CAIRO: A thrill-seeking Egyptian couple are traveling through the entire country in 60 days to encourage tourism among locals by shedding light on the country’s little-known gems.
Dalia El-Debaiky and Omar Attia share a passion for exploration and together have taken pictures of the most fascinating locations across Egypt, all compiled on their informative and inspiring Instagram account @aroundegyptin60days.
They have already been to all of Egypt’s 27 governorates on a mission to document the country’s must-visit attractions and shed light on the nation’s forgotten historical sites in a book which is set to be published in the near future.
Celebrating love differently
The married couple are both “marketing gurus” and their passion for exploring Egypt has been an intrinsic part of their relationship since its beginning.
Attia told Arab News that they decided to hold their engagement party, the signing of the marriage contract ceremony and the wedding reception in different iconic locations across Cairo.
“Our engagement was celebrated by the Nile River and our Katb Al-Kitab (the Islamic marriage ceremony) pictures were captured outside the enormous Saladin Citadel in Cairo. Added to that, we held our wedding at the glamorous Mohammad Ali Palace.
“We wanted our festivities to be different, a celebration of love and heritage at the same time, and an experience that could hardly be forgotten by our guests.”
Both husband and wife went to the American University in Cairo and were first introduced at a Cairo Runners event.
During their engagement, they would avoid going to commonly-visited dining establishments and would instead take a boat ride on the Nile or spend time at one of Cairo’s several museums.
“Part of us knowing each other was also as we discovered more about our country,” Attia said.
After the wedding, they decided to take it to another level by venturing into other parts of Egypt and documenting their experience in pictures.
Their 60-day trip around Egypt — which is yet to be completed — encourages others to embark on a similar trip to see some of the country’s forgotten treasures.
“I’m trying to encourage people to dedicate 60 days of their lives to roam the entirety of Egypt,” Attia said.
They embarked on the first leg of their trip in 2013, but their photographs only recently saw light. Having completed 40 days of non-consecutive travel across Egypt, they still have 20 more days to go.
Writing a book
Once complete, the couple will finish off a bilingual trilogy on the journey, with hopes that it succeeds commercially and becomes part of the educational curriculum in Egyptian schools
“Just like Malaysia and Thailand, Egypt should include tourism as a subject in schools to teach youth the importance of tourism and how it contributes to the GDP,” Attia said.
The book, Attia told Arab News, will include information on each destination, where to go and how much time should be spent in each place, in addition to tips on how to respect a destination’s culture and heritage.
It will also include the costs the couple incurred — at the time of their visit — in each destination.
