138 Best Sights in Egypt

Edfu's magnificent Temple of Horus is one of ancient Egypt's most intact temples, thanks to dry desert sand burying it for centuries, and it's a breathtaking sight. Built during the Ptolemaic Dynasty (305–30 BC) of the Greco-Roman Period, the temple rests on much earlier foundations.

The enormous, 37-meter-tall (120-foot-tall) Pylon, fronted by a pair of granite statues of Horus as a falcon that look miniscule in comparison, leads into the open Courtyard with a single row of columns on three sides. At the far end, in front of the Hypostyle Hall, are two more statues of Horus. The column capitals come in a wide variety of floral motifs, including palm leaves, lotus, and papyrus. A library was once located on the eastern side of the Hypostyle Hall, and hieroglyphs on the walls list the names of the books.

Beyond the Hypostyle Hall is a series of side chapels and chambers encircling the sanctuary. Carvings on the walls detail the construction of the temple, down to the specific day that work on it began: August 23, 237 BC. The inner rooms of the temple are dark and atmospheric and were originally illuminated only by shafts of light from narrow slits in the ceiling, which are still in place, today helped by modern lights along the floor. The once richly colored walls, decorated with scenes of pharaohs making offerings, would have shone and glimmered like jewels in the half-light, and it's easy to imagine priestly processions passing through the temple, chanting and praying amid clouds of incense. One of the side rooms, dubbed the Laboratory, lists the ingredients and recipes for perfumes and essences used in temple rituals.

In the Sanctuary is a reproduction of a barque, the sacred boat used to transport the statue of Horus for festivals and downriver to Dendera to be reunited with his wife, Hathor. A large granite shrine made during the reign of Nectanebo II (358–340 BC), a relic from the previous building and the oldest part of the temple, looms eerily at the back of the Sanctuary.

A stone enclosure wall wraps around the back half of the temple, and it has carvings of Horus defeating the god Set, who killed Horus's father Osiris. This area is one of the few places where this myth is illustrated. Set is shown as a small hippo, easily conquered by the huge figure of falcon-headed Horus.

On the eastern side of the temple is the Nilometer, a gauge used to measure the height of the Nile and to calculate taxes. If the river level was high, the harvest would be bountiful and so would the tax revenues.

Surrounded by Esna on all sides and set 9 meters (30 feet) below the modern street level, the Temple of Khnum might not have the grand approach or huge footprint of other sites, but its interior makes it worth a visit. In 2018, an Egyptian–German conservation team began cleaning and restoring the temple, revealing the vibrant colors of its artwork, which was done in ink rather than in relief, and had previously been hidden by layers of grime.

Started under the Ptolemies and finished by the Romans, it was one of the last temples of ancient Egypt, even though it's dedicated to one of the country's earliest-worshipped gods. Ram-headed Khnum was the god of the source of the Nile and created other deities and humans on a potter's wheel.

Today, the hypostyle hall is the only part of the temple that's visible and visitable (the rest is likely buried under the town). Holding up the roof are four rows of 12-meter (40-foot) columns with remarkable capitals: covered in a unique array of beautifully painted, colorful palm leaves and flowers, they resemble lush gardens. While your neck is still craned, note the incredible illustration of the phases of the moon on the ceiling of the temple's northern side. Roman signs of the zodiac are shown on the southern side. The walls display festive celebrations, offerings to gods, and highly interesting everyday scenes, such as fishing in the Nile and hunting migratory birds from Europe. The work of the conservation team was only half complete as of 2022, so there's still more scenic color to uncover.

Set on a curve in the Nile, Kom Ombo is a unique "double temple" dedicated equally to two deities: the crocodile-headed god Sobek and the falcon-headed Haroeris, a manifestation of the god Horus. Virtually all the structure visible today dates from the late Ptolemaic Dynasty (ca. 205 BC), but earlier structures and artifacts continue to be unearthed, including the January 2021 discovery of pharaohs' seals from the 5th Dynasty (2495–2345 BC).

