Through Cairo An Exploratory Stroll

An adventure trip to Cairo in Egypt caters different places of concern including olden times' buildings, massive architectures, holy places and much more. Travel and Tourism industry of Cairo gets its boom on peal travel season and is one of the significant sources of revenue. The adventure tourists from different parts of the world plan for the productive excursions in the city by taking the cheap flights to Cairo.

Cairo is regarded as an esteemed vacations destination among tourists. Its rich historical heritage is its real majesty. The word Cairo means "The conqueror". The Cairo city was founded around AD 969. It is situated along the edges as well as the islands of mighty River Nile. Travel to Cairo has become more opportune since loads of chartered airlines operate the cheap flights to Cairo. Cairo International Airport (CAI) is very well constructed airport caters the travelers' needs very well. Various means of transportation to travel around the city are railway, high ways, subway and marine. One of the longest railway tracks of the world is found in Egypt. Roadways deliberately join different villages and cities of Egypt together.

Cairo has a lot to offer to entertain its visitors through the flights to Cairo When you go out for tour in Cairo you will spot various interesting things to see on your trip. The excursions in Cairo comprise stay to instructive museums, Coptic churches, mosques and souks of perfumes to beautify the historical city. In order to dig up a deep insight into the history of the country make your way to the Egyptian Museum of Antiques. You will be amazed to see such a huge collection of Egyptian antiques, and other astonishing stuff in the museum.

While a trip in Cairo through flights to Cairo you should not miss the chance of visiting a region of Bulaq. Lots of momentous mosques are placed in the region. The Coptic Museum and Hanging Church are also the marvelous attractions of the city. The Citadel is an immense fort made out of stone. It was founded by Salah ad-Din in the 12 century. The skilled architecture of the Citadel (Al Qalaa) will just leave you much impressed. Tour in Cairo will remain unfinished if you do not stay at the Old City.

The international travelers of the cairo flights need not to worry about their accommodation. The city contains a range of places for comfortable accommodation like luxury Hotels to budget hotels. The hotels are balanced with the international standards and optimum travelers needs.

The Best five Countries for Medical Tourism

Planning for a relaxing vacation but not sure if you can keep up with the expenses because of that nose job you've been saving up for? Well, fortunately you can have both with the added bonus of saving yourself tons of money. "Medical Tourism" is the answer you've been looking for.

Medical Tourism has been a rising trend. Promoted by the plastic surgery industry in highly developed countries like the US, procedures are performed in facilities in other nations where the costs are significantly lower. Patients get the benefit of quality procedures along with a plane ticket, hotel room, and fun tourism opportunities - all this for the same price you would pay for a just the surgery alone in the United States.

For those that are convinced of the many advantages and opportunities in Medical Tourism, here are your 5 best options:

1. Hungary - Neighboring Europeans have been crossing over to this nation for years to get a dose of their state-of-the-art medical technology. Visiting Westerners can take advantage of dental procedures at half the price of what they would pay at home.

2. Thailand - Plastic surgeons and enthusiasts have Thailand's King Bhumipol's father, Prince Mahidol to thank for the country's medical systems, prided as one of the world's best. Phuket is acclaimed around the world for its excellent results in procedures like otoplasty (reshaping of the ear to correct deformities or to simply improve appearance) and blepharoplasty (procedure to lessen drooping of the eyelids). All this is a result of the prince's life-long goal to provide good quality and affordable medical services to citizens.

3. South Africa - Specializing in "medical safaris", you get the chance to see lions, elephants, alligators and many more all in their natural habitat. Doubting South Africa's medical abilities? The fact that the first human heart transplant was successfully performed in this African nation in the 60's should be enough to pacify any aesthetically challenged patient's worries.

4. Egypt - The land once ruled by Cleopatra has more than pyramids and camel rides to offer. Egypt offers surgeries priced up to 60 - 70% lower than in the US or UK. A thigh reduction procedure that costs up to $2000 in the US, will only set you back a mere $260 in Egypt.

5. Malaysia - You can get a face lift, cataract removal and even a knee replacement all for excellent quality and a very reasonable price. You can spend your days recovering in absolute relaxation on the shores of this "Truly Asian" country's beautiful beaches.

Now that you know some of the best countries to get cosmetic work done, it's now time to pack up your bags and board the next plane to self-beautification.

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Blissful Stay at Majestic Heritage Hotels in India

India has a long glorious history. While we talk about the past we cant afford to ignore the lavish life style of the Maharajas and royal zamindars who formed a vital part of Indian cultural identity. Many years have gone by but the charisma of the royals of India continue to allure us as you stay at any of the heritage hotels in India. Grand courtyards, lavish dining arrangement and elegantly designed architectural designs makes heritage hotels in India a class apart. You can also opt for online hotel booking in India to enjoy a hassle free accommodation.

Statistics indicates that many of the plush heritage hotels in India are confined to princely states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Kerala. Some of the grand palaces, mansions and forts of the erstwhile Maharajas have now opened their doors to serve the tourists offering them world class hospitality services.

Like other luxury hotels in India some of these heritage hotels bear hall mark of brand hospitality names as Taj Group, Starwood group of hotels and Oberoi hotels. Recently, a tourism delegation from Egypt was impressed by the beauty of the heritage hotels in India and planned to execute the same in their country.

Best Heritage India Hotels:

Among the best heritage hotels in India, Samode Palace in Jaipur occupies a place of pride. With a string of international accolades in its kitty from being nominated among the 5th best hotel in the world by 'Times London' Magazine to featuring in Tatler's 101 best hotels in the year 2006 this heritage hotel has grabbed the limelight for offering world class hospitality services. Its also one of the best hotels in India.

Quietly nestled in midst of peaceful natural surroundings it offers a luxurious accommodation to the guests. Special care has been taken by the hotel staff to provide a exquisite look to each of the 29 rooms and well appointed 'Maharajah' and 'Maharani' suites. The 'Samode Havelli' is well known for its warm and friendly ambiance. The elegantly decorated interiors of the hotel with beautiful antique furnishings and wonderful wooden work makes it an ideal place for wedding events. Each of the rooms have all the modern amnesties such as-- large bathrooms with jacuzzi, 24 hrs hot and cold water, air conditioning, satellite TV, telephones with international dialing facilities.

The spectacular array of dining facilities will leave you spell bound. The pool side lounge bar offers you fascinating variety of intricate mural art works and traditionally designed royal seating arrangements. You can also end up enjoying a romantic candle-lit dinner in midst of lush green garden.

