What is it like in Egypt today?
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If you are planning a trip to Egypt or are just interested in what Egypt is like today then this is the place for you. We hope that by showing you what we have seen, done and found out about this fascinating country you will enjoy Egypt much more.

These pages are written from the point of view of British visitors as that is what we are. We do hope that whatever country you are from that you find the following pages interesting. Enjoy ....... just click on any heading below to find out more.

MODERN NAME	ANCIENT NAME	The following are in sequence from North to South
Cairo	Old Cairo was known as Babylon (not the Babylon of the hanging gardens fame)	Approximate distances from the centre of CAIRO
Giza	Giza	Kilometres 5
		Miles 3
Memphis	Memphis	Kilometres 25
		Miles 15
Luxor	Thebes	Kilometres 675
		Miles 420
Aswan	Elephantine	Kilometres 900
		Miles 565

A Quick Tour Along The River Nile

As a simple guide Aswan is to the south and as you head north along the River Nile passing the temples of Kom Ombo, Edfu and Esna you reach Luxor which is home to the Karnak and Luxor Temples, the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and the Tombs of the Nobles. Slightly further north are the temples of Dendera and then Abydos. Head much further north past the Dashur and Saqqara Pyramids, on past Memphis the ancient capital of Egypt to the great Pyramids of Giza and then on through Old Cairo and into Cairo itself.

Of course you can go further north to Alexandria and further south into what used to be Nubia (now flooded under Lake Nasser) and see Abu Simbel but the above area is what we cover in these pages. In short from Aswan to Cairo. Many times we have been going to go to Abu Simbel but I just cannot become motivated to travel several hours south of Aswan to see a temple which is not where it originally was. When I walk into Luxor Temple I walk in the footsteps of the Pharaohs, the temple comes alive, this is where it was when Tutankhamun came here to finish one of the halls and Ramses II enlarged it considerably. We could go right back to Queen Hatshepsut and King Tuthmosis III where it all began but I think you get the idea. On the other hand Abu Simbel was moved, piece by piece in a great feat of engineering, above the waterline of a lake created by the new dam at Aswan and a concrete dome made to house the interior. Perhaps after we have been there I will feel different about Abu Simbel, but I doubt it.

The above was written many years ago, long before we moved to Luxor. At the end of April 2006 we enjoyed a Lake Nasser cruise and visited many temples, all of which had been moved to save them from the rising waters behind the new High Dam at Aswan. The largest and most famous is of course Abu Simbel and though impressive, especially inside, and we are both extremely pleased it wasn't lost forever, but I personally didn't feel any different as it looks so out of place where it is. We will be adding Lake Nasser and all the temples to this web site sometime this year.

Anyway enough of my ranting's.

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