A large open courtyard leads to the 10-column outer hypostyle hall with exquisite relief carvings that show gods and pharaoh coronations in fine detail, all the way down to their sculpted knees and clear-cut toenails. The reliefs continue through the inner hypostyle hall, a series of offering halls, and twin sanctuaries. The latter contain a set of crypts and secret passageways from which priests provided advice and the "voice" of god.

As in many other ancient Egyptian temples, much of Kom Ombo's decoration depicts scenes of pharaohs making offerings to the gods and the gods blessing pharaohs. But this temple also has some unusual carvings. On the back (northeast) wall along the outer stone enclosure, surgical and medical instruments such as forceps, scales, a stethoscope, and even a sponge are depicted on a table, possibly indicating that Kom Ombo was a center of healing. The goddess Isis is also shown on a birthing chair. Also, look for a calendar on the southwest wall of the offering hall, the only carving of its kind that shows the date of the Nile's flooding season.

On the north side of the temple, a large well at least 15 meters (50 feet) deep is connected to a series of basins that the cult of Sobek might have used to house newborn crocodiles. Fragments of a mammisi (chapel depicting divine birth) stand at the temple's western corner near the entrance. The way out leads through a dimly lit Crocodile Museum that houses 20 mummified crocs, the largest of which is a whopping 4 meters (14 feet) long. Those who prayed at Kom Ombo would leave behind offerings of mummified crocodiles and stelae, stone slabs decorated with the name of the pilgrim and a prayer to the god.

The desert west of Alexandria was the field of one of the decisive battles of World War II. In 1942, the British Eighth Army led by General Montgomery attacked the German Afrika Corps led by Field Marshal Rommel (the famous "Desert Fox") and sent them into a retreat, which would eventually clear Axis troops from the whole of North Africa. Soldiers from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, and other countries were buried here if they died on the battlefield. Otherwise, their bodies were transferred to the hospital in Alexandria and buried in the Commonwealth Cemetery that still exists in the city.

Three carefully tended military grave sites hold the remains of Allied, Italian, and German soldiers—each with a suitably somber monument. The gardens of El Alamein's museum display an array of military hardware used in the battle. Inside the museum, galleries offer background information on the forces involved and explain how the campaign in North Africa developed and how the decisive battle played out. The museum has also collected a wealth of personal items, including letters and photographs from soldiers on all sides that layer a compelling human story on top of the military records. The sites are about an hour west of Alexandria along the coastal road. Renting a taxi for the morning is the most convenient way to see the museum, monuments, and graveyards. Local tour companies also organize guides and transportation.

What's known in Arabic as al-Muallaqah (The Suspended Church) is consecrated to the Blessed Virgin. It sits atop a gatehouse of the Roman fortress, was originally built in the 9th century, and has since been rebuilt several times. Only the section to the right of the sanctuary, above the southern bastion, is considered original. Nevertheless, it is one of the city's most impressive churches.

The entrance gates open to a flight of stairs that lead onto a covered courtyard, the narthex, paved with glazed geometrical tiles dating from the 11th century. Beyond the narthex is the nave, the main section of the church where services are held. Most columns in Coptic churches were painted with pictures of saints, but few of the paintings survived. Those in the Hanging Church are no exception; only one column still has traces of a figure on it.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this space is the marble pulpit. Considered the oldest existing pulpit in the country, it was constructed in the 11th century, though some of its components are older. The pulpit is supported by slender columns arranged in pairs of which no two are alike. Some say this represents the sacraments; others describe it as being symbolic of Christ and his disciples.

The sanctuary screen is made of cedar and ivory cut in small segments and then inlaid in wood to form a Coptic cross. The top of the screen is covered with icons: Christ is depicted in the center; the Virgin, the archangel Gabriel, and St. Peter are on the right; and St. John the Baptist, St. Paul, and the archangel Michael are on the left. Behind the screen is the sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary. To the right is another screen dating from the 13th century and made of wood and mother-of-pearl. It glows dark pink when a candle is held behind it. Behind this is a small chapel attached to the Ethiopian St. Takla Haymanot Church. A stairway leads from this chapel to one above it, dedicated to St. Mark. This area is probably the oldest part of the church, built in the 3rd century when this was still a bastion of the old Roman fort.