For those who are looking forward to recreational activities can try out at -the Moroccan styled open air swimming pool, golfing near the Jaipur Golf Club or enjoy a cultural programme of traditional Rajasthani folks.

Other popular heritage hotels in Rajasthan are Hotel Jaimahal Palace, Hotel Alsisar Haveli, Narain Niwas Palace Hotel, Hotel Shahpura House, Hotel Lall Garh Palace to name a few. To get comfortable accommodation in these luxury heritage hotels you can opt for India hotels booking available through internet or travel agency.

Heritage Hotels in Kerala:

Located on the southern tip of South India, the beautiful state of Kerala too houses some of the marvelously designed heritage hotels. Unlike the other heritage hotels in India, here these are popularly known as heritage resorts offering visitors elegant overviews of Arabian Sea.

Poovath Heritage Hotel in Kerala is quite popular for its unique architectural edifices. This heritage hotel of Kerala has been renovated recently. It was earlier a colonial Dutch palace built nearly 100 years back. It has 10 well appointed rooms offering facilities such as-- swimming pool, multi cuisine restaurant, internet accessibility, 24 hour room service, doctor on call, laundry service and packaged tour.

With such amnesties, heritage hotels in India are pleasure to live!

Prem is an associate editor for the website Indfy.com . It is committed to providing visitors with complete information on top India tours, flights and travel destinations, Heritage hotels in India, tourist spots, Goa tours, hotels, cars and flights booking in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Goa and around the entire India.

The Most Beautiful Places in the World

Five thousand years ago, on the banks of River Nile, a wonderful civilization was born. It flourished and evolved for three thousand years, longer than any civilization in the world's history. Egypt's history begins three thousand years ago, when Egyptian writing evolved enough to be able to record it. In the same period, King Menes the pharaoh united Lower and Upper Egypt into a single kingdom. He built two capital cities, one in the north and one in the south - Memphis and Abydos. Egyptians believed that pharaohs were gods. The most revered and adored god being Ra, the Sun God, the pharaoh was the only one that helped the Sun rise every day, and the Nile flood every summer. He would make offerings of food and water, and in exchange the souls of the Egyptians were fed by the gods after death.

Benefiting of consecutive strong and able rulers and depending on the Nile for transportation and irrigation that needed to be maintained, Egypt evolved into the first country in the world with a national and well organized government. As time passed, authority began to weaken in Egypt, foreign rulers took over the country repeatedly for short periods of time over 400 years, then the priest got the power and the Empire declined.

Persians invaded Egypt for a few years, and Alexander the Great came to fight them. A great diplomat, he showed respect and veneration to the gods of Egypt. When he entered the ancient capital of Memphis in 333 BC, he was hailed as King of Egypt. Deciding to visit the oracle of Amon to consult the seer about his destiny, he stopped in his journey to rest in an old Egyptian village, located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Lake of Mariott. He then decided to build a town here, and it is what we now know as Alexandria. He then left to Asia to fight the Persians, and died in Babylon in 323 BC, without ever seeing the city that bears his name.

Filled with remnants of those ancient times, Egypt is one of the world's main tourist attractions. People come from all over to see the only "wonder of the world" that is still standing - the Great Pyramid at Giza, but also the imposing Sphinx, the numerous Temples located all over Egypt, the Museums, and the ancient cities of Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the legendary Alexandria. If you have never visited Egypt, try to! You don't know what you are missing, as it is a place that everyone must see at least once in their lives.

I have covered all of these locations in detail, with info's and pictures on my blog at Tourist Egypt, and I sincerely hope that it will be one more reason to actually set you on your journey to see the wonders and mystery of one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Have a very nice day.

Dan Popescu, editor Tourist Egypt.

Visit The Pink City And Enjoy Jaipur Tourism

Jaipur, the Pink City, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India, indeed, in all of the world. The capital city of Rajasthan is known as the Pink City because a majority of the monuments and buildings and old structures in the city are painted pink in color. The city is a majestic and impressive doorway into the glorious and rich past of India. Jaipur tourism has continued to grow each year, and is known for its endless opportunities of sightseeing, dining out, shopping and adventure. An immense cultural background, spectacular forms of art and performance and some of the most impressive forts and palaces in the world have rightly made Jaipur a phenomenal tourist destination.

The number of places to see in Jaipur and the sightseeing opportunitiesare practically limitless. The famous places for tourists in Jaipur are the City Palace, the Hawa Mahal, the Amber Fort, the Jal Mahal, JantaMantar, Moti Doongri, the Jaigarh Fort and the Nahargarh Fort. The cithas been home to the Rajput race and also shows influences of Mughal architecture and culture. Apart from this, one can also visit the various temples that are to be found in the city.

Apart from sightseeing, the next favorite thing to do in Jaipur tourism is shopping. The city of Jaipur boasts of bustling bazaars and markets which offer tourists a chance to buy every kind of good you can possibly imagine. From pottery, antiques and jewelry in semi-precious, precious and cheap verities to pottery, textiles, handicrafts, gems and leather goods, you can get just about everything in the markets of Jaipur. Some of the markets that you can pay a visit to are the Nehru Bazaar, Kishanpol Bazaar, Jauhari Bazaar and Mahiharon Ka Rasta. The collection of goods, sparkling colors, endless verities and great bargaining options will keep you busy for hours and hours. Shopping is an integral part of Jaipur tourism and if you are visiting for a short time you should keep at least two whole days aside just for the shopping experience. Trust us, it's so fabulous that you will not regret it!

If you enjoy culture and celebrations, visiting Jaipur can be an amazing treat. There is a strong culture of celebrating festivals and organizing fairs in Jaipur. These events add a touch of sparkle and festivity to daily life in this beautiful city. The bustling city of Jaipur is known for its tradition of celebrating each and every occasion and event with full pomp and show. On any ordinary day the city is bright, colorful and full of enjoyment, but when there are fairs and festivals, it is as though the entire city becomes magical. Some of the unique festivals that tourists in Jaipur must try and attend are the Kite festival, the Elephant festival, the Gangaur festival and the Teej festival.

Knowing the climate of Jaipur is very important for tourists who are interested in planning a trip to the city. The city has a very warm climate given its location in the desert state of Rajasthan. The term 'extreme' has often been used to define the climate and weather of the region. Summer season in Jaipur is marked by immense heat and it is a bad time for visitors to plan a trip since it is too hot to do anything. At the same time, winters can be mild and pleasant during the day time but are very cold in the night, so this time should be avoided as well. All in all, the best time for Jaipur tourism is between mid-July and till the end of October.

