Whenever Egypt is mentioned in conversations, most people will start to mentally picture random yet famous landmarks in Egypt, such as the vastness of Giza Pyramid Complex, the Sahara Desert which makes up most of Egypt territory, the Great Sphinx, mummies, hot climate and men in long dresses.
Do you know, the Great Pyramid of Giza is listed as one of the 7 wonders of the world? This has remarkably enhanced the tourism development in Egypt, and since I have been there myself and watched hordes of tourists endlessly exploring historical places there, I couldn't agree more with the fact that Egypt is one of the most popular spots for vacation!
OVERVIEW
Egypt is located in North Africa, bordering Palestine, Libya, and Sudan. With most of its population are Sunni Muslims of 94% (the other 6% are of Coptic Christians), Islam is widely practiced by the majority of Egyptians. Islam arose in the 7th century from Muslims' holy city, Mecca when Prophet Muhammad, the last messenger received the first revelation to all mankind from the Almighty Allah. Since then Islam teachings has been spread to all parts of the world, including Egypt. Although Prophet Muhammad has passed away, Muslims worldwide continue to rely on the book Quran (scriptures from God) and the exemplary actions of the Prophet (sunnah) as guidance and a life manual.
The religious principles are clearly mirrored in the Egyptian Muslims daily lives, authorizing personal, political, economic and legal aspects. As Muslims, praying 5 times a day is obligatory and there will be a section in Egypt local newspaper listing the exact prayer times.
Everything is closed on Fridays, the Muslim holy day. Most organizations and shops will close on Thursdays too, making Thursday and Friday the weekend in Egypt.
NATIONAL LANGUAGE
Arabic is the national language of Egypt, spoken by all Egyptians for almost 13 centuries after the Arab invasion in AD639. The Egyptians used to converse in Coptic, the ancient Egyptians language. Arabic language can divided to 3 categories:
1. Quranic / Classical Arabic - must be learned primarily to recite Quran.
2. Modern Standard Arabic - language of news, education, modern literature.
3. Spoken / Colloquial Arabic - widely spoken and understood by most.
SOCIETY & CUSTOM
Generally, society is the core foundation to the civilization of a country. In order to achieve a globalized and harmonious civilization, the people play an important role in making the best out of everything, especially in terms of mannerism and etiquette.
- Amongst Egyptians, family and kinship are of a significant unit, since one's behavior is considered to be the reflection of his family. Basically, doing bad things will draw mud to one's family's name.
- Job-wise favouritism shown to relatives and friends is viewed positively in Egypt, as it resembles act of protection and care.
- Showing deference to their seniors and demonstrating hospitality to guests are some of their daily practices to live in honour and dignity.
- To break promises intentionally is viewed as bringing dishonor to one's family.
Social class in Egypt can be divided into upper, middle, and lower classes. These classes will help to recognize one's authority and determine their potential opportunities. Note that in Egypt, status is determined more by family background than wealth. So, someone of middle class with the right background could be more influential than the wealthy citizens of Egypt!
GREETING & DINING!!
When Egyptians meet one another, their greeting ways are based on social class and religion. In greeting between people of the same sex, prolonged handshakes are normal, frequently accompanied by cheerful smiles! Once the friendship has developed and deepened, kissing each other's cheeks (of the same gender!) is customary here.
However, when men and women are greeting each other, men should wait for women to make the first gesture. If women do not extend their hands for handshaking, men should bow their heads to greet instead.
When dining at Egyptians house, we should dress decently as appearances are crucial to them. Our shoes should be removed before entering. While eating, right hand is used and to take second helpings is to express compliments to the hosts. In contrast, 'salting' your food is thought to be an insult to their cooking ability. When you are done eating, note to leave a small portion of food on your plate so as to tell you have had enough, or else, your generous hosts will carry on filling it up for you!
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE
In doing businesses with Egyptians, it's wise to build a friendship-based relationship with them since Egyptians prefer to involve in business with people they know and like.
In meetings, jumping straight to discussing business affair without inquiring personal things such like health and family is thought to be disrespectful.
- Refusing their offers of beverages or tea during discussions is generally unwise as they might translate it as rejecting them.
- Since hierarchy is crucial to Egyptians, we should address the seniors of higher ranks by their respective titles; doctor (medical doctor or academician), muhendis (engineer), and sheikh (religious scholar).
- The Egyptians are known to be tough negotiators, too, so skillful dealing tactics are highly required.
- Besides that, the Egyptians are prone to demonstrate enthusiastic hand gestures and talk in raised voices just to stress out a point! Don't be alarmed, they meant no harm or insults by that.
- Direct aye contact is a sign of honesty for them, so be prepared for some intense stares!
All in all, doing business with Egyptians is the same as doing deals with others too, so it is up to us to make good impression of ourselves and our integrity to lead to successful business negotiations.
tourism- WHAT TO VISIT??
From my own experience of visiting Egypt, I figured out that some news portrayed by unkind media regarding the Egyptians are misleading. In reality, the virtue shown by the Egyptians towards foreigners are of a high level one. They are truly accommodating and sincerely helpful people. Their genuine warmth in welcoming visitors is palpable, thus creating a haughty-free environment and making our trip more enjoyable!
Best of all, you can see smiles etching across their faces upon seeing you, even though you are total strangers to them!
The excellent travel time to Egypt would be from October-May (Egyptian Winter). The weather then is not too extreme, with only some rain, usually with sunny days and colder nights. At this time of year, Egypt is usually filled with tourists from the western countries as they seek refuge from the cold winter at their hometowns. The mild Egyptian winter is a perfect condition for sightseeing and travelling.
However, if you visit Egypt in the summer, be sure to apply sunscreen for the fair-skinned and wear comfy, light clothing with sunhat as the weather is quite hot and dry.
There are countless of interesting places in Egypt which are enriched with historical values and entrancing stories. Most tourists will be mesmerized by the detailed mosques constructions in Egypt and all the historical sentiments compiled in the museums!
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| The Pyramid of Giza, Cairo |
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| The Castle of Saladin, Cairo |
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| The Castle of Quaitbay, Alexandria |
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| The Egyptian Musuem, Cairo |
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| The Hanging Church (Old Cairo) |
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| Nile River Cruise |
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| The Old Market of Khan El-Khalili FESTIVALS & CELEBRATIONS  Parades are normally conducted while Muslims enthusiastically reciting prayers and blessings for the prophet.  At midnight, a mass gathering is held and they'll enjoy eating traditional feasts together.  Represent the old Egypt civilization, where blessings will be ensured to whoever gets married on this day.  People will be mesmerized by the spectacular sight when watching rays of light creeping across the stones and illuminate the statues of King Ramses II, Ra, and Amun. |
In a nutshell.....
Egypt is truly a wonderful country filled with colourful cultures, exciting touristic sites and amazingly down to earth citizens. Visiting Egypt is like entering a fantasy land where various, unique cultures are accumulated, both from the infamous ancient Egypt era to the current modernized world.
Feel free to visit Egypt someday, and experience its beauty yourself!
Feel free to visit Egypt someday, and experience its beauty yourself!
Created by,
Ria Heryani Mumfahir
Group 5 FIA/ July 2013
Group 5 FIA/ July 2013
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