Egypt

Egypt, which connects northeast Africa and the Middle East, dates back to the time of the pharaohs. Along the fertile Nile River Valley, millennia-old monuments such as Giza's colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx, as well as Luxor's hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs, can be found. Cairo's Ottoman landmarks include the Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, which houses a treasure trove of antiquities.