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Stay in Cyprus in a Villa and Discover the Island

Cyprus is a land of contrasts, and like many other island nations has a strong heritage in both building and lifestyle. It is great to stay in Cyprus in a villa, it is the perfect base to travel around with a Cyprus, a country map handy to discover the authentic island. Cyprus is so much more than a sand and sea location, there are numerous quaint, small inland villages and rural areas in the hills and mountains to discover. Many of these localities are part of an ongoing agro tourism project to restore traditional houses to their original glory or better, with all mod cons such as air conditioning and heating. There is also an interest in restoring Cyprus property for sale in these areas, this should not to be taken on by the fainthearted though!

Cyprus in a villa in the mountains is a special treat, especially in the spring. This is not where the beaches are, but if you have a car (which you will need) they are never that far away. The summers are cooler, the night life is rural and authentic and the scenery is breathtaking. The Troodos Mountains usually have snow in the winter and so skiing is a possibility. The food in the villages is also often better and definitely cheaper than the coastal tourist traps.

Along the coastline from the East are the Ayia Napa, Protaras, Paralimni and Fig Tree Bay/Cape Greko areas, this is where the beaches are sandy, the sea a sparkling azure, and the nightlife relentless. Ayia Napa is a hub of activity and not really the place if you want a quiet tranquil holiday. Protaras however is more laid back. This is the most well known Cyprus, in a villa in a tourist resort with great facilities on your doorstop, and lots and lots of sunshine!!

Larnaca is a working town, has the main International Airport and is a tourist destination and commercial centre. There is lovely promenade along the sea front, shopping is good, plenty of hotels and a real year round community. Limassol is a bustling tourist destination and commercial centre with lots of night life. The main port is here, the shopping is good and there are lots of hotels and activities.

Polis, Latchi, Pomos and the Akamas are along the West coast, as far as you can go in the Republic. Cyprus in a villa here is where the beaches are mostly empty and the area remains the least developed for tourism so far and is near the Akamas National Park of Cyprus. It still retains a lot of Cypriot character and is an ideal area for nature lovers, walkers and birdwatchers. Nearby is the golf course, the mountains and foothills.

Coral Bay, Kamares, Peyia and Tala areas are where the beaches are mostly rocky, and there are lots of ancient ruins and antiquities to explore. Paphos itself is a full on tourist destination and popular area with ex pats. It has every facility and not too far away is golfing, the Akamas Park and the mountains.

You can spend your holidays in Cyprus in a villa or better yet look for Cyprus property for sale; the main reasons being the great climate, low crime rates and since joining the European Union, it is easy to relocate here and take advantage of the low taxes and petrol prices. Come and have a inspection with a Cyprus country map and find the perfect holiday spot or Cyprus property for sale and stay permanently!

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All things About Mount of Sinai

Mount of Sinai is an Egyptian Arabic term that stands for Gabal Musa or simply Mount Moses in Hebrew which simply means Mount Horeb. This is a mountain that is found in Peninsula in Egypt and it is traditionally known as an identity in the biblical Mount Sinai. This mountain has been mentioned greatly in the book of Exodus in the bible (Torah) and also in the Quran. According to the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, its the initial place where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

What are the biblical significance?

It's significantly a sacred place of worship in the bible where the Abrahamic religions visited for holistic healings and amid other special religious activities. It is known to be the mountain where God gave out the laws to the Israelites. It is well known that the Christian orthodoxies settled on this it in the third century. They ended up building temples and prayer centers on it where they connected to God.

According to a couple of biblical scholars, when referred to as Mount Horeb it implies to a place of heat that glows. This seems to create an image of the sun while Sinai may have been derived from the term sin and in the Sumerian deity it may refer to the moon. Therefore, it comes out with a meaning of moon and the sun.

The tourism value in Mount of Sinai

Mount of Sinai is greatly valuable in matters to do with tourism and travelling aspects. This is where many travelers come for the purposes of finding out more on the historical values of the mountain and also enjoy hiking and trekking activities. These are just a tip of the iceberg where a lot of sport activities take the lead on this mountain. It's liked with the desert plan in Sinai, Canaanite city of in Syria and another town that is located in the north east of Egypt. However, in other words Mount of Sinai is a mountain peak that is hidden in the Martian Landscape of southern Sinai.

It is not necessarily the highest mountain in in the area but it is one that carries the historical information in regards to the biblical anthologies that visitors need to come and witness. It is also categorized under the geographical footnotes which claim its origins just like other mountains in the world. It is also rare for many people to see this mountain in the tourism eye, but there is much that surrounds this 7,498 foot peak mountain that needs a person with a moderate body to get to its top in approximately 3 hours.

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The Dendera Temple, Egypt

Visitors to Luxor, who have the time, they should try to visit the famous temple of Hathor at Dendera. In a taxi, the journey takes about an hour of Luxor. The buses, which are always accompanied by a police convoy that leaves at 0800 daily. The entrance fee is 35 LE.

The temple is located about 4 km from the Nile River on its west bank, almost opposite the city of Qena, the capital of the province of Qena Governorate (population - 2,000,000), which is inhabited by two Copts and Muslims. This city is very famous for making pots of water, called "pots Gula" in Arabic.

Muslim sheik, Abdel El-Raheeem Kenawi, who spent his entire life in this city and died in 1170, founded the modern city. The anniversary of the saint is celebrated every year, and many pilgrims come from all parts of Egypt for the festivities. The name of the town dates back to the time of the pharaohs, and was taken from the ancient Egyptian word Qeny, meaning "bend"; Nile has a huge (and famous) elbow here.

The temple of Hathor was built in the first century BC and is one of the best preserved temples in all Egypt! Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra II built and later Roman Emperors continued to decorate and honor the goddess Hathor; the goddess of motherhood, love and music. The Greeks identified Hathor as Aphrodite.

The first bridge was built by the Roman Emperor Domitian in 80 AD, leading to the main hall of the temple, which is decorated with Hathor columns (columns with Hathor face on them) and is in very good condition. The "top front edge of the cornice is decorated with the winged solar disk, while the screens between stone columns and the stage, representing the Roman Emperor Tiberius and other Roman leaders with votive offerings to the Goddess Temple, enclose the part front. Hathor is mainly represented with the horns of the sacred cow protruding from the head, supporting the solar disk of the sun, and his hands holding an "Ankh" symbol of life, and a scepter. sometimes it also represents with the head of a cow.