Equally as fascinating as the displays on Egyptian architecture, arranged chronologically, is the 18th-century structure containing them. It's one of the best-preserved Islamic houses in Cairo, greatly influenced by the Ottoman and Mamluk styles. It was originally known as Ali Labib House, but came to be known as the House of the Artists, having been home to many local and international artists, including the renowned Egyptian architect, Hassan Fathi. The museum also conducts workshops and hosts lectures and cultural events.

Saint Anthony is a prominent figure in Coptic Christianity because of his influence on the monastic movement. And even though his contemporary, Paul, was the first hermit, Anthony was the more popular of the two. He was born in the middle of the 3rd century AD to wealthy parents who left him with a hefty inheritance upon their death, when he was 18. Instead of reveling in his riches, he sold all his possessions, distributed the proceeds to the poor, sent his sister to a convent, and fled to dedicate his life to God as a hermit in the mountains overlooking the Red Sea.

Disciples flocked to Anthony, hoping to hear his preaching and to be healed. But the monk sought absolute solitude and retreated to a cave in the mountain range of South Qabala. After his death in the 4th century—the hermit lived to age 104—admirers built a chapel and refectory in his memory. Saint Anthony's grew. In the 7th, 8th, and 11th centuries, periodic Bedouin predations severely damaged the structure. It was restored in the 12th century.

Saint Anthony's is deep in the mountains. Its walls reach some 40 feet in height. Several watchtowers, as well as the bulky walls' catwalk, served as sentry posts. The Church of Saint Anthony was built over his grave, and it is renowned for its exquisite 13th-century wall paintings of Saint George on horseback and the three Desert Fathers, restored in the 1990s.

Four other churches were built on the grounds of the monastery over the years. The most important of them is the 1766 Church of Saint Mark, which is adorned with 12 domes and contains significant relics.

A 2-km (1-mile) trek—be sure to bring plenty of drinking water along—leads you to Saint Anthony's Cave, 2,230 feet above sea level, where he spent his last days. Views of the Red Sea and the surrounding mountains are superb, and you're likely to encounter interesting local bird life on the hike. Inside the cave, among the rocks, pilgrims have left pieces of paper asking the saint for intervention.

Saint Paul of Thebes (also known as Saint Paul the Anchorite) made his way into the desert to live as a hermit in the 4th century AD, after a wealthy upbringing in Alexandria. The monastery was built in the 5th century, after the saint's death. Following several raids about a thousand years later, the monastery was abandoned. Monks from the Monastery of Saint Anthony eventually reopened Saint Paul's.

A 7-km (4-mile) drive west from the Red Sea Coast highway twists through the rugged mountains and deposits you near the entrance of Saint Paul's Monastery. The high walls of the monastery are surrounded by a village, which has a bakery, mills, and a few surrounding fields. The buildings of the monastery are believed to encompass the cave in which Saint Paul lived for nearly 80 years. In the Church of Saint Paul, paintings of the Holy Virgin cover the walls.

To experience the ascetic life of the monastery, you can overnight in guesthouses here; women lodge outside the walls, men inside. For permission to lodge here, and for information on open days and hours, contact the monastery residence in Cairo.

This open-air living museum takes you on a fascinating voyage through history and is particularly good if you're traveling with children. Although it has dioramas and a museum with educational information and replicas of artifacts that were made using ancient techniques, it's the boat ride through the site that's the main draw. It transports you through a recreated ancient kingdom where actors dressed in period costume go about such day-to-day activities as sculpting statues, making pottery, or even embalming.

If you've seen the tombs of Saqqara or Luxor, this one is likely to disappoint; the few reliefs are in very poor condition, and you will need a car (preferably a guide) to find the tomb. Still, if you have come all the way to the oasis, it is usually included on guided tours.

