Arabic Schools and Courses in Egypt - Learn Arabic in Egypt

Egypt, a land of inspiration and wonder, with its wide expanses of desert dotted with lush green oases, colourful underwater seascapes, and a labyrinth of tombs. Egypt conjures up in the mind images of colossal pyramids and gilded tombs, opulent pharaohs and omnipotent gods, the mighty Nile River, its dams and an ancient civilisation.

The sheer age of this civilisation is mind-blowing but behind the national treasures and universal wonders of Egypt there is a vibrant modern-day country. The urban spread of Cairo and Alexandria, the untouched culture of the Bedouin, the supreme feeling of a felucca ride down the Nile, and, above all, the amazing warmth of Egyptians everywhere - all make Egypt a paradise. The sights are dazzling, the culture absorbing, and bargains a way of life.

The attractions of the country are not only the monuments of the Nile Valley and the souks, mosques and madrassas of Islamic Cairo, but the natural wonders of the Red Sea, Sinai, and the Eastern and Western deserts: fantastic coral reefs and tropical fish, dunes and rockscapes - plus ancient fortresses, monasteries and rock art. Hurghada and Sharm el Sheik, on the Red Sea coast, are doors to a magical underwater world of technicolour fish and coral favoured by divers, while other adventurous travellers head inland. There you can discover monasteries amid the arid mountains of Sinai or the distant desert oases, homes of the hardy nomads whose camel trains still wander the Saharan sands.

Egypt, with its multi-layered culture and historic depth, extends an unrivalled warmth and hospitality towards visitors which will leave an enduring memory.

Egypt - History

The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose around 3200 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries.

A local military caste, the Mamluks, took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest by Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt 's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt.

Learn Arabic in Egypt - Geography

Egypt, covering 1,001,449 square kilometres of land, is about the same size as Texas and New Mexico combined. The country's greatest distance from north to south is 1,024 kilometres, and from east to west, 1,240 kilometres. The country is located in northeastern Africa and includes the Sinai Peninsula, which is often considered part of Asia. Egypt 's natural boundaries consist of more than 2,900 kilometres of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Suez, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Red Sea.

Arabic Courses in Egypt - Economy

Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic activity takes place. In the last 30 years, the government has reformed the highly centralized economy it inherited from President Nasser. In 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif reduced personal and corporate tax rates, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized several enterprises. GDP grew nearly 5%, and the stock market prospered. Despite these achievements, the government has failed to raise living standards for the average Egyptian, and has had to continue providing subsidies for necessities. The subsidies have contributed to a growing budget deficit - more than 8% of GDP in 2005 - and represent a significant drain on the economy. Foreign direct investment remains low. To achieve higher GDP growth the Nazif government will need to continue its aggressive pursuit of reform, especially in the energy sector. Egypt 's export sectors, most notably natural gas, have bright prospects.

Egypt - Food

In Egypt, dining out can range from stand-up sandwich bars to luxurious five-course meals. Small, inexpensive establishments serve tasty Egyptian food for just a few pounds. Try the local snack bars, if you are in a hurry. While the cubby-holes off the street (which probably have running water) are generally safe. The larger cities even have Western-style fast-food chains like McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, but they're relatively expensive. In cities both food and water are safe although the change in your diet may produce short-term gastrointestinal upsets.

Egyptian food exhibits the country's international history; native cooks using local ingredients have modified Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian traditions to suit Egyptian budgets, customs, and tastes. The delicious creations are simple; made with fruits and vegetables, with more flavour added by using spices. The cuisine in the south, which is closely linked to North African food, is zestier than that found in the north, but neither is especially spicy. The best foods and cooking is usually found in the small towns. When poorly made, Egyptian cuisine can be tasteless and oily however, most of the cuisine is delicious.

Arabic Schools in Egypt - Climate

Egypt is largely desert, an extension of the great Sahara Desert that bands North Africa. Aside from the small strip of watered land along the river Nile, very little could survive here. As the ancient Greek historian stated: " Egypt is the gift of the Nile ".

Generally, dry and very hot summers with moderate winters - November through to January are definitely the most comfortable months for travel in Egypt. There is almost no rain in the Nile valley, so you won't be needing wet weather gear! Do bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a sturdy hat however.

Egypt - Interesting facts

The Arab Republic of Egypt covers 1,001,450 square kilometres, of which 96.4 percent is desert.

