The land that gave birth to the first great civilization needs little

introduction .The pyramids, the minarets,

the Nile – the scope of Egypt is magnificent.

Visitors are surprised to discover that those legendary pyramids

are merely the tip of the archaeological iceberg .

Pharaonic nations, ancient Greeks, Romans, Christians and Arab dynasties have all played their part in fashioning Egypt’s embarrassment of architectural wealth.

Egypt

Upriver, Luxor, the site of ancient Thebes, is lined with warrens of opulent burial

Chambers and boasts some of the mostformidable monuments in all antiquity .

Further south at Aswan, even more geometrically imposing temples write

a testament to the power of archaic gods and omnipotent pharaohs. It is here that the Nile is bestexplored by ancient sail,

on a felucca(Egyptian sailing boat) at the hands of the prevailing currents

and winds.

Out west, Egypt’s ocean of sand stretches infinitely to the Sahara, with a handful of

oases feeding solitary islands of green .Hive like, medieval fortresses cower out

here, interspersed with bubbling springs and ghostly rock formations. Meanwhile ,

the deep, crystal waters of the Red Sea lie brilliantly awash in coral, surrounded by

an aquatic frenzy of underwater life. In the deserts of Sinai’s interior, visitors

can climb the mount where God had word with Moses

Egyptian PeopleEgyptian People are friendly, hospitable , kind , helpful , religious and modest.

They also have a sense of balance and moderation .

Security in Egypt and political situation-Egypt will always be one of the safest country , the political situation only

affects Egyptians.-Number of Interns who came through AIESEC last year are more than 600

people .-What is the safety situation in Egypt right now? We could not have answered it better than John Nicholson has. Here’s what

he has to say after coming to Egypt: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-nicholson/is-egypt-safe-for-tourism_b_2072715.html

This article will also give you a better idea about the political situation in Egypt, which, anywhere in the world, is an interesting conversation topic.

Legality of your stay in Egypt- AIESEC Egypt is registered as an NGO for

the number 5260 for year 2003 .-You took a tourist Visa Yet you are LEGAL

to stay here and renew the visa.-Just for the bureaucracy you always say that

you are here for tourism for these authorities.-The police and the national security knows about AIESEC and in case of any problems

with the Law you should contact immediately your Local Committee.

In the north there is Damietta which considered to be the gate to the Mediterranean coast , it’s located north of Delta on the east bank of the Nile River , Provincial capital is about 15 km from the mouth of the river, a peninsula embraced by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and Lake Manzala at the east; Nile divides into two halves. it is known as a center for manufacturing furniture. Nearby Lake El Manzala is popular with bird watchers and beachcombers.

Damietta

What’s amazing about Damietta? Damietta citizens are very active , Damietta has unemployment of 0 % , it has the sea , the river , the view and the desert together , it also has a really nice weather and nice people . People in Damietta accept differences but they never change which will offer you a great opportunity to experience a

real and typical Egyptian culture .

Damietta citiesRas Elbar : The uniqueness of Ras El Bar as one of the world's rare points where the nile meets the sea has offered it a great advantage which is having shores that overlook both the Nile and sea. It's even said that Ras El Bar existence is a result of that unique meeting as both the sea and the Nile left sand and alluvium. Many dolphins visit Ras El Bar shores Many kinds of wild birds actually live in the Manzala lake near Ras Elbar Also in the fall season many of the immigrating flocks of European birds pass by Ras El Bar in her course to South Africa , it’s also a holidays destination

for the Egyptians from all over Egypt.

New Damietta city: New Damietta city is an extend of Damietta to offer services to the new port.New Damietta consists of three areas:

Industrial area, about 20% of the total area and connected to the city by a real way and many roads.

The Summer resort, is about 2 square km for tourists

village and 5 km long beach.The residence area, is planned

to have 270,000 inhabitants by the year 2020 .

And it’s considered to be promising tourist attraction , and represents a giant achievement in the field of

reconstruction, architecture and the establishing of new communities.

Notable landmarks• The Old Bridge Elkobri Elqadeem, dating to the early 1900s , which the

government turned it now into a museum ( see the photo ) .• Ras Elbar and New Damietta Shores• Souk Al-Hesba, the old town centre, dating to the Abbasi rule era.• Al-Bahr Mosque, one of the famous mosques in Damietta, Built in 1609 A.D. in Ottoman time.

• The Holy Virgin's Church, Sorour square, was build in 1745.

WeatherThe prevailing climate is desert and semi-desert, however, the Mediterranean climate prevails on the northern coasts. The temperature average in Lower Egypt is 20°C in winter during day and 10c at night, and in summer it reaches 35c during the day

and 23°C at night .

Prices: By international standards Egypt is still fairly cheap, one can pay 5 to 10

pounds for break fast.

Food: Egypt has delicious popular food such as koshary , fool and taamiia and

mahshy as well as sea food. Clothing:

It is important to be aware of all these major existing differences between Egypt and the any other country to make your stay in Egypt a more pleasant and welcoming one,

Egyptians are conservative people , one shouldn’t wear too short clothing in Egypt , Whether you are a man or woman, it is important to make a good impression in Egypt by dressing properly as a way to show respect. However, this doesn’t mean that you are expected to dress exactly like the Egyptian people.

