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Description
and Services:
Built in the Nubian Desert on the banks of the Nile River opposite
Elephantine Island, the hotel is majestically positioned on an outcrop
of pink granite overlooking the Nile. It opened its doors in 1889 and
has become a legendary name in hospitality.
Staying at the Cataract has been described as walking
into a painting, or a period post card. This hotel is
a living history that one not only senses with the eyes,
but feels in the bones. With its high ceilings, long
halls and Moorish decor, one is transported back through
time to Egypt's Victorian past, of empire builders locked
in monumental discussions on the famous Terrace, of
Howard Carter reveling in his recent discovery of Tut's
Tomb and of Europe's royalty relaxing and gaining their
health in isolated gardens.
The Old Cataract Hotel is a favorite of many Tour Egypt
readers, almost to the extent that a few we hear from
must make an occasional visit for a routine "Cataract
Fix". It easily qualifies as one of the two best
known hotels in Egypt, perhaps after, or before the Mena House in Cairo.
The Old Cataract Hotel was always a favorite of the
Elite during Egypt's British colonial period, and with
the release of the movie written by Agatha Christie
and Anthony Shaffer, "Death on the Nile",
in 1978, the hotel received a grand revival of interest.
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