Egypt, a land steeped in history and blessed with abundant sunshine, holds a special allure for those seeking captivating sunsets. Hurghada, a vibrant city on the Red Sea coast, offers a unique vantage point to witness this daily spectacle. This article delves into the specifics of sunset timings in Hurghada, the duration of daylight, and the profound cultural significance of the sun in Egyptian history.
Understanding Sunrise and Sunset in Hurghada
Let's explore the details of sunrise and sunset times in Hurghada. For example, on November 7, 2025:
- Sunrise: 05:59
- Sunset: 16:57
- Daylight Hours: 10 hours, 58 minutes
The daylight hours are constantly changing. The day length today is 10 hours, 58 minutes, and 8 seconds (November 7, 2025), which is 1 minute and 18 seconds shorter than yesterday (November 6, 2025), 32 minutes and 47 seconds longer than the winter solstice (December 21, 2024), and 2 hours and 53 minutes shorter than the summer solstice (June 21, 2025).
Sunrise and Sunset Over the Next 7 Days
To give you a better idea of the changing daylight, here's a table showing the sunrise and sunset times for the next 7 days:
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2025 | 05:59 | 16:57 | 10:58:08 |
| Nov 8, 2025 | 05:59 | 16:56 | 10:56:50 |
| Nov 9, 2025 | 06:00 | 16:56 | 10:55:33 |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 06:01 | 16:55 | 10:54:18 |
| Nov 11, 2025 | 06:02 | 16:55 | 10:53:03 |
| Nov 12, 2025 | 06:02 | 16:54 | 10:51:49 |
| Nov 13, 2025 | 06:03 | 16:54 | 10:50:37 |
As you can see, the days are gradually getting shorter as we approach winter.
Read also: Thunbergia Alata Guide
Sunrise Time-lapse 4K - on the Red Sea at Hurghada, Egypt
The Sun's Path and Its Significance
The sun's path refers to the daily and seasonal arc-like trajectory that the sun appears to follow across the sky as the Earth rotates and orbits the sun. Accurate location-specific knowledge of sun path and climatic conditions is essential for economic decisions about solar collector area, orientation, landscaping, summer shading, and the cost-effective use of solar trackers.
The capital Cairo is located at 30 degrees north latitude and therefore also north of the Tropic. While the sun swings back and forth between the northern and southern tropics throughout the year, it shines on Cairo from the south, but is never perpendicular to it.
Night, Twilight, and Daylight Times
Understanding the different phases of light during the day can enhance your appreciation of the sunset experience:
- Night: 00:00 - 04:39
- Astronomical Twilight: 04:39 - 05:07
- Nautical Twilight: 05:07 - 05:34
- Civil Twilight: 05:34 - 05:59
- Daylight: 05:59 - 16:57
- Civil Twilight: 16:57 - 17:21
- Nautical Twilight: 17:21 - 17:49
- Astronomical Twilight: 17:49 - 18:16
- Night: 18:16 - 23:59
The Historical and Cultural Significance of the Sun in Egypt
Egypt is a country where the sun plays a far more important role than elsewhere, even from a historical perspective. The Egyptians were one of the first peoples to know how to use solar energy. The ancient Egyptian sun god Ra-Harachte was probably the most important and fills entire history books and ultimately resulted in the cult of the sun.
And every 22nd of February and 22nd of October the sun miracle of Abu-Simbel takes place in the rock temple of Ramses II (near the Sudanese border), when the sun shines over meters deep into the temple complex and illuminates the back statues only on these days.
Read also: Experiencing Grand Canyon at Sunset
Sunshine Duration in Egypt
Summers in Egypt are blessed with abundant sunshine and little rain. In June there are up to 12 hours of sunshine per day. The term "sunshine hours" comes from meteorology and, unlike the length of the day, refers to the actual number of hours during which the sun can be seen, despite the weather conditions. This also indicates that there is almost no precipitation from May to September.
In June, the sun shines for around 11:30 hours a day in the Cairo area. In contrast, the day is 14:07 hours long. This means that the visual obstruction is around 2:37 hours per day.
Duration of the Sunset
The distance from the equator and the path of the sun determines not only the time of sunrise and sunset. The farther a country is from the equator, the more oblique the sun's path is to the horizon, causing sunset to last for a different duration. Cairo lies on the 30th degree of northern latitude and is therefore quite far away from the equator. While a sunset near the equator lasts only about 20 minutes, in Egypt, this period averages 29 minutes. In June, it's about 30 minutes in Cairo, while in December it's 27 minutes.
Read also: African Sunset Safaris
Popular articles:
tags: #Egypt
