Egypt - Egitto

Egypt
Location
Coat of arms and flag
Capital	Cairo
Government	presidential republic
Currency	Egyptian Pound (EGP)
Surface	1,010,408 km²
Inhabitants	79.602.000 (2011 estimate), 72.798.000 (2006 census)
Tongue	Arabic
Religion	Islam (90%), Coptic Christianity (9%) and the rest atheists or minor religions (2010)
Electricity	230V / 50Hz (European socket)
Prefix	20
TLD	.eg
Time zone	UTC 2
Website	Egyptian Tourist Board

Egypt (in Egyptian Arabic مَصر Maṣr; Arab Republic of Egypt جمهورية مصر العربية Gomhoreyyet Maṣr el-ʿArabeyya) is a nation of North Africa which also extends to the Sinai Peninsula, geographically part of the Middle East. Egypt borders on the west Libya, south with the Sudan, northeast with Israel and the Gaza Strip and it is washed to the east by the Red Sea and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea.

To know

Geographical notes

The Egyptian territory consists of a plateau with few reliefs and numerous flat areas. The most mountainous part is located in the eastern area, washed by the Red Sea. The desert is rich in depressions, including that of Qâttara, which is located 133 m below sea level. The Nile flows from south to north and flows into the Mediterranean. To facilitate irrigation and to produce hydroelectricity, the Aswan Dam was built which reduced the floods that once made the Nile Valley fertile. The largest lake is Lake Nasser, created by the Aswan Dam.

Spoken languages

The language spoken in ancient Egypt, called Egyptian or Egyptian, constitutes a linguistic group in its own right within the Hamito-Semitic family of languages. This language is now believed to have developed locally. The Egyptian has possessed, almost since the appearance of written documents, two graphic forms: the hieroglyph used mainly in engravings and the hieratic, more suitable for writing with brush and ink. However, the two systems were only different graphic forms as each glyph had its equivalent hieratic sign. a simplified form of the hieratic came into use: the demotic. Coptic originated from the fusion of this last graphic form with Greek influences. With the Arab invasion all these languages ​​and graphic forms were supplanted by Arabic. Knowledge of Coptic was saved thanks to the action of some European linguists of the 16th century while the deciphering of hieroglyphic and hieratic writing was the work of Jean-François Champollion in 1822 thanks to the discovery of a trilingual text: hieroglyphic, demotic, Greek (Rosetta stone) ...

In addition to the Egyptian Arabic dialect (and Coptic, apparently reintroduced in some villages with a Christian majority), two Hamitic languages ​​(Berber and Begia) and one Nilotic (Nubian) are also spoken in Egypt. * Berber is spoken by the about 15,000 inhabitants of the Siwa and Gara oases in the western desert almost on the borders of Libya.

• Begia or tu bedaui, of the Cushitic group, is now spoken in the far south, between the Nile valley and the Red Sea. There are no precise statistics on the number of speakers.
• In 1970 it was estimated that there were 170,000 Nubian speakers in the south of the country.

In major cities, English is spoken by most people. Italian and French are less spoken. In the resorts managed by Italian operators practically all the staff speak Italian.

Territories and tourist destinations

Since April 2008, Egypt has been divided into 29 muhāfaza, or governorates.

      Lower Egypt - Region that extends over the Nile delta and the Mediterranean coast. It includes Cairo is Alexandria.

      Middle Egypt - Area along the Nile where the ancient kingdoms of upper and lower Egypt met.

      Upper Egypt - A strip of stunning temple cities located at the south end of the Nile, included Aswan is Luxor.

      Western desert - Western oasis location: five green handkerchiefs, each with their own unique attractions.

      Red sea coast - Beaches with luxury resorts that attract fans of underwater sports.

      Sinai - Rugged and isolated peninsula, with fascinating remnants of the past, high mountains and great underwater diving especially in its southern tip where the famous seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Urban Centers

Overview of Cairo

Other destinations

How to get

Entry requirements

To enter Egypt it is necessary to have a passport valid for at least 6 months, or alternatively an identity card without the renewal stamp on the back and 2 passport photos.

By plane

The plane is the most comfortable and fastest way to reach Egypt. Cairo is well connected with Milan and Rome by scheduled flights. However, it is possible to book a charter flight from almost all Italian airports.

On boat

There are no direct connections between Italy and Egypt by sea. Egypt can only be reached by cruise ship which typically calls at Alexandria in Egypt.

How to get around

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By car

You can comfortably take the white taxis that use the regular meter.

