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People
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Introduction
Positioned at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, Egypt has had contact for millennia with the cultures of the Mediterranean basin. As a result, Egyptian society and culture derives from many sources.
The primary religion in Egypt is Islam, though the country has a significant Coptic Christian minority. The dominant language is Arabic. Egypt's economy is based on agriculture, industry, and services, based in large part on the Suez Canal and the huge tourist industry. In addition, Egyptian workers abroad send home substantial amounts of foreign currency, which helps Egypt's balance of trade.
Traditional Lifestyles
For centuries, Asiatic, Middle Eastern, European, and African people invaded Egypt, and many stayed. In addition to the dominant Islamic Egyptians, several cultural groups are evident: Copts, Bedouins, Nubians, and Egyptian peasants, or fallahin.
Modern Copts are descendants of Egypt's original Christians, who resisted the conversion to Islam. Most live in Cairo and Middle and Upper Egypt, where they speak Arabic. The fallahin are rural laborers who farm the irrigated fields along the Nile, live in small villages, and lead traditional agrarian lives that have changed little over the centuries.
Bedouins wander Egypt's deserts in search of fresh grazing for their camels and goats, and water for their families. Traditional Bedouins form small, tightly knit clans, though modern inroads into the desert are changing Bedouin lives. Many families have settled and built houses and now use vehicles to move flocks. Although Bedouins still keep themselves apart from sedentary Egyptians, their ancient desert lifestyle is vanishing.
Nubians come from the narrow valley south of Aswan. These people once farmed the area inundated by Aswan Dam; displaced, many have drifted north to work as laborers or shopkeepers in cities.
Urban Living
The collapse of rural economies has forced farmers to move to Cairo in search of jobs. Coupled with a population explosion, this has caused a huge housing shortage in recent years. Rural immigrants often settle wherever they can find room, recreating the culture of their village in a city setting, but jobs for the untrained are scarce. Many rural immigrants now crowding the city live on rooftops or inhabit the ornate tombs of sultans on the east side of Cairo.
Cairo's acute housing shortage affects everyone. A young man who wants to marry must provide a house for his new wife, and many men wait years for a flat. Often families double up, squeezing parents, grandparents, and children into four rooms. The construction rate remains far below need, especially for moderately priced housing.
Customs and Etiquette
Egyptians have been raised in a social environment steeped in Islam, making Egyptians generally charming and helpful hosts—despite economic difficulties and urban pressures that to some extent oppose custom and tradition.
Religious Strictures
In Egypt, the line between church and state is extremely vague. Historically, the country was governed according to the laws of Islam, but exposure to Western thought has secularized much of Egypt's law. However, the modern fundamentalist movement is quite active and frequently targets foreign visitors; therefore, understanding Islamic customs and avoiding offense is more important than ever for travelers in Egypt.
Devout Muslims do not drink alcohol. Although most do not object to others imbibing in reasonable amounts, ask if you are in doubt. The faithful also do not use drugs or eat pork.
Segregation by Gender
Islamic societies segregate men and women, although in Egypt prohibitions on foreign women are not as strictly enforced as in some other Islamic countries. The more you interact with residents, the more sensitive you must be. Ticket lines, for example, are often segregated; women should stand with other women (especially because the lines are usually shorter). On buses, the driver may direct you to sit with other women. On metro lines, the first car is usually reserved for women; at the end of the line, you may have to get out and change cars. For men, speaking to an unknown Muslim woman is a breach of etiquette, and such forwardness is occasionally met with severe punishment.
Unmarried couples traveling together may want to represent themselves as married—small hotels and sleeper trains may not let you share the same room or compartment otherwise. A fictitious marriage avoids upsetting clerks and porters, frees you from trying to justify your arrangement, and shields women from unwelcome attention from Egyptian men.
Special Travel Needs has additional information for women traveling alone.
