Trouble in Luxor: My Experience Getting Harassed in Egypt

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harassment egypt woman

No country has tested my patience quite like Egypt did.

It was a balmy 115 degrees in Egypt when we stepped off the overnight train in downtown Luxor. M and I were both very excited to be away from Cairo and to get to see the exotic Egypt of our dreams, the Valley of the Kings, the mummies, and the Nile river. After checking in to our hotel, we decided to head over to the famous Karnak Temple for the afternoon. Hearing that it was close by and really wanting to avoid dealing with the pushy cabbies, we decided to walk.

Worst. Decision. Ever.

Knowing that Luxor was like an ancient Egyptian theme park, and the fact that it was so hot it felt like my face was going to melt off, I decided to break all the rules and wear a dress. Rule number 1 when traveling in Egypt as a women, don’t wear a dress that doesn’t cover you from wrist to ankle and looks like a burlap sack.

I thought it we be more ok since we were sticking to the major tourist sites and I picked a dress that covered my shoulders and my knees. Also, the thought of putting on the same pants I’d been wearing for days made me want to cry a little. Egypt was so damn hot that even when I wore light linen pants, I could feel the sweat trickle down my legs and if I were to sit down, I would sweat through the back of my pants in approximately 1.5 minutes offering that nice, “I just wet my pants” look. Too damn hot.

My people are Polish. I have a semi-arctic tolerance for cold in my blood. I wear shorts in winter and I down half a bottle of vodka and still stand. I was not meant for this weather.

harassment egypt woman

A day’s worth of water

harassment egypt woman

Shade hunting in Luxor

By the time we arrived at Karnak, we were so sweaty, hot, sunburned and tired, we were willing to pay 5 dollars for a bottle of water and all we wanted to do was pass out in the shade. It didn’t help that we were harassed constantly by cabbies and calèche drivers (horse-drawn carriages) offering cheap rides for “the pretty ladies;” our moods were tense. We were stared at so much I kept having to check to make sure I hadn’t tucked the back of my dress in my underwear.

In my defense, I don’t think we were harassed solely for the fact that you could see my elbows and shins. M and I were two girls alone traveling in Egypt at a time when tourism had dropped over 80% because of the revolution. People were desperate because so many jobs relied heavily on tourism, especially in places like Luxor. This meant that westerners and tourists were targeted much more strongly to buy things from scarves to water to horse rides.

It may not seem like a big deal, but for two young American women who literally could not walk 1 minute down the street without being called out to about something, it made things challenging, to put it lightly. Inside, I wanted to punch the teeth out of the next chauvinistic jerk who dared to call me Barbie and offering camels for my hand in marriage.

harassment egypt woman

The dress that started it all at Karnak Temple

By the time we got back downtown, both of us were hot, sticky and in really foul moods. As we turned on a narrow street looking for the entrance to Luxor temple, a guy on a horse drawn carriage started following us. He kept calling out to us, trying to hawk a ride on his caleche. After we repeatedly told him no and tried to ignore him, he started saying provocative things to us. This went on for a good five minutes and we had no where to turn off to on this street. As we literally tried to run from him, I heard him yell to me, “hey blondie, nice ass!” Oh, no he didn’t!

At this point I lost it; I was sick and tired of being made to feel cheap and dirty 24/7. Imagine 5 days of constantly being stared at, propositioned and proposed to, and being swindled out of every dime I had. It was ruining our trip! It didn’t help that it was so hot sweat was pouring in my eyes, ruining my make-up and making me look like some crazed panda on steroids. All I wanted to do was visit some temples in peace, is that asking too much? I was done with these touts!

“F*** you, who do you think you are to talk to me like that?” I screamed at him. “No means no! I am not getting in your damn caleche, go harass some other tourists you misogynistic pig!” I then proceeded to go on a mini-tirade about how just because I’m wearing a dress doesn’t mean men can speak like that to women no matter where in the world I was, full-on all feminist women’s college rant, Mount Holyoke would be proud. Who knew my damp blonde hair and perspiring calves were so irresistible and sexy? Stupefied at my squawking and flinging arm motions, he yelled at me in indiscernable Arabic before galloping off.

Fuming, I stomped off looking for the entrance to the temple. If only it ended there. Why does it never end there with me?

harassment egypt woman

As we wandering around lost looking for the entrance to the temple, more and more people kept coming up to us trying to hawk something. I suddenly realized M was quiet and looking surly. M only gets quiet and surly for two reasons. She needs to eat or something is bothering her. Since neither of us could keep any food down thanks to the ever present third world stomach bug owing to our penchant for eating street food in Egypt, I had to assume something was on her mind. M is not always one to eloquently express her feelings. So smack in the main square in front of Luxor Temple, grumpy and hot, I asked her to just spill it.

“It’s. Um. Well. I dunno….WHY DID YOU HAVE TO WEAR THAT DRESS? YOU CAN’T SAY THE ‘F’ WORD IN EGYPT!” She blurted out at me.

Oh God. Really? Really? Were we going to have that discussion there? A screaming fight ensued between me and one of my best friends in quite possibly the most central location in all of Luxor. Neither of us had slept in days, we were both so hot and uncomfortable, violently nauseous to boot and in really bad moods. M thoroughly chastised me for not respecting the culture enough to wear pants 24/7 while I tried to defend myself saying we were in tourist city and it was only one afternoon, and I just couldn’t put on a pair of pants. Even looking back now I don’t think I could have worn pants again. It was ungodly hot, and I’ve lived in southern Spain in the summer, and that was nothing compared to this.

We all have our limits but that day in Luxor, I reached mine. I can put up with so much when I am traveling but that hot afternoon in Egypt, I couldn’t take another minute of the hassling.

harassment egypt woman

Sunset at Luxor Temple

And the best part?

Let’s not forget the happy go lucky, ever-present Egyptians who are more than willing to put in their two cents. In the midst of our fight, we realized a circle literally had been formed around us of all the local caleche drivers and touts, and at about every 30 seconds or so, someone would interject something into our argument, like “don’t be angry, you’re in Egypt, be happy!” or the constant “want to ride my donkey? I give you good price.” Eventually, we cried, we hugged, we made up and even let 9 year old Ali let us drive us around the block in his carriage for five bucks for god measure.

And the even better part?

Did I mention that there were virtually no tourists in Egypt when we were there because everyone was afraid they would get tear gassed and caught up in another revolution? This meant that for the next 4 days we were in Luxor, everyone remembered us and knew who we were and weren’t afraid to yell out “hey Barbie, you look happier now, no crying! Want to see my papyrus collection? For you I give special price!” as we walked downtown and around the souks. It definitely made Luxor unforgettable for me.

harassment egypt woman

Please notice how M is holding her purse. No one is wringing that out of her hands!

What to take away from this?

Ladies, suck it up and wear pants in Egypt or toughen up to the harrasing. Don’t be afraid to make a big old scene because I can tell you ignoring does NOT always work. Maybe not drop the f-bomb. Also, be careful with the street food and don’t walk to Karnak temple. It’s a lot farther than it looks on the map.

In all seriousness, it’s important to respect the culture of the country you are traveling too, and the day women wear a dress like mine in Egypt will be the day King Tut’s mummy comes back alive. HOWEVER, the harassment of women in Egypt is a hot topic in the news. It’s a big problem, and it’s not only something foreign women are subject to. I will add that I was just as harassed wearing khaki pants and long sleeve botton-ups as I was when I wore a dress.

Times need to change, and Egyptian women will be the first to say it. I was disgusted by the way I was spoken to in my two weeks I was there, and it negatively impacted my opinion of a country that I otherwise loved. Just mentally prepare yourself for this before going, and if your dream is to visit this beautiful country and you are a woman, it shouldn’t keep you from traveling to Egypt. I will also add I never truly felt threatened when I was in Egypt. Will this experience keep me from traveling back to Egypt or to other similar countries? Not in the least. Will I invest in a portable fan and pay double for air conditioned rooms? You bet I will.

Have you ever traveled to Egypt as a woman? What was your experience like there? Would you be able to travel to a country like Egypt? Have you ever reached your limit when traveling?

harassment egypt woman

harassment egypt woman
harassment egypt woman

The dress that sparked it all

harassment egypt woman

harassment egypt woman

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90 Comments on “Trouble in Luxor: My Experience Getting Harassed in Egypt

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  1. Firstly, I recognise the Caleche boy. You can be grateful you got him and not his older Brother as then the sexual harassment would be unbearable. The young one is fine which although not the case with all young Caleche drivers, however they tend not to be as bad as their elders as age has its benefits in the manner of innocence. I had met the Brother Adli and his cousin Hassan. Hassan was young himself and although not without fault he kept his mind on the job. I have however recently watched some of my holiday video and discovered that he insulted me so now I have a different opinion of him and through that I will not give this family any of my business. In regards to girls, I can say from experience they have the same regard towards Egyptian girls who although wear the Nijab are not quite modestly dressed below the waist as they wear the tightest jeans they can get into which has the Egyptian boys comment to them as they pass. One time during the Ramadan celebrations of 2009 I was watching the Tannora (Whirling Dirvish) boys wanting to film it. It was absolutely hypnotic. An Egyptian friend asked to film it for me. I let him. When I played it back he played no attention to what was happening on the stage. He turned the camera on Egyptian girls in the crowd often zooming in on their rears. Some people in Aswan even asked me to bring some girls from England so they could have sex with them. Well, I don’t know any girls like that. I don’t know any girls full stop except on FB. They have on overt interest in porn. They are always showing me the porn on their phones even though I have no interest in Girls. Even a Policeman sat and boasted that he had 150 films on his phone. In a recent survey Egyptians were shown to be one of the top for searching for porn on the net. They tend to think that all Western women are highly sexual and available for sex. In regard to dress code I was there in the height of summer. It would be right to wear a T-Shirt, however I know from experience that when I wear T-Shirts I get shouted at “You Gay!” Well, I wore long sleeved shirts most of the time, and then one day I put on a T-Shirt. What happened? “You Gay!” So in a largely conservative country I have learned to gain respect through how I dress and how I conduct myself. My new style went down well as I accessorised. But we men do have it better. I could wear knee length shorts if I wished and it would not matter, however I tend to stick with my jeans and blend in. The harassment situation has grown worse since the revolution sadly. Caleche drivers desperate for business will swarm around those rare tourists. Men who are eager to feed their families and horse and in the souk men whose savings are depleted. Sadly many people share their stories on forums and pages like these. It is asked that Egyptians change before they scare away all of the tourists. Tone it down as many people share their stories and many read them and through reading them they are deterred from going to Egypt. So you need to curb your behaviour and respect the tourists whose money you need. This is the reality of the situation which Egyptians know better than most.

  2. Liz I will not talk much here. People have said whats enough to apologize to you on what happened. But what I can promise you is that I will do my best to let this story arrive to the Minister of Tourism by a way or another. I will just do my best!

    p.s. women here wear way lighter than what you were wearing even 🙂 but in the appropriate places 🙂
    Check this out:
    http://www.cairozoom.com/
    See? we’re not Afghanistan yet 😛

    The point is that maybe they don’t wear this in very public places like temples. However I’m sure this will be better handled in future as we go far from the chaos caused by the revolution days.

    Thanks,
    Feras

  3. I’m impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and amusing, and let me
    tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that not enough people are speaking intelligently about.
    I’m very happy that I came across this in my hunt for something concerning
    this.

  4. When I went to Luxor, I covered myself shoulder to ankle in clothing. This didn’t stop the harrassment.
    I have red hair and I’m of a stocky size 14 build. This attracted ALOT of attention. I was 15 and with my parents when an old man starting telling me i looked like his sister and tried to guide me away from my parents.
    My dad is extremely worldly and experienced. He stepped in and all was well.
    the next day a boy about my own age grabbed me…
    that was it.
    my dad went crazy… and a crowd swarmed him everybody was shouting until an elderly man stepped in and scalded my dad hatefully. My dad explained that the boy grabbed me and he was disgusted because would never do that to an Egyptian woman. The man understood instantly and gave the boy a hard smack…
    Depending on where you go in the world the intensity of male attention will vary but its always there…I get the odd car horn back home in England, In Cambodia our tour guide was so respectful… Instead of asking my name he asked my dad on the sneaky what he may call me with his permission aha… In Egypt men asked me what colour my pussy was… This experience deeply shook me but also made me stronger and wiser. It certainly wouldn’t stop me going back because I met plenty of Egyptian people who were nothing but the kindest of souls. 3 years later I’m actually going back with my family this July.
    I feel your frustration. It’s immensely unfair.

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