Egypt - Top Facts
Egypt is one of the world’s oldest civilizations. Here are a collections of facts and trivia that will help tourists get more from their holiday.
The Pyramids
The Great Pyramid at Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. It was built from 2,500,00 stones each weighing 2 to 7 tons.
The Lighthouse at Alexandria
Egypt had one of the other Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Lighthouse at Alexandria was built about 290BC from white marble and stone. Its tower contained a massive mirror which was capable of reflecting light over long distances.
Ancient Shops and Markets
The Khan Khalili souk in Cairo dates back to the 14th Century CE and is on of the world’s oldest markets. Visitors can buy leather clothing, gold and silver, antiques, glass and crafts.
The First Calendar
The earliest recorded year in history is 4236 BCE. That’s when the Egyptians invented the 365 day calendar. The star Sirius appears by the sun every 365 years and they took this as their base. Probably because it also coincided with the start of the annual flooding of the Nile.
The Worlds Longest River
The River Nile which flows through Egypt is 4,184 miles (6,695km) in length making it the world’s longest river. About ten percent of Egypt’s population live along its valley or on the Nile Delta.
Men wearing Eyeliner
Eyeliner was popular with both sexes in Ancient Egypt. Minerals mixed with water made up a thick black paste that was applied as a liner for aesthetic reasons as well as helping to keep the strong sunlight out of their eyes.
Turning Water into Wine
The Egyptians were great wine makers and were the first people to write down the process for making wine and the ingredients that were used. There is evidence of Egyptians making wine as long ago as 2600 BCE.
Coasts and Beaches
Although primarily a desert country Egypt has over 2,900km of coastline on the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
The Red Sea
Egypt also has many spectacular beaches and is a haven for scuba divers. The Red Sea is tropical contains over 200 different types of soft and hard coral and over 1000 different species of marine life.
St Catherine’s Monastery
Egypt has the largest collection of religious manuscripts in the World outside of The Vatican. They are held in the oldest working monastery in the world, St Catherine’s in Sinai. It was built sometime in the 6th century CE amongst the mountains of the Sinai desert. And visitors are welcome. They can stay overnight in the Monastery’s hotel.
Hugh Taylor - Once upon a time I was an accountant, a very bored accountant, who lived for weekends and holidays. To relieve the tedium I started ...
