Our flight on Egyptair took us from New York's JFK directly to Cairo, Egypt, where we were met by Mohamed Anwar, our Egyptologist guide for the next two weeks. Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great majority of its estimated 78.7 million live near the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 15,000 sq mi, where the only arable agricultural land is found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centers of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta. Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the Giza pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. Its ancient ruins, such as those of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, are a significant focus of archaeological study, and artifacts from these sites are now displayed in major museums around the world. Click on the red dots to see photos and commentary of our trip. |
