From head to toe, Egypt is one of the most intriguing places you will ever get the pleasure of visiting. It has something of a bad reputation and that isn't entirely unjustified, and it's certainly worth discussing from time to time. However, we aren't here to debate the ins and outs of Egyptian law—we're here to work with the word 'fascinating.'
Now, it's just time to open up the door and uncover the mysteries (or well-known truths) of Egypt that lie beneath the surface.
10 The Pyramids
Located in the great city of Giza is the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is one of the many wonderful pyramids located across the country. These utterly breathtaking man-made structures give you a perfect glimpse into what it was like to be living in such a bizarre era and time period.
They’re made of limestone and granite but that isn’t the story, here. The story is that the Egyptian people have, and always had, the kind of gritty determination that you need in any community – big or small. That means a thing or two.
9 Markets
The majority of markets in Egypt are known as flea markets, and feature everything from cutlery to stunning hand-made scarves and quite literally everything in between. While you have some locals who will attempt to lure you into their shops in order to get you to buy goods, most of the time, the stall owners mean well and want to show off their pieces in a respectful manner.
The best part about this, arguably, is that you feel like you’ve been slotted directly into a time machine and are living in a ‘back in the day’ kind of fantasy world.
Markets exist all over the planet but few are quite as glamorous as here.
8 The Overwhelming Patriotism
From parading their flag out around the streets to letting foreigners know how proud they are to be Egyptian, the patriotism is and always has been on display over there.
Politics within any country can bring out an ‘interesting’ reaction from people, to the point where the lines of being a patriot can start to become a little bit murky. Suffice it to say, the Egyptian flag can be seen around the country.
7 They Invented 365-Day Calendars
It sounds a little bit weird but long story short, the ancient Egyptians used a solar calendar which featured 365 days in one calendar year. As you can imagine, if you’re aware of how dates & calendars work in the modern-day, that has wound up having a pretty big impact.
It’s pretty much universally recognized that there are 365 days in a year, and we can thank the Egyptians for, well, either figuring that out or just coming up with it – depending on your perspective and what it is you actually believe.
6 Sharm El-Sheikh
In case you weren’t already aware, Egypt is doing a great job of breaking into the ‘luxurious holiday destination’ category, as opposed to somewhere that folks visit just to see the pyramids.
The resort town is tucked away down by the Red Sea and resembles the African equivalent of every stereotypical clear blue paradise that you’ve seen on TV and in the movies.
The reefs are beautiful, the conditions are always great, and it always feels a little bit safer than you may have first anticipated it to be.
5 Alternative Africa
Everyone has a somewhat stereotypical idea of what the African continent is like and what it is going to provide you with as an experience when visiting.
We tend to believe that Egypt blows all of those expectations clean out of the water, and we really like that dynamic.
With the country having historic Asian roots, you could argue that there is a best of both worlds kind of atmosphere which allows travelers to uncover different opinions and perspectives of Africa whenever you visit.
It can be summed up with one important word: unique.
4 Camel Tours
Much like marmite, there’s a good chance you’re either going to love this or you are going to hate this. One way or another, though, we tend to believe it’s pretty fun.
Heading over the sand dunes on the back of a camel is an experience that you simply will not get to have every day of the week, and that much is obvious.
So then, instead of just avoiding the idea of it altogether, why not dive straight in and experience a whole new world?
It really is something special.
3 The People
The people of Egypt are as fascinating as you could possibly imagine them to be. While there isn’t a distinct divide, you certainly have those from rural areas of the country that are very set in their ways – and then once you travel further inwards to the cities, it becomes all the more interesting.
From the haggling locals to the joyful residents who are just happy to welcome foreign strangers into their culture, there is something to learn from every single one of them.
One thing we will say is that there’s a certain mystery with many Egyptians, to the point where you can have lots of fun uncovering the personality behind the exterior.
2 The Beaches
We all think of places like Spain and Mexico when lusting after a great beach life, but Egypt is well and truly up there with the best of them.
We’d even argue that the term ‘white sand’ beaches should stem directly from the nation, and when you combine that with a popular snorkeling culture, you’ll begin to understand why it’s becoming a progressively popular destination.
Plus, it offers up a change of pace for travelers that want to get away from the Canary Islands in order to delve deeper into a fresh way of living (or surfing, or chilling on the beach).
1 Egyptian Tombs
Some Egyptian tombs have quite literally remained untouched for the better part of 5,000-10,000 years, and that’s enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
The detail at which these tombs have been erected leaves the kind of impression that will last with you forever, and we can just about guarantee that.
If you thought that Chinese symbols were something else, just wait until you lay your eyes on inscriptions and historic figures that held more power in their little finger than we do in our entire bodies.
It’s revolutionary, and it’s not as if we’ve only just discovered that.