Although most of Egypt today is desert land, it has not always been this way: in a few areas marine fossils can be found.

Whale Valley, or Wadi Al-Hitan, in the Western Desert of Egypt, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005. The Valley contains fossils, which demonstrate the transition of a land-based animal to an ocean-going whale.

The name Egypt derives from the Greek name for the country: Egyptos.

A boat found close to the pyramid of Cheops is the oldest whole boat in the world today - it is believed to be four and a half thousand years old and was dismantled into over a thousand pieces before being buried.

About four thousand years ago, the Egyptians were first in separating copper from its ore,

The Egyptians were skilled in the use of geometry to plan the layout of their buildings, over three thousand years ago. Evidence suggests that astronomy could have been used in the arrangement of the pyramids and Egyptian temples.

The Great Pyramid is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The Pharos of Alexandria, a lighthouse 140 m high, was another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Today the flow of the Nile, the world's longest river, is regulated by the Aswan High Dam.

Experiments with steam power were carried out by Hiero in Egypt at least eighteen hundred years ago.

The Rosetta Stone, discovered during Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, carved in 196 BC, was the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphics, because it repeated a royal decree in three different scripts, one of which was Greek. Using the Greek, the other two were able to be deciphered.

The history of medicinal use in Egypt dates back four thousand years.

As well as preserving the bodies of their rulers, the ancient Egyptians also mummified birds and animals linked to their gods: cats, bulls, crocodiles and ibises have been found in their thousands, carefully mummified and wrapped.

Cats were first domesticated in Egypt

The idea of connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea dates back to the age of the Pharaohs. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869.

For more than two thousand years, Egypt was controlled by foreigners. Nasser became the first native Egyptian leader.

Anwar al-Sadat, President of Egypt, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978, sharing it with Israel 's leader Menachem Begin. Anwar al-Sadat was assassinated in 1981.

Ancient Egypt was ruled by pharaohs. The Egyptians believed the pharaohs were both a god and a monarch.

Nefertiti: Queen of Egypt

Akhenaton was a monotheistic pharaoh who ruled with his queen, Nefertiti. Nefertiti supported her husband's religious reforms, changing to worship of Aten, the sun god. Akhenaten and Nefrititi did not allow their subjects to worship any other gods but Aten. They built great statues to Aten and ordered that statues honouring any other god be destroyed. The statues of Aten were destroyed after the deaths of Akhentan and Nefrititi because most Egyptians did not take the faith of their leaders.

Tutankhamun became pharaoh when he was only 9 years old but, due to as head injury, died when he was 18 years old. King Tut's tomb remained intact and buried by rock chips until it was discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

Seven Egyptian queens used the name Cleopatra, but the most famous one was the last; Cleopatra VII. Cleopatra was of Greek heritage and culture, one of the Ptolemy line set on the throne of Egypt after the conquest of Alexander the Great. She had great intelligence and charisma, and she used both to further Egypt 's political aims.

The Egyptian Pyramids were not built from cut stone. The blocks were poured in place using crushed, local limestone and a 'geopolymer' - a cement that is better than most known today. The largest took 20 years to complete, and used an estimated 14,000 workers.

Learn Arabic in Egypt - Advice

At our Arabic schools and courses in Egypt our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.

The Arabic school and course you choose in Egypt is going to be the core of your Arabic study, so make sure you choose an Arabic language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our Arabic courses at our Arabic schools in Egypt, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice Arabic in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.

You must work at your new Arabic language skills every day. Ideally, you should study Arabic an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice Arabic every single day.

If you attend one of our Arabic courses in Egypt and you learn Arabic everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the Arabic language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the Arabic language.

Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.

Phrase Book

These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn Arabic and they are convenient and cheap.

Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the Arabic language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. Spanish to Arabic AND Arabic to Spanish. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the Arabic language, but may be difficult to translate.

Flashcards

A simple Arabic language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.

Talk to yourself

It may be obvious, but the best way to learn Arabic in Egypt is to speak Arabic in Egypt ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice Arabic by thinking Arabic. Throughout the day, think of the Arabic words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic Arabic phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.

Practice with friends

Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak Arabic, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or 'see you later' in Arabic will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!

Listen to music

Listen to Arabic music. You'll hear the Arabic language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in Arabic might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in Arabic and many different languages.