Those who settled in the Nile Valley were forced to abandon nomadic pastoralism for lack of summer rains.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

But the ancient rite, common in the Nile Valley and other parts of Africa, has remained particularly prevalent in Egypt.

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To the east of Old Cairo, a limestone ridge marks the edge of the Nile valley and the beginning of the desert.

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The Middle East's brief but impressive "Liberal Age" grew from European imperialism and the unsustainable contradiction between the progressive ideals taught by the British and French -- the Egyptian press has never been as free as when the British ruled over the Nile valley -- and the inevitably illiberal and demeaning practices that come with foreign occupation.

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The pastoralists took refuge in the Sahel, Saharan highlands and Nile Valley, where they gave rise to numerous African cultures, including that of Pharaonic Egypt.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

Last year saw a slight rise, but most tourists go to the beach resorts of the Red Sea, staying away from Nile Valley sites like Luxor.

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The main attractions in the city are the Karnak and Luxor temples as well as the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the Nile.

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