Country name: Arab Republic of Egypt ; Gumhūriyyat Misr al - Arabiyya

Land area: 1,001,450 sq km; 995 450 square kilometers land and 6,000 square kilometers water surface, 96 % is desert and only 4% used for agriculture

Expansion: N -S 1050 km, 1100 km W -O

Border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 225 km, Libya 1150 km, Sudan 1273 km coastline: 2450 km

Population: over 86 million people, Egypt is one of the most densely populated regions of the world, the capital Cairo ( Al Qahira ), with more than 18 million inhabitants, is one of the largest cities on earth.

Language: written language = modern standard Arabic; Colloquial Arabic dialect = Egyptian- In tourist centers, English and French is spoken.

Entry requirements: You need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months. In some European countries a personal identity card is sufficient, however, a passport photo is then necessary and a special entry card must be filled in upon arrival. You can get the visa at the airport in Egypt. When you book via a tour operator the tourist visa is usually already included.

Payment: The local currency is the Egyptian Pound (LE). In almost all hotels, dive shops, etc. credit cards are accepted.

Religion: c.a. 85% Islam (Sunni), about 15% Christian.

Ramadan: In the 29-30 days of Ramadan eating and smoking are forbidden from sunrise to sunset.

Dont's
Drinking: Respect for the Islamic culture and religion is expected and required. Don't drink alcohol outside of hotels or restaurants.

Clothing: Shorts and upper body nudity are not appropriate in public. Women should wear loose clothes outside of the hotel. The knees should be covered . Couples should avoid kissing in public. Never show the soles of the feet to another person. It is considered very disrespectful. Nudism is not allowed.

THE RED SEA
The formation of the Red Sea began about 180 million years ago due to sinking of the earth’s crust. About 5 million years ago, an enclosed crater formed which later connected the Red Sea to the Mediterranean basin. The Red Sea reached ist current size around 5,000 years ago. Geologically speaking, the Red Sea is therefore very young, and the coral reefs are also quite young compared with reefs in other oceans.

The water temperature is between 20-29 ° C. The salinity here is around 4.2%, making the Red Sea one of the saltiest seas in the world.

There are many different spellings of al-Quseir (Arabic القصير,) such as Quesier, al-Quseir, small castle ', also Al Qusayr, El Quseir, Qseir, Kosseir; ancient Egyptian Tjaou, Tjau, Tschaou, Chow. It is approximately 5,000-year-old.

Al-Quseir is located about 140 km south of Hurghada, 130 km north of Marsa Alam, and 73 km north of the international airport which opened in 2003. The city and its surrounding desert have roughly 50,000 inhabitants.

The town itself has retained much of the original way of life in Egypt. There are no large hotels and little tourism. Hotels line the coast of the Red Sea outside of the city, but in the town itself, there is little tourism. Unlike in Hurghada or Safaga, there is also no tourist area, so you get an idea how the population lives in the countryside.

You can visit a very old fort builded in the 15th century and some very beautiful mosques. It is recommended to visit the town in the early evening, because during the day - especially in the summer - you will not see anybody on the street. After the evening prayer, the city comes to life. Then you can make a very nice tour in the city center and watch the hustle and bustle.