Egypt : Tour Egypt Monthly : May 2001

This Month in Tour Egypt Monthly:

Feature Articles


Love on the Nile by Mark Antoine

Most people go to Egypt for the Antiquities, but Egypt is a romantic setting, and it is no surprise that a number of famous lovers have cruised the Nile with less interest in the monuments than each other. Today Egypt remains a place which inspires love.


Climbing Mount Sinai by Joyce Carta

Climbing Mount Sinai is a tradition for travelers to the mountains of southern Sinai. While the 7,497 foot mountain has 3,750 steps hewn out of stone by the monks of St. Catherine's Monastery, most people will make the largest part of the journey by camel. But once on the mountain's peek, the view is astounding.


The Anceint Egyptian Concept of the Soul by Caroline Seawright

To the Ancient Egyptians, their soul - their being - was made up of many different parts. Not only was there the physical form, but there were eight immortal or semi-divine parts that survived death, with the body making nine parts of a human.


Just What the Doctor Ordered in Ancient Egypt by Ilene Springer

The Egyptians can claim credit for yet another achievement that influences us today: one of the first populations to have practicing physicians. Doctors in Egypt usually went through years of hard training at temple schools in the Various arts of interrogating the patient, inspection or examination, palpation and treatment.


The Nile by Marie Parsons

The Nile is the longest river in the world, stretching north for approximately 4,000 miles from East Africa to the Mediterranean. The mere mention of the name of the Nile evokes for modern man images of Pyramids, great temples, fantastic tales of mummies, and wondrous treasures. But the Nile represents life itself to the people of Egypt, ancient and modern.


Package Tours Vs. Independent Tours: Which is Best for You? By Jimmy Dunn

We at Tour Egypt have often promoted independent travel to Egypt, and we will continue to do so. Particularly for well-informed and experienced travelers, an independent trip to Egypt can be fun and fulfilling. But for many visitors, this is not the best way to visit Egypt, and for many more, it will certainly not be the least expensive way to view the country. For the first or second time visitor to Egypt, a guided package tour will work be much more satisfactory. There are several reasons for this.


Camels, and Trekking in Today's Sinai By Angela Wierstra

The "great and terrible wilderness" of the Bible has turned into a luxurious holiday paradise. Sinai has become well known for deluxe resorts located on the beaches of the Gulf of Aqaba and is famous for its extraordinary underwater world.


Ancient Words: Scribes of Egypt Revisited By Catherine C. Harris

Having the title of scribe was an honorable position for one to hold in Egyptian culture. Future scribes were the only people in ancient Egypt who received a formal education. For all other stations in life, the people would participate in apprenticeship situations. In order to become an "official" scribe, your father had to be a scribe, and his father had to be a scribe, and so on.


Departments

Ancient Beauty Secrets
by Judith Illes

Ancient Egyptian images of individuals as well as social gatherings are filled with flowers. Divinities, pharaohs and commoners alike are adorned with blossoms and garlands. These blossoms range from the lotuses and papyrus that once grew rampantly by the Nile to cultivated flowers. Indeed, it is believed that some of the earliest gardens on Earth were in ancient Egypt.

Book Reviews
by Mary Kay Radnich

This month Mary Kay reviews Ancient Egypt: Life, Myth and Art by well known Egyptologist Joann Fletcher. In addition, she helps our readers speak the language with two book reviews, a phrase book by Lonely Planet, and the other, a most interesting primer on Arabic writing called, "Your First 100 Words in Arabic by Mahmoud Gaafar.

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 colors of Egypt, with more games, activities and many new stories, along with fun recipes for kids.

Cooking with Tour Egypt
by Mary Kay Radnich

Mary Kay cooks up some Egyptian bread and butter pudding, called Om Ali, as she wonders exactly where it came from. Was it from Upper Egypt, or Lower Egypt, or maybe even from Ireland. Nobody seems to know for sure.

Hotel Reviews
By Jimmy Dunn

We review a variety of Hotels this month, from basic budget to five star, including the well known budget Victoria Hotel, the Sheraton El Gezirah where many tourists first stay in Cairo. Another is the Amar Sina Resort, a very different and friendly resort in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Month in Review
by John Applegate

A new feature department in the Tour Egypt Monthly, the Month in Review wraps up headlines in antiquities and travel about Egypt from around the world.

Egyptian Night Life
by Daniel Lanier

Sharm El-Sheikh as an internationally known nightclub destination if the dream of Amr Ismail. He manages the Bus Stop, organizes House Nation Parties in the courtyard of the nearby Sanafir Hotel as well as concerts and other special events at the Echo Temple, Sharms impressive desert stage.

Restaurant Reviews
by Daniel Lanier

The combination of excellent food and a great view down to the Naama Bay make the Rangoli Restaurant one of the finest dining experiences in Sharm El-Sheikh. Daniel Lanier enjoyed a romantic evening at the small Rangolis terrace

Shopping Around
by Daniel Lanier

The tourist should know: It is rather expensive to buy souvenirs in Sharm El-Sheikh, but even there are shops worth recommending. Daniel Lanier visited two of them.

Web Reviews
by Siri Bezdicek

Siri explains this month's web picks for Egypt oriented Internet site. Give the web a spin and discover great information on Egypt and Egyptian antiquities.

Egyptian View-Point
By Adel Murad

One of the latest fashions to hit the Egyptian capital is going on
mini-cruises on the Nile to have lunch or dinner. These so called "Tourist Restaurants" are on the itinerary of many tourist groups and are also famous amongst Egyptians themselves. Adel also examines the Egyptian Antiquity Museum's Centenary, and gives us his latest take on Egyptian proverbs and quotes.

Egyptian Exhibitions
By Our Staff

This section of the Tour Egypt Monthly has information and dates for Egyptian oriented exhibits throughout the world. It is updated for expired exhibits and new exhibit openings each month.


Prior Issues:

April 1st, 2001
March 1st, 2001
February 1st, 2001
December 1st, 2000

October 1st, 2000

September 1st, 2000

August 1st, 2000

July 1st, 2000

June 1st, 2000

Editor's Commentary
by Jimmy Dunn

This month we visit a good friend and unsung hero of Egyptian Tourism. Chances are our readers have never heard of Nazmy Farag, but they should have. He is one of the driving forces behind the Tour Egypt web site, and has from the beginning been our bridge with the Egyptian Tourist Authority and the Ministry of Tourism of Egypt.