Located at Deir el-Bahri, this impressive temple hewn out of the rock is the work of Senenmut, Queen Hatshepsut's architect. It is made up of three terraces at the foot of the Theban Mountain, joined together by ramps. The wall decorations on the fir..

It was in the limestone rock of the Theban Mountain that all the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (except Akhenaton) elected to build their tombs. There are officially 63 such tombs, numbered in order of discovery, but the site has not yet revealed all it..

A ride on a felucca, the sailing boat that epitomises the Nile, is a unique experience. Depending on the weather and the inspiration – being on a felucca is propitious to indolence and contemplation – you can choose between a short tour opposite Aswa..

Philae is first and foremost the site on which, according to legend, Isis chose to build her home. Following the goddess's cult, Nectanebo I (XXX Dynasty) and the Ptolemies built a temple (which was completed by the Romans). It was dismantled and r..

This temple is laid out like a true religious city, entirely devoted to the cult of the goddess and giver of life. The interior courtyard, after the first pylon glorifying Ptolemy XII, leads to the mammisi , where the birth of Horus was celebrated. ..

Carved out of solid rock, this most famous of the temples erected by Rameses II survived thanks to Egyptologist Christiane Desroches Noblecourt and UNESCO, which covered the costs of moving it out of the reach of the waters during construction of the..

There is something wondrous about standing atop this mythical mountain (2 285m), where, according to the Bible, God appeared to Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments. The arduous climb up the Steps of Repentance (there are almost 3 700) does not ..

A stroll along the Corniche, from Qaitbay Fort to the new library , gives a real insight into the Mediterranean character of a city looking to the West. It will also give you a taste of the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the 1930s to the 1950s, for ex..

This museum, which was inaugurated in 2003, houses around 2 000 pieces from the Pharaonic era to the Greco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic periods, as well as finds from marine archaeology explorations carried out off Alexandria's shores. The museum's tr..

The collections mainly cover the Greco-Roman period, although finds from digs in the Delta, El Fayum and the Alexandria region have been added over the years. The museum, founded by Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Botti in 1892, is closed for works bu..

The founding of this extremely ancient mosque (970) coincides with the birth of El-Qahira (Cairo), which the Fatimids made their capital. It became the official Friday prayer place, and in the 15C was given two additional minarets (it has five altoge..

Following on from the Fatimids, the Mamluk sultans built numerous mosques in Cairo. This one, erected in 1279, is a masterclass in the Islamic art aesthetic, which places the onus on sumptous decors and noble materials: stucco, polychrome marbles, po..

Beit Al-Suhaymy was the home of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar. Built in 1648 and extended in the late 18C, it is a fine example of domestic architecture, and wonderfully decorated with marble, earthenware and wood. Daylight is filtered through an interior g..

Also known as the Red Mosque, this Mamluk building (1415) is the latest example of mosques with porticos. Embellished with stalactites and fitted with black and white marble, the entrance portal frames a splendid lime tree wood door bearing repouss..

Built in 1902 and a contemporary of the north gates, Bab Zuwayla has been superbly restored. It was the site of public executions, where the heads of 500 Mamluks killed by Mohammed Ali in 1811 were stuck onto their spears and exhibited. You can climb..

Perched up on a rocky spur, the Citadel (12C) dominates Cairo. From the Ayyubid Dynasty, founded by Saladin, to the Mamluk Dynasty, it was the residence of the governors of Egypt, who had increasingly grandiose palaces built. Its current incarnation ..

It may be a surprise to find works by Rodin, Millet, Utrillo, Sisley, Lautrec, Degas, Moreau and Rubens on the banks of the Nile but this museum housed in the former residence of President Sadate boasts one of the richest collections of its kind in t..

At the inauguration of the museum in 2006, President Mubarak stressed the importance of Coptic artistic heritage for Egypt, an opinion borne out by the stunning collections here: icons , frescoes, jewellery, sculptures (in particular the capitals ..

If the mosque gives you a sense of déja vu, it is probably because it features on the Egyptian one pound note. Located in the northern sector of the City of the Dead , this harmonious edifice was built in the 15C by Sultan Qaitbay. Dominated by its ..

Chephren, son of Cheops, decided to install his tomb south of his father's, thus taking his place in the family line. Construction techniques had been perfected, and Chephren's pyramid was erected more quickly. Although not as tall, it looks slimmer ..