The interior walls of the great hall were remarkable scenes which are primarily of his sacrifice to the goddess of the temple. The amazing ceiling, with its astronomical representations, is very interesting! The roof is divided into seven divisions, and the best remaining 3 are: hathor

The first division in the east, which represents the goddess Nut, the sky goddess who leans toward the earth, with the sun's heat in the temple of Hathor and mask costs.

Moreover, and next to the first, is a representation of the gondola and the goddess of the sun star.

The third is the roof of the West, which is a perfect representation of the signs of the zodiac, which is one reason that the temple is so famous (original zodiac relief is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France) . The 12 digits of ram, bull, the heavenly twins, crab, lion, virgin, scales, scorpion, archer, goat, irrigation and pots with bright tails. In the interior walls of the screen, the Horus falcon-headed God, and Ibis-headed god Thoth, are pouring drops of holy water on the king. This stage is called the step of baptism, which symbolizes life and happiness.

The second bedroom has 6 columns with capitals and bases of rich granite. On both sides of this room are small rooms serving as shops, which are used to store the bribes came from the island of Crete, and the Fayum oasis of Kharga and fertile.

Then comes the main chapel, which has two altars; one for the sacred boat, and the other for sacrifices to the goddess Hathor. Relief beautifully carved temple walls depicting Ptolemy VIII and other rules whose names are left blank oval cartouches, dancing with offerings to the sacred barque of Horus Hathor and her husband. The representatives of the king, the chief priests and nobles, gathered in the Great Hall for the preparation of daily rituals. The roofs are covered with stars, and black soot from fires later inhabitants Temple.The rooms around the sanctuary were used for scientific purposes, the storage of sacred boat, the holy crown, the golden Hathor and musical instruments

There is a small hallway to the right, which leads to a small room containing the crypt, highly recommended if you visit here.

The stairs leading to the roof of the temple are decorated with beautiful symbols representing the 12 months of the year. In the eastern corner of the roof, is the chapel of the god Osiris. The scenes on the walls rise from the dead and become the god of the underworld, Osiris. It was in this chapel that was taken the best representation of the zodiac. zodiac

The relief spread outside the south wall of Cleopatra VII and her son by Caesarean section, JuliusCaesar son, making offerings to Hathor of Dendera allThe other deities. On the same wall, close to the ledge, are stone lion heads, using water jets. Along with construction of temples in the west is the sacred lake, which was used for washing the priests. Beside the lake is a small tree, discovered in 1917, which contained valuable treasures from the time of Cleopatra, now on display at the Egyptian Museum.

The Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt

Located in the rocks on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, the Valley of the Kings isolated houses the tombs of the great pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550 - 1070 BC). They are hidden in the wadi (or valley) formed over millennia by rain and runoff. The first known pharaoh certin known to have built a tomb in the Valley was Hatshepsut, though many believe Egptologists Thutmose I was the first to find his tomb here.

Valley of the Kings is divided into two main branches: the most famous of East Valley and West Valley. Steep cliffs define the topography of the latter, in which three tombs have been discovered, including the tomb of Ay (KV 23). The Middle Valley, covering two acres, resembles a hand with fingers spread. South, overlooking the valley, is a pyramid-shaped summit, called el-Qurn (horn). Archaeologists believe that this natural feature influenced the choice of this site for the royal tombs.

There are 63 known tombs in the Valley, 26 carved by kings and others granted to members of the royal family or the highest of the elite. Of these, fifteen are currently open to the public: Ramses I, Ramses III, Ramses IV, Ramses V / VI, VII Ramses, Ramses IX, Seti II, Siptah, Merenptah, Tuthmosis III, Tuthmosis IV, Mentuherkhepshef, Tausret / Sethnakht Ay and Tutankhamun. They were carved into the cliffs of features such as trees, heading deep into the earth and ends in burial chambers developed. The tombs are decorated from top to bottom with religious images and texts Netherworld books designed to help the king to travel further.

Many famous adventurers and archaeologists have explored the valley, including strong circus engineer Giovanni Belzoni, and artist / Egyptologist Howard Carter, who is famous for finding the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 Recent discoveries in the valley includes KV 5, which was excavated by Dr. Kent Weeks in 1995, which is much larger than previously thought, identified as the tomb of the son of Ramses II; KV 63, a cache of material end of the 18th Dynasty, discovered by Dr. Otto Schaden. Dr. Zahi Hawass is currently top of the first Egyptian team to dig into the valley; explores the tunnel in the tomb of Seti I and try to locate the tomb of Ramesses VIII missing.

Hours:
Open daily.
May 1 - Ramadan 06h00-19h00
(Last ticket sold at 18:00)
Ramadan - 30 April: 06h00-17h00
(Last ticket sold at 16:00)

Ticket cost:
General Admission (Includes admission to the area and the three graves, which are open to the public.)
Ramses I
Ramses III
Ramses IV
Ramesses VII
Ramses IX
Seti II
Siptah
Merenptah
Thutmose III
Tuthmosis IV
Mentuherkhepshef
Tausret / Sethnakht

Egypt 4 LA
Student Egyptian: 2 LE
Foreign Affairs: 70 LE
International students: 35 LE
Subway: 2 LE

Tickets for the tombs of Ramses VI, Tutankhamun and Ay must be purchased separately (see details below).
Tomb of Ramses VI: Egyptian: 2 LE
Egyptian student: 1 LE
Foreign Affairs: 50 LE
International Students: 25 LE
Tomb of Tutankhamun: Egypt: 10 LE
Egyptian student: 5 LA
Foreign Affairs: 80 LE
International students: 40 LE
Tomb of Ay: Egyptian: 2 LE
Egyptian student: 1 LE
Foreign Affairs: 20 LE
International Students: 10 LE

Student rates are available for holders of valid student card from an Egyptian university or international student card

LOCATION:
West Bank, Luxor

INSTRUCTIONS:
TAXI: ask "Wadi al-maluk" for the Valle Oriente (KV) and "al-Gurub promenade" for West Valley (WV), also known as the "Valley of the Apes."

FACILITIES:
The visitor center, gift shop.

No photos are allowed inside the tombs. Cameras must be left out.

This site is not wheelchair accessible.

