41 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.

Dandarah, Egypt

Hathor Temple

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

City of the Dead

An endless sea of white conical domes.

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.

Qesm Hurghada, Egypt

Desert Breath

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

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Top Discussions in the Egypt Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Traveling to Egypt	9 April 26, 2019	1007	April 26, 2019
Hatshepsut's Myrrh Tree	4 October 17, 2019	1683	October 17, 2019
The Lost City of Heracleion	6 August 13, 2019	1763	August 13, 2019
Fesikh	1 April 2, 2019	1256	April 2, 2019
Colossi of Memnon	1 January 19, 2020	1309	January 19, 2020

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Stories About Egypt

After a thorough cleaning, this column capital showed off striking color.

The Messy Business of Scrubbing 2,000 Years of Bird Poop From an Egyptian Temple

The crap covered up cartouches and constellations.

by Isaac Schultz

January 13, 2021

The ifrit is the most meddlesome and sinister of the djinn.

Across the Islamic World, the Ifrit Brings Miseries Both Large and Small

To believe in them and other djinns is to acknowledge there is a world beyond our own.

by Harry Spitzer

October 29, 2020

Two workers blend a tiger nut mixture for cakes in this painting from the tomb of a vizier.

Recreate the Ancient Egyptian Recipes Painted on Tomb Walls

Make bread fit for a pharaoh and a sweet treat out of tiger nuts.

August 21, 2020

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

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