Egypt is best known as the home of the ancient Egyptian civilization, with its temples, hieroglyphs, mummies, and its pyramids. Egypt stimulates the imagination of western tourists like few other countries and is probably one of the most popular tourist destinations world-wide.

Famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. Its ancient ruins, such as those of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, are a significant focus of archaeological study, and artifacts from these sites are now displayed in major museums around the world.

Egypt is a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean region and the Islamic world. The great majority of its people live near the banks of the Nile River, where the only arable land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. The ancient Egyptian name of the country is Kemet, which means "black land", referring to the fertile black soils of the Nile flood plains.

Before going to Egypt one must consider all that Egypt stands for, with this I mean Egypt has a poor record for human rights, lack of freedoms, corruption, and even threat of terrorism. It is a land where one will be hassled every step of your journey, where politeness leads to trying to gain from it (sales or commissions). Technically it is a police state where freedoms are under the watch of the heads of government and corruption of police. Remember that though Egypt has so much for the visitor, so do other nations in the world which are under military juntas and international blockades. Visiting Egypt is supporting the government and its rule, one of the first civilizations of the world has yet to move into the 21st century.

History

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose around 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks, took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. To protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in agriculture and the ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population, the largest in the Arab world, limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to prepare the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.

Human Rights

Egypt's human rights record is poor, violations are routine torture, arbitrary detentions and trials before military and state security courts. Discriminatory personal status laws governing marriage, custody and inheritance put women at a disadvantage. Laws concerning Coptic Christians which place restrictions on church building and open worship still requires Government approval, while sporadic attacks on Christians and churches continue.

Political rights in Egypt rates as "6" (1 representing the most free and 7 the least free rating), civil liberties as "5" and freedom rating of "Not Free."

Egypt has become an international center for torture, where other nations send suspects for interrogation, often as part of the War on Terror. In 2003, the Government established the National Council for Human Rights, headquartered in Cairo, which serves as a propaganda tool to excuse its violations and to give legitimacy to repressive laws.

According to the World Health Organization in 2005 an estimated 95.8% of Egypt's girls and women have suffered female genital mutilation.

The taboo with regards to homosexuality is extremely powerful, with religious intolerance towards gays. Consensual homosexual sex is considered a "practice of debauchery" and punishable under Egyptian law, men are tortured and coerced by police to sign statements of homosexuality. Homosexual men live under continual threat of persecution and imprisonment.

Stay Safe

Being hassled and attempts at scamming are all too common. While irritating, most of this is harmless stuff, like attempting to lure you into a local papyrus or perfume shop. Typically, you will be approached by a person speaking fluent English who will strike up a conversation under social pretenses. 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 souvenir shop. This could also happen outside museums etc. where the scammer will try to make you believe the "museum is closed" or similar.

Hassling, while never dangerous, could also be annoying, especially in the main tourist areas. There is no way to avoid this, but a polite '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.

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.

Terrorism is the most safety concern, the country's terrorist groups have an unpleasant record of specifically targeting Western tourists and the places they frequent. The government takes the issue very seriously and tourist sites are very heavily guarded. During different branches of your tour or drive, you may be escorted by local police. They will travel to your destination with you, wait around until you are finished, and usually stay behind at one of the next checkpoints. 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. There are also many tourism police officers armed with AK-47s 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.

Pickpockets is a problem in Egypt's bigger cities, particularly Cairo. Many locals opt 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. Violent crime is rare, and you are highly unlikely to physically mugged or robbed. If, however, you do find yourself the victim of crime, you may get the support of local pedestrians while chasing the person who robbed you. Overall, scams are the main concern in Egypt. Be aware that many Egyptians who starts a conversation with you in Cairo and Luxor want your money. Demand prices for absolutely everything, because if you say "I thought it was free!" after the fact you are in for a vicious argument.