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Mansoura University
Faculty of Tourism and Hotels
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-
Ancient Origin
By
Walaa Mohamed Abdelhakim
Assistant Professor,
Tourist Guidance Department,
Faculty of Tourism and Hotels
Minia University
Dr. Noha Helmy Abouelazm
Lecturer, Tourism Studies
Department, Faculty of Tourism
and Hotels, Minia University
Farag Ebeid Zaki
Lecturer, Tourist Guidance
Department, Faculty of Tourism
and Hotels Minia University
Research Journal of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels
Mansoura University
Issue No. 11 (part 4), june. 2022
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
LMS
Abstract
Astronomy goes back many centuries throughout the
world. Especially in Egypt, its origin appears in the
ancient Egyptian texts referring to the surrounding
nature, temple orientations, and paintings on the
ceilings and walls of tombs, temples, and sarcophagi.
Further, Egypt combines different phenomena that
could be seen either with the naked eyes or the
telescopes as African skies remain the most accessible
and biggest astronomy laboratories as the continent is
situated under the clearest such and darkest night sky.
Despite being an innovative offer of tourism to Egypt
during and after the covid-19 Pandemic, there is a lack
of studies exploring astronomy tourism and its
potentials in Egypt. Accordingly, the current study
aims at filling this gap through giving insight into
astronomy tourism; exploring the current practices and
the ongoing construction of astronomy tourism in
Egypt; explore the group culture of astronomy tourists,
their behaviors and individual travel experience; which
category of astronomy tourism do they prefer; and the
current situation and the prospects for the future
development of astronomy tourism in Egypt. This
study made use of mixed methods, which included
both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative
(Questionnaire)research analyses. The interviews
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
targeted the tour operators‟ managers operating this
kind of tourism and the admins of online travel groups
to gain an in-depth understanding of the current
situation of astronomy tourism in Egypt and its future
developing prospects. Other interviews were held with
the directors of observatories and astronomy societies
in Egypt to explore the current practices and the
ongoing construction of Astronomy tourism in Egypt.
The questionnaire targeted the international and
domestic tourists, utilizing the Leisure Motivation
Scale (LMS) to make an assessment of the most
influential factors that draw tourists to astronomy
activities and events. Based on the results, astronomy
tourism is alive in Egypt, yet it should gain more
attention from stakeholders to be promoted and
developed as a new trend in Egypt.
Keywords: Astronomy Tourism, Astronomical
Observation, Archaeoastronomy Tourism, Egypt,
Motivations.
Introduction
Egypt is considered one of the oldest countries whose
people studied astronomy. The celestial phenomena have
always been a source of wonder and interest to people, even
as long ago as the ancient Egyptians, as evidenced by the
architecture and landscape, apparently associated with the
observation of cosmic phenomena (Novakovic, 2008).
Astronomy tourism started recently to gain more attention.
Astronomy tourism is a new phenomenon that is taking
hold across the world. Capturing people‟s inherent interest
in the mysterious provides the drive for tourism through the
ages. Astronomy provides numerous opportunities to catch
the interest of young and old alike (Jiwaji, 2016).
According to the results of research by various authors and
based on the authors‟ research results, astronomy tourism
belongs to the category of special-interest tourism (SIT)
(Soleimani, et al., 2019), alternatively labeled as niche
tourism (Cater et al., 2015). At the same time, some
astronomy tourism activities may take the form of
professional, virtual or even mass tourism (Ma, et al.,
2020). According to (Tadic, 2016) observing the night sky
with the naked eye can also be perceived as a part of mass
tourism in many destinations.
In a post-covid-19 world, tourists‟ behavior has changed.
They are looking for new experiences in remote safe place.
Astronomy offers a way to engage with local people and
cultures and experience the awe of nature in an outdoors
environment.
The sea, sandy beaches and sightseeing are no longer the
only competitive advantage that attracts tourists to a
destination, but on the contrary, the hustle and bustle of life
force individuals to choose destinations characterized by
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
purity of air, calm and charm of nature. Hence, the majority
of tourists nowadays began to search for niche trends in
tourism away from the traditional ones, especially after the
Covid-19 Pandemic, they are choosing destinations and
products that offer them unique experiences, and astronomy
tourism is an excellent option because it presents something
different.
Egypt‟s sky, desert and history gave it distinction in the
field of astronomy tourism. Astronomy tourism is now
brand new in Egypt, but still not a negligible part of the
Egyptian destination to enrich its tourist offer both
nationally and internationally. Further, there is a gap in the
literature about astronomy tourism and its potentials in
Egypt; the current practices and the ongoing construction of
astronomy tourism in Egypt; the categories of astronomy
tourism that mostly exist in Egypt; and the current situation
and prospects for the future development of this new trend
in Egypt. This research is written with the intention to
bridge these gaps, hence, it highlights the potential of
astronomy tourism in Egypt and suggest ways to introduce
and develop this new trend in Egypt. There are two
principal ways of trying to understand the new trend in
tourism. The first one is to analyze current practices and the
ongoing construction of this new trend in a destination. The
second one is to look at historical processes of destination
making and comparable tourist practices in the past
(Steinbrink, et al., 2012). Thus, the main objectives of this
study are to:
Insight the history of astronomy in Egypt and
explore the current practices and the ongoing
construction of astronomy tourism in Egypt.
Figure out the potential of astronomy tourism in
Egypt.
Identify the astronomy tourists and which kind of
astronomy tourism they prefer.
Detect the categories of astronomy tourism that
mostly exist in Egypt.
Explore the group culture of astronomy tourists,
their behaviors and individual travel experience.
Present the current situation and prospects for the
future development of this new trend in Egypt.
The study also aims at testing the following hypothesis:
H1: Intellectual factors motivation has significant positive
effect on the tourists‟ attitude toward astronomy tourism in
Egypt.
H2: Stimulus avoidance motivation has significant positive
effect on the tourists‟ attitude toward astronomy tourism in
Egypt.
H3: Competence mastery motivation has significant
positive effect on the tourists‟ attitude toward astronomy
tourism in Egypt.
H4: Social motivation has significant positive effect on the
tourists‟ attitude toward astronomy tourism in Egypt.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Literature Review
Astronomy Tourism
Astronomy tourism is considered to be special interest
tourism (Soleimani, et al., 2019). It is defined as “... tourism
using the natural resource of unpolluted night skies and
appropriate scientific knowledge for astronomical, cultural
and environmental activities” (Fayos, et al., 2014:664). It
focuses visitor interests on the observation and appreciation
of naturally occurring celestial phenomena (Weaver, 2011)
as a unique form of ecotourism (Najafabadi, 2012). It offers
a noble way to draw tourists closer to nature (Fayos, et al.
2014). Its greatest assets never need maintenance or
development; are always available, unique in its features,
and continuously considered one of the highest sustainable
fascinations (Najafabadi, 2012).
Astronomy tourism represents a segment of sustainable
tourism where a dark night sky is the underlying resource
(Collins and Poe, 2013). Location is a key to looking
deeper into space by means of a clear dark night sky free
from artificial light (Najafabadi, 2012). Considering that
half of the world‟s population can no longer see the stars
due to overcast light pollution, desolate places with their
apparent emptiness have now become noteworthy
attractions (Ingle, 2010). African skies remain the most
accessible and biggest astronomy laboratories as the
continent is situated under the clearest and darkest night sky
(Govender, 2011). Two bodies accredit astronomy tourism
destinations: Starlight Foundation (Starlight Foundation, n.
d.) and International Dark Sky Association (Darksky, n. d.).
Astronomy is a science that studies the position, movement,
structure, origin and development of celestial bodies and
the system of which it formed. According to this definition,
the term astronomy tourism refers only to observational
astronomy, and includes observation of celestial bodies and
phenomena in tourist tours (with the main purpose, or by
the way), for pleasure/fun, and, inseparably, astronomical
observatories (Robson and Christensen, 2005; Weaver,
2011) and astronomical instruments, contemporary and
from the past (including Archaeoastronomical
Observatory). Unlike space tourism astronomy tourism nor
exclusive nor adventurous/extreme form of tourism, it is
open to all tourists, not a risk to health and life-threatening.
Astronomy tourism opens new opportunities for bridging
science and tourism, motivating alliances for starry nights,
science, culture, and nature. It entails observatories,
stargazing places and dates, heritage sites related to
astronomy, and natural dark sky areas of outstanding beauty
(Malville, 2008). Key terms in astronomy tourism are the
observations and observatories, or just looking for the word
observatory means observation posts. Astronomy tourism is
oriented towards the celestial sphere and extraterrestrial
space, but without departing from the Earth's surface: astro-
tourists are not astronauts (Macionis, 2004). Astro-tourist is
perceived as a person who value uniqueness of such
phenomena, as they bring him/her satisfaction, a sense of
freedom and calm (Matos, 2017). In this context,
(Macionis, 2004) divided astro-tourists into three
categories:
Specific Astro-tourist, who actively researches for
places where astronomical events will happen and the
various locations either for work or for leisure.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Casual Astro-tourist, who does not specifically
looks for the astro-event location, but participates in any
activity related to it while at the destination.
Serendipitous Astro-tourist, who just happens to be
at the destination or location where an astro-event
occurred.
Astronomy tourism experiences belong to one of the
categories mentioned in (Table 1). The mentioned list is far
from being exhaustive or definitive (as new experiences can
be invented every day). It should also be noted that
astronomy tourism products offered to the public can
combine a number of different experiences apart from those
already described (e.g. they can be combined with non-
astro-touristic experiences such as trekking, gastronomy,
etc.).
Table (1) Astronomy tourism Categories
Sky observations in
observatories
They take place in enclosures that
are built and/ or modified for
astronomical observations and
tourist services. They usually
involve the use of telescopes.
Excursions with outdoor
observations
These require moving to dark
sites (by car, on horseback, on
foot, etc.), to observe the sky,
whether with the naked eye or
through the use of binoculars
and/or telescopes.
Tours of scientific
facilities
They refer to visits to scientific
observatories, those with
advanced technologies as well as
those that are more historical in
character. They usually cover the
use of telescopes and spaces
where astronomers work.
Lodging and
astronomical
observations
This refers to hotel services that
include activities and possibly
decorations related to astronomy.
Solar observations
Carried out during the day, they
involve observing the Sun using
solar telescopes or specially
adapted telescopes (i.e. with
special filters).
Astrophotography
This includes everything from
renting specially equipped
telescopes to beginner and
advanced level workshops on
photographing celestial bodies.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Lectures and courses
Presentations on astronomical
topics, conducted by guides,
astronomers or other experts,
together with astronomical
observations.
Astronomical exhibition
tours
Visits to museum exhibitions or
outdoor displays (astronomical
parks) centered on the theme of
the cosmos and/or the ways of
studying it.
Audiovisual
presentations
These consist of shows projected
on planetariums – fixed or
portable – and videos and digital
presentations made by guides or
individuals with knowledge of
astronomy.
Archaeoastronomy sites
They refer to visiting sites where
cultural heritage is associated
with astronomy. These are
locations and destinations that
possess heritage manifestations
that are connected to the
astronomy of the past men.
