Context of Egypt

 

Egypt (Arabic: مصر Miṣr [mesˁr], Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [mɑsˤr]), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip of Palestine and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast separates Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt, while Alexandria, the second-largest city, is an important industrial and tourist hub at the Mediterranean coast. At approximately 100 million inhabitants, Egypt is the 14th-most populated country in the world.

Egypt has ...Read more

 

Egypt (Arabic: مصر Miṣr [mesˁr], Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [mɑsˤr]), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip of Palestine and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northeast separates Egypt from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt, while Alexandria, the second-largest city, is an important industrial and tourist hub at the Mediterranean coast. At approximately 100 million inhabitants, Egypt is the 14th-most populated country in the world.

Egypt has one of the longest histories of any country, tracing its heritage along the Nile Delta back to the 6th–4th millennia BCE. Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanisation, organised religion and central government. Iconic monuments such as the Giza Necropolis and its Great Sphinx, as well the ruins of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings, reflect this legacy and remain a significant focus of scientific and popular interest. Egypt's long and rich cultural heritage is an integral part of its national identity, which reflects its unique transcontinental location being simultaneously Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and North African. Egypt was an early and important centre of Christianity, but was largely Islamised in the seventh century and remains a predominantly Sunni Muslim country, albeit with a significant Christian minority, along with other lesser practiced faiths.

Modern Egypt dates back to 1922, when it gained independence from the British Empire as a monarchy. Following the 1952 revolution, Egypt declared itself a republic, and in 1958 it merged with Syria to form the United Arab Republic, which dissolved in 1961. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Egypt endured social and religious strife and political instability, fighting several armed conflicts with Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, and occupying the Gaza Strip intermittently until 1967. In 1978, Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, officially withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and recognising Israel. After the Arab Spring, which led to the 2011 Egyptian revolution and overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, the country faced a protracted period of political unrest. Egypt's current government, a semi-presidential republic led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi since 2014, has been described by a number of watchdogs as authoritarian and responsible for perpetuating the country's poor human rights record.

Islam is the official religion of Egypt and Arabic is its official language. With over 100 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arab world, the third-most populous in Africa (after Nigeria and Ethiopia), and the fourteenth-most populous in the world. The great majority of its people live near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about 40,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land is found. The large regions of the Sahara desert, which constitute most of Egypt's territory, are sparsely inhabited. About 43% of Egypt's residents live across the country's urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.

Egypt is considered to be a regional power in North Africa, the Middle East and the Muslim world, and a middle power worldwide. It is a developing country, ranking 97th on the Human Development Index. It has a diversified economy, which is the third-largest in Africa, the 33rd-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the 20th-largest globally by PPP. Egypt is a founding member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the World Youth Forum.

More about Egypt

Basic information
  • Currency Egyptian pound
  • Native name مصر
  • Calling code +20
  • Internet domain .eg
  • Mains voltage 220V/50Hz
  • Democracy index 2.93
Population, Area & Driving side
  • Population 114535772
  • Area 1010407
  • Driving side right
Stay safe
  •  
    Stay safe

    Emergency numbers

    Police: 122 Ambulance: 123 Fire Department: 180 Highway: 136 Natural gas: 129

    Others from Yellow pages

    Overall, Egypt is a safe and friendly country to travel in. Unless you are visiting Sinai, have something against the local government or are overly disrespectful against Islam, you can freely move around in Egypt and its cities without many concerns. Travelling in Egypt is very much similar to Morocco, Jordan, Palestine or Turkey.

    Egyptians on the whole are very friendly—if you are in need of assistance, they will generally try to help you as much as they are able. However, be aware of potential scams especially in overly touristy areas.

    Female travellers

    Egyptian men will make compliments to women; do not take offence if they do this to you. Men should not be worried, either; if they do this to your partner/daughter, it will be nothing more than a compliment, and hopefully won't go any further than that.

    Be warned that some men may inappropriately touch you. Don't be afraid to create a scene and don't feel the need to be polite; most Egyptians are hugely ashamed of this highly sensitive issue, and bystanders may come to your aid if prompted. No Egyptian woman (or any woman for that matter) would put up with rotten behaviour like that.

    One way to deter harassers: loudly say "haraam aleik" (lit. shame on you) or the simpler phrase "imshi" (lit. go away or get lost)

    Political unrest

    Egypt is a politically troubled country. Protests against the government can occur at any time and they can sometimes turn violent. It is believed that Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government is much more stricter than that of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.

