All the bounty of the East is here. Spices, perfumes, gold, silver, carpets, leather work, glass and mashrabiya are all particularly good buys. The street markets, such as Wekala al-Balaq, are famous for fabrics, including Egyptian cotton, the Tentmaker Bazaar for appliqué-work, Mohammed Ali Street for musical instruments and, although you probably won't want to buy one, the Camel Market makes a fascinating trip.

It's not just the Pharaonic monuments that have drawn travellers to this country since long before the birth of Christ - it's the legacy of the Greeks, Romans and early Christians, and the profusion of art and architecture accumulated from centuries of successive Islamic dynasties.

Languages
Arabic (official)

Religion
Muslim
Christian

Currency
Egyptian Pound (£E)

Electricity
220V 50HzHz
European plug with two circular metal pins

Time Zone
GMT/UTC +2 ()