Only one tomb in Bashindi's ancient cemetery is still intact, despite being occupied by soldiers and villagers for many years. Pharaonic reliefs show scenes of mummification and the deceased Roman-era official in front of the gods. Ask in the village for the caretaker who can open the tomb.

These 26th-Dynasty tombs are proof that in ancient Egypt if you had enough wealth you could buy eternity. The wealthy merchant and his son, who appear to have made their fortunes in the wine trade, are interred in tombs with all the hallmarks of royal burials. The style is charming and informal, and the colors are vivid. The Tomb of Zed Amun Ef Ankh has the unique feature of painted papyrus columns, an element normally found only in temples. The grander tomb of his son, Bannentiu, elaborately depicts scenes from the Book of the Dead including the solar barque traveling to the underworld.

The descent to the tombs is difficult because of the steep, narrow stairs.

While there is no admission fee, staff at the village's spartan tour center will record your nationality and offer you a free tour. Should you accept, a village custodian will lead you through the labyrinth of alleys, unlock doors, and point out sites of interest—though he may not speak much English. Tip him as you see fit.

The Tourist Friends Association organizes free guided tours of the city's sights, including visits to local carpet-making, pottery, and date processing factories.

This house serves as a museum of Siwan domestic life, with a good collection of pottery, tools, jewelry, and clothing used until very recently in the houses of the oasis.

Tuna al-Gebel was the necropolis of Hermopolis—a large and scattered site, its focal point being a cluster of Greco-Roman tombs. These tombs, built literally as houses for the dead, show an entertaining blending of Classical and Egyptian styles of art. The Tomb of Petosiris is one of the best preserved and is open to the public.

The mummy of Isadora, a woman drowned in the Nile in the second century AD, is on display in a nearby building; be sure to tip the guard. The other major attraction of the site is the elaborate catacombs containing burials of ibis and baboons, animals sacred to the god Thoth. These date to the late Persian and Greco-Roman periods, and you can see some animal burials in situ. An embalming workshop is also visible at the entrance. Approaching the site, you can see on the right side, cut into the cliffs, the best surviving stela (now protected by glass) erected by Akhenaton; this one was to mark the western boundary of his capital, Akhetaten.

The trip to to Wadi Kid is a gorgeous trek that leads to Ain Kid. Ain in Arabic means "spring." As is often the case in the Sinai, the wadis lead to springs, where the fresh water gives life to luscious green trees and grazing areas. Your hotel can arrange a trip to the wadi. On the way you drive through a Bedouin village. Stop off for a tea in the shade of an acacia tree. This is a great photo op.

The magical scenery of the White Desert in the northern portion of the Farafra depression enchants travelers and stirs the imagination. The desert here appears dusted in a layer of snow with a forest of chalk monoliths rising from the ground, their wind-sculpted forms resembling mushrooms, camels, birds, whales, and elephants. The outcroppings are all that is left of an ancient seafloor, its thick layer of calcified deposits scoured and shaped by the elements.

The desert extends from the west of the oasis, where a forest of inselbergs (chalk monoliths) rise up from the ground, across the highway to the so-called "Old" and "New" White Desert, where safari operators prefer to camp. The surreal landscape is best viewed at sunset when the monoliths turn shades of orange, pink, and violet in the dimming light. The show continues into the night as the entire desert shimmers in the pale light of the moon, its chalk columns rising above a snowy field.

For this reason, many travelers enjoy camping in the White Desert, which was declared a national park in 2002. Tours can be arranged easily in Cairo, Qasr al-Farafra, or Bawiti—the latter offering the best prices. If you do it on your own, you'll need to get permission from the police in either Farafra or Bahariya. All visitors must pay $5 park entry fee and £E10 to camp overnight.

Much of the White Desert is accessible by car or motorcycle, though a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to reach the more remote sections. Be sure to bring food, fuel, sleeping bags, and water, and then just pick a spot. Supplies, including warm camel-hair blankets, are available in Bawiti or Qasr al-Farafra.