Egypt, the Charm That Returns. 10 Reasons to See It.

Egypt is famous for its ancient civilisation and some of the world's most famous monuments, including the pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and the ancient temples of Luxor dating back thousands of years. Although the focus of most tourist visits remains the great monuments along the Nile, the possibilities for trips to Egypt also include snorkelling and diving along the Red Sea coast. Other tourist attractions in Egypt include camel rides in the Sinai mountains, excursions to remote oases or visits to the Coptic monasteries of the eastern desert.

10Ibn Tulun Mosque

Built between 876 and 879 AD, the Ibn Tulun Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Cairo. It was commissioned by Ahmad ibn Tulun, the Abbasid governor of Egypt. The mosque is built around a courtyard, with a covered hall on each of the four sides. The minaret, which features an external helical staircase similar to that of the famous minaret of Samarra, was probably built several centuries later. Some parts of the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me were filmed in the Ibn Tulun Mosque.

9Dahab

Dahab lies about 85 km north of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Gulf of Aqaba, near the southern tip of Sinai. Once an isolated coastal village, Dahab turned into a hippie hangout in the 1980s and became a kind of "alternative resort", mixing budget accommodation with a relaxed lifestyle. Activities such as windsurfing, snorkelling, scuba diving and camel and jeep trips make it one of the most popular destinations along the Red Sea.

8Siwa Oasis

Located in the Libyan desert, the Siwa oasis is one of Egypt's isolated settlements, with 23,000 people, most of them ethnic Berbers. Situated on an old trade route, Siwa was a vital oasis for the trade route, as the natural springs and the shade given by the palms gave travellers a respite from the desert. With the collapse of the Roman Empire, Siwa began its decline. In recent decades tourism has become a vital source of income. Much attention has been given to creating hotels that use local materials and play on local styles.

7Egyptian Museum

Home to at least 120,000 artefacts from ancient Egypt, the Egyptian Museum is one of Cairo's greatest attractions. There are two main floors of the museum, the ground floor and the first floor. On the ground floor there is a vast collection of papyri and coins used by the ancient Egyptians. On the first floor there are artefacts from the last two dynasties of ancient Egypt and also many exhibits taken from the Valley of the Kings. Highlights include the items from Tutankhamun's tomb and the royal mummy room containing 27 royal mummies from the times of the pharaohs.

6Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock-cut temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser. The twin temples were originally carved into the mountain during the reign of the pharaoh Ramesses the Great in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari. The complex was moved in its entirety in the 1960s, when the temples were threatened by the flooding of Lake Nasser caused by the construction of the Aswan Dam. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt's main tourist attractions.

5Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings near Luxor is a valley where, over a period of almost 500 years from the 16th to the 11th century BC, tombs were built for the kings and privileged nobles of the New Kingdom. The valley contains 63 tombs and chambers, ranging from a simple pit to a complex tomb with more than 120 chambers. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and provide clues about the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. All the tombs appear to have been opened and plundered in antiquity except the famous tomb of Tutankhamun.

4Nile Cruise

A Nile Cruise is an original way to visit Upper Egypt. The Nile river has been Egypt's lifeline since ancient times and there is no better way to trace the passage of Egypt's history than to follow the course of the Nile. Almost all Egyptian cruise ships run the Luxor-Aswan route, which is safe, scenic and ends in two of Egypt's most important cities. Taking a Felucca along the Nile is an adventurous option. Feluccas are sailboats that have been used on the Nile since antiquity. A Felucca is not as comfortable as a luxury cruise ship, but nothing can beat the sail of a boat designed thousands of years ago.

3Red Sea

The Red Sea, off the coasts of Egypt, is one of the most beautiful places in the world for diving. The waters of the Red Sea are renowned for their spectacular visibility and feature some of the most exotic marine landscapes. With its extensive coral formations on the reefs, it is home to thousands of different marine creatures. The Red Sea beach resorts are located on both sides of the sea; on the east side and part of the Sinai peninsula is the long settlement of Sharm el Sheikh and its neo-hippy counterpart, Dahab. On the western coast of the Red Sea is Hurghada, relatively old and touristy, and a group of new tourist resorts.

2Karnak

Although heavily ruined, few sites in Egypt are more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest ancient religious site ever built and represents the combined achievement of many generations of Egyptian builders. The Temple of Karnak actually consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples and numerous outer temples located about 2.5 kilometres north of Luxor. One of the most famous structures at Karnak is the hypostyle hall, a hall of 5,000 m2 with 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows.

1Giza Necropolis

The pyramids of Giza, situated in the immediate vicinity of the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, are the undisputed main attractions in Egypt. The pyramids of Giza were built over the course of three generations - by Khufu, his second reigning son Khafre, and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is majestic, 139 metres high, making it the largest pyramid in Egypt, even though the nearby Pyramid of Khafre appears to be larger as it is built at a higher elevation.