thieves. However, all of his gold and other relics still provide a fascinating glimpse into everyday life in ancient Egypt.
The extremely strong dollar currently in Egypt is yet another reason to travel there. In 2003 and 2004, when I first moved there, the Egyptian pound was about 5 to 6 pounds to the dollar. At the time, we believed we had won the exchange rate lottery if it exceeded 6.When I was working for my travel agency and going there every month in 2012, it was about 7 pounds to the dollar. In 2015, when I was there, it was close to eight pounds.
By the end of 2016, it had increased to over 15 pounds per dollar, which is incredible. If you are a visitor to Egypt, that is both insane and amazing. As a result, both traveling to Egypt and purchasing goods there are significantly less expensive than they have ever been.
Additionally, on some days when you visit the Pyramids, tombs, and temples, you can almost have the entire site to yourself, which is absolutely incredible due to the fact that the millions of international tourists who used to flock to Egypt’s sites and monuments each year are no longer so numerous.
When you go down to some of the less well-known Pyramids, especially, you’ll be the only person there for miles, which is a fantastic experience. When you enter and walk around them, all you can hear is silence and solitude. You alone with the monument and its tens of thousands of years of history.
Therefore, if you’ve been contemplating making the trip of a lifetime to Egypt, now is the perfect time to do so. The exchange rates right now are amazing, visitor numbers are still low, so the sites are still not as crowded, the government and its security forces always put safety first, and, let’s face it, you’re not getting any younger.
Egypt will remain there for many more millennia, but you will not. In addition, everyone else will soon realize that it is time to begin flooding back into Egypt, mimicking the Israelites’ 40-year desert wandering. Therefore, stop wasting time and begin planning your unforgettable trip to this amazing location on your bucket list. Lets GO!