38 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Egypt - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Egypt

Alexandria, Egypt

The Lost City of Heracleion

An ancient city exhumed from the depths of the ocean.

Nilometer

An ancient instrument used to measure the waters of the Nile so Egyptian farmers would know whether to expect famine or flood.

The Temple of Abu Simbel

Ozymandias’ time-keeping temple.

City of the Dead

An endless sea of white conical domes.

Dandarah, Egypt

Hathor Temple

One of the most well-preserved temples of ancient Egypt.

Qesm Hurghada, Egypt

Desert Breath

A massive work of modern art that appears to be a crop circle in the middle of the desert.

Colossi of Memnon

These Egyptian statues have survived for 3,400 years and were an acoustic wonder of the ancient world.

Al Farafrah, Egypt

White Desert

An alien landscape of chalk-rock in the Egyptian desert.

See All 38 Things to Do in Egypt See All 38 Places

Unique Food & Drink in Egypt

Tutankhamun Ale

This beer was popular more than 3,000 years ago.

Mish

This sharp and salty Egyptian cheese ferments for months in a bath of milk and spices.

Siwa Oasis Dates

Dates from this desert oasis have been sweetening Egyptian tables since pharaonic times.

Hamam Mahshi

Egyptian pigeons are raised in special towers, then stuffed and eaten.

See all 6 things to eat in Egypt See all 6 things to eat in Egypt

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Fesikh	1 April 2, 2019	1110	April 2, 2019
The Tomb of Nefertari	2 December 6, 2019	587	December 6, 2019
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Saqqara	0 June 5, 2019	278	June 5, 2019

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Stories About Egypt

The Siena Pianoforte has seen its share of adventure.

Sold: An Ornate Piano Found on a World War II Battlefield

It traveled three continents, survived desert warfare, and accidentally ended up with a man who'd been looking for it all along.

by Matthew Taub

<em>Matuta victor</em>, an invasive Red Sea crab.

Why the Suez Canal Is a Superhighway for Invasive Species

And the newcomers show no signs of slowing down.

by Isaac Schultz

February 13, 2020

One of the mummies had more than 30 tattoos, including this <em>wadjet</em> on her neck.

Modern Tech Is Revealing Ancient Egyptian Tattooing

One woman had 30 images or symbols adorning her body.

by Isaac Schultz

December 17, 2019

In many of Greene's images, including this one from 1853 or 1854, it's hard to puzzle out a sense of scale.

The Strange Emptiness of Egypt in 19th-Century European Photographs

John Beasley Greene photographed early European archaeology in Egypt—but he paid little attention to those who lived there.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

November 21, 2019

Researchers analyzed ancient DNA from ibis mummies, millions of which have been found in Egyptian catacombs.

Ancient Egypt’s Ibis Mummies Were Probably Not Raised in Giant Sacred Ranches

Genetic research suggests a more local solution to meet demand.

by Isaac Schultz

November 14, 2019

The five-legged, three-tailed cat in question.

This Five-Legged Cat Mummy Is Not as Strange as It Seems

A recently scanned cat mummy was probably not a scam, but the remains of animals that died on a sacred site.

by Sabrina Imbler

November 13, 2019

The researchers detected arsenic, lead, and antimony in the yellow paint—meaning it was more than just orpiment.

Found: Surprisingly Modern Paint on an Ancient Egyptian Gate

How did a pigment that Vermeer used in the 1600s wind up on Egyptian art from the 6th century BC?

by Sabrina Imbler

November 12, 2019

On the left, a musician wears an unguent cone.

Researchers Concocted an Ancient Egyptian Perfume Perhaps Worn by Cleopatra

One archaeologist describes the spicy, musky scent as "the Chanel No. 5 of ancient Egypt."

by Sabrina Imbler

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