Discover Egypt [antikvár]

ilTHIS IS EGYPT There are two predominant and clashing images of Egypt. One is a place of beauty and culture, the Land of the Pharaohs and tour brochures. The other is the Arab world's most populous nation, a Struggling, noisy hive of energy, both frustrating and exciting. Many visitors come to Egypt expecting the history - and the sun - and end up fascinated by the living culture. But the two are not mutually exclusive. The past has shaped the present and the present Increasingly imposes on the past. By Egyptian terms, Cairo -whose original name Is Al-Qahira, 'the Victorious' - is a newcomer, founded a mere 1000 years ago. But like most Egyptian towns and cities, it sits on ancient remains: Roman Babylon has been swallowed by Its southern suburbs, most of ancient Heliopolis sits at the end of Cairo's airport runway and the Sphinx stares unseeing from the foot of the Pyramids in urban GIza. Modern Egypt has some pressing concerns. With a population of over 80 million, limited farmland and a shortage of water, the challenges facing the country are enormous.