Egypt: Tour Egypt Monthly: The Magazine of Egyptian Travel and History - January 2001

This Month in Tour Egypt Monthly

This Month in Tour Egypt Monthly:

Feature Articles

Nile Cruises by Jimmy Dunn

The Nile has always, and will probably always be a travel corridor for Northern Africa. While the River itself flows to the North, into the Mediterranean Sea, the prevailing winds along the Nile are to the South. Therefore, for at least the last 5,000 years, the Nile has been a great route, with boats drifting North, and raising their sails for the return trip upriver. And unlike many other rivers, the population and building activities are all concentrated along the Nile, as the land quickly becomes inhospitable only a few miles east or west of it, for the most part. So dominant is the river that the two ancient sections of Egypt are, confusingly for most people, called Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Upper Egypt is actually Southern Egypt, because it is "up river", while Northern Egypt is Lower because it is down river.

Eid: Celebration for the Young and Old by Mohamed Osama

The word Eid is an Arabic name to mean a festivity, a celebration, a recurring happiness, and a feast. In Islam, there are two major Eids namely "Eid al-Fitr" (Festival of Breaking the Fast) celebrating the end of Ramadan and "Eid al-Adha" (Festival of Sacrifice) which coincides with the Hajj and commemorates prophet Abrahams sacrifice of a sheep in place of prophet Ishmael.

The Western Desert of Egypt: Adventure Travel at its best by Cassandra Vivian

If I were talking about Tutankamun, this article would attract readers automatically, such is the draw of Ancient Egypt. But I am talking about Kharga Oasis, Gebel Uwaynat, and the Great Sand Sea. Although all of them have mysteries as tantalizing as those of ancient Egypt, they are for the most part unrecognizable names in the United States. If I told you Medusa turned men to stone in the Western Desert, would that hold your interest? If I said after his 12 labors Hercules rested in the Western Desert, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra romanced here, Antony and Cleopatra faced defeat here, and the first Allied victory in World War II took place here, would that do it? If I said the heroine of the Academy Award winning film The English Patient died in one of its caves --- ahh haa, now I gotcha, dont I??

The Latest Fashions in Ancient Egypt By Ilene Springer

Here's a surprise to many The high-quality Egyptian cotton that is so
popular the world over was not even available in pharonic times. It was
only until the Christian period that cotton trees growing half-wild in Nubia (southern Egypt) started being used. And finally, in the 19th century, an American variety of cotton started flourishing in Egypt. So what did the ancient Egyptians wear? Linen. Most everything men, women and children wore was made from linen. In fact, the ancient Egyptians believed the Gods wore linen.

Departments


Ancient Beauty Secrets

by Judith Illes

It is henna which produces the lovely reddish hair color favored by many Middle-Eastern and North African women. It is also used for body ornamentation, to paint designs upon the body, traditionally the palms and soles, for the purposes of beauty and spiritual benefit.

Book Reviews

by Mary Kay Radnich

Is it a book? Is it a box? Its both!
Chris Kondeatis and Sara Maitland, along with the creative folks at
Bulfinch Press have come up with a marvelous ancient Egyptian activity
pack, more than just coloring books and hieroglyphs, which will delight the
child in all of us.

Kid's Corner

by Margo Wayman

Margo has been very busy both with the Kid's Corner in the Tour Egypt Monthly and the Color Me Egypt section of Tour Egypt. This month she focuses on the Nile, more games, activities and two new stories, along with fun recipes for kids.

Cooking with Tour Egypt

by Mary Kay Radnich

Mary Kay gives us a number of treats this month with Phyllo dough, a parchment-thin, soft pastery, Bariwat (meat parcels) and Baklawa (the "king" of Arab pastries), including several variations for the Syrup used in this dish.

Hotel Reviews

By Jimmy Dunn

This month we again review three hotels, including the Steigenberger Golf Resort and the Sheraton Miramar Resort, both in luxurious El Gouna area on the Red Sea coast of Egypt. The third hotel is the Catherine Plaza Hotel, located at St. Catherine in the Sinai mountains of Egypt, a new hotel and welcome addition to this growing tourist destination.

Egyptian Exhibitions

by deTraci Regula

Hosting a dual exhibit on Egypt, the Glenbow brings to Calgary in
Western Canada both the slickly produced "Mysteries of Egypt" Imax
film and associated exhibit, plus the more modestly-mounted but even
more fascinating "Women of the Nile" exhibit which originated at the
Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, California.

Egyptian Night Life

by Juergen Stryjak

Cairo wouldnt be Cairo without its countless popular coffeehouses and street cafs, noisy and vivid. Juergen Stryjak recommends some of them off the usual tourist paths.

Restaurant Reviews

by Juergen Stryjak

A fast food chain branch is not exactly what restaurant reviews should be about. But sometimes there are other reasons than only the food to visit such places. Juergen Stryjak recommends a particular Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Cairo.

Shopping Around
by Juergen Stryjak

Shopping malls are the oriental markets of a new age in Egypt. Recently opened, is the largest one throughout the whole country. Juergen Stryjak visited the Arkadia Mall in Cairo.

Web Reviews
by Siri Bezdicek

Web Reviews provides an interesting look at other Egyptian sites on the Internet, by the manager of our new Egyptbot search engine.

Editor's Commentary
by Jimmy Dunn

This month, a thanks to our Tour Egypt Community and the work they are doing to keep Tour Egypt the Best Egypt Related web site on the Internet.

Last Updated: June 5th, 2011