Location: Egypt, North Africa.
Country dialing code: 20.
Population: 18-20 million (metropolitan area).
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from the last Friday in April to the last Thursday in Sep)
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are used.
Average January temp: 17.5ºC (63.5ºF); 8ºC (47ºF) at night.
Average July temp: 36.5ºC (97.7ºF).
Annual rainfall: 25mm (1 inch) per year, usually Dec-Mar.
Cost of Living:1 Egyptian Pound (E£1) = £0.09; US$0.18;
C$0.20; A$0.21; €0.13
Currency conversion rates as of April 2007Special Events:Egypt has more feasts and festivals than most countries in the world, mixing Coptic, Christian, Islamic and ordinary secular holidays. It also uses three different calendars (Western Gregorian, Coptic and Islamic Hejira). Most religious feasts are calculated using the Islamic calendar, 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, and these events occur roughly 10-12 days earlier each year in the Western calendar.
Ramadan is the principal religious feast that visitors must be aware of. During the month of Ramadan (starts 23 Sep 2006, 12 Sep 2007), devout Muslims allow nothing to pass their lips (food, drink, cigarettes) during the hours of daylight. They also abstain from sexual activity completely. Some people choose to sleep longer in the afternoon than at night, and so some shops and offices will have erratic opening hours. It is considered impolite to eat or drink in public while the fast is taking place, so visitors must use discretion although they are not expected to observe Ramadan themselves. Tourist hotels will be largely unaffected but some restaurants may close for the entire month.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan fasting with three days of feasting, and the slaughter of sheep and goats and occasionally cows. There will be fewer people in Cairo then, but their place is taken by vast numbers of animals, frequently tethered in pens in the streets as they await their fate.
Eid al-Adha is the other great Islamic feast, held 70 days after the end of Ramadan. It lasts for four days, and on this occasion only sheep are slaughtered as the feast celebrates the prophet Abraham slaughtering a sheep in place of his son.
There are several religious festivals with great street parties, including the vast Moulid of Sayeda Zeinab (Mar), the Moulid of El-Hussein (Aug), Athura (Oct), all of which involve colorful street performances, markets, music, dancing, fireworks and processions.
Book Fair, Jan, Cairo Exhibition Grounds (website:
www.cibf.org)
Cairo International Song Festival, Aug, various locations
Experimental Theater Festival, Sep, various locations
Pharaohs’ Rally, early Oct, Pyramids of Giza
Arabic Music Festival, early Nov, Opera House
Cairo International Film Festival, early Dec, various locations (website:
www.cairofilmfest.com)
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Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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