Hurghada (Al-Ghardaka in Arabic) was brought to being by a handful of fishermen in the early 20th century; and it was only until a few decades ago -the early 1980's- that it remained a virtually unknown town, whether to foreigners or Egyptians apart from its own locals. Today, it has grown from a small fishing village and modest shipyard ignored by the rest of the world into one of the foremost tourist resorts on the Red Sea coast, and an international center for aquatic sports.

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Farafra Oasis, known as Ta-iht in ancient times, meaning 'Land of the Cow', is the single most isolated village the New Valley Region, which probably accounts for its being renowned for its strong traditions and piety. The oldest part of the village, on a hillside, is adjacent to palm groves peacefully existing within mud walls for conservation; a short ride away there are hot springs at Bir Setta with wonderful swimming at Al-Mufid Lake.

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In colloquial Arabic it is called 'Masr al-Qadima', meaning: Old Cairo; and indeed it is the oldest part of Cairo, also known as Coptic Cairo, predating what is now the modern capital. It is believed that there was a settlement in that area as early as the 6th century BC. Later, the Romans built a fortress in the area which we know today as 'Babylon'. Some of Babylon's walls still exist and are clearly seen; yet after the spread of Christianity in Egypt, Old Cairo became a Christian stronghold with as many as twenty churches built within an area of just one square mile.

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