Egypt Local Customs

  Lunch is ready
by zanzooni
 
  • Lunch is ready
      Lunch is ready
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  • Mario & Stella
      Mario & Stella
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  • Stella - Mario - Sakara
      Stella - Mario - Sakara
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  • Alexandria, written in Arabic.
      Alexandria, written in Arabic.
    by MarioPortugal
  •   Local Customs
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Most Viewed Local Customs in Egypt

26.

Dress Codes for Women   Cairo

Dress Codes for Women, Cairo

 19 Reviews  Egypt is supposed to be one of the most modern country in entire Middle East & Africa.Contrary to the belief the all women here use veil( Hizab), I found almost every where married and un married work... 

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27.

ALEXANDRIAN culture   Alexandria

ALEXANDRIAN culture, Alexandria

 7 Reviews  Alexandria is blessed by a long Corniche, and this, of course, gives rise to a very healthy café culture. In the areas of the city such as Montazah, where there are many tourists and locals who come... 

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28.

Bargaining   Cairo

Bargaining, Cairo

 12 Reviews  Bargaining. Us Anglo's just don't get it, do we? In England about the only time we enter into any negotiation over price is when we buy a car or a house. Here' it's different. A love of the deal is... 

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29.

Islam   Cairo

Islam, Cairo

 22 Reviews  Islam is the main religion of Egypt with almost 90% of it's population practicing the religion. Other religions are Christianity, who form about another 10%. The city of Cairo has very beautiful... 

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30.

Traffic   Cairo

Traffic, Cairo

 10 Reviews  The automobile traffic and rules on the roadway in Cairo is unlike any conventional heavy traffic. a. donkeys, camels and donkey drawn carriages hauling garbage share the roads with cars b. the... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

The Change Game

by TheLongTone

Egypt is peculiar in that they don't use coins, only notes, the smallest denomination being 25 piastres. Accumulating and maintaining a supply of small notes, so that you have something smaller than a 50 LE note when trifling baksheesh is required or so that you have the right money to pay for a taxi (Change......you just put your lips together and blow) is one of the minor tribulations of tourist life in Egypt. Tender 50 for something that costs 45 and they'll look at you beseechingly and ask for the right money. Harden your heart. They have a drawerfull of change. It's a game.

Tip Photo
Egyptian Gods - Seth

by Maria81

God of: intially, the desert, storms, darkness, and chaos.Form: you would not find these features in one animal: a curved snout, square ears, forked tail, and canine body. Sometimes, he was shown as a man with only the head from the list above.Main worship centre: Nubt/Ombos, which is today's Naqada on the west bank of the NileSymbol: the was scepter (although quite a few other gods were depicted with the same scepter, for example Hathor)

Egyptian Gods - Thoth

by Maria81

God of: intelligence, mind and wisdom. In later Egyptian mythology, he was 'responsible' for judging of the dead, adjudicating disputes among other gods, magic, science and writing.Form: a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon (ibis head being the better known form)Main worship centre: Khemennu, which was later renamed Hermopolis by the Greeks. Abydos was also an important worship centre, with sanctuaries in many other ancient Egyptian citiesSymbol: the moon disk or the papyrus scroll

Egyptian Gods - Hathor

by Maria81

Goddess of: love, motherhood and joy, who was also shown as welcoming the dead into the next life. Form: a woman wearing the headdress of a sun disk and with the cow's horns (also sometimes as a cow with the sun disk)Main worship centre: DenderaSymbol: sistrum (a percussion musical instrument)

Egyptian Gods - Ra

by Maria81

God of: sun, identified primarily with the mid-day sun, with other gods for other positions. In later times, he was regarded as one with Horus, and even later with Amun. By this time he was considered as master of the sky, the earth, and the underworld.Form: a man with the head of a falcon, with the sun-disk of Wadjet on top of his headMain worship centre: HeliopolisSymbol: sun disc

Salting your food

by DSwede

While the locals may be very friendly and forgiving, try to respect their cooking... don't use salt.Egyptians dishes are prepared in the manner that the chef believes they should be, complete with all layers of flavors and spices as needed. If you add salt, you are insulting the chef's preparation and possibly theirs skill in the kitchen as well. Egyptian food does not need salt in my opinion anyway due to the over abundance of other aromatic spices, garlic, onion, etc.