    ...Read more
     
    Stay safe

    Emergency numbers

    Police: 122 Ambulance: 123 Fire Department: 180 Highway: 136 Natural gas: 129

    Others from Yellow pages

    Overall, Egypt is a safe and friendly country to travel in. Unless you are visiting Sinai, have something against the local government or are overly disrespectful against Islam, you can freely move around in Egypt and its cities without many concerns. Travelling in Egypt is very much similar to Morocco, Jordan, Palestine or Turkey.

    Egyptians on the whole are very friendly—if you are in need of assistance, they will generally try to help you as much as they are able. However, be aware of potential scams especially in overly touristy areas.

    Female travellers

    Egyptian men will make compliments to women; do not take offence if they do this to you. Men should not be worried, either; if they do this to your partner/daughter, it will be nothing more than a compliment, and hopefully won't go any further than that.

    Be warned that some men may inappropriately touch you. Don't be afraid to create a scene and don't feel the need to be polite; most Egyptians are hugely ashamed of this highly sensitive issue, and bystanders may come to your aid if prompted. No Egyptian woman (or any woman for that matter) would put up with rotten behaviour like that.

    One way to deter harassers: loudly say "haraam aleik" (lit. shame on you) or the simpler phrase "imshi" (lit. go away or get lost)

    Political unrest

    Egypt is a politically troubled country. Protests against the government can occur at any time and they can sometimes turn violent. It is believed that Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government is much more stricter than that of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.

    Publicising negative opinions about the government can cause trouble with the authorities. In some cases, people have been arrested for voicing strong opinions against the government on social media.

    In other words, keep your political opinions to yourself.

    Terrorism

    Terrorism is a safety concern, and the country's terrorist groups have an unpleasant record of specifically targeting Western tourists and the places they frequent. However, lately the focus seems more on the minority of Coptic Christians than on tourists. The Egyptian security forces remain on a very high level of alert.

    Realistically, the odds of being affected by terrorism are statistically low and most attacks have only succeeded in killing Egyptians, further increasing the revulsion the vast majority of Egyptians feel for the extremists. The government takes the issue very seriously only when it harms them financially and tourist sites are heavily guarded, though with the level and proficiency of Egyptian police leaving a lot to be desired. For example, if you take a taxi from Cairo to Alexandria, you will be stopped at a checkpoint before leaving Cairo. They will on occasion ask where you are going, and on occasion communicate with the checkpoint at Alexandria to make sure you reach your destination within a certain time period. The same goes for most trips into the desert, particularly in Upper Egypt, which is probably best avoided due to rising religious tensions that seep below the surface and whilst appearing safe has the capacity to erupt without a moment's notice. During different branches of your drive, you may be escorted by local police, who will expect some sort of financial payment if you are travelling in a taxi or private car. Generally, they will travel to your destination with you, wait around until you are finished, and usually stay behind at one of the next checkpoints often as they have nothing else to do and because tourists are seen as $ signs. The best example of this is when you travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel to visit the Temple of Ramses II. An armed tourism police officer will board your tourist bus and escort you until you arrive at Abu Simbel, and after your tour, he will ride on the same bus with you back to Aswan, again because it's part of his job and without the tourists there would be no jobs and there would be no reason to ensure security for their own people as they don't represent a financial figure to them.

     
     
    Mounted police on camels in Giza

    There are also many tourism police officers armed with AK47s riding on camels patrolling the Giza plateau. They are there to ensure the safety of the tourists since the Pyramids are the crown jewels of all the Egyptian antiquities. They are very poorly maintained with no forthcoming investments from within Egypt, only outside investment given by countries and historical groups that cannot bear to see the ruin the local government is letting these sites of wonder become. Some tourists may find it exciting or even amusing to take pictures with these police officers on camel back; however, since they are all on patrol duty, it is not uncommon for them to verbally warn you not to pose next to them in order to take a picture with them, although anything is possible for financial payment.

    Drugs
    Travel Warning  WARNING: Egypt treats drug offences extremely severely. The death penalty is possible for those who are convicted for drug trafficking.

    Unauthorised consumption can result in up to 10 years in prison, a heavy fine or both. You can be charged for unauthorised consumption as long as traces of illicit drugs are found in your system, even if you can prove that they were consumed outside the country. You can also be charged for trafficking if drugs are found in bags that are in your possession or in your room, even if they aren't yours and regardless of whether you're aware of them - therefore be vigilant of your possessions.