What see

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What to do

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Currency and purchases

The national currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP) which is worth 0.1313 Euros and is divided into 100 plates. 1 Euro = 7.61384 Egyptian Pound. Major credit cards are accepted in hotels and restaurants. The Euro is accepted everywhere with great ease.Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

At the table

Leaving aside the now international cuisine offered by almost all accommodation facilities and the Italian cuisine offered instead on the destinations of the Red Sea, in some Egyptian restaurant it is possible to taste excellent local dishes.

• Baba ghanooge
• Bamya weeka sa'idi: crushed okra
• Bastirma Pastrami
• Batatis mahshiya: stuffed potatoes
• Dawud basha: stuffed onions
• Felafel
• Fuul nabit: bean sprouts
• Herbed hummus
• Konafa
• Kosheri: lentils and rice with a spicy tomato sauce
• Kushari: composed of lentils, rice and pasta
• Labna: yogurt cheese
• Eggplant with lentils
• Mulukhiya
• Egyptian rice
• Egyptian vegetable and chicken stew
• Lamb tagine with plums
• Ta'liya Mixed spices
• Warah enab: stuffed grape leaves
• Of Cicerchie soup

Typology of restaurants

Restaurants can be found of all kinds and tastes apparently because they are ultimately run by Egyptians, so even the cook is Egyptian; where you read Italian restaurant you can think that even the kitchen is but unfortunately it is not. Yes, there are spaghetti, various Italian pasta but in the end an Egyptian cooks and here we understand the rest, however it is Egyptian eating for those who are inclined to adapt is not bad indeed, what is used a lot in Egyptian cuisine is rice and chicken, then many typical sweets, finally the Egyptian food and the local restaurants are just fine, some are better than ours.

Tourist infrastructure

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Events and parties

National holidays

During the Muslim religious holidays the country comes to a halt. Ramadan is the mandatory fasting month for those over 14 years of age; the sick and pregnant women are exempt. From sunrise to sunset, you cannot eat, drink, smoke, make up and make love. During the day, many shops are closed or open until 2pm. During this period, it is advisable not to engage in public behaviors that may annoy the locals such as walking with a beer in hand, indulging in public effusions and above all, which often happens, be surprised and giggle if you observe the faithful during the 5 moments of prayer. daily.

It must be said that Christian holidays are still celebrated in tourist resorts not so much for the presence of small Christian communities (which are only 10% of the population) but more to please tourists. We should therefore not be surprised to see Christmas palms or Easter eggs.

Safety

ATTENTION: From 21.03.2007 - Also following the terrorist attacks that hit the country (most recently the one in Dahab in Sinai on 24.04.06, downgrading that of Sharm El Sheikh to July 2005, to April 2005 in Cairo, in October 2004 to Taba), the Egyptian government has further increased safety and security measures, also erecting a protective belt around the main seaside resorts of the region. Nonetheless, the risk of terrorist acts throughout the country remains, especially of a fundamentalist matrix and in particular against objectives that may involve foreign citizens as well as in the north of the country, including the area of ​​Alexandria and the Mediterranean coast. Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Before embarking on the journey consult:

• Safe travel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina) (Country safety information). 

The Red Sea resorts therefore appear to be more than safe destinations. Given the important income given by the tourism industry, the Egyptian government itself has dramatically increased surveillance ensuring high safety standards. So much so that the same tour operators, who shortly after the Sharm and Dahab attacks were selling off these places at bargain prices, quickly realigned themselves to the prices prior to the two events. This is also a sign of how quickly the situation has recovered.

Health situation

The health situation in Egypt is discreet and large hospitals comparable to European ones are located in the major tourist resorts, unlike those in the rest of the country. In any case, it is prudent to inquire well before the trip and it is advisable to take out health insurance that includes coverage of medical expenses and medical air repatriation (something that any tour operator, in the case of an organized trip, always includes).

Cases of hepatitis are widespread throughout the country, so it is advisable to clean fruit and vegetables well, pay attention to uncooked foods and, if possible, avoid them, and to drink only mineral water without ice.

We recommend, after consulting a doctor, vaccinations against: hepatitis A and B, rabies, tetanus, typhoid fever, measles, polio and those against leishmaniasis, filariasis, Rift Valley fever. contract bilharziosis.

However, it must be said that those staying in Egypt, and in particular on the Red Sea, should not worry too much. The standards of hotels and resorts are often far better than their European competitors. The hygienic conditions are more than good and you can safely consume raw vegetables and fruit or brush your teeth by rinsing with water from the taps in the rooms. The water in the resorts is mostly desalinated and filtered and, as in other places in the world, the only drawback is that of a brackish background when tasted.

