10 Historical Egyptian Sites You Need To See Before You Die

Egypt is the home of the great pyramids and pharoahs. When going to South Africa, it is a must to stop by the amazing historical site and if you don't, you'll regret it. The country has been seeing international tourists and experiencing the benefits since the 1950s.

However, now the people of Egypt depend on tourism since it is the main source of income for the entire country. Now, with access to reasonably priced travel, it has ever been easier to go overseas. If you're planning a trip to Egypt, you've come to the right place; here are the best tourist sites in Egypt!

10 Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramids of Giza are most likely the first thing you picture when you think of Egypt. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the large structures, and are still one of the seven wonders of the world.

Each one of the stone blocks weighs about 2.5 to 15 tons, which makes you wonder just how those who built them even got the bricks together in the first place. Since their discovery, the structures have wowed architects and tourists alike; especially since they estimated to be 4,500 years old!

9 The Valley of the Kings

The Nile splits the living and the dead in this area, where the City of the Living lies on the east and the City of the Dead lies on the west. From 16th to 11th century BC, there were tombs excavated for pharoahs, which now hold some of the most famous and influential pharos (good and bad) throughout history.

Also called the Valley of the Great Kings and Queens, the tomb is home to the bodies of great people including King Tut, as many know him, and Ramses the I and many of his successors.

8 Mosque of Ibn Tulun

Built between 876 and 879 AD, the Mosque of Tulun is one of the oldest mosques in Cairo and even in Egypt. It was commissioned and built for the then Ambassid Governor of Egypt, Ahmad Ibn Tulun, and is about 26,300 square meters, which is incredibly large.

People flock from near and far to see the great temple, which is so beloved that it has been restored in past years and is now going through a second restoration.

7 Egyptian Museum

Museums are the best places to go to learn about a certain subject and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the country's capital, is one of the largest Egyptian museums in the world.

The building is home to over 12,000 items, including coins, artifacts from the Valley Of Kings (above), as well as real mummies. The Royal Mummy Room is the most popular exhibit, holding 27 real mummified bodies of past kings and queens; you even get to see some of the faces of the great pharoahs.

6 Nile River Cruise

When researching the Nile River Cruise, you may be disappointed to find out that it isn't exactly your typical 'cruise'. We don't recommend packing your bags and expecting to spend 10 days on this particular cruise, but we do recommend hopping on a boat and enjoying the beautiful float down the largest river in the world.

The Nile is about 6,650 km long and drains into the Mediterranean sea. Even though it isn't a 'cruise' and you won't be going to any buffets, it is a beautiful sight to see.

5 Karnak Temple Complex

Egypt is known to have an amazing and extensive religious history and Karnak is one of the most popular (and one of the largest) religious tourist sites ever built. It is made up of 134 columns and 16 rows of incredibly old ruins and historical buildings, coming in at about 5,000 square meters.

The site is surrounded by temples, featuring three main temples, a few smaller temples near the main ones, as well as several more on the outskirts of the large property.

4 Siwa Oasis

The Siwa Oasis is a beautiful spot, located 560 km from Cairo. It is an isolated settlement, being the home to about 33,000 people.

The beautiful city has fresh water springs, and a mud-brick citadel, which you can visit. Most people use the town as a base for their exploration into the great desert area that surrounds it. Described as a paradise, the site was once part of historical Libya, but is now considered Egyptian.

3 St. Catherine's Monastery

As stated previously, Egypt is known for its extensive religious history, and there are many religious tourist sites that tell a great history of beliefs and faith. Whether you believe in what the bible has to say or not, St. Catherine's Monastery is a very interesting place to go.

Resting at the foot of Mount Sinai, it is said that this is the exact site where Moses wrote the famous 10 Commandments, as well as his conversation with the legendary Burning Bush. St. Catherine's Monastery has also been deemed one of the most popular tourist sites in Egypt, falling behind the Pyramids of Giza.

2 Islamic Cairo

Cairo is the largest city in Egypt, with a population of over 19 million people. It is a very historical city, being one of the most popular and important shipping ports in Egypt back in the day. However, architecture is the reason that you go to Cairo.

Many mosques and monuments are spread throughout the city, each one with its own significance; this includes the Sultan Hassan Mosque. What makes the city so breathtaking, though is the history behind the gorgeous Islamic empires from many years ago.

1 Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel is the temple of Ramses II, The Great Pharaoh. He was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and was one of the most beloved rulers in Egyptian history. He was a great warrior and had always been, fighting in great battles as a young man.

His temple is guarded by large statues of Egyptian guards, making sure that, even in the afterlife, their ruler is protected. The temple was actually moved in the 1940s to avoid being submerged by water. It is really hard to imagine someone moving such a large structure!

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