The Abydos Temple, Egypt

The Abydos temple is located west of El Baliana, which is a city in the governorate of Sohag. In ancient times it was called Abdu, and the Greeks called it Abydos. Abydos, the eighth province in ancient Egypt, this area is considered one of the most famous archaeological sites. It was the city Menna, the unifier of Upper and Lower Egypt came to and from the 11th dynasty from a tomb at Abydos was the last will and an honor for any local to have. At Abydos, many tombs belonging to the first and second dynasties found. In addition, many kings built temples here, including King Pepi I, King Ahmose I, King Seti I and Ramses II.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the tomb of Osiris, the "god of death and the underworld" is at Abydos, where the head and sank.

The Temple of Seti I:

The temple was built during the reign of King Seti I and was completed by, first, his son Ramses II and then followed by his son, King Mern-Ptah

This temple is unique in design because it is shaped like a letter "L" upside down. It also contains the most comprehensive lists kings and gods. The temple contains 7 shrines dedicated to 7 Gods: Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amon Ra, Ra Horakhty and Ptah, and Seti I as a deified king. in this temple are the best preserved painted reliefs and texts from the 18th Dynasty.

The Abydos temple was built with white marble and once had a large pylon built by Ramses II.

The facade of the temple is a square facade with columns and there are 12 rectangular pillars of Ramses II decorated comfortable gods Osiris, Isis and Horus. The temple was originally seven doors leading to seven shrines originally built by Seti I, Ramses II, but made ​​additional parts to build, and now there is only one door open.

This door leads to a pillared hall, which was built and decorated by King Ramses II, where the columns are decorated with capitals papyrus bud. There are many representations of Ramses II offering many gods here.

Further west is the second pillared hall, which is the most impressive! Seti II built this room, the walls depicting Seti I give offerings to Osiris and Horus, Osiris before the shrine. They are the best decorations in the room

Behind this room, there are 7 shrines dedicated by Seti I, and made ​​for Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amon Ra, Ra Horakhty, Ptah and Seti I as a deified King. It is believed that these shrines once contained the sacred boats of God. Each has false doors (except for Osiris) with Stella forget God. The sanctuary of Osiris was not a false door; Jed has representatives sign the god Osiris (Osiris' pillar), with scenes from the myth of Osiris.

To the left of the second pillared hall, there are two entrances. One leads to life and Nefertum Sokker, while the other leads to a small room decorated with a list of 76 kings. Missing from this list are the names of Akhenaten "heretic king" and Queen Hatshepsut.

This hallway leads to the living sacred vessels, where the sacred vessels where they store, there was also room for the sacrifices, where animals are slaughtered.

The New Jewel in Egypt's Crown

Sharm el Sheikh is a now a well-established holiday resort on the south coast of the Sinai Peninsula, in Egypt. In 1980, there was practically no sign of any tourist industry at all - it was just a small port town. However, in the 80's large sums of money was invested in the area, resorts were constructed and large chains of restaurants and up-market hotels, such as the Marriott, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, were persuaded to start up in the area, helping to begin pull in tourists from abroad.

Today, roughly 100 resorts exist in the area, compared to 3 in 1982. Of course, it wasn't just the opening of hotels and restaurants that led to a boom. The area needed a wide portfolio of qualities to become a major player in the tourism industry. The hot, dry climate was one major factor - as well as the miles and miles of natural sandy white beaches. The dramatic terrain, with Mount Sinai part of the backdrop, was another draw that gave the area an attractive, romantic image rather than just being another town in the middle of the desert.

Being on the Red Sea, Sharm el Sheikh has a wide variety of water sports on offer, including water-skiing, paragliding and jet skiing. However, it is largely via the help of scuba diving and snorkelling that holidays in Sharm el Sheikh have become famous for water sports. Many varieties of fish and beautiful large coral reefs make the undersea kingdom here extremely varied and enjoyable to swim in.

Tourism in the area is continuing to thrive. With visitors from all around the World, Sharm el Sheikh is a wonderful resort with plenty to offer holiday-makers all year round.

Amy Scott has over 15 years experience in the travel industry. She loves the Mediterranean and North Africa and especially likes to write about holidays to Tenerife and Sharm El Sheik.

The Luxor Temple, Egypt

Luxor Temple, or the Temple of Luxor, is one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt. He was known in the New Kingdom period as Ipt-Rsyt, meaning southern sanctuary. It was the difference between this Temple and Karnak Temple, which was the home of Amon Ra north.

Amenhotep III built the temple of Luxor. The architect and supervisor of the construction was the genius Amenhotep, son of Habu. The Temple Run near and parallel to the river Nile from north to south. It was built on the site of a small Temple of Amon, built by kings of the dynasty 12 At the time of the temple of Amenhotep III only 190m long and 55m wide, it was. Basically, Luxor Temple was dedicated to Amun Ra in his fertility aspect.

Ramses II, with the help of his architect Pak Khonso added before and finished the Temple. He said the large courtyard and pylon present in the (north) side of the temple. Reyes Merenpetah, Seti I, Ramses III, Ramses IV and Ramses VI built many more small additions. Alexander the Great rebuilt the sanctuary.
During the Christian era, the inner section became a church. The Muslims built a mosque in the 10th century, which is known as Abu al-Hagag Mosque.

Nektanebo king built the Sphinx Avenue in front of the temple leading to the entrance. In front of the great tower of Ramses II, were once two obelisks. Only one remains standing! The other was taken in 1819 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, as a gift to King Louis Philippe of France by Mohamed Ali (who ruled Egypt from 1805 to 1850 AD), after it was given a French clock, which has never worked properly - even to this day!

There were six statues standing in front of the tower, one of them on the west side, is still in place.

Flanking the door of the first tower, which is 24 m high, two seated colossi of Ramesses II, seated on his throne, with all the actual characteristics. The two towers of this pylon were once decorated with relief depicting the Battle of Kadesh, fought between the armies of Egypt and the Hittites in Syria today. The first public hearing has two rows of columns 32 papyrus bud.

To the right of the public hearing is not an old triple shrine made ​​by Queen Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III, dedicated to the sacred "Triad of Thebes" vases. On the left is the Abu El-Hagag mosque.

The public hearing of Ramses II led to the colonnade, which was built by Amenhotep III, and decorated by Tutankhamen and later, Horemheb; Seti I, Ramses II and Seti II all recorded their names there. It consists of two pairs of large open papyrus columns, they are willing to make a long processional avenue. The walls of this colonnade are decorated with scenes of the clause rental, special ceremonies for the visit of the "Triad of Karnak" at Luxor Temple. This part lasted for about 24 days, including the return to the temple of Karnak.