Instead, a lot of attention should be paid to the time of sun exposure. A minor traveler's dysentery is certainly the lesser evil than a severe sunburn. The Egyptian sun, while not an equatorial sun, is still very strong. The absence of cloudy systems and the dryness of the air can create more or less severe dehydration. An FP 20 is the minimum recommended even for dark skin while for snorkeling swims it is useful to wear a dark shirt to protect the back.

Respect the customs

Egypt, albeit with a strong moderate imprint, is a Muslim country: its people must therefore respect precise rules of behavior that are not mandatory for tourists, but that it is always useful to know. It would be a good idea, in public places, to wear long robes or trousers and shirts that cover the arms. It is mandatory, as also happens in Christian churches, to visit mosques with serious clothing. When taking photographs, it is best to avoid shooting people, because Islam prohibits the reproduction of human beings. It is not polite to consume alcoholic beverages on the street because the Koran forbids it. Especially during Ramadan, it is bad manners to consume drinks, food, and smoke cigarettes in public during the day. It may also happen to see couples of men walking hand in hand: this is an Egyptian usage that symbolizes friendship.

Even here, especially for the tourist resorts of the Red Sea, local customs and traditions are somewhat questionable. People will be delighted to take some pictures with you (often asking you for a few Euros), their language will be colored by various Italian expressions that are certainly not polite, and even the sentiment and religious practice will remain almost imperceptible.

A particular note must certainly be paid tothe art of bargaining. In any bazaar or market you will be literally taken by the arms and dragged into the shops with the usual excuse of an infusion of karkadé or mint. The Egyptian skill of the oratory art (they will speak correct Italian and often numerous dialects) will ensure that after a lot of attention you feel compelled to buy what the shop sells. And so often it turns out. From the pendant with the scarab, to the papyri, from the scented oil to the hookah (the typical water pipe).

Often this behavior can annoy you and the insistence on buying can really create a kind of exhaustion. It goes without saying that constantly muttering or taking on attitudes of profound annoyance is in bad taste and unpolite. If you are really bothered by an evening at the Sharm market, you should simply not go back and buy at the hotel from anonymous and very polite shopkeepers. The Egyptians, like many other Middle Eastern peoples, have a deep taste for bargaining and what can really seem annoying to us is a very normal way of being.

Finally, it must be said that prices are loaded on average by 50% and negotiations will be conducted on this ratio. The illusion of having brought home, after a bargaining in our favor, an object at a bargain price is the ultimate goal of the Egyptian seller. The seller will always and in any case have the opportunity to sell you the object at the price he thinks and will often distract you by giving you silver necklaces (which is never silver) or some other junk that, even in this case, has very little value for him.

Always, in Egypt, the bakschich, tip, to get better service.

How to keep in touch

Post office

The postal service, insured and operated by Egypt Post works discreetly across the country. Postcards or letters can be left at the reception of the hotel where you are staying or posted in the numerous mailboxes present everywhere.

Telephony

There are three mobile phone companies in Egypt that allow good coverage in all tourist locations:

• ECMS-MobiNiL^{[link previously not working]}: GSM 900 coverage
• Etisalat Misr: GSM 900, 1800, 3G, 1200 coverage
• Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications S.A.E: GSM 900 - It is definitely the mobile operator that covers most of the whole country.

The international telephone cards of the Menanet, which can be purchased anywhere, are certainly the most convenient way to call from Egypt abroad. Ten minutes of calling between Egypt and Italy will cost you no more than € 1.30 It is certainly also convenient to buy a local cell phone number that will save over 50% compared to using your own telephone number. It must be said that the purchase of a local mobile number also allows you to receive calls from abroad without paying part of them (as happens using your own phone card).

Internet

Almost all hotels have an Internet Cafe and / or connection for your laptop directly in your room or in a dedicated business center. In any case in the Red Sea there are Internet Cafes on every corner and most remain open until late at night. In Cairo there are several chains of bars (eg Costa, Benos) that offer free wireless connection. So you surf the Internet while drinking a good coffee. For those who move for a long period it might be better to have the ADSL service activated at their home. Some operators offer the ADSL service even for a few months. For those who do not have a PC, all major hotels are equipped with a business center with PC and webcam for making video calls.

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Egypt
• Commons contains images or other files on Egypt
• Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Egypt
• Wikinews contains current news on Egypt