Egypt is a fascinating country, fabled for its pyramids and rich history. Yet it is not just Giza and its tombs that you should head for. Beyond the tourist-trodden pathways, Egypt has lots of hidden places that humans have left their mark on, just waiting to be explored. We discuss some of the most overlooked in the article below.
The City of the Dead
Cairo is one of the world’s biggest cities. Yet it is also one of the most populous and poverty-stricken, which means many people are forced into living situations that would be highly frowned upon elsewhere in the world. The City of the Dead is one of these locations.
Originally, this area was a cemetery and held bodies that dated back to the 7th-century Arabic conquest of Egypt. As the city expanded, so did its people, until eventually many of them made homes in the cemetery itself. It is not uncommon to see a family living next to the open tomb of a long-dead ancient warrior. It may not be an attraction, and you should not visit alone, but it is somewhere you may see while taxiing and driving around the country.
Heracleion
The Lost City of Atlantis and Ancient Egypt might share a lot more in common than you’d think. Of course, while you may have visited modern Egypt, you’ll only have some vague idea of what Atlantis might have looked like, if it existed, as it’s long been down to the imagination of popular media to fill in the gaps between what we know of these ancient worlds.
Countless mainstream films and TV shows have been set in Atlantis and Ancient Egypt, while tombs lined with gold and riches are enticing to players of slots. Here you’ll see all the ancient iconography in its simplest form; specially themed music and symbols are often found in these games. You will also find bonus rounds that dive into the imagery of the Atlantean treasures as well as Egyptian tombs and pharoahs, with Poseidon and Cleopatra even getting their own slot games.
And it turns out that in real life, Egypt has its very own version of Atlantis that you can visit, named Heracleion. Situated 6.5 km off the shore of Alexandria, this submerged city was once an Egyptian equivalent of Venice, latticed with canals built around a grand central temple. When found, it was submerged with several ships, intact anchors, gold coins, and huge statues. You can visit, but you need to have some experience diving, and you will need to book a trip in advance.
Mit Ghamr Dovecotes
Throughout Egypt, pigeons are highly prized animals. They are farmed for food, but their droppings are also used as a rich fertilizer in a barren country where farming is tough. All these animals are kept in large dovecotes, standing tall like chimneys. Mit Ghamr at the Nile Delta is one of the most populous areas for pigeon farming, and the cooing and tall mud pens give a real sense of otherworldliness.
Egypt has many wonders for you to explore. Man has left its imprint on this part of the world for better or worse. Whether in its long-lost cities or modern metropolises, what cannot be denied is how fascinating it all is. When you visit, take some time to see this other side of Egypt.