The Temple of Medinat Habu, Egypt

The Temple of Medinat Habu is one of the largest commemorative temples in Egypt. It measures 320 meters in length (east-west) and 200 meters wide (north to south). It was built to commemorate Ramses III, after his death, by order of the king himself. A huge wall of mud brick that surrounds the temple.

This building consists primarily of a huge gate, which takes the form of a Syrian fortress, and is decorated with battle scenes of the wars of the king of Syria. After opening the door there is a shrine dating from the 18th dynasty, on the right side. There is also a completely open field that leads to a huge pool, which has two towers decorated with battle scenes. In a tower of the king, wearing the red crown with his "Ka" or "double", hitting his enemies before Re-Horakhty. On the other tower, the king is shown wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt, striking their enemies before the God Amon Ra.

One of the most wonderful scenes recorded on the back of the south tower, is hunting oxen, of Ramesses III at the wheel of his car, the buffalo hunt. Here, you will notice that the sculptor was very good to show the pain of injured animals.

The first open judicial measures 42m long by 33m wide. Its walls are decorated with scenes of battles against the Syrians and the Libyans.

The second yard (42m long and 38m wide) became a basilica in the early days of Christianity, but there are scenes of religious ceremonies, especially the parties Sokker Gods (also spelled Sokar) and Min. Other scenes depict the king with priests making offerings to deities.

The first hypostyle is severely damaged, probably by an earthquake in 27 BC It contained 24 columns of 6 lines, surrounded by 16 chapels 8 right and 8 left. Among the most important shrines on the right side are the first dedicated to Ramses III, Chapel No. 2, which was dedicated to the god Ptah, the number four chapel, which was dedicated by the vessel of God Sokker and 7 chapel dedicated to the sacred boat of Amun Ra.

The chapels on the left side is dedicated to keep the tools of the Temples chapel except number 14, which was dedicated to the sacred boat of King Ramses II, and Number15 chapel, which was dedicated to the divine God Montho boat.

The second pillared hall contains 8 papyrus columns in 2 rows. The third hypostyle is similar to the second pillared hall and its roof was supported by eight columns in two lines.

At the end of the pillared hall, there are three entries, which is in the center leads to the shrine where the sacred boat of Amun Ra, the right leads to the chapel of Khonso God placed while the left side leads to sanctuary the goddess Mut.
The sanctuary at the end of Temple has 3 chapels as mentioned above; was devoted to the "Triad of Thebes", and was surrounded by numerous side chambers.

See the wonders of Egypt and Jordan

7 Wonders of the World... You may not name all of them but probably you know that most of them were destroyed by earthquake, fire, or other causes since Herodotus formulated his list in mid 5th century BC. Today you may only see 2 monuments: the remains of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Turkey and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, the only one fully standing. Although Egypt has many to offer still thousands of tourists visit Egypt every year to see the Great Pyramid. In 2001 a corporation started an initiative to choose the New 7 Wonders of the World. The results were announced in 2007 and one more monument in the Middle East was selected as one of the new wonders: Petra in Jordan. Since then Jordan became a booming tourism destination. Although Egypt was not happy with the results still Petra's selection increased the tourist flow to the region, and both Jordan and Egypt benefited from this traffic. The frequency and the short duration of the flights between these countries motivate North American travelers to visit both countries once they take the long flight to the Middle East. You'll need at most 13 days to tour Egypt and Jordan; you can cover the major highlights and return home with mystical memories of the new and old wonders of the world.

It is suggested to begin with Cairo, the bustling city of North Africa. Don't plan to begin touring on your arrival day, try to rest, recover from jet lag and keep your energy for the next day. Next morning why don't you start with the famous Giza Pyramids? If you have booked a private tour in Egypt, probably you'll meet your guide at your hotel and you'll drive to Giza Plateau, located in the west bank of Nile, facing Cairo. Cheops, Chepren and Mycerinus are the three pyramids you will see in this plateau and their guardian Sphinx, the lion body human head mythical statue. If you are planning to enter the Great Pyramid you'll need to arrive the gate early as the number of visitors is limited with 150. After Pyramids, visit the second highlight, the world famous Egyptian Museum. The museum that houses the largest Egyptian collection with more than 250.000 antiques extending over the past 5000 years. The famous Tut-Ankh-Amon collection is one of the most splendid parts of the museum. In the museum you may purchase additional ticket to visit the Mummy Room (cameras not allowed).

Your second day should begin early with a flight to Aswan or Luxor to join the Nile Cruise. You may not be really a "cruise type" but in Egypt, Nile cruise is the best way to visit Luxor, Aswan and other sights in between. If you begin from Aswan probably you'll want to take the expensive excursion to Abu Simbel. It is a half day excursion but a must-see sight in Egypt. Flights to Abu Simbel fly early morning from Aswan and return by noon allowing ample time for cruise guests to board their ship. In Abu Simbel you'll see the magnificent temples of Ramses II and Nefertiti.

Then you can join your Nile cruise ship where you'll spend you next 5 days. Most cruise excursions will take you to Aswan Dam, to the Philae Temple and to a short sail by felluca's, traditional sail boats to view the Agha Khan Mausoleum which is currently closed to visitors. On the way to Luxor ship will stop in Kom Ombo and Edfu. The Kom Ombo Temple was built in Ptolemaic Roman era for the worship of god Haroeris and Sobek, the crocodile god. Edfu Temple, located in the west bank of Nile, is dedicated to god Horus, the falcon god. This temple is the second largest temple after Karnak and its distinctive character comes from its huge structure that blends Greek and Pharaonic architecture. At the end of 3rd day on boat you will arrive Luxor, the greatest open air museum in the world.

Luxor tours begin with the Valley of Kings and Queens. Some of the most important tombs in the valley are the tombs of Tut-Ankh-Amon, Ramses III, Set I (Kings), and Nefertiti (Queen). Here you can also see the colossi of Memnon, Necropolis of Thebes and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, established by the only woman who ruled Egypt. Three terraces of the temple are impressive. Then you'll cross the river to the eastern bank of Nile to see the temple of Karnak and Luxor. Luxor temple was built for the worship of god Amon Ra. Karnak temples includes several temples and it begins with the spectacular avenue of Rams. Next morning you'll disembark and may spend the day in Luxor to visit the Luxor museum or you can return Cairo via flight or train.

For a complete Cairo experience you must visit the Khan Khalili Bazaar, the most famous bazaar of Egypt built in 14th century. The market has a medieval atmosphere and is famous for its unusual, typically oriental souvenirs, and handmade crafts.

