This is the second installment of new series in which every week I will discuss a little-known location or country that I have always wanted to travel to. It will feature a brief history on the location, fun things to do in the country, and why I want to travel here.

For the second edition of Let’s Travel we will be discussing Egypt. The land of Pharaohs and deserts, of pyramids of and scarabs, of Gods and Goddesses. This mysterious land was once home to the world’s first true civilization, and now exists as a powerful state in the Middle East. Considered the cradle of civilization, this ancient and awe inspiring nation has much to offer the curious traveler. I have been fascinated by Egypt since I was a little kid, captivated by their rich history and tales of Gods, Goddesses, myths, and monsters. I remember when a traveling Egypt exhibit came to the Memorial Art Gallery in my hometown of Rochester, New York. The ornate Sarcophagus that was on display seemed to draw me in like no other piece of art ever had. The items on display transported me to a world away and visions of the longest river in the world, the Nile swam through my mind as I imagined myself in the vastness of the Sahara Desert, or exploring the great cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Giza and the ancient sites of the Valley of Kings and the tombs of the Sphinx. There is so much to do here, this article will not even come close to doing it justice. However, I will cover a brief history of Egypt, and some of the best things to do while there.

Egypt is known to us as the first civilization, the time in which people came to live collectively and were united by a common belief or set of ideals. Nearly 7000 years ago, ancient Egyptians figured out the yearly flooding of the Nile which left nutrient rich silt behind. They then planted in this silt, and harvested their crops before the flooding. This abundance of food allowed the population to boom and gave way to larger urban areas. As Egypt began to develop, the religions were forming around the Egyptian’s understanding of their world. This gave rise to the Kings of Egypt declaring themselves as Gods on Earth, also known as Pharaohs. Around 2181BC the First Period of Egypt ended, by this time many great Pyramids had been built. After several centuries of civil war, the Middle Kingdom was established were art and culture flourished, and the pharaohs built more pyramids, sadly built by Jewish slaves. The Jews enslavement in Egypt later became the foundation of the Jewish Faith. After more civil war the New Kingdom came about, and with it great expansion to the Egyptian empire with the Valley of the Kings being built in this era. Following the collapse of the New Kingdom in 1070, Egypt never reclaimed its former glory. When Christianity spread to Egypt through the port city of Alexandria in 70 AD, “Ancient Egyptian Culture” as we know it today vanished. Rome conquered Egpty, and then when Rome fell, the Byzantine empire absorbed the land, and then the Islamic Empire took them over. They would rule for the next six centuries until the Ottomans came, ruling the land from 1517-1867. After the French built the Suez Canal in Egypt, the country found itself heavily in debt to Europe. To escape this, they sold their own share of the Canal to the British, within a few years, Egypt became a puppet state of the British. In 1952, Egypt had a revolution led by military leaders which led to the rise of President Gamal Abdel Nasser who, amongst a complicated reign, decided to throw his support to the Soviets. Following his death, Anwar Sadat became president, he then decided to ally with the United States. He attempted to make peace with his neighbors, and even made a visit to Israel in 1977, a country that Egypt fought against in several wars. However, not all agreed with him and he was assassinated in 1981 by an Islamic Extremist. Following the assassination, Hosani Mubarak came to power. Although he initially tried to be a moderate leader, he turned into a dictator, and Egypt was known as an international center for torture. This led to him being removed of power in 2011 during the Arab Spring. The past five years have been difficult for Egypt, with the rise and fall of the Muslim Brotherhood party. Although the country is slightly unstable, it remains an amazing place to visit.

The first stop on any tour of this ancient and mysterious land would have to be the Pyramids of Giza. Known throughout the world, these ancient tombs have amazing facts and myths that surround them. For example, the interior temperature of the Pyramids is a constant 68 degrees which happens to e the average temperature of the Earth. Also, the cornerstones of the Pyramids contain a ball and socket design so that the pyramids can withstand earthquakes, and the Pyramid was originally covered in a reflective casing stones(limestone) that were so shiny that scientists today calculate that the sun’s light would be reflected so powerfully that it could be seen on the moon. Although you can see the Pyramids for free, private, half-day tours, including camel-riding can be purchased for as low as 23 dollars per person.

The next stop one must make is to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. This is the ancient burial site that were constructed from the 16^th century BC to the 11^th century and includes kings from Egypt’s 18^th to 20^th dynasty. The valley contains 63 tombs, and includes the burial site of the famous Tutankhamun. It is a world heritage site, and although many tombs are closed to the public, it is still very accessible to the curious, with a new tourist center having been recently opened. Visitors can tour 18 different tombs, although not all are open at the same time. It is recommended to take a private tour, as things can get confusing as to which tombs are open for the day. A full day tour with a private guide and lunch costs around 50$, however, photography is not allowed in most, if not all of the tombs, so bare that in mind.

The next stop one might consider is the Egyptian Antiquities Museum located in the capital city of Cairo. This museum houses over 130,000 artifacts recovered from archeological sites and displays them in a tasteful and well preserved manner. It is a nice respite from the hot and dry climate of Egypt, and a chance to view some of the rarer items recovered from archeological exhibitions. It is recommended again, to hire a guide and prepare for a long day as even a leisurely stroll through the museum would take one around four hours. A private tour with lunch costs 25$.

I have always wanted to travel to Egypt. It is definitely something I must do before I die, I need to experience the glory and culture that is this wonderful desert land. I hope that things settle down in the area, and that it is safer for people to travel there in the future. Preserving culture is paramount to personal gain.

Next week we travel south to beautiful, Puerto Morelos, Mexico.