Financial information• The Egyptian pound is the currency in Egypt (geneh).• 1 USD = 7.02 EGP , 1 EUR =9 EGP approx.• Before coming to Egypt you should change your money to dollars or Euros so you can easily exchange them .• Here credit cards are widely used here in Egypt , visa cards are the most used in hypermarkets and restaurants . ATM machines are also wide spread through each city .

What is the cost of living in Egypt? Food and transportation would be your main costs while living in Egypt, and luckily, both

are quite cheap! In order to give you a better idea, here’s a list of items and their costs: Restaurant

35 EG£ Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant

35 EG£ Combo Meal at McDonalds or Similar

12.00 EG£ Cappuccino (regular)

3 EG£ Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle)

Markets7.00 EG£ Milk (regular), 1 liter

2.00 EG£ Bag of White Bread

5.50 EG£ Rice (1kg)

27.22 EG£ Local Cheese (1kg)

15 EG£ Apples (1kg)

3.25 EG£ Tomato (1kg)

Markets3.40 EG£ Potato (1kg)

3.00 EG£ Water (1.5 liter bottle)

14.00 EG£ Pack of Cigarettes (Marlboro)

Transportation1.50 EG£ One-way Ticket (Local Transport)

5 EG£ Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

3 EG£ Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)

22.50 EG£ Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

Utilities0.15 EG£ 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans)

50.00 EG£ (monthly) Internet (USB modem)

Sports And Leisure100.00 EG£ Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult

35.00 EG£ Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat

1.50 EG£ One-way Ticket (Local Transport)

5 EG£ Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

About Egypt Politics:Egypt is a republic, the political system of which is democratic based on

citizenship and relying on each of legislative , executive and judicial branches, additionally to the press, political parties, local administrations and civil society institutions .

Religion:Islam is the official religion of the Arab Republic of Egypt . Most non-Muslims

in Egypt are Christians, the majority of whom belong to the Coptic orthodox church.

Language :Egypt’s official language is Arabic, but foreign languages, such as English,

French are taught in school , and English, French, German, Italian and Spanish are widely spoken in educated circles.

• Pharaonic Era (3100 BC-332 BC)• Greek era (322 BC – 32 AD)• Roman era (32 AD-638 AD)• Islamic era (640 AD-1517 AD)• Ottoman rule (1517-1882)• French invasion (1789)• British colonization of Egypt (1882-1952)• The 23rd of July revolution (1952) after which Egypt is declared a republic.• British troops leave Egypt (1954)• The 6th of October war (1973)• Egypt signs a peace treaty with Israel (1979)• Hosni Mubarak became the president (1981)• The popular revolution begun against Hosni Mubarak (25 January 2011)• Hosni Mubarak steps down as president of Egypt (11 February 2011)• Muhamed Mursi is elected the president of Arab Republic of Egypt (30 June 2012)

5000 years of civilization contributed to the cultural heritage of Egypt and to building the strength and independence of its citizens. The country's history is a sequence of invasions, eras or glory, battles and victories, which can be split into the following main periods and milestones:

History brief

Other cities you’ll visit

Cairo

Giza

Luxor

Alexandria

Sharm Elshaikh

Siwa

Dakhla(the white & black desert )

Simple words in ArabicHi : assalamu ‘alykum

Good morning: Sabah el khairGood Evening: Masaa El KhairMy name is (name ): Ana Esmy (Name)How are you ?: Ezayak ?I am Fine: KowayesThank you: ShukranYou are welcome: Afwan.Bye: m’a assalama.Congratulations: MabroukHow much is it?: Bikam?Let’s go: YallaOk: MashyPlease: Law Samaht

Numbers1 : Wahed2 : Etnen3 : Talata4 : Arb’a5 : khamsa6 : Setta7 : Sab’a8 : Tamanya9 : Tes’a10 : Ashara20 : Eshreen30 : Talateen40 : arb’een50 : Khamseen100: Meya

What to bring ?• Comfortable clothes something a bit covering for girls , A jacket in winter

as it gets cold.• If you take any special medication please bring them to avoid any shipping

problems .• Everything is available in Damietta but just in case you want your own

stuff .

Tips and Tricks-Always keep with you a Copy of the passport and address in Arabic, Several

contact list of servicing team members.-With lower classes avoid talking about religion and politics.

AIESEC members will be mostly around you so you wont feel alone at anytime unless you really want to , we organize trips to touristic places and non touristic cultural places so you get to live as the locals and to live a different experience from just visiting and doing all the sight seeing , We will be there for you to help you and support you with all your needs and answer all your questions .

You are not alone.

Egyptian food

Koshary shawerma

Foul Ta’mia

Tehena and Homos Basbosa

Useful links Our blog: aiesec-damietta.tumblr.com

One of our interns’ blog : http://vaneumann.wordpress.com/

http://en.egypt.travel/practical_info/visa_travel_info

www.gotoegypt.org

www.egyptsites.wordpress.com

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/egypt/sacred-sites

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/categories/islam