    Cannabis and other narcotics are banned and carry heavy penalties. However, hashish in particular is common, even among Egyptians; it is seen to some extent as a part of Egyptian culture and is generally considered much less objectionable than alcohol. Many Egyptian clerics regard it makruh (permitted but disapproved of) rather than haraam (forbidden). Many Egyptians who recoil at the idea of drinking alcohol think nothing of using hashish; it is commonly used on festive occasions in rural areas in some parts of the country and in many Sufi rituals nationwide. The police may use possession of hashish as a pretext for arresting and beating up people, but their targets are typically locals, not tourists. So long as you do not antagonise the security forces or otherwise attract their attention, foreigners are unlikely to be punished for private consumption of cannabis within Egypt. But bringing the stuff in or out of the country, or flying domestically with it, is likely to end badly.

    Egypt, like the Gulf States, has clamped down on legal painkillers, even when they're accompanied by a prescription and are for the traveller's own use. Check their embassy website for the current list of what's not allowed. It's unclear how rigorously this will be enforced. But probably, as in other matters, unobtrusive personal use will be OK; get slurry on vodka and Tramadol and you could be in trouble.

    Traffic

    Traffic in Egypt is reckless and dangerous. Pay particular attention when crossing the road.

    Scams and hassle

    Scams and hassle are the main concern in Egypt, especially in Luxor. Visitors often complain about being hassled and attempts at scamming. While irritating, most of this is pretty harmless stuff, like attempting to lure you into a local papyrus or perfume shop.

    Be aware that many Egyptians who start a conversation with you want your money. Typically, you will be approached by a person speaking fluent English, German or Russian who will strike up a conversation under social pretences. He (and it will always be a he) will then attempt to get you to come along for a cup of tea or similar at his favourite (most-paying) souvenir shop. This could also happen outside museums, etc., where the scammer will try to make you believe the "museum is closed" or similar. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Demand prices for everything, because if you say "I thought it was free" after the fact you are in for a vicious argument.

    Hassling, while never dangerous, could also be annoying, especially in the main tourist areas. There is no way to avoid this, but a polite la shukran (no thanks) helps a lot. Apart from that, try to take hassling with a smile. If you let yourself be bugged by everyone trying to sell you something, your holiday won't be a very happy one.

    Potentially more annoying are taxi drivers or others getting a commission fee to lead you to their hotel of choice, of course paying commission fees for each guest they receive. Firmly stand your ground on this. If they insist, just ask to be dropped off at a street or landmark close to the place you are heading to. This scam is especially common among taxi drivers from the airport.

    Gay/lesbian

    Gay and lesbian visitors should be self-aware and refrain from overt and public displays. While a few gay bars had been able to operate semi-openly in major cities in pre-revolutionary times, the situation has deteriorated and members of gay baths or gay wedding parties were being targeted for prosecution for "debauchery" in 2014.

    Egypt is an Islamic and conservative country. Any display of homosexuality is considered strange, weird, disrespectful and may lead on most occasions to hostile reactions. Depending on the situation and the place and time, it could be anything from weird looks to physical abuse. Therefore, gays and lesbians should be discreet while in Egypt.

    The gay scene in Egypt is not open and free like in the West. Gays have been arrested by the police and detained and even tortured in Cairo in the past for engaging in homosexual activity. Human rights groups have condemned such actions and the Egyptian government has been under pressure from different sources to stop this treatment of homosexuals. The most famous arrests were in 2001 on a boat called the Queen Boat located on the Nile River in Zamalek district. Further arrests have occurred since then, but the exact situation of homosexuals in the last few years is uncertain.

    There are no official gay places for cruising or meeting other people.

    Crime

    Pick pocketing was a problem in the past in Egypt's bigger cities, particularly Greater Cairo. Many locals therefore opted not to carry wallets at all, instead keeping their money in a clip in their pocket, and tourists would be wise to adopt this as well. On the upside, violent crime is rare, especially for tourists, and you are highly unlikely to be mugged or robbed. If, however, you do find yourself the victim of crime, you may get the support of local pedestrians by shouting "Harami" (Thief) but do not pursue because it's the easiest way to get lost and most criminals carry pocket knives; if the crime happens in a tourist area you'll find a specially designated Tourism Police kiosk.

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Phrasebook

Hello
مرحبًا
World
العالمية
Hello world
مرحبا بالعالم
Thank you
شكرًا لك
Goodbye
مع السلامة
Yes
نعم
No
رقم
How are you?
كيف حالك؟
Fine, thank you
بخير، شكرا لك
How much is it?
كم سعره؟
Zero
صفر
One
واحد

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