Egypt : Tour Egypt Monthly : February 2001

This Month in Tour Egypt Monthly:

Feature Articles


The Queens of Egypt, Part I by Dr. Sameh Arab

Though the tradition in ancient Egypt was to honor women and give them legal rights and a remarkable margin of freedom far more than any other contemporaneous civilization, their role in kingship was limited to passing the throne to the next king, not inherit it themselves. The pharaoh was the son of Ra the sun god - harboring the divine royal blood of Horus. This royal blood was inherited to his successor, only through the eldest princess. In order to be eligible to the throne, the eldest son had to marry his sister, the eldest daughter of the deceased pharaoh.


The Ancient Egyptian Scribe by Ilene Springer

How do we know so much about the ancient lives of the Egyptian people? True, we have statues and also artwork covering the walls of tombs. This gives us a pretty close idea of what ancient Egyptian lives were like. But the best picture comes from the words they wrote. The ancient Egyptians wrote down everything-from magic spells and curses to medical procedures and lists of food supplies given to the pyramid builders.


Departments

Ancient Beauty Secrets

by Judith Illes

We diverge from our usual subject this month. The premise of this column, to some extent, is that despite the vast distance in time, history, culture and perceptions between our modern age and ancient Egypt, we find common ground in shared concerns about appearance and aging. This month Judith takes us on a tour of Fertility Shrines of Egypt

Book Reviews

by Mary Kay Radnich

Eisht-el-omrein! La Dolce Vita! The Good Life! If this is your style of travel, complete with fine dining, five star hotels and shopping til you drop, then the Krannichs have produced the guide book for you called, "The Treasures and Pleasures of Egypt" Also, she reviews Travel Planning on the Internet. While not specific to Egypt, it is an invaluable guide to planning trips using cyber space.

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 the desert, with more games, activities and many new stories, along with fun recipes for kids.

Cooking with Tour Egypt

by Mary Kay Radnich

Fava beans are broad beans. In reality, there are both small and large broad beans. If you find fava beans in the produce department of your grocer, you will see a really a huge green pod, much larger than your standard green bean. This month Mary Kay cooks some up in various ways.

Hotel Reviews

By Jimmy Dunn

This month we revisit the Longchamps hotel in Cairo, and Jimmy Dunn explains why we specifically like this hotel so much, and what's new with the facility. In addition, we also review one of the leading luxury hotels in Cairo, the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel with great, quality facilities and an even greater location in Downtown Cairo next to the Nile River.

Sharm El-Sheikh is one of the leading Egyptian tourist destinations perfect for beach tourists and famous among scuba divers. Many of the hotels there are bombastic, kitschy palaces, however the newly inaugurated and luxurious GARDENIA RESORT is a refreshing alternative to them. Review by Juergen Stryjak.

Egyptian Exhibitions

by deTraci Regula

This month deTraci looks at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. While most of the objects displayed are not exceptional, the sheer quantity is cheering and highlights include a charming rose granite statue of the royal scribe Rahotep from Sakkara, an array of scarabs and small objects, funerary equipment, and an early carving of a hippopotamus.

Egyptian Night Life

by Juergen Stryjak

A number of floating restaurants in Cairo offer a romantic evening on the Nile, including dinner course, show and live music. Juergen Stryjak checked out three of them.

Restaurant Reviews

by Juergen Stryjak

A British expatriate with seven years experience as a restaurateur in Cairo, an Australian with Egyptian roots and a chef who studied under the tutelage of a Melbourne chef of Arab origin this unusual combination guarantees a restaurant surprise at the Flux, one of the latest bar & bistro achievements in Egypts capital. Juergen Stryjak had the ultimate Molokhiyya experience there.

Shopping Around

by Juergen Stryjak

This shop, its owners argue, is an indication for local craftsmen and artisans to trust in their traditional skills and capabilities. They are right. The gallery "Al Khatoun" in the heart of Islamic Cairo, should definitely be visited before the tourist spends his money on souvenir trash at other places.

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.

Egyptian View-Point

By Adel Murad

There is a wealth of architecture to be enjoyed in Egypt, spanning seven millennia, but not all are so obvious or well known. Some attractions belong to different eras yet stand side by side, and some others get overlooked by the magnificence of the attraction adjacent. Adel takes a look at these Hidden Jewels.

Editor's Commentary

by Jimmy Dunn

We take a look at a well known "tourism" character, really almost one of the founders of Egyptian tourism, and today, a walking, talking history book. Say hello to Mr. Bakri, born in 1911, who began his career in the tourism industry in 1940, only completely retiring some 60 years later in 2000.


Prior Issues:

December 1st, 2000

October 1st, 2000

September 1st, 2000

August 1st, 2000

July 1st, 2000

June 1st, 2000