American actress AnnaLynne McCord was in Egypt from October 30 to November 11 and visited many tourist sites from Alexandria in the north to Aswan’s Abu Simbel.
“I invite all people to visit Egypt. It is safe. I toured many cities from the north of the country to the south, I just found love and safety from all of the people,” she told The Egyptian Gazette.
Asked what places she enjoyed the most, she said: “I always had a dream to visit Saqqara. I was able to have private access there.”
Saqqara is home to the oldest complete stone building complex known in history, the Pyramid of Djoser.
“It was incredible also the Mediterranean Sea in Marsa Matrouh [resort town on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast]. It was beautiful and I have not found its water purity in the world.”
She added that she made a Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan, and it was “an amazing experience”.
McCord, 36, visited Giza Pyramids, the 15th century Citadel of Qaitbay in Alexandria, Luxor’s Karnak Temples, Kom Ombo Temple and Abu Simbel complex in Aswan and Edfu Temple on the west bank of the Nile.
McCord’s visit was organised by the Unknown Egypt Travel. Rabie Khaled, the head of the travel agency, said that it is her second visit to Egypt. “She came to Egypt last July to celebrate her birthday. She only visited Cairo and Luxor,” he said.
“Because she admired that visit, she decided to come again but with her friends. This time, she toured many cities,” he told The Gazette.
Mostafa Al-Saghir, director-general of Karnak Antiquities and the Avenue of Sphinxes, said that when he guided her, she asked about every detail regarding the vivid colours and the inscriptions.
“She seemed to be extremely in love with Egyptian civilisation,” he said.
He added that she said when she was a child, she dreamt of becoming an archaeologist given her love for Egyptian civilisation.
She also asked about the excavation and the average percentage of women who are working in archaeology.
He said that about 60 per cent of those who are working in archeology are women, whether from Egypt or foreign missions.
“Her visit is an important message to the world that Egypt is safe and what is happening in Gaza does not have any bad impact on tourism,” he said.
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