Thought on Tipping

by Dev93

Hi,Tipping around the world is not like it is in the US for the most part where many of us just add 15-20% just because someone managed to bring our sandwich and cola without dropping it on the floor first. However, in some places tipping can be considered an insult (this is happening less and less though) or unnecessary. As an example, I would quickly check a guide book to see what the culture is in Egypt to see if tipping is customary. If so, what is the percentage of the bill, or if it is only for work beyond the norm, or some other criteria.I have heard $10 for the guide, and a couple bucks for the driver, per day. Whatever it is, I would not just be an American about it, as it then sets up a situation where American are expected to tip regardless of the culture we're visiting and the quality of the service we are receiving.

Baksheesh - tipping in Egypt

by jumpingnorman

In our ever-reliable Wikipedia, Baksheesh is defined as a term used to describe tipping, charitable giving, and certain forms of political corruption and bribery in the Middle East and South Asia.In Egypt, baksheesh is often requested on top of taxi fares, as service charges to waiters, doormen, shopkeepers, garage attendants, and even just taking a picture with a local. But, in this picture, it was the other way around - I got the Baksheesh, hehehe --- the Egyptian seller gave me free trinkets to take home after I bought some statues --- very nice of him...During my first few days, I was handing out my dollars from home, but I was instructed later by my guide to just give Egyptian money. I was at the Valley of the Kings, and then a man approached me - trying to ask what kind of coin a tourist had given him and he wanted me to exchange it! I think it was the Taiwanese NT dollar.My guide...

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Black marks on Egyptian men's foreheads

by jumpingnorman

When I started my first day exploring in Egypt, I was shocked to see this very big black spot on a man's forehead and I wanted to look at it closer because it looked like a melanoma - I was thinking the thing has to be excised! But then, a few minutes later, I see another man with the same dark circular irregular spot...My guide laughed at me and explained that it was from the men kneeling down and touching their foreheads to the floor...part of the religion and culture.So, I was glad it was nothing medically serious!

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Beer

by graeme83

There are two main Egyptian brands of beer : Stella and Sakkara. Stella is the oldest of the two. Both brands are produced by Al Ahram Beverages Company, which is now owned by Heineken. I hadn't had a drink in about 2 months before having a Stella, so it is my marginal favourite.

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Local traditions and culture in Egypt

Top 3 Hotels in Egypt

Four Seasons At The First  Cairo

 4 Reviews and 208 Opinions  You must go through a street barrack and through metal detectors just to get to the elevator and get... 

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Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa  Luxor

 8 Reviews and 261 Opinions  We had a fabulous time! We were pampered from top to bottom. I am feeling very relaxed. Excellent... 

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Sultans Gardens Resort  Sharm El Sheikh

 6 Reviews and 2565 Opinions  The Sultans Gardens hotel locate near Sharm El Sheik´s Airport (about 15 minutes drove) and hotel... 

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Local Customs: Cities in Egypt
  1. Sharm El Sheikh Local Customs
  2. Cairo Local Customs
  3. Hurghada Local Customs
  4. Luxor Local Customs
  5. Alexandria Local Customs
  6. Pyramids of Giza Local Customs
  7. Aswan Local Customs
  8. Temple of Abu Simbel Local Customs
  9. Taba Local Customs
  10. Marsa al `Alam Local Customs
  11. Kawm ad Dahab Local Customs
  12. Al Karnak Local Customs
  13. Nuweiba` Local Customs
  14. Siwa Local Customs
  15. Saqqarah Local Customs
  16. Suez Local Customs
  17. Ismailia Local Customs
  18. Temple of Horus Local Customs
  19. Isna Local Customs
  20. Kawm Umbu Local Customs
  21. Bawiti Local Customs

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Muhafazat Janub Sina' Local Customs  Muhafazat al Qahirah Local Customs  Muhafazat al Bahr al Ahmar Local Customs  Muhafazat Qina Local Customs  Muhafazat al Iskandariyah Local Customs  Muhafazat Aswan Local Customs  Muhafazat al Jizah Local Customs 

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  My husband and I booked a trip a few months ago to Cairo & Sharm, and we're considering cancelling given the recent kidnappings in... 

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A: I dont know what to tell you but I would still go...dont let anyone ruin your plans and dont live with what ifs...Are your planned trips going to be with big tour... 

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