At the end of your 7 night in Egypt you've already covered the most important highlights. On 8th day you can stay in Cairo to visit Memphis and Sakkara or you can take a daily tour to Alexandria, second biggest city and the largest port of Egypt. The city was built by the order of Alexander the Great in 332 B.C and became the capital city of his reign in Egypt. Here you should visit the Pompay Pillar, Catacomb, Montazah Garden, National Museum and the Alexandria Library. You may stay a few more days in Cairo to visit the old Cairo, mosques, citadel etc. But if you have limited time I suggest you to take the early flight next day to Amman, Jordan.

Amman, the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. Although Amman is the first step to visit Petra, Dead Sea or Wadi Rum still it is advised to begin your journey from Amman where you can visit the ancient Citadel, the Archaeological Museum and the Roman Amphitheatre.

Next day you can drive along the King's Highway, the ancient Silk Road, to Madaba that is famous with its Byzantine mosaics. In the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George you can see the earliest surviving original map of the Holy land in a mosaic floor dating to 560 A.D. Ten kilometres west of Madaba is the holly district of Mount Nebo, known as the site of the tomb of Moses. Here you can enjoy the spectacular view across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, even the spires of the churches of Jerusalem. Leaving Mount Nebo behind you are heading to Dead Sea, to the lowest point on earth, and the worlds richest source of mineral salts. It's called the Dead Sea because nothing lives in it. Its salt content is six times that of most oceans. Plants or fish can not survive in the salty water but humans can float in the Dead Sea which makes swimming here a truly unforgettable experience. After this unique experience you are ready to head to Petra, but before Petra you have to visit Kerak, the city famous with the12th century hilltop fortress including galleries, towers, chapels, and ramparts that vividly recall the age of the Crusaders. Arrive Petra and enjoy a deep sleep as you'll need your energy for the Indiana Jones adventure of the next day.

Red Rose City Petra, built by the Nabeteans who settled Jordan 2000 years ago, impresses travelers from all over the world with its desert rock carved monumental tombs, palaces, temples and the treasury. You'll need to hike the 1.2 km canyon to reach the magnificent treasury. At the end of the fissure passage widens and you catch a glimpse of the astonishing monument that dominates Petra, El Khazneh (The Treasury). The rock face in which it is carved is sheltered from winds and rain so the Khazneh is known as the best preserved of all the monuments. On the way back you can enjoy the horse ride for a complete Petra adventure.

It is the 12th day of your journey, knowing you are approaching the end, you may prefer to slow down little bit. If so, I'd suggest you to head to sunny Aqaba, the red sea resort area where you can enjoy the sunshine and sea on your last day. But before going to Aqaba, the last must-see is the Wadi Rum, also known as Valley of the Moon; tourists explore the area in 4 X 4 vehicles. The landscape of Wadi Rum, with its immensity, colour and awe-inspiring shapes, creates an almost supernatural atmosphere. It was the setting for the film Lawrence of Arabia as most of our guests would recall. Passing by the Bedouin tents you will drive south to Aqaba, the red sea resort area where you can lie on the beach, close your eyes and spend a few moments to memorize the unforgettable mystical experiences you had in 12 days. The next day your final journey will be to Amman to board your flight back home.

The author of this article, Nil Aykut, is the Marketing Manager of Anatolia Travels. Anatolia Travels offer private and escorted tours to Turkey, Greece Egypt , Jordan & Morocco. More information at http://www.anatoliatravels.com

Luxor, The City You Can't Afford to Miss

Grandiose structures, stunning pyramids, wealthy culture, celebrated artifacts and miscellany has placed Egypt on a platform that consistently never fails to satisfy visitors. And for a long time now, Egypt remains a lovely tourist attraction point.

Luxor, the city that many refer to as the world's largest open air museum is unarguably remarkable. The unmatched, well maintained monuments and artifacts are some of the features that serve to draw great admiration for this city. Three different areas define Luxor as a city and people will talk about them when referring to Luxor. These are the small town of Karnak (north of Luxor), Thebes-called Waset by locals and Luxor city itself.

Tutankhamen, the tomb, which was discovered by archaeologist Howard Carter, is associated with the blossoming of Luxor City. This discovery is attributed to what is now seen as hyper conversion to Egyptian roots of the place. Luxor enjoys a semi autonomous position in Egypt with no other City in the country boasting of such privilege. A variety of buildings in this city follow the code of "antique style" with the National bank, railway station and spa standing out as perfect examples.

It is these structures that grant Luxor a feeling of uniqueness and call for adventure. In addition, a sense of calm and peace is usually notable and renders attachment to time quite impossible. However if you are looking for amenities that can be located in a modern day city, then Luxor has them all: Fast energetic night flow with clubs, restaurants and hotels. There are also enough open air markets that give shoppers the opportunity to feel happy too.

Luxor is a grand supporter of Egypt's economy though it is currently not riding on the status of being Egypt's economic powerhouse-it once did posses the status. Its major source of income is tourism which has roots in the Greek and Roman dynasties when just like today, it pulled the global attention of tourists. Luxor hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops form the basis for this attraction.

Three streets: Sharia al-Mahatta, Sharia al-Karnak and the Corniched, next to the Nile stand out as major in Luxor which then qualify the city as relatively small. Sharia al- Mahatta is right in front of the train station along the Nile and comes to contact with the garden of Luxor temple. The Sharia al Karnak Street, also known as Sharia al Markaz meets the Sharia al- Lokanda. Colorful restaurants, cafés and bazaars with a range of Egyptian souvenir line up this stretch whereas the alabaster and pottery works form great attraction.

Some of the most exciting places to visit are the Luxor Museum of Mummification which was opened in 1997 and is the first of its kind to be wholly dedicated mummification. Not very grand, the museum comprises of a big room with guides that take the tourist round while explaining the significance of each piece on display. Over 56 archaeological objects complete with story boards that explain their process of mummification are available. The story board as well narrates the particular beliefs held by the community at the time of mummification. During this tour one can acquire rich knowledge of the progress made by ancient society in the area of medicine and chemistry.

Luxor temple is another point of attraction. Built by New kingdom Pharaohs Amenhotep and Ramesses the second, this temple is found in the heart of the city. It was dedicated to the worship of the god Opet. It is well maintained and surprisingly the art on it is hundreds of years old. While inside this temple one is overwhelmed with a feeling of being in a time machine.

