Egypt Local Customs

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Most Viewed Local Customs in Egypt

126.

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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127.

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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128.

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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129.

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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130.

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

Queing for women

by schat

In train stations, bus stations, etc. there are 2 separate lines going to each window. They are usually separated by a bar, with the line for women on the left and men on the right. If no women are in line, men will usually push into line wherever they can. But if you join the line on the womens' side and act like you know about the separation of lines, you'll be amazed at how men will move over out of your way. The next trick is to get to the window; be aggressive or you'll be in line forever.

Tipping

by dln6874

The Egyptians always want and expect tips. They are not afraid to ask for tips and even at times have the galls to ask for more. They do not do anything out of courtesy so be wary of anyone trying to be nice. They are probably trying to collect a tip from you. You also have to tip at most bathrooms.

Belly Dancing

by mary2u99

Belly Dancing is very common here and we went for a dinner boat cruise and have a wonderful time watching belly dancing and spinning dancers. It’s really amazing to see how they can move their body to the rhythm.

Tip Photo
Nubian Henna

by mary2u99

Do get a henna painting done when you are here. I had 2 and it's so beautiful. Once at the Nubian village in Aswan and the other at Khan el-Khalili Bazaar in Cairo.Of course I have to get Eye of Horus henna too. See photo.

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If you are a female

by marimar_72

I noticed that many Egyptian male friends of mine get rather offended if I would want to pay for my share of the bill at a cafe or a restaurant,they believe that I`m dis-respecting them.so,if you are a lady that happed to go out with a male Egyptian friend,give your purse a break and enjoy the treat ;-)

Ramadan

by Homanded

We were lucky enough to attend Egypt during Ramadan. I say lucky because we always find travel much more fascinating when we are able to observe and learn more about a people's culture and observe the locals way of life/beliefs.Ramadan, for those not familiar with it, falls on the 9th month of the Muslim Calendar.The Muslims believe this is when the Quran (Koran) was sent down from heaven.The entire month of Ramadan is a month of fasting and eating may only be done after sunset, with no eating or drinking during the day.Sexual relations, smoking, etc. are also prohibited during Ramadan.Many shops are closed and regular shop hours often do not happen until after sunset.For this reason, a slight inconvinience may conflict with the western tourist, although we did not find any.We did find the ability to be able to frankly ask questions about religion. People willing to share their reasons...

Dress Sense

by NinaRira

Although Egypt is a relatively relaxed and modern country, it is still not advisable to be walking around in bikinis and hot-pants when you're visiting the sights. A lot of tourists who come here, seem to feel that they can dress as they wish because this is such a popular tourist destination, but I think it shows a great lack of respect for a country that is still quite modest as far as fashion goes. This applies especially to women who will only get unwanted attention and certainly won't gain any respect from the locals. So think twice about what you put on and save your swimsuit for a Red Sea resort instead.

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Language

by NinaRira

I cannot emphasise enough how much it will benefit your Egypt experience if you bother to learn some basic words, numbers and expressions before you come here. I found that a lot of tourists couldn't even manage a simple 'Thank you' or 'hello' which should be an obligatory effort when you are visiting another country. I found that Egyptians opened up so much more when I used Arabic and it broke all sorts of tourist barriers. The Egyptians are an incredibly friendly nation in general, but by using their own language, they too would make more of an effort to help me with anything I needed. It's really not that hard to do and it can only benefit you in the end.

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Wheel and deal on everything

by Todd2006

Most Egyptians that I dealt with loved to barter. At first I didn't realize how much could be haggled over, but by the end I was dealing on water...because I was buying in bulk. Many like to be paid for pictures and help so be prepared to dish out a bit if you would like some info on a temple or a picture with a camel. Most would respect a simple arabic 'no thank you', but some were very persistent.

Look the gift horse in the mouth!

by seabreezer

If a shopkeeper in Egypt gives you a 'present' you can be sure he is doing it to coax/guilt-trip you into his shop. If you accept the gift you are expected to repay the 'favour' by shopping with him. Our one negative experience was when a man named Ali thrust a scarf into my partner's hand and insisted that we have it gratis. On the way back from our trip, Ali reappeared, demanding we buy something from him. When we showed no interest, he began shouting "Give back my scarf!" Other people in our group reported that they had small objects such as beads dropped into their pockets as 'gifts' and then felt obliged to pay for them to avoid being accused of theft. Gifts are not free, so don't accept them.Haggling is not a plesant experience, as you are made to feel that you are cheating the shopkeeper's family out of food, whilst being simultaneously aware that you are probably paying well over...

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Questions and Answers

amberdc profile photo

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... 

KShezz profile photo

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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