(Source: Modified from a design Manual of Astrotourism
Experiences, n.d)
Other Astronomy tourism activities include space journeys
in the form of flights to the stratosphere (Wilson, 2019) or
space itself (Cohen and Spector, 2019), also visits to space
rocket launch sites, self-discovery in the form of visits to
scientific astro-exhibitions, observatories, planetariums,
expert lectures on astronomy and cosmology, and meeting
astronauts. Virtual reality also belongs to astronomy
tourism, adequately substituting real travels into the
stratosphere and beyond, thanks to its trusted simulation of
space and spaceflight (Toivonen, 2021).
Consequently, astronomy tourism consists of two basic
parts, space tourism and terrestrial astronomy tourism (Van
Wyk-Jacobs, 2018 and Matos, 2017). The focus of this
study is the terrestrial astronomy tourism that includes in
general the following main elements:
Comets, Planets and Stargazing: These activities can
happen anywhere, although the best locations to admire
such phenomena are those where the light pollution is not
excessive. Gazing at the sky and track these objects can
be done with or without equipment (e.g. telescopes,
binoculars), and by oneself or in groups (Berendsen,
2005).
Eclipses: They are astronomical events that occur
when an astronomical object is temporarily obscured –
partially or completely – either by the passing shadow of
another body (e.g. Lunar eclipse) or by having another
body passing between it and the observer (e.g. Solar
eclipse, Venus and Mercury Transits) (Brezina, 2019).
The Auroras: The auroras is described as an
astronomical “colour” (e.g., green, red) phenomenon that
occurs when high energetic particles penetrate the upper
atmosphere (hundred kilometers above the Earth‟s
surface) and collide with nitrogen and oxygen atoms and
molecules (Mackowiak, 2013).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Ancient Astronomical Observatories and Sacred
Sites: Ancient civilizations were significantly associated
with the observation and interpretation of the universe
and left many structures used in all probability for
astronomical observations, or at least related to
astronomical knowledge. Archaeoastronomy sites are
where cultural heritage sites associated with astronomy
that also motivates travelers (Marin, 2009).
The current study explores the terrestrial astronomy tourism
in Egypt that includes the ancient Egyptian Observatories
and Archaeoastronomy sites, besides the various
astronomical phenomena that have the potential to attract
the attention of common tourism participants, such as,
Comets, Planets and Stargazing, and eclipses (Kunjaya, et
al, 2019, Najafabadi, 2012).
Astronomy in Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians were interested in astronomy, mainly
for practical and religious purposes. Based on astronomical
observation, they invented the first calendar developed in
Egypt "the lunar calendar" and determined the hours of
night, the festive dates, the annual flooding of the Nile, and
thus the planting times and the three seasons of the year
(inundation з
ḫ
t , planting prt , and harvest šmw
. They also established a 24-hour day of fixed
length ).
The ancient Egyptian astronomers were the Hour Watching
Priests, the “Keepers of Time”, who were responsible for
watching and observing the nightly movement of the stars,
the order of the fixed stars, the movements of the moon and
the planets, the rising of the sun and the moon, as well as
their setting times, and the orbits of the various celestial
bodies. These learned individuals were thereafter ready to
tell this information in counsel and to provide details about
the changes occurs in the sky in any specific time. They
used instruments or indicators (the sundial, water clocks or
clepsydras, and the merkhet) for observing the circumpolar
stars that was required for both time measurement and the
proper orientation of important building projects like
pyramids and temples (Deyoung, 2000). The Egyptian
astronomers observed from the terraces of the temples and
palaces. From that height they looked for horizons
free from obstacles. The following subtitles introduce the
important observatories and Archaeoastronomy sites that
were known in ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egyptian Observatories
Nabta Playa (Fig. 1) is considered to be the earliest known
prehistoric astronomical site built in Africa about 100 km
west of Abu Simbel in southern Egypt and possibly the
oldest astronomical observatory on the earth. It is a 7,000
years old stone circle that was aligned with the sun and
stars to mark the arrival of the annual monsoon season and
the summer solstice. (Holbrook, Medupe, and Urama,
2008)
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Fig. (1) The astronomical site of Nabta Playa
(Source: Ancient Astronomy of the Nabta Playa Nubian
Stone Circle, 2020)
The Great Pyramid at Giza plateau appears as the largest
and in its entirety most perfect observatory that was
possible before the invention of the telescope. One can
imagine that the construction, which tapered towards the
top, offered excellent astronomical possibilities as long as
the cover plates were not in place and the gallery was open
at the top. It is ideal to observe the starry sky. This gave an
excellent opportunity to recognize the course of the stars
and the slightest change. (Baumgartl, 1995)
Another observatory known from ancient Egypt is the one
of Ausim/Letopolis. It is believed that in Letopolis there
was an astronomical observatory because of the existence
of a guard tower, and according to Strabo, this guard tower
was used as astronomical observatory. This tower was
established on the top of a high hill away from the danger
of the Nile flood. The directions the northern side of Khufu
pyramid was centered and oriented toward the city of
Letopolis (Waziry, 2021).
Heliopolis is regarded as one of Egypt's most important
cultural centers in both astronomy and engineering. As a
result, it most likely had a significant role in observing,
monitoring, and analyzing the stars. Thus, it is assumed that
it has an astronomical observatory for observing the stars
(Waziry, 2021). Heliopolis is also thought to have gotten its
name from one of the astronomical observation towers
(Grimal, 1994; Aldred 1965). Furthermore, the ancient
Egyptians' astronomical orientation was founded on careful
observation, testing, and analysis, making it extremely
exact. In ancient Egypt, the technique of observation was
crucial, especially for determining the precise date of
religious feasts and burial procedures (Wells, 1992).
The Djhuty Hill area, which is located in the west of
Thebes and known as the Hill of Thoth was regarded as one
of the most significant archaeological sites, not only in
terms of archaeology but also in terms of astronomy and
celestial spheres (Waziry, 2021). It was also linked to the
god Thoth, who was the creator of the Epagomenal Days in
ancient Egypt and the god of writing and astronomy
(Spalinger, 1995). As a result, this area is believed to
possess an observatory which was one of the most
prominent observatories of the time and in the
archaeological area (Waziry, 2021).
Ancient Egyptian Archaeoastronomy Sites
The term “Archaeoastronomy” denotes the combination of
two disciplines: “Archeology” and "Astronomy". More
precisely, Archaeoastronomy is defined as the study of the
astronomical orientation and content of any archaeological
remains including monuments, drawings, bas-reliefs, and
texts (Gadré, 2011b). The Archaeoastronomy locations and
destinations are possess heritage manifestations that are
connected to the astronomy of the ancient people, e.g. in
Egypt, sun alignment in Abu Simble Temple (Magli, 2020).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
The Egyptian Archaeoastronomy reflects the vision of the
ancient Egyptians concerning the world and beyond that
was expressed in their monuments and artifacts by writing
texts referring to the surrounding nature, attributing a
particular astronomical orientation to the monument, and
decorating the ceilings and walls of temples, tombs, and
sarcophagi with astronomical scenes (Gadré, 2011a).
Astronomical Orientations in Ancient Egyptian
monuments
Almost every historical monument has a particular
astronomical orientation sometimes solar, often stellar. Its
main object is to meet certain worship or cultural
imperatives (Gadré, 2011c). The temples of the Delta and
Nile Valley were orientated according to the Nile and
astronomical measures. There were only three main kinds
of astronomical orientation that were present in most of the
Egyptian temples (Belmonte, Shaltout, and Fekri, 2008);
The cardinal or meridian orientation following the
movement of a group of stars Ursa Major (Big Bear)
called in ancient Egypt Ms
ḫ
tyw (Faulkner,
1991), such as the temple of goddess Hathor at Dandara
the main building is orientated close to north and
possibly to the rising of Meskhetiu (Fig. 2.a). (Belmonte,
2009)
The stellar orientation following the movement of
the two brightest stars of Sirius (Sopdet) and Canopus,
such as the small temple of goddess Isis to the rear of the
Hathor temple at Dandara was aligned to the rising of
Sirius at the time of its foundation and the Middle
Kingdom temple of Qasr al-Sagha (Fig. 2.b) located in
the former northern shore of Lake Moeris and now ten
kilometers inland inside the desert was orientated to
Canopus at the moment of its construction. (Furlong,
2007)
The solar orientation that was principally linked to
important time marks of the annual cycle and specific
dates in the civil calendar such as Wepet Renpet (New
Year‟s Eve) or the eves of the other two seasons of the
calendar, Shemu and Peret. (Belmonte, 2009)
Fig. (2) a. the temple of goddess Hathor at Dendara, b. the
temple of Qasr al-Sagha (Source: Belmonte, 2009, 80, 81,
Figs. 6, 7)
Both solar and stellar orientations were most probably
already in operation during the Neolithic Period in Nabta
Playa (Fig. 1) (Holbrook, Medupe, and Urama, 2008). In
general, the temples of solar deities have solar orientations,
while those belonging to goddesses were mainly orientated
to the brightest stars in the ancient Egyptian sky "Sirius".
(Belmonte, Shaltout, and Fekri, 2008)
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
The Cardinal Orientation in the Pyramids at Giza
Plateau
Concerning the astronomical aspects of the pyramids at
Giza plateau; its sides were aligned to the four cardinal
points north-south and east-west. Determining the cardinal
points is astronomy in itself. You have to orientate yourself
if you want to explore the course of the stars. The area of
50,000 square meters of the Great Pyramid is just as precise
- to the nearest centimeter. This is also a prerequisite for
observing the sky. The prerequisites for astronomy are thus
confirmed (Baumgartl, 1995). A further adjustment was
made by aligning the descending corridor, which exists in
all pyramids, with the Pole Star (Magli and Belmonte,
2009). The Giza pyramids had been positioned in a manner
that, from each pyramid, it was always possible to observe
the points of the horizon where the sun was rising and
setting on each day of the year (Sparavigna, 2016).
The Solar Orientation or Solstice Alignment
The solstice alignment is defined as the time or date (twice
each year; midsummer and midwinter sunrises and sunsets)
at which the sun reaches its maximum or minimum
declination, marked by the longest and shortest days. A
series of temples were orientated to sunrise at the winter
solstice (Belmonte, 2009). Among the ancient Egyptian
temples that were aligned to the midwinter sunrise are; the
central meridian line of the temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak
Complex (Fig.3.a), the mortuary temple of Amenhotp I at
Deir El Madina, the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III at
El Qurna (from this great temple remains two famous
statues of the king, known as the Colossi of Memnon that
stand as gigantic guards, overlooking the morning sun in
the midwinter, at its eastern end), the mortuary temple of
Queen Hatshepsut at El Deir El Bahari that was placed
alongside the other prominent worldwide monuments,
which witnessed the same phenomenon, like the
Stonehenge in England, the Maes Howe in Scotland, and
the Great Burial Mound of Newgrange in Irland (Furlong,
2010), and the temple of god Sobek-Ra in Qsar Qarun at
El-Fayum Oasis (Fig.3.b). (Belmonte, 2009)
Fig. (3) a. The midwinter sunrise at the temple of Amun-Ra
at Karnak Complex (Source: Furlong, 2014); b. Sunrise at
the winter solstice at the inner sanctuary of the temple of
god Sobek-Ra in Qsar Qarun at El-Fayum Oasis (Source:
Belmonte, 2009, 79, Fig. 4)
The widely known solar alignment, which attracts many
hundreds of visitors every year, is found in the temple of
Abu Simbel (Fig. 4) built by king Ramses II as his cult
temple. Despite being rescued in 1972 from the rising
waters behind the Aswan dam, the solar illumination of the
inner sanctuary of the temple can still be seen today about
22nd of February and October each year. (Furlong, 2007)
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Thousands of tourists from around the world
(approximately 6000 Egyptian and foreign visitors) witness
the phenomenal solar alignment on king Ramses II's face in
Abu Simbel, a wonderful festival on a special day in history
22.2.2022. (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, 2022)
Fig. (4) Solar alignment on the temple of Abu Simbel
(Source: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, 2022)
The Lunar Orientation
In addition to the previously mentioned main orientations
there is the lunar orientation that appeared in; the temple of
king Seti I at El Qurna that points towards one of the
Moonrise azimuths, the temple of god Ptah at Karnak
complex that is aligned to a significant lunar position
known as the southernmost major Moon standstill, and the
temple of god Khnum at Esna that could align to the
Northernmost Maximum Moonrise, depending on the
eastern horizon view (Furlong, 2007). The first clear lunar
orientation discovered in Egypt is found in the temple of
god Thoth (the lunar god) at Sheikh 'Abada in Minia
governorate (Fig.5) due to its location at the latitude where
the moon marked by the alignment also crosses the zenith
of the site (Belmonte, Fekri, Abdel-Hadi, Shaltout, and
Gonzalez-Garcia, 2010).
Fig. (5) The temple of god Thoth at Sheikh Abada in Minia
governorate
(Source: Belmonte, Fekri, Abdel-Hadi, Shaltout, and
Gonzalez-Garcia, 2010, 6, Fig.4)
Textual Sources for the assignment of a particular
astronomical orientation to the Egyptian monuments
A fragment of the Palermo Stone dating from the Old
Kingdom mentioned the ceremony of stretching the cord
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
(pd-šs (Faulkner, 1991)) for the orientation and
foundation of sacred buildings. The invention of this
ceremony was attributed to Imhotep, the architect of the 3rd
Dynasty king Djoser's Step pyramid at Saqqara which could
have been a place of orientation as Sokar was the god of
orientation in ancient Egypt (Baumgartl, 1995). A fragment
of a bas-relief found in the 5th Dynasty solar temple of king
Niuserre represents the main theme of the ceremony. The
king and a priestess incarnating goddess Seshat (the
goddess of measurement in ancient Egypt) are shown each
holding a mallet and a stake to which the calibrated cord is
attached (Gadré, 2011b).
Various bas-reliefs dating from the New Kingdom and the
Ptolemaic Period show the king and goddess Seshat
preceding, within the framework of the ceremony of
stretching the cord for the orientation of sacred buildings,
following the movement of Meskhetiu the Big Bear (Fig.6).
On one of the walls of the temple of god Horus at Edfu, the
king says "I grabbed the stakes at the same time as the
handle of the mallet. I take the measuring rope with Seshat.
I examine the constant movement of the stars. My gaze is on
the constellation Bull's Thigh. I measure the passing time,
especially the clock, and I establish the angles of the
temple". On one of the walls of the temple of goddess
Hathor at Dandara, the king declares "Observing the course
of the stars rising in the sky, recognizing the constellation
of the Bull's Thigh, I establish the angles of the temple of
His Majesty" (Gadré, 2011b).
It is most likely that the solar equinox was the day chosen
for the ceremony of stretching the cord. During the
equinox, the gnomon (the projecting piece on a sundial that
shows the time by the position of its shadow) shadow
would immediately indicate the E-W cardinal points.
Therefore, it is reasonable to choose solar geometry, at the
equinox, to determine the primary direction of the pyramid
complex. Sundials based on the equinox sun-shadow were
known since the Pre-historic times and were commonly
used during the 3rd century B.C. (Kittler and Darula, 2008).
Fig. (6) On one of the walls of her chapel at Karnak, Queen
Hatshepsut along with goddess Seshat stretching the cord
(Source: Gadré, 2011b, 6, Fig. 4)
The stars chosen to orient the Egyptian monuments,
pyramids and temples, appear among the list of candidate
stars for the Egyptian decans (patterns or groups of stars
that were separated by ten nights and were used for telling
time at night (DeYoung, 2000), for example the decans in
the pyramid of king Unas at Saqqara ). It
was believed that the location of a building (east or west of
the Nile) is not systematically linked to the source of its
orientation (setting or rising azimuth of a star), while the
purpose of a building (its funerary or religious character) is
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
closely linked to the source of its orientation (azimuth of
setting or rising of a star) (Gadré, 2011b).
The Astronomical Scenes
The astronomical scenes adorn the ceilings and walls of
temples and tombs as well as the interior of the lid of
sarcophagi dating from the dynastic period till the Graeco-
Roman period. About one hundred water clocks, stellar
clocks, and astronomical ceilings were inscribed with
astronomical texts giving the ancient Egyptian names of 90
decanal stars in the order of their successive heliacal
risings, nocturnal risings or transits (Gadré, 2011c).
The ancient Egyptians depicted the stellar clocks on the
inner lids of their sarcophagi. About 19 sarcophagi with the
representation of the stellar clock on the inner lid were
discovered in the necropolises of Upper and Middle Egypt
(Thebes, Gebelein, Aswan, Abydos, and Asyut). The stellar
clock was also painted on the 19th Dynasty Osirion of king
Seti I at Abydos. The work of such a clock depended on the
sequent appearance of the stars in the east between the end
of the astronomical twilight and the beginning of dawn
throughout the ancient Egyptian year (Gadré and Roques,
2009).
The ancient Egyptians managed to make an accurate correct
star map that appears clearly in the New Kingdom
astronomical ceilings of tombs and temples containing
decorative motifs designed to provide a symbolic and
schematic summary of the astronomical knowledge of the
Egyptians (DeYoung, 2000). They denote the ancient
Egyptian methods of finding extending direction. They
show symbolic representations for the deities of the days of
the lunar month, the decanal stars and constellations,
mainly the constellation Ms
ḫ
tyw that is usually depicted as
a bull or bull's foreleg being guarded by goddess Isis in the
image of a great hippopotamus (rrt wrt) (Wilkinson, 1991).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
The oldest, best known and preserved astronomical ceiling
and star map is found in the 18th Dynasty tomb of Senmut
TT 353 (Fig.7) (Novakovic, 2008). Other interesting
examples of such ceilings are found in; Hall K in the 19th
Dynasty tomb of king Seti I KV 17; the tomb of Merenptah
(KV 8); the tomb of Tawosret (KV 14); the tomb of
Ramesses IV (KV 2); the tomb of Ramesses VI (KV 9); the
tomb of Ramesses VII (KV 1); the tomb of Ramesses IX
(KV 6); the second hypostyle hall of the Ramesseum (the
funerary temple of king Ramesses II) (Kondo, 2016); the
26th Dynasty tombs of Pademenope TT 33 and Montuemhat
at El Assasif (DeYoung, 2000); and the sanctuary of the
Roman temple of Amun at Deir el Haggar in Dakhla Oasis
(Lull and Belmonte, 2009).
Fig. (7) The oldest astronomical ceiling and star map in the
tomb of Senmut TT 353 (Source: Wilkinson, 1083, 31, Fig.
27)
Besides the New Kingdom star maps, the ancient Egyptians
depicted the detailed star charts that show the locations and
positions of some stars and cosmic celestial bodies. Its
practical purpose was to determine and measure time, and
observe the different cosmic phenomena (
), for example the star charts in the corridor of the
tomb of king Ramesses IX KV 6 (Fig. 8). (Lull and
Belmonte, 2009)
Fig. (8) A section of the star charts in the tomb of Ramesses
IX KV 6
(Source: Lull and Belmonte, 2009, 168, Fig. 6.6)
The illustration of the Zodiac was available represented on
the Graeco-Roman sarcophagi and ceilings of tombs and
temples ), such as the tomb of Petosiris in
Dakhla Oasis (Fig.9.a, Priskin, 2017) and the temples of
Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and the famous Dandara
Zodiac of the temple of goddess Hathor that is now
preserved in the Louvre museum in Paris, while a plaster
copy is on site today (Furlong, 2007). Dandara Zodiac
(Fig.9.b) is considered to be the only celestial diagram with
a circular form known in Egypt. It shows representations of
constellations, 5 planets and 36 decanal stars accompanied
by their ancient Egyptian names, and the four goddesses of
the four cardinal points, together with four pairs of falcon-
headed divinities supporting the sky. (Lull and Belmonte,
2009)
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Fig. (9) a. Inner frame of the Zodiac of Petosiris; b. The
first drawing of the original masterpiece of Dandara Zodiac
(Source: Priskin, 2017, 17, Fig.2; Lull and Belmonte, 2009,
179, Fig. 6.16)
The ancient Egyptians managed to observe certain planets.
Their knowledge of planetary astronomy included the
observation of about five planets that were depicted in
Dandara Zodiac, the retrograde motion of Mars, and the
revolution of Mercury and Venus around the Sun
(Deyoung, 2000). They called Venus "the morning star or
the evening star", and described Jupiter as "The Shining",
Saturn as "Horus the Bull", and Mars as "Horus the Red"
). It was also possible to understand the
heliocentric structure of our solar system from the careful
observation of the planetary orbits and their relationships to
each other (Baumgartl, 1995).
Astronomy in Egypt in the present Time
Egypt is witnessing a wave of interest in astronomy among
young people today, which calls for organizing many tours
for astronomical observation, which often target the Sinai,
especially the Fjord Bay, Jebel Musa and Saint Catherine,
Al-Kottamia Astronomical Observatory on the Suez Desert
Road, and Wadi El-Hittan, Wadi El Rayan and Jabal Al
Mudawara in Fayoum, as well as Siwa Oasis, and the White
Desert.
Astronomers in Egypt observe many objects and
phenomena, the most famous of which are
the moon , planets , stars , comets , meteor showers, and
many distant sky objects such as star clusters, galaxies and
nebulae (Fig.10). There is also the phenomenon of
conjugation, which is a very popular astronomical
phenomenon in Egypt. It occurs when two celestial bodies
meet at a close distance in the sky. It can be seen with the
naked eye from anywhere. The phenomenon of the “super
moon” or the giant moon is considered the most famous
astronomical phenomenon that the public has followed in
the last two years. It occurs when the moon is at its closest
point to the Earth. It appears larger and brighter. In addition
to the blood moon, in which a total or partial lunar eclipse
occurs, where the moon's light is blocked from the Earth,
except some red rays that pass from the atmosphere and
give the moon a red color (Ruggles, 2005).
Egypt is astronomically advanced, agencies such as
"NASA", "European Space" and "National Geographic"
published Photos of some phenomena from observatories in
Egypt. Moreover, El Heiz Observatory in the Bahariyya
Oasis is going to be accredited by the International Dark-
sky Association (Interview with the head of ASMM, 2022).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Potentials of Astronomy Tourism in Egypt
First, The Best places for Astronomical Observation in
Egypt
Here is an overview of the famous astronomical
observation sites in Egypt. Pyramids of Giza, watching the
Milky Way light up the sky over ancient Egypt seems too
good to be true, but luckily, it is a reality. While tourists
rush to view the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx in
the early morning, opt for doing the same, but at night
tourists will not only get to stargaze into the dark sky
(Fig.11), but also they will get to see the pyramids uniquely
while escaping the crowds. In addition, the sound and light
show that brings the great pyramids to life while the Sphinx
narrates ancient history (The best places for stargazing in
Egypt, 2021).
Al-Fayoum Desert, located just an hour and a half away
from Cairo via car, stargazing has never been this easy and
accessible in the Egyptian desert. While every oasis is
hours away from Cairo, Al-Fayoum is as close as tourists
can get to the breathtaking Egyptian oasis. Most activities
in Al-Fayoum are spent outdoors like sand boarding,
horseback riding, exploring ancient monuments and more.
The most prominent, of course, is night dreaming into
Fayoum‟s constellations over its marvelous Magic Lake in
the middle of the desert (Ramzy, 2013).
Siwa Oasis, right in the heart of the Western Desert lies an
Egyptian oasis like no other, far away from the city‟s hustle
and bustle. It is a distinctive cultural location as tribes who
speak Siwi still live here and retain their language. There
are several ways to enjoy Siwa; either through skin
treatment to its hot springs, cycling in the city, climbing
mountains, camping in the desert or staring at the stars at
night as they light up the city‟s famous palm trees and
surreal salt lake (Amara, 2010).
The White Desert, is located in Egypt , 45 kilometers (30
miles) north of the Farafra Oasis in the New Valley
Governorate, about 500 kilometers from Cairo. It was
declared a nature reserve in 2002 (National Parks, n. d.). It
is called the White Desert because it has a white color that
covers most of its territory, with a total area of 3010 square
kilometers, and also possesses a huge chalk rock (Fig. 12).
The desert contains many formations that were created as a
result of an accidental sandstorm in the region (Barich, et
al., 2014).
Saint Catherine is considered to be one of the
highest mountains in Sinai, with a height of 2.629m above
sea level. Snow falls on the mountain in the winter like the
rest of the mountains of the South region Sinai. It can take
hours to climb Mount Catherine and reach its
summit. However, after reaching the top of the mountain,
one can see one of nature's most amazing views. There is
also Jabal Musa, which is the easiest to climb. Most visitors
enjoy watching the sunrise from above. However, it is
possible to choose a completely different experience and
see the dark sky as they have never seen it before (Shams,
2011).
Sharm El-Sheikh, located on the southeast coast of Sinai
Peninsula, is Egypt‟s most visited resort town for its crystal
blue beaches, colorful coral reefs and amazing diving
locations. It is true that Sharm El-Sheikh‟s Red Sea has a
unique world under the sea that will leave anyone
speechless. However, it also has an astonishing world
above the water when looking at its sky. Dive into its dark
sky with your significant other and experience a romantic
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
night filled with stars lighting up the coral coast (Magi and
Fabbri, 2005).
Nuweiba, just two hours away from Sharm El-Sheikh,
tourists can enjoy a different kind of a stargazing
experience in the eastern part of the Sinai Peninsula. The
area is famous for its environmentally friendly lodges,
where most rooms are made of bamboo huts serving the
boho spirit of the area. It is a place where tourists can enjoy
nature, peace and tranquility, as well as the beach and its
white sand. Get lost staring into the beautiful sky
overlooking the beach and mountains and disconnect from
reality (Basha, 2017).
Fig. (10) Orion Nebula-Valley of Whales El-Fayoum; Fig.
(11) Stargazing in Giza Plateau; Fig. (12) The Milky Way
in the White Desert
(Source: Orion nebula from the Valley of whales in Egypt,
2021; the best places to stargazing in Egypt, 2021; and
Shohayeb, 2018).
Second, Specialized Authorities in Astronomical
Observation in Egypt
Egypt has many bodies involved in astronomy; the
following lines declare the most important and well known
ones.
National Research Institute of Astronomy and
Geophysics (NRIAG): It has a very long history of
astronomical and Geophysical observation since it was
established on the year 1839 as a Royal observatory at
Bollaq, then moved to Abbasia in the year 1868 before it
was moved to the current location at Helwan in 1903,
making it the oldest research institute in North Africa and
be one of world heritage sites in Science and technology
(UNESCO, 2010). Being dedicated to exploring the Earth
and universe, NRIAG is focusing on providing the needs of
the researchers of, up to date, precise technologies to meet
the modern scientific challenges in the fields of
specialization. The research facilities of NRIAG are spread
all over Egypt, powered by more than 300 researchers in
five scientific divisions covering every task of astronomy
and geophysics. Moreover, NRIAG managed to build a
worldwide cooperation network with distinguished
international institutions and universities. Numerous
projects and studies were completed in collaboration with
national and international academic partners that qualify the
staff of NRIAG for the highest level of applications
(NRIAG, n. d).
The Astronomical Society of Mostafa Mahmoud
(ASMM): It is an Egyptian private scientific organization
dedicated to astronomy and space sciences. It was founded
by the famous Egyptian polymath Dr. Mostafa Mahmoud in
1981. It is one of the subsidiary associations of the Mosque
Charitable Foundation in Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque to
help, support and educate astronomy lovers and amateurs
inside and outside Egypt. ASMM is the first and the oldest
Egyptian private society for astronomy and space sciences
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
in Egypt (The Astronomical Society of Mahmoud Mosque,
n. d).
The Egyptian Society for Astronomy (ESA): It is a non-
profit organization declared and registered under the
Ministry of Social Solidarity of Egypt in 2015, aiming at
raising scientific public awareness in astronomy and space.
(Egyptian Society for Astronomy, 2020).
Al-Kottamia Astronomical Observatory (KAO): one of
the most important observatories in Egypt is Al-Kottamia
astronomical observatory (see Fig. 13). It is the largest
telescope in the Arab world, the Middle East and North
Africa. The National Research Institute of Astronomy and
Geophysics (NRIAG) of Egypt operates the Al-Kottamia
Observatory through its Astronomy Department. A large
number of scientists and researchers in the field of physics
and astronomy use this telescope. It is unique in terms of its
location. This telescope is located approximately at 80 km
from the center of the capital “Cairo” in the direction of the
Suez city (Ain El Sokhna Road) over a mount rises 450
meters above sea level. Al-Kottamia Telescope is the
Northern eye of Astronomy in Africa. Given the unique
location of Egypt, there are around 250 net clear nights
throughout the year. It is reflected in the accuracy of the
Observations and purity of images taken from Kottamia,
which made it one of the famous Telescopes in the world at
that time (Al-Kottamia Astronomical Observatory, n. d.).
Fig. (13) The KAO Dome and 74 Telescope
(Source: Azzam, et al., 2008, 272, 274, Figs. 1, 2)
The Egyptian Space Agency (EGSA): It is a
Governmental Organization established in August 2019,
aiming at acquiring Space Technology and Satellite
Launching capabilities towards the accomplishment of The
National Sustainable Development Strategy "Egypt-SDS
2030" objectives (Egyptian space agency,
Third, Astronomy Education in Egypt
No doubt, Cairo University has been the pioneer in the
development of science and the building of the knowledge
economy. Since the opening of the Faculty of Science, it
has been the first to establish a department of astronomy,
space and meteorology, the oldest in Egypt, the Arab world
and the African continent, and remained the only one for
many years. To complete this pioneering role, the
University worked hard to establish the aerospace
engineering program at the Faculty of Engineering
(Aerospace Engineering Department, n. d). After
establishing the Egyptian Space Agency, and in light of the
efforts exerted by the University Agency for Community
and Environment Affairs to contribute to the development
of a national plan to promote the human element in the field
of astronomy and space science, it has established the
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Center for Studies and Consultations of Space Science to
achieve the aspirations of the State in the promising fields
of space (Cairo University, n.d).
Recently, the Faculty of Navigation Sciences and Space
Technology (NSST) in Beni-suef University was
established on 2018. It is the first Egyptian and Arab
faculty specialized in the field of space navigation and the
applications and uses of space technology. It aims at
graduating scientific cadres capable of working in the Arab,
African and international space systems. It aims to transfer
space technology to students, graduates and researchers in
this field (The Faculty of Navigation Sciences and Space
Technology, n. d.).
Finally, Egypt started its project by developing designs for
an integrated city for space tourism and astronomy (Tutera
City) (Fig. 14) to be Egypt‟s fourth Pyramid, which will
include the largest center for research and studies of space
sciences and astronomy in the world (TUTERA Pyramid,
2021).
Planetariums in Egypt
Planetarium is a theater built for presenting shows about
astronomy and the night sky. Scenes of the stars, planets
and other celestial objects are projected on the dome-
shaped screen of a planetarium to simulate the motions of
space (Robson and Christensen, 2005). There are many
permanent planetariums in Egypt that have public
astronomy and space viewing programs (Planetarium, n.
d.); table (2) declares some of them.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Table (2) Planetariums in Egypt
Planetarium
Description
The Planetarium Science Center
(PSC) (Fig.15)
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, El
Shatby
Alexandria
Opened in 2002, Dome
14 m, 120 Seats, Digital
system RSA-Cosmos
Sky Explorer 4.
New Science Park
The 6th Of October City, Cairo
Opened in 2011, Dome
of 18.0m, 120 seats,
Digital system Sky-Skan
Definiti.
Arabic Academy for science and
maritime Transport AASMT
Opened in 2012, Dome
of 12.0m, 67 seats
Digital system
Evans_and_Sutherland
Digistar 4.
Suez Discovery & Science Center
Suez
Opened in 2012, Dome
of 10.0m, 70 seats
Digital system
Evans_and_Sutherland
Digistar 4.
(Source: Modified from Worldwide planetariums database,
2021)
Fig. (14) Tutera City Fig. (15) The Planetarium
Science Center
(Source: TUTERA Pyramid, 2021; and Planetarium
Science Center, n. d.)
Fourth, Astronomy Awareness in Egypt
Regarding awareness, there are many initiatives aim at
spreading the awareness about astronomy in Egypt. Some
of them are mentioned as follows:
The Astronomy Club, at the American
University in Cairo (AUC), aims to spread awareness
about Astronomy and Science in the community
(Astronomy club, n. d.).
Space Knowledge initiative, is one of the scientific
initiatives specialized in the field of astronomy and space
technology through social media platforms since 2011. It
provides lectures, workshops and evenings for
astronomical observations. Moreover, it assists those who
have passion with astronomy and put them on the right
path, in addition, it publishes all that is new about
celestial events and methods of observing the sky (Space
Knowledge, n. d.).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Spaceak, is a free educational grant supported by
the Egyptian Space Agency - Ministry of Youth and
Sports - Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, to
prepare a generation capable of space exploration
(Speaceak, n. d.).
Astronomy Club Sohag University, it is the first
student activity in Sohag interested in astronomy and
space science. Their goal is to discover the universe and
the unknown phenomena, create a generation
understanding astronomy, and get rid of astrology, myths
and wrong beliefs (Astronomy Club – Sohag, n. d.).
Astro-Trips Egypt, it is a leading travel and
astronomy trips company started in 2014. It offers trips
with guided astronomers wildlife safaris expedition
cruises, active adventures, family trips, photography
workshops, and more(Astrotrips, n .d).
Motivations to Astronomy Tourism
Motivation is a psychological concept that refers to the
driving force within the individual impelling him/her to
action (Mayo and Jarvic, 1981; Schiffman and Kanuk,
2003); it is the stimulus that any given or pursued situation
gives to an individual that, due to its expected desirable or
undesirable incentives, will act accordingly to pursue or
avoid them, i.e. “a person chooses a certain behavior for its
expected results” (Hsu, Cai, and Li, 2010). This means that
people act or engage in certain activities in order to be
satisfied or pleased afterwards.
An individual is more likely to continue to participate in
leisure activities by having had positive and satisfying
leisure experiences (Beggs and Elkins, 2010). Therefore, it
is important to understand what motivated tourists to
engage in astro-activities, and what are the positive factors
that contributed to their experience. In order to assess what
are the main motives, or factors, that draw tourists into this
niche, the Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS) theory,
developed by Beard and Ragheb in 1980 and derived from
Maslow‟s Hierarchy of Needs (Griffiths, 2012) is used in
this study. The chosen motivational theory will try to
identify the dimensions that motivate tourists the most to
engage in astrotourism.
Leisure Motivation Scale
The Leisure Motivated Scale (LMS) measures an
individual‟s motivation to participate in leisure activities
(Wang, 2008), in this study, it will be used in the context of
terrestrial astrotourism. Beard and Ragheb (1983) identified
48 motivators and divided them into five main dimensions:
intellectual, social, competence-mastery, stimulus
avoidance and physical skills. (1) The intellectual
dimension refers to mental stimulations, being motivated
because of a need for learning or discovery, e.g. cognitive
learning to learn about things around oneself, or the
opportunity to use one‟s imagination to explore new ideas,
discover new things, to discover new things and learn about
him/his self (Beggs and Elkins, 2010). (2) The
competence/mastery explains motivation in terms of the
desire for mastery, competition and challenge; it can be
translated into the desire for mastery, competition and
challenge. It covers everything from improving and
challenge skills, to a feeling of belonging and gain other‟s
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
respect (Griffiths, 2012). (3) The stimulus avoidance
dimension refers to escape and restoration the individual
seeks in his/her leisure activities, mainly to seek solitude or
to unwind and relax (Beggs and Elkins, 2010). (4) The
social dimension refers to the need for friendship or
interpersonal relationships; the need the individual has for
friendship and interpersonal relationships. It covers
everything from building new friendships, interacting with
others to develop and consolidate friendships (Griffiths,
2012). (5) The physical skills dimension refers pursue the
physical fitness, weight control, and well-being (Beggs and
Elkins, 2010; Griffiths, 2012). The physical skills
dimension is not portrayed in this study, as it is not
considered relevant concerning this them, it refers to the
motivation of pursuing physical fitness, weight control, and
well-being. It is not common, that tourists maybe engage in
physical activities when they witness an astronomic event
and/or participated in any astronomy activity (Matos,
2017).
Methodology
This study is exploratory. Exploratory research is a
methodological approach that investigates research
questions that have not previously been studied in depth.
Exploratory research is often qualitative in nature.
However, a study with a large sample conducted in an
exploratory manner can be quantitative as well(George,
2021). The current research based on the mixed method
approach, in the one hand, semi-structured interviews were
conducted with the managers of tour operators in Egypt
who engage such astronomical activities/events within their
programs. Further, an interview was conducted with the
manager of Al-Kottamia Observatory, besides; interviews
were conducted with the heads of astronomical societies in
Egypt. On the other hand, a questionnaire was conducted to
explore why tourists engage in astrotourism, their attitude
towards such kind of tourism, and what motivates them to
travel to see such exquisite phenomena. An online
questionnaire link was posted on social media platforms,
and other paper-based questionnaires were distributed to
Egyptian tourists and foreign tourists in Luxor, Cairo and
Hurghada. The questionnaire includes three main parts: (1)
general information; (2) attitudes toward such kind of
tourism, and (3) Motivations. Each item in section two and
three was evaluated using a five-point Likert scale where
1=“strongly disagree” and 5=“strongly agree”. The
statements in the questionnaire were adopted and modified
from (Matos, 2017).The internal consistency of the
questionnaire was established using Cronbach's Alpha
method (Table 3) illustrates that the alpha correlation
coefficient of the questionnaire ranges from (0.702 to
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
0.943). Therefore, all coefficients are significant, which
indicates that the questionnaire is quite reliable.
Table (3) Reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of Each Scale
Sampling and Data Collection
Regarding the interview‟s sample, according to Bryman
(2012) and Maxwell (2009), purposeful sampling is highly
recommended in qualitative studies. It is “a strategy in
which particular settings, persons, or events are
deliberately selected for the important information they can
provide that cannot be gotten as well from other choices”
(Maxwell, 2009, 239). The current study collected data by
conducting 18 in-depth interviews via phone calls, from
January to March 2022, interviews with the tour operators‟
managers in Hurghada (5) Cairo (5), Almansoura (2)
AlFayoum (3) and admins of online travel groups (3), in
addition, interviews with the managers of the observatories
and astronomical societies in Egypt were conducted. The
researchers recorded the interviews after verbal agreement
from the respondents. The duration of calls ranged between
15:00 minutes and 25:00 minutes. The researchers
conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the current
practices and the ongoing construction of Astronomy
tourism in Egypt.
Regarding the questionnaire, the question of sample size in
this research is a complex one due to the absence of recent
data about the number of foreign tourists because of the
Covid-19 pandemic; in addition, there was no available data
about the number of domestic tourists in Egypt. One of the
rules of thumb that can be helpful is to note that there is a
positive relationship between the number of items
(questions in a questionnaire) and sample size. The sample
should allow for a ratio of at least 1:4 or 1:5 – that is, four
or five respondents per question (Hinkin et al., 1997). Ryan
(1995), though, argues for a more demanding ratio of at
least ten respondents per item. A simple application of the
“10-times rule” (Hair et al., 2011) is used to determine the
sample size for this research, “10 times the maximum
number of inner or outer links pointing at any latent
variable”. It is a method of more favorite to more
researchers. This research employed (29) items from
previous studies to measure the motivational factors of
tourists regarding astronomy tourism. Therefore, to
determine the appropriate sample size, if the questionnaire
has (29) questions, the sample should be at least (290)
respondents. Noteworthy, despite the determined number of
sample is (290), the researches succeeded to gather (195)
foreign tourists‟ valid forms, and (285) Egyptians‟ valid
forms. Hence, total number of (480) valid forms were
collected from January to March 2022 with the help of the
tour operators and Admins of online travel groups, who
organize or engage astronomical events in their programs,
and also tour guides especially on 22nd February during the
solar Alignment on Abu simple Temple event. The sample
includes both foreign and Egyptian tourists to explore
astronomy tourism position in Egypt nationally and
internationally.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Measurement items
The questionnaire includes three main parts explained as
follows: first, the questionnaire asked about some
demographic information of the respondents, their contact
with the astronomy tourism, their practiced astronomy
activities/ events, and the frequency of attending such
events in Egypt. Regarding the second and third part of the
questionnaire, the evaluation of all items was anchored on a
five-point Likert scale. The study employed (5) items
developed by the researchers to measure the tourists‟
attitude towards astrotourism in Egypt, however, (24) items
were adopted and modified from previous studies to
measure the motivations of tourists to engage in the
astrotourism activity and events. Following Matos (2017),
the (LMS) is applied in this study, more specifically, to
terrestrial astrotourism, in order to make an assessment of
the most influential factors that drive tourists to those
activities/events. A list of the motivational dimensions is
shown in Appendix (b, c, d, e, and f).
Data analysis
Regarding the interviews, after collecting all the opinions
and interviews‟ comments, the qualitative data from the
interviews was analyzed through qualitative analysis.
Qualitative analysis means analyzing the interview to
identify the main themes that emerge from the answers of
the respondents (Harding, 2018). The study identifies and
analyzes the responses of the interviewees, and summarizes
the data to conclude findings, and achieve the objectives of
the study. However, the collected data from the
questionnaire was analyzed using the aid of a Social
Science Statistical Package (SPSS) version 22. This study
selected SPSS, which has descriptive statistics such as
frequencies and percentages, mean and standard deviation
to avail demographic characteristics of the respondents. In
addition, the independent sample t-test was used to test the
differences in travel motivation among foreign and
Egyptian tourists and simple linear regression was used to
measure the effect of the four motivations on tourists‟
attitude towards the astronomy tourism in Egypt.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Results First: Qualitative Data Results
Interviews with the managers of tour operators
and the admins of online travel groups who engage
astronomical activities and events in their programs:
The researchers conducted 18 interviews and then reached
saturation. The researches codes the interviewees of each
group in the same category, as they respondents are the
same. Managers of tour operators in Hurghada and the Red
Sea (I1), managers of tour operators in Cairo (I2), managers
of tour operators El Mansoura (I3), managers of tour
operators El Fayoum (I4), and admins of online travel
groups (I5)
Organizing astronomical activities and events in Egypt
All the respondents (I1 to I5) declared that usually they
organize these activities as a part of the adventure and
safari tours. The safari program starts at the afternoon and
after dinner, the safari program ends with observing the
stars in the sky with the help of a specialized tour guide
who talks about astronomy and stars and explains the
different constellations in the sky using the telescope.
Besides, the tours of stargazing are organized according to
the seasons, because watching the stars in general has
specific timings, for example in Wadi Al-Hitan in El
Fayoum Governorate: on lunar days, it is difficult to
stargaze, because the moon obscures the stars and reduces
the visibility of meteors due to its light, unless the purpose
of the tour is to observe the moon itself, on the days of
rising of the arm of the galaxy from the end of April to the
beginning of September, and in the days of meteor showers
(such as the Geminids, Orionids, and Leonids) that have
certain times and specific dates known to those who are
interested.
Availability of organizing the astronomical activities
separately without engaging them in the safari program
All the respondents (I1 to I5) agreed that astronomical
activities could be organized either as an individual
program or within the safari program. It is included in the
optional tour programs, which the company organizes. The
safari tours contain such optional programs, including
stargazing activity that is an optional individual program
that is not included in the main program of the tour,
however, it is purchased. The activity could be an
individual program in case of special astronomical events
such as the appearance of meteors in the sky.
Who is most interested in astronomical activities
(I1) illustrated that they do not deal with the Egyptian
tourists, yet, the activity is in great interest and demand
from the foreign tourists, especially the British tourists.
However, (I2, I3, I4, I5) mentioned that there is a great
demand from the Egyptian tourists to practice these
activities, especially when there are special events such as
observing the meteors in the sky.
Sites of organizing astronomical activities
Half of (I1) explained that there is a place in the desert
called the safari area, where every tour operator or every
supplier has a specific place to start their program, each
tour operator deals with a certain supplier. Although, the
sites for each supplier within the safari area are next to each
other, there are slight distances between them. Further, the
other half declared that there are many sites to camp for a
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
desert safari however, the timing is very crucial. Every site
has its timings for camping on it for astronomical
observation, i.e. observing in a site in the presence of
clouds is not useful because it is one of the challenges that
face the astronomical observation. Another challenge could
be a dust storm. Moreover, camping in Wadi El-Rayan in
March is not useful because it is the season of scorpions.
Consequently, it is necessary to examine the site first and
make sure that it is free of any nature‟s challenges.
Furthermore, (I2, I3, I4, I5) confirmed that the two nature
reserves; the White Desert and Wadi Al-Hitan are the most
popular sites where they organize astronomical observation
activities. Being close to Cairo (about 3 hours away), far
from the pollution and noise of the city, and their sky is
clear at night where galaxies and stars are quite visible,
make them the most ideal sites for astronomical
observation, stargazing and enjoying the nature.
Sites’ Set-up
On the one hand, (I1, I2, I3, I4) agreed that the
requirements to set up a site for astronomical observation
are very simple, it just needs carpets to install the telescope
on it in a certain way to determine the most appropriate
angle for seeing the moon and observing the stars, besides,
the Bedouins prepare a simple tent in a very primitive way
to rest and have tea. On the other hand, (I5) mentioned that
set-up and facilities vary from one camp to another,yet,
simple tents, cafeterias, and bathrooms are mostly provided.
On the contrary, some of the respondents argued that
setting-up of some sites is not easy, as permissions such as
the overnight permissions and the borders‟ crossing
permissions are needed. Consequently, every site has its
camping situation, so a regulation guide is required.
Ways of observing the sky (with the naked eye or with a
telescope)
(I1 to I5) revealed that the way of observing the sky
depends on the site, time, and phenomenon, i.e., in Wadi
Al-Hitan, when observing the arm of the galaxy, tourists
can see it with the naked eye, however, sometimes stars
cannot be seen with their naked eye, in this case a telescope
is appropriately needed. Furthermore, some of the
respondents declared that the observation of the sky with
the naked eye is to identify the north direction, star
constellations, and deep space objects, however, the
telescope is used to observe Planets, Orion nebula, and
Andromeda galaxy. Additionally, all the respondents
agreed that there is always an astronomical guide
responsible for explaining what is seen in the night sky and
the best way to observe it.
Tourism satisfaction and desire to participate in
astronomical observation activities and events
All the respondents (I1 to I5) agreed that tourists who
intended to buy this activity as an individual program were
totally satisfied, additionally; they have a passion for
practicing such activities. For example, the sky in Wadi Al-
Hitan in particular, is quite dazzling for tourists, where they
gazed at thousands of stars with their naked eyes and they
were very happy to be able to take photos of the stars and
galaxies. Moreover, interested tourists are also fascinated
by the timely detailed telescope images of stereoscopic 3D
vision and thus they could easily take photos with their
mobile phones through the telescope lens.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Future prospects for developing astronomy tourism in
Egypt
All the respondents (I1 to I5) declared that they are already
organizing two types of programs concerning the
astronomical activities and events; first, a program in which
they engage such activities and events within the safari
program, where tourists are using the telescope to observe
the stars and the moon at the end of this program. Second, a
specialized program that is only limited to a full tour to
observe astronomical events.
Interview with the manager of Al Kottamia
Astronomical Observatory (I6):
Categories of visitors and times of visit
(I6) illustrated that visitors to the observatory are divided
into two categories; normal visitors and researchers, each of
them has different times for their visit. For example,
researchers have specific dates for researching and studying
the astronomical observations, which are on non-lunar
nights, such as the beginning, middle or end of the Arabic
month, because researchers need a dark sky or a dark night
to investigate the phenomena. Besides, professional astro-
tourists are also permitted to attend with researchers on
their visiting dates on non-lunar nights. However, lunar
nights or semi-lunar nights are especially for visitors to
observe the moon and planets with the telescope. Moreover,
he declared that the visitors are Egyptians and foreign
tourists from different nationalities, mainly French,
German, Japanese, Americans and England.
Frequency and number of visitors
(I6) declared that, usually the average number of visitors is
60 in the normal times, however in the time of certain rare
phenomena or events the number varies between 300-500
individuals and sometimes more.
Presence of astronomical specialist
(I6) confirmed that, there is always an astronomical
specialist who shows the visitors how to use star-charts, and
adjust the telescope for a better view.
Cooperation with tour operators and the astronomy
parties in Egypt
(I6) illustrated that there is no cooperation with the tour
operators in Egypt, however there is a link with the
astronomy parties in Egypt such as the Egyptian Society for
Astronomy (ESA) and the Astronomical Society of Mustafa
Mahmoud (ASMM), as these associations organize visits to
the observatory. Moreover, there are also online groups
such as Astrotrips and GeoAstro. They are individual
groups who work on a personal project to gather people
through social media networks such as Facebook and
sometimes they organize with the observatory to arrange
visits.
Interviews with the head of the Egyptian Society
for Astronomy (ESA) (I7) and the head of the
Astronomical Society of Mustafa Mahmoud (ASMM)
(I8)
Main activities of the societies
The interviewees (I7, I8) declared that their societies‟
activities include public seminars to raise awareness of
astronomy, workshops and astronomical evenings for
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
astronomical observation with telescopes in public libraries
and cultural centers, and tours to areas far from pollution
such as nature reserves, the desert, and Al-Kottamia
Astronomical Observatory to observe more and raise the
audience‟s knowledge. Additionally, they mentioned that
the societies are not a place for visits or scientific research,
yet, they organize their activities in cultural centers and
public libraries that can accommodate a large number of
audiences.
Frequency and turnout of audience
Both interviewees (I7, I8) revealed that, regarding the
periodic activities such as seminars and lectures, the
number of attendees is 20 to 40 individuals. However, In the
case of observing astronomical events, the average number
of audience is 150, besides when the event is special the
number might reach 500. It is noteworthy that the majority
of the audiences are students and youth categories (15:25
years old). Generally, the numbers of the audience vary
according to the event and its time.
Nationality of audience
(I7, I8) agreed that the majority of their audiences are
Egyptians, perhaps because the societies‟ activities are
announced in Arabic only. Foreigners attend some minor
events, but in a small percentage compared with the
Egyptians, usually they are the foreigners residing in Egypt
for a long period, thus they can attend the activities of the
society. They declared further that the society is not a
tourist company directed to foreigners, but those who are
interested in astronomy in Egypt attend and follow their
activities.
Coordination and cooperation with the NRIAG or any
other parties concerned with astronomy in Egypt
The interviewees (I7, I8) confirmed the presence of
cooperation between them and the NRIAG as they always
arrange visits to Al-Kottamia observatory.
Resources of astronomy tourism in Egypt
The most important characteristic of astronomy tourism in
Egypt are the archaeoastronomy found in the ancient
Egyptian monuments like the astronomical ceilings of the
temples, the solar alignment in the temples such as the Abu
Simbel temple, as well as the Nabta Playa, which is the
oldest astronomical monument in the world, located near
the Egyptian borders, and there is a model for it in the
Nubian Museum at Aswan. They added that, Egypt is well
known for its clear and cloudless sky rather than other
European and North Asian countries. Therefore, Egypt‟s
sky is very distinct due to the presence of many sites far
from the light pollution of the large cities such as Cairo and
this is considered a strong motivation for those who wish to
observe an astronomical event in Egypt. From the
interviewees' point of view, these resources are sufficient to
attract foreign tourists who are interested in astronomy to
Egypt, and are enough to put Egypt on the map of
astronomy tourism countries worldwide.
Efforts of various authorities to develop astronomy
tourism in Egypt
Both interviewees (I7, I8) agreed that there are no efforts
from any academic or governmental authorities. The only
submitted efforts are from them as civil societies, and some
other important private parties concerned with astronomy
represented on youth online initiatives on the social media
(such as: space knowledge Initiative, Tonight Initiative).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
These trends existed online aim at gathering people who are
interested in astronomy, and sometimes they coordinate
with the societies to assign a specialist to discuss and
explain in some events. Other than that, the efforts are very
small and almost non-exist.
The Extent of awareness about astronomy tourism
among Egyptians The interviews (I7,I8) confirmed that, the percentage of the
Egyptian‟s awareness about astronomy tourism does not
exceed (10%: 15%) of the Egyptian community.
The most famous astronomical events in Egypt Both interviewees (I7,I8) declared that the lunar and solar
eclipses phenomena are the phenomena that concern the
public. The most famous of which is the full solar eclipse
that occurred in Egypt in 2006, which was attended by
more than 500 scientists worldwide. It was a major event
attended by the President at this time in Matrouh
Governorate. He stated further that this phenomenon will be
repeated in 2027 and will be in Luxor. Consequently, it is
important to prepare for this event early so that it becomes a
global event. Moreover, Scenes of heavy meteors in the
sky, which occur on certain days and are observed with the
naked eye, are a motive for practicing very enjoyable
activities in the desert. Furthermore, there are some events
that concern scientists only, such as the transit of a planet
like Mercury and Venus in front of the sun, where they
appear as a spot on the sun that is seen through a telescope.
(I8) mentioned that photos of some phenomena from
observatories in Egypt were published on "NASA",
"European Space" and "National Geographic".
The future of astronomy tourism in Egypt;
Opportunities and challenges
(I7, I8) summarized the opportunities for astronomy
tourism in Egypt in the appropriate atmosphere, which is
very suitable for the astronomical observation (the clearness
of the sky on most of the year nights and the presence of
many sites far from light pollution). They added that these
opportunities when added to the diversity of the tourist
product and activities in the tourist program in Egypt will
lead to more attractions for tourists. However, the main
challenges that could face astronomy tourism in Egypt are:
the high cost of establishing observatories; the lack of
astronomical awareness; the banning the entry of telescopes
inside the country by the security authorities; and the lack
of safety in some places far from light pollution.
Second: Quantitative Data Results Table (4) Descriptive Statistics of the Respondents‟
Demographic Variables
As declared earlier the sample includes two groups {foreign
tourists (FTs) and Egyptian tourists (ETs)}. The
demographic variables of the respondents are explained as
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
follows (see Table 4). Basically, the FTs group represents
(42.7%) of the sample, while the ETs group represents
(57.3%). First, the majority of the FTs group is males
(52.8%), however, the majority of ETs are females (55.8%).
Further, the majority in the sample in general are females
(52.1). Second, most FTs and ETs in the sample are 31-40
years old (34. 4, 34.7% respectively), followed by the age
category 21-30 (26.9%, 23.2% respectively). Overall,
approximately two-thirds of the sample (59.3%) is youth
whose ages are ranging between 21 and 40 years.
Fig. (16) Descriptive Statistics of the Foreign Tourists‟
Nationalities
Fig (16) declares the descriptive statistics of the FTs
nationalities, as noticed the majority of FTs are Russian and
American (22.6%, 16% respectively), followed by French,
Malaysian and German (12.7%, 11, 3%, 10.4%
respectively).
Table (5) Frequency of Astronomy Tourism Contact
In the comparison between FTs and ETs in the frequency of
having contact with astronomy tourism, the results (see
table 5) are almost the same for both FTs and ETs. Thus,
the majority of FTs and ETs (66%, 68.4% respectively)
never had contact with astronomy tourism before. However,
(25.5%, 25.2%) of FTs and ETs sometimes and rarely have
contact with astronomy tourism. Further, (8.4%, 6.4%
respectively) of FTs and ETs frequently and usually have
contact with astronomy tourism.
Table (6) Category of Practiced Astronomy Tourism
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
*Other (FTs‟ activities (Cycling = 3 (1.4%), Human
Design = 3 (1.4%), Astrology Cart = 3 (1.4%)/ ETs‟
activities (Reading and language learning = 3 (1.1%),
Look up and watch the sky = 3 (1.1%)).
According to FTs‟ and ETs‟ experience with astronomy
tourism (see table 6), the majority of FTs and ETs (56.1%,
31.6% respectively) insisted that
Star/Planet/Comet/Aurorae gazing, Eclipse watching, etc.
is the most practiced category. Overall, it represents
(42.1%) of the sample. Followed by (18.9%) visiting
observatories, parks or reserves, and space centers, while
watching archaeological astronomical phenomena and
scenes on ancient monuments comes in the third rank
(17.5%).
Table (7) Frequency of Attending Unique Astronomical
Events in Egypt
Regarding the frequency of attending unique astronomical
events in Egypt (see table 7), more than half of the FTs (56,
6%) have never attended any astronomical events/ activities
in Egypt before; noteworthy that it was their first time to
attend such astronomical events in Egypt. Further,
approximately two-thirds (62.5%) of ETs never attends any
astronomical events/ activities in Egypt as well. Yet, only
(26.4%) of the FTs‟ group and (21.8%) of the ETs‟ group
usually and sometimes attend astronomical events/
activities in Egypt.
Fig. (17) Astronomy Tourism Activities and Events
attended in Egypt
The results also declared the activities and events that both
FTs and ETs attend in Egypt (see Fig. 17). According to
FTs, the most attended astronomical events in Egypt are
star gazing (55.1%), and watching the sun alignment on
Abu Simble temple (39%). However, according to ETs, the
most attended astronomical events in Egypt are observing
the solar eclipses (36.8%), followed by observing the lunar
eclipses (28%) and watching the sun alignment on Abu
Simble temple (21%) and finally stargazing (14.2%).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Table (8) Attitudes towards Astronomy Tourism in Egypt
(AAE)
The results further explored the tourists‟ attitudes toward
astronomy tourism in Egypt (see table 8). First, almost half
of the FTs (54.2%) and two-thirds of the ETs (60%)
strongly disagreed and disagreed that they have a good idea
about the astronomy activities/ events that exist in Egypt.
Second, (61.4%) of the FTs and (80%) of the ETs strongly
agreed and agreed that they would like to discover such
phenomena in Egypt. Third, the majority of both FTs and
ETs (77.4%, 76.9% respectively) strongly agreed and
agreed that they would like to participate in astronomical
observations in Egypt. Thus, astronomical observation
events should be held widely to attract large number of
audience. Fourth, a large number of FTs 148 (69.8%) and
the majority of ETs 225 (78.4%) strongly agreed and
agreed that they would like to watch certain
archaeoastronomical phenomena in historical sites in Egypt,
such as watching the Abu Simbel Solar Alignment. Fifth,
(67%) of FTs and (76.9%) of ETs strongly agreed and
agreed that they would like to add astronomy activities and
events to their Programs in Egypt.
Table (9) Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign tourists and
Egyptian tourists) Responses on Intellectual Factors
Motivations (IFM)
With regard to intellectual factors motivations, the results
shown in table (9) revealed that, the most frequent factors
for both FTs and ETs which make them feel motivated to
participate in astronomy tourism activities and events are,
expanding their knowledge (4.24, 4.09) and discovering
new things (4.10, 4.09).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Table (10) Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign tourists
and Egyptian tourists) responses on Stimulus Avoidance
Motivations (SAM)
Regarding the stimulus avoidance motivations, the results
(see table10) confirmed that, to relax mentally (3.90), to
relax physically (3.83), and to avoid the hustle and bustle
of daily activities (3.67) are the most frequent factors that
drive FTs to engage in astronomy tourism activities and
events. However, the most relevant factors according to
ETs are, to unstructure their time (3.97), to relieve stress
and tension (3.84), and to avoid the hustle and bustle of
daily activities (3.83).
Table (11) Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign tourists
and Egyptian tourists) responses on Competency Mastery
Motivations (CMM)
With regard to competency mastery motivations, the results
(see table 11) illustrated that, to be active (3.75), challenge
and improve their abilities (3.67), and improve their skill
and their ability in doing it (3.67) are the most relevant
factors according to the FTs‟ group. Further, according to
the ETs‟ group, the most relevant factors are, to challenge
and improve their abilities (3.57), to be active (3.55), and to
gain a feeling of belonging (3.52).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Table (12) Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign tourists
and Egyptian tourists) responses on Social Motivations
(SM)
In the context of social motivations, the findings (see table
12) indicated that, the most relevant factors according to
the FTs‟ group are, to meet new and different people (4.58),
to be socially competent and skillful (3.56), and to build
friendships with others (3.55). Further, according to the
ETs‟ group, to meet new and different people (3.60), to be
socially competent and skillful (3.60), and to interact with
others (3.56) are the factors that drive them to engage in
astronomy activities and events.
Table (13) Differences in (AAE, IFM, SAM, CMM, and
SM) between Foreign Tourists and Egyptian Tourists
(*) Statistically significant results at (0.05)
As declared in Table (13), the t-test results indicated that
there is a significant difference between FTs and ETs in
their attitude towards astronomy tourism in Egypt (T
value= 3.483; p= 0.001). Yet, there is no significant
difference between FTs and ETs in their motivations (IFM,
SAM, CMM, SM) to be engaged in astronomy tourism
activities and events (p>0.5).
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Table (14) Simple Linear Regression Analysis
To test the proposed hypotheses, the study performed
simple linear regression analysis of the four motivational
factors on the tourists‟ attitude towards astronomy tourism
in Egypt. Results in table (14) show that the four
motivations have significant positive effect on the tourists‟
attitude towards astronomy tourism in Egypt. Intellectual
factors motivation affects the tourists‟ attitude toward
astronomy tourism in Egypt with (24.1%), followed by
stimulus avoidance motivations with (17.3%), then social
motivations with (10.3%), and finally the competency
mastery motivations with (6.6%). Moreover, the results
indicate that the intellectual factors motivations have the
highest effect followed by the stimulus avoidance
motivations, social motivations and competency mastery
motivations. Based on the previous results the four
hypothesis of the study are supported.
Discussion
The study aims at giving insight into terrestrial astronomy
tourism in Egypt; exploring it‟s current practices and the
ongoing construction; explore the group culture of
astronomy tourists, their behaviors and individual travel
experience; which kind of terrestrial astronomy tourism do
they prefer; and the current situation and the prospects for
the future development of this new trend in Egypt.
The findings revealed that astronomical observation are
usually engaged with the safari programs, however,
sometimes it could be organized in a specialized program
that is only limited to a full tour to observe astronomical
events. Further, tourists who were engaged in such
activities and events were very satisfied.
According to the most preferred and frequently practiced
astronomy tourism category in Egypt, the results illustrated
that according to FTs, the most attended astronomical
events in Egypt are stargazing and watching the sun
alignment on Abu Simble temple. However, according to
ETs, they attend lots of astronomical events in Egypt such
as observing the solar and lunar eclipses, stargazing and
watching the sun alignment on Abu Simble temple. The
difference between FTs and ETs might be due to the
preference and availability of each event to the tourists, i.e.,
regarding the FTs, according to the stargazing; it is usually
a part of the safari programs which they prefer to
participate in. Further, there are lots of tourists who come
specially to watch such phenomena on Abu Simble Temple.
Regarding the ETs, it is easy to frequently drive to the
desertwhere there is no light pollution to watch Solar and
lunar eclipses rather than travelling to Luxor to watch the
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
sun alignment on Abu Simble Temple, unless they are
living near to Luxor.
Noteworthy that, Wadi Al-Hitan, the White desert and
desert in Sharm ElSheikh are the most popular and best
places for astronomical observations in Egypt which could
be seen either with naked eyes or with the telescopes,
depending on the site, time, and phenomenon, such as
Orion nebula, and Andromeda galaxy, meteor showers (the
Geminids, Orionids, and Leonids), solar and lunar eclipses.
Moreover, Al-Kottamia observatory plays an important role
for both tourists and researchers with regard to astronomy
and astronomical observations.
Regarding the astronomical awareness, the findings
revealed the lack of awareness about astronomy tourism in
Egypt, consequently, raising the awareness about the
astronomical activities and events in Egypt is necessary.
Astronomy societies and initiatives in Egypt are doing great
efforts in this discipline, yet, stakeholders in Egypt should
pay more attention to highlight such astronomical activities
and events nationally and internationally.
With regard to the attitudes towards astronomy tourism in
Egypt, the majority of FTs and ETs strongly agreed and
agreed that they would like to discover the astronomical
phenomena in Egypt. Therefore, such phenomena should
gain more promotional and advertising campaigns at
appropriate time before its occurrence. Besides, they also
agreed to add astronomy activities and events to their
Programs in Egypt, thus, tour operators in Egypt should pay
more attention to engage such astronomical activities and
events in their national and international tourists‟ programs.
Generally, it could be said that attitudes towards astronomy
tourism in Egypt is high, as tourists show their willingness
to explore, participate and practice different astronomical
activities and events in Egypt, which in turn will enhance
the development and promotion of this niche in Egypt in
the future.
Furthermore, t-test results indicated that there is a
significant difference between FTs and ETs in their attitude
towards astronomy tourism in Egypt where FTs are more
interested to participate and explore more astronomical
activities and events in Egypt than ETs. It is noteworthy
that according to the responses of FTs group in this study,
they need to explore more about astronomy tourism in
Egypt as they only participated in limited categories of
astronomy tourism activities before (Stargazing and Solar
alignment in Abu Simble temple). However, according to
ETs group, In spite of the low frequency in practicing
astronomical events, the practiced ones were different and
varied (star, comets, planets gazing, solar and lunar
eclipses, Solar alignment in Abu Simble temple). Yet, there
is no significant difference between FTs and ETs in their
motivations (IFM, SAM, CMM, SM) to be engaged in
astronomy tourism activities and events.
In terms of the factors that motivate tourists to participate
and practice different astronomical activities and events, the
results illustrate that intellectual factors motivations have
the highest effect on the tourists‟ attitude towards
astronomy tourism in Egypt. Accordingly, tour operators
and stakeholders in Egypt should take care within their
advertising and promotional campaigns to target the four
motivational factors in order to encourage tourists to
engage in astronomical activities and events in Egypt. The
results of the current study in this point is compared with
the results of Matos‟ study (Matos, 2017) who applied the
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
(LMS) to assess the most influential factors that draw
tourists to astronomy activities and events. Although the
results of the current study in this point agrees with the
results of Matos‟ quantitative method (survey) in his study,
it contradicts the results of his qualitative method
(interviews) in the same study, where his interviewees are
highly motivated by the social factors. The difference in the
results could be explained due to the difference between the
two methods (quantitative and qualitative) used in each
study, and the difference between people in their
motivations and satisfaction with different things.
In the context of astronomy tourist potentials in Egypt, the
results confirmed that Egypt has lots of resources
(historical, natural, manpower, institutes, observatories and
planetariums) that qualify it to be added to the map of
astronomy tourism countries worldwide. However, the most
prominent challenges facing astronomy tourism in Egypt
are: the high cost of establishing observatories; the lack of
astronomical awareness; banning the entry of telescopes
inside the country by the security authorities; and the lack
of safety in some places far from light pollution.
Furthermore, terrestrial astronomy tourism is noted to be a
low-cost tourism, which enhances the idea of developing it
on a large scale. Nevertheless, it releases high income to the
countries as the astronomical tourist spends a lot, which is
approximately 10 to 15 times the normal tourist, and after
the Covid-19 pandemic, destinations will try to invite those
interested in astronomical tourism worldwide. Although,
astronomy tourism sometimes needs a set of giant
telescopes, it costs less if compared with the expenses of
building hotels and resorts.
Conclusion
Astronomy tourismas a new trend is already alive in Egypt,
it just needs more attention from the tour operators and the
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Egypt to carry out
professional advertising and promotional campaigns, and
start putting Egypt on the map of astronomical tourism. It
will resonate globally to discover another side of Egypt that
is fertile with many attractions. Egypt has infinite potentials
to develop Astronomy tourism; Egypt owns sufficient
natural and human resources with an interesting history.
Based on that, it can offer to astro-tourists original
programs whose carrier should be astronomical societies in
collaboration with the astronomical observatories and tour
operators in Egypt. Programs involving astronomical
resources coupled with interesting histories, and other
attractions can involve an active astro-tourist. In other
words, targeting the sky features of a destination combined
with the earth facilities to attract tourists is one of the new
opportunities to deliver unique tourism products.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Recommendations
Management of the current facilities and innovation of new
ones is crucial to the development of astronomy tourism in
Egypt, because it is expected from the destination managers
to promote their facilities and design them with the tourist
offer to Astro-tourists who are travelling to satisfy their
need for knowledge and experiences related to astronomy.
Recommendation to Tour Operators
Publish a booklet about Egypt in order to make the
astronomical sites widely known to the public and help
attract tourists.
Launch wide promotional and advertising
campaigns for astronomy tourism in Egypt, highlighting
its sites, activities and events that could be held.
Create dedicated websites to serve as working
environments between tour operators and astronomical
sites for developing and providing useful information
about astronomy tours and packages.
Conduct astronomy activities in some hotels in
Egypt similar to hotels in Finland, Switzerland, Virginia,
and Namibia. During the nighttime, the hotel guests will
see how to use star-charts and almanacs to observe the
stars and constellations. Moreover, they can see the
amazing celestial objects using telescopes or naked eyes.
Promote the idea of a one-day or multi-days
observation trip to observe the starry sky with the naked
eye or with a telescope.
Special events to observe the lunar eclipses, meteor
showers, lunar occultation of planets, comets, etc., should
be held widely to attract a large number of audiences.
Design an appropriate individual astro-tourist
program that should include visits to temples in which all
kinds of alignments take place; i.e. temples that contain
astronomical scenes (such as Dandara, Esna, Philae, Kom
Ombo); tombs that contain astronomical scenes, either
private or royal tombs; museums that contain time-
measuring tools in ancient Egypt (such as the Egyptian
Museum at Cairo, the Nubia Museum in Aswan, and the
Luxor Museum), as well as the coffins with astronomical
scenes; star observing sites in the Egyptian desert.
Recommendation to Astronomical Societies and
Stakeholders
Increase the awareness about astronomy tourism in
Egypt. Members of the astronomical societies with the
collaboration of the astronomical communities in Egypt
can invite community‟s schools, colleges, residential
areas, and public places to give talks, conduct solar
observation sessions, stargazing sessions and planetarium
shows.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Encourage, support the astronomy initiatives, and
make cooperation between them and the astronomy
societies in Egypt.
Coordinating a cooperation protocol between the
Syndicate of Tourist Guides and the National Research
Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics to organize
training courses for tour guides to raise their awareness
of about astronomy tourism and astronomy, as well as to
enhance their ability in explaining the astronomical
scenes on the wall and ceilings of the Egyptian tombs,
temples, and sarcophagi, the archaeoastronomical
phenomena, and other different aspects of astronomy.
Besides their knowledge about the Egyptian astronomical
monuments, they should be trained to know more about
the principles of sky observation to enhance their
profession. For example, they must get to know that Abu
Simbel temple area is far from light pollution and
therefore, it is a special place to observe the stars very
clearly. Astronomically well-trained tour guide can add
more advantages to the tourist program by specifying a
place where the astronomical monument and the
appropriate atmosphere for observing meet
Create Astronomy Mobile Application for Egypt,
which will help tourists to better prepare for the weather,
and find out when key astronomical events are taking
place.
Pay more attention to the astronomy sites and the
surrounded environment, as astronomy tourism is
considered one of the tourism patterns that preserve the
environment and enhance the concept of sustainable
tourism.
Providing the astronomical sites‟ designated for
observing the stars and the night sky with tents like space
capsules, and making the ceiling transparent, from which
you audience see the sky and the stars, such as the area of
Wadi Ram in Jordan.
Try to fulfill the requirements of Foundation Stars
and IDA in the astronomical sites in Egypt in order to be
accredited by these organizations, which in turn will help
to put Egypt on the global astronomy tourism map.
Build new observatories in certain sites in Egypt.
Reopen the closed planetariums in Cairo.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
Research Limitations and Further Studies One of the Limitations of this research is the lack of
specialized references in astronomy tourism in Egypt;
therefore, some data were gathered through documented
websites, social media platforms, interviews and the
questionnaire. This research illustrates the first steps of a
research work within a new niche of tourism in Egypt.
Despite little theoretical background within astrotourism,
this research hopes to make way for further research and
future development of the niche. Further studies can design
and assess a proposal of a specialized tourist program,
whose dominant feature is the astronomical activities and
events in Egypt. Other studies can evaluate the readiness of
certain astronomical observation sites in Egypt and the
potentials of their development.
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Appendixes
Appendix A FTs Foreign Tourists
ETs Egyptian Tourists
Appendix B
AAE1 I have good idea about the astronomy activities/
events that exist in Egypt.
AAE2 I would like to discover such phenomena in Egypt.
AAE3 I would like to participate in astronomical
observations in Egypt.
AAE4 I would like to watch certain archaeoastronomical
phenomena in historical sites in Egypt, such as watching
the Abu Simbel Solar Alignment.
AAE5 I would like to add these activities related to the
astronomy phenomena to my Program in Egypt.
Appendix C
IFM1 To learn about things around me.
IFM2 To satisfy my curiosity.
IFM3 To explore new ideas.
IFM4 To expand my knowledge.
IFM5 To discover new things.
IFM6 To be creative.
IFM7 To use my imagination.
Appendix D
SAM1 Because I sometimes like to be alone.
SAM2 To relax physically.
SAM3 To relax mentally.
SAM4 To avoid the hustle and bustle of daily activities.
SAM5 To relieve stress and tension.
SAM6 To unstructured my time.
Appendix E
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
CMM1 To gain a feeling of belonging.
CMM2 To gain other's respect.
CMM3 To challenge and improve my abilities.
CMM4 To improve my skill and my ability in doing it.
CMM5 To be active.
Appendix F
SM1 To build friendships with others.
SM2 To interact with others.
SM3 To develop close friendships.
SM4 To meet new and different people.
SM5 To reveal my thoughts, feelings, or physical skills to
others.
SM6 To be socially competent and skillful.
List of Tables
Number
Table
1
Astronomy tourism Categories
2
Planetariums in Egypt
3
Reliability (Cronbach's Alpha) of Each
Scale
4
Descriptive Statistics of the Respondents‟
Demographic Variables
5
Frequency of Astronomy Tourism Contact
6
Category of Practiced Astronomy Tourism
7
Frequency of attending Unique
Astronomical Events in Egypt
8
Attitudes towards Astronomy Tourism in
Egypt (AAE)
9
Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign
tourists and Egyptian tourists) responses on
Intellectual Factors Motivations (IFM)
10
Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign
tourists and Egyptian tourists) responses on
Stimulus Avoidance Motivations (SAM)
11
Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign
tourists and Egyptian tourists) responses on
Competency Mastery Motivations (CMM)
12
Distribution of respondents‟ (Foreign
tourists and Egyptian tourists) responses on
Social Motivations (SM)
13
Differences in (AAE, IFM, SAM, CMM,
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
and SM) between Foreign Tourists and
Egyptian Tourists
14
Simple Linear Regression Analysis
List of Figures
Number
Figure
1
The astronomical site of Nabta Playa.
2
a. The temple of goddess Hathor at
Dendara;
b. The temple of Qasr al-Sagha.
3
a. The midwinter sunrise at the temple of
Amun-Ra at Karnak Complex;
b. Sunrise at the winter solstice at the
inner sanctuary of the temple of god
Sobek-Ra in Qsar Qarun at El-Fayum
Oasis.
4
Solar alignment on the temple of Abu
Simbel.
5
The temple of god Thoth at Sheikh Abada
in Minia governorate.
6
On one of the walls of her chapel at
Karnak, Queen Hatshepsut along with
goddess Seshat stretching the cord.
7
The oldest astronomical ceiling and star
map in the tomb of Senmut TT 353.
8
A section of the star charts in the tomb of
Ramesses IX KV 6.
9
a. Inner frame of the Zodiac of Petosiris;
b. The first drawing of the original
masterpiece of Dandara Zodiac.
10
Orion Nebula Valley of Whales El-
Fayoum.
Astronomy Tourism in Egypt: A New Trend-Ancient Origin
11
Stargazing in Giza Plateau.
12
The Milky Way in the White Desert.
13
The KAO Dome and 74 Telescope.
14
Tutera City.
15
The Planetarium Science Center.
16
Descriptive Statistics of the Foreign
Tourists‟ Nationalities.
17
Astronomy Tourism Activities and Events
attended in Egypt.
