Movies filmed in Egypt
Agatha Christie’s famous 1937 novel is set to come back to the big screen this year with Kenneth Branagh directing the new Death on the Nile movie. The iconic Belgian detective Hercules Poirot is back on the case after a passenger is found murdered on the S.S. Karnak, and he must discover who the killer is before they strike again. the film was released in September 2021.
We’ve got you covered with our favorite movies set and filmed in Egypt. From romantic love stories set amongst the pyramids to historical epics inspired by Ancient Egypt, here are 5 movies that are sure to have you planning your next trip to Egypt.
1. Death on the Nile (1978)
Before you watch the new Death on the Nile, you’ve got to watch the original. This 1978 film is the first movie adaptation of Death on the Nile, based on the famous Agatha Christie novel. The movie was also set and filmed in Egypt, with locations including Cairo, the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, Aswan, Luxor and the temples at Abu Simbel and Karnak. It’s the perfect visual feast to get you in the mood for the new Death on the Nile movie.
2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
If you love action films and Egypt, you’ve got to watch the second Transformers movie. It was partly filmed in Egypt, with the great showdown between the Autobots and the Decepticons filmed around the Great Pyramids and in Luxor. The film crew received special government approval before shooting around the pyramids. They spent three days shooting there in what was supposed to be a top-secret set… but almost everyone in Egypt knew they were in town anyway.
3. Jumper (2008)
Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Hayden Christensen among others, this thrilling science fiction film tells the story of a man with teleportation powers, who is being hunted by a secret society. The movie was filmed in 20 cities in 14 countries between 2006 and 2007 including Egypt. Plus, of all the filming locations, it’s the Great Pyramids and Sphinx that feature on the movie poster!
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
James Bond has been all over the world – even Egypt! Roger Moore’s Bond came to this beautiful country for the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me, and you might recognise Karnak Temple in Luxor in some scenes. Sean Connery’s Bond also came to Egypt in Diamonds Are Forever, but the Cairo casino scenes are actually filmed in a studio, not in the real city.
5. Cairo Time (2009)
This romantic drama is about an unexpected, whirlwind love affair between a woman who is meeting her husband for a holiday in Cairo, and her husband’s friend who escorts her around the city. The gorgeous shots of Egypt, the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Khan El-Khalili Market in Cairo and more are sure to have you dreaming about your next trip to Egypt.
12 Interesting Facts About Egypt
1. The country is ethnically homogeneous, with Egyptians comprising more than 99% of the population.
2. The country’s population is estimated to be 90% Muslim (primarily Sunni) and various Christian denominations make up the remaining 10%.
3. Cairo has served as Egypt’s capital for more than 1,000 years, but the government is building a new capital some 45 kilometres (28 miles) to the east to help ease congestion in Cairo to host the main government departments and ministries, as well as foreign embassies.
4. One of the most famous figures tied to Egypt, Cleopatra VII, was Greek.
5. Ancient Egypt produced one of history’s earliest peace treaties, the Kadesh Peace Treaty, negotiated in 1259 B.C. with the Hittite Empire. In 1970 the government of Turkey gave a copy of the treaty to the United Nations, where it can be seen at the entrance of the Security Council chambers.
6. Egypt is home to seven UNESCO-designated World Heritage sites: Abu Mena; ancient Thebes with its Necropolis; Historic Cairo; Memphis and its Necropolis; Nubian monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae; the Saint Catherine area; and Wadi Al-Hitan, or Whale Valley, home to fossil remains of the earliest and now extinct form of whales.
7. Ancient Egypt produced the world’s first prosthetic limb, a toe composed of leather, wood and thread and dated between 950 and 710 B.C.
8. The 365-day calendar that is divided into 12 months was invented in Egypt.
9. There are 5 million Facebook users in Egypt… That’s a lot of Facebook users, and it’s continuously growing. Five million users in Egypt make it the most active Facebook community in the Middle East.
10. The most popular sport in Egypt is football… Another fun fact about Egyptian football. There are two teams that are fierce rivals, but still sharing the same stadium, The teams are Al Ahly SC and Zamalek SC, and they are both playing at Cairo International Stadium. The derby is known as the Clasico El-Arab.
11. Egypt has more than 3451 hours of sun each year, Aswan is the third sunniest place in the world with 3863 hours of sun each year, that’s 10 hours of sun a day! So, if you’re longing for some extra sun, you should go to Aswan, in the southern part of the country!
12- Egypt is home to one of the world’s largest dam, Aswan high dam is the world’s largest dam, built to contain the raging waters of the world’s longest river, the Nile.