Appropriate Clothing
Modesty in dress is especially important. Although few visitors from outside the Arab world will be mistaken for residents, you can decrease the attention you draw by dressing conservatively. In cities, you can blend with the foreigners who live there by wearing Western business clothes: dress shirts, ties, and either a sweater or coat for men; skirts, blouses, or suits worn with low heels for women. Galabayyas, or men's caftans, are worn by working-class men and sometimes by the upper classes for leisure. Although galabayyas are more comfortable than the woman's caftan, women should not wear galabayyas on the street in Egypt. For traveling and visiting monuments, sport clothes are acceptable. Western fashions are accepted in major tourist centers, but in rural areas conservative dress becomes even more important.
Western men's shorts resemble the garments Egyptians wear under their
galabayas. Therefore men wearing Western-style shorts may look as if they're walking around in their underwear, which will be offensive to residents outside tourist areas. Men must wear full-length pants in mosques. Women have less leeway. Reserve shorts, sunsuits, low-cut tops, and bralessness for the resorts. Even on popular public beaches such as those in Alexandria, wear conservative swimsuits. For visiting monuments, long loose pants are fine, but cover your arms—a long-sleeved cotton shirt is sufficiently modest and protects you from the sun. Both men and women should always keep their shoulders covered. A hat preserves your modesty by covering your hair and will help keep you cool. In outlying areas, Egyptians are used to seeing foreign women in jeans and shirts.
Visiting Mosques
With the exception of the Sayyidna Al-Hussein in Cairo, major mosques are open to the public unless services are in progress; the main service is Friday at noon. All visitors to mosques, mausoleums, and madrassas (theological colleges attached to noncongregational mosques) must remove their shoes. You can take them with you (carry them in your left hand) or check them at the rack by the door. Mosques that are major visitor attractions provide canvas overshoes; give a small tip to the people who put them on for you. Women must cover bare arms; if you wear sleeveless shirts (and it's not recommended that you do), carry a scarf to use as a shawl.
Asking for Help
In general, Egyptians are most accommodating and will extend themselves to help you and respond to any questions—whether they know the correct answer or not. When giving directions to men, Egyptian men may take the questioner by the arm or hand. To an Egyptian, shaking the head from side to side means "I don't understand."
The welcome from most Egyptians is sincere, and if they adopt you as a friend there is little they won't do for you. However, be aware that casual Egyptian acquaintances may offer extra services or gifts and will expect something in return.
Invitations
When offered anything, it's customary for Egyptians to refuse the first invitation. Unless you're dealing with Egyptians used to Western frankness, you should do the same. If the offer is from the heart and not just politeness, it will be repeated. If you're invited into a home, especially in small villages, and have to refuse, the householder will often press you to promise to visit in the future, usually for a meal. If you make such a promise, keep it, because having foreign guests is often considered a social coup; if you fail to arrive, your would-be host will be humiliated.
Baksheesh
This custom stems from the Islamic belief that those with wealth must share it. Since Egyptians—at least those who have spent their life in Egypt—tend to classify all Westerners as rich foreigners, Westerners shouldn't be surprised if it's assumed that they have money to burn. Also, salaries in Egypt are low by Western standards, and baksheesh is considered supplemental income.
There are three types of baksheesh: alms, tips, and bribes. In tourist areas you can be surrounded by beggars, and although your heart may be touched, a single gift can attract a swarm from which you can escape only with difficulty. The best course of action is to ignore beggars, especially those with no obvious disabilities.
Tips, on the other hand, are expected for minor and even unwanted services. Keep plenty of coins or piastre bills in small denominations separate from your larger bills and dispense them to those who perform minor services. Do not offer tips to professionals, businesspeople, or others who would consider themselves your equals; give them gifts in return for special favors. A 12 percent service charge is usually included in restaurant bills, though it's questionable whether the staff actually receive it.
Serious bribing is an intricate business. There are officials who expect bribes, those who would be insulted by them, and those who would report you to the authorities—so don't attempt it.
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