Luxor museum is another site worth visiting, which is more of a store house of arts and antiquities rather than a museum. It was established in the early 1975 with most of the relics and artifacts found here dating as far back as the pre-dynastic period through to the Islamic dynasty. The museum building is modern, two storied with floors connected by a ramp. Iamu Negh, one of the historic figures of Egypt is right in this museum. It is small in size but the vast experience and first-hand view that you will gain will truly remain as outstanding and will make you want to come back again.

The temples of Karnak are believed to be the largest remaining religious complexes in the world, spanning an area of about 1500 square meters by 800 square meters and approximated to be over 1500 years old. It was called Ipet-isut during ancient times which meant the most select of places, remained Egypt's sacred place of worship for a long time and comprises of pylons, kiosks, sanctuaries and obelisks all dedicated to the native's Theban gods.

The temple connects to Sharia al- Karnak Street through a long stone Processional Street-the dromos. The dromos were first introduced by Nectanebo, the first and was lined with sphinxes on either side. The dromos on Karnak temple are well kept. At the entrance there is a Roman chapel that was made of burnt bricks and was dedicated to the worship of the Roman god Serapis.

Kings in Egypt had a special burial ground because people believed that the status of being king was not lost in death. They were expected to rule even after passing away. The Valley of the Kings was the final ground of rest as they prepared to meet the gods in their journey into the afterlife. The tomb of Tutankhamen and Ramesses the second, that were discovered in the 1920's are the most recent and remarkable discoveries of our time.

The burial ground for the queens and their children before reuniting with gods was the valley of the Queens. As of now only four tombs remain open to the public for viewing. One that will guarantee awesome attraction is the tomb of Queen Nefertari.

The author works with http://www.africapoint.com the Africa Travel website that has helped thousands of travelers discover Africa. You can access more information on Luxor Travel including hotels, flights, safari and tours at the website.

The Egyptian Museum, Egypt Antiquities

The Egyptian Antiquities Museum is considered one of the oldest, best known and most
important museums in the world. The Egyptian Antiquities Museum has a long history dating back to 1825, when Mohamed Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt at the time, issued a decree to create a museum of antiquities from Egypt and the first location of the museum faces the lake Azbakeya between Place de l'Opéra and Atabba today.

The ruler of Egypt at that time I did not realize the true value of antiques and ancient historical discoveries in Egypt and began to give European tourists who visited Egypt in this time period in the mid 19th century.

In the end, the rest of the antiques that were stored near Lake Azabakeya were taken to an abandoned room in the citadel. When the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, visited the citadel and loved the effects of this room.

This is because the Khedive Abbas, the leader of Egypt at the time, gave the Archduke all items that were stored in the room. Then Maximiliano antiqutieis thesis took him to Austria and are still there to this day.

After several attempts and many efforts have been exerted by the great Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, the recent Egyptian Antiquities Museum, located in the famous Tahrir Square opened to the public on November 15, 1902.

About the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

Located opposite the main entrance of the Museum of Antiquities of Egypt, there is a small artificial lake with some of the lotus and papyrus, the most important to the ancient Egyptians plants.

Papyrus is the long green plant that was used by the ancient Egyptians to produce documents. Also, the word "paper" in English and the word "paper" in French are both derived from the word papyrus.

Sections of the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities

Antiquties Egyptian Museum located in Tahrir Square in Cairo is considered the world's largest museum. With so many pieces put on display at the Egyptian Museum, and up to twice the amount stored in the local stores, guests take days to see everything in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.

The Egyptian Museum is antiquties or two floors; the ground floor which accommodates screens as heavy coffins, huge statues and stone carvings.

The screens in this plant are arranged according to historical periods that are the Old Kingdom, the transition period, the New Kingdom, Late Period, Greco Roman period, and antiquities of Nubia.

The top floor of the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities welcomes lighter screens that include appliances and tools, funerary objects, small statues, papyri, wooden coffins, jewels, and especially screens grave Tut Ankh Amon.

Narmer Plate

Among the most important shows that customers should visit the Egyptian Museum during his visit is the Narmer plate or plate of King Menes.

The plate Narmer is a stone plaque and no evidence that still king Narmer or Menes was able to unify the two parts of Egypt, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt into a unified kingdom, which marks the starting dynastic history of Egypt.

King Menes name is registered on both sides of the plate. King Menes is shown on one side of the long white crown and wear plate is fighting a war prisoner with hands

On the other side of the plate Narmer, the king is shown the door two crowns and walking with his disciples to oversee the process to continue pow.

May Things You Should See in Egypt

Egypt is probably best known by the pyramids and ancient burial sites of long dead Pharaohs, but there's much more to it than that. While without a doubt the ancient Egypt remains are one of the most astonishing remains of the Ancient world available for tourism, Egypt also has places of natural beauty difficult to find anywhere else, such as the Red Sea or the dessert, and cultural centres such as el Cairo. Many say that once you go to Egypt once you'll be longing to come back, and here are some of the reasons why:

Pyramids and Templates

It's impossible to talk about Egypt and its culture without mentioning the Pyramids and temples, legacy of the ancient Egypt Pharaohs. The most famous pyramids are those at Giza, an ancient necropolis that was the after death home of Pharaohs through the first to the fourth dynasties. The tomb of Pharaoh Cheops is the tallest Egyptian pyramid, 10 meters taller than the Red Pyramid build by his father. Along with the pyramids for the reigning Pharaohs, temples and smaller pyramids for the Pharaoh wives and family, and another of Egypt's landmarks: The Sphinx. Many of those sites are now empty; their treasures stolen over the years of confusion after the fall of the last Kingdom, but archaeologists are still making new discoveries even today. There are many other pyramids and templates all along the Nile, smaller but not less impressive and often less frequented by tourists.

Deserts and Nature

The contrast between the furnace of the Sahara desert and the rich areas bordering the Nile where the Egyptian population centres grow is astonishing. While a trip into the deep Sahara is out of bounds for most casual visitors, a short tour of the dunes with a reliable guide, often on the back of camels, can be an amazing experience that most people won't forget. However, remember that the desert is a dangerous place and you should never go out on your own. If you prefer, you can head for the Red Sea resorts, and enjoy the relaxing beaches, therapeutic springs or even go snorkelling on the Red Sea coral reefs. The Red Sea shores are also home to thousands of migrating birds, making it a heaven for bird watching lovers.

A good way to experience everything Egypt has to offer is to take a Nile cruise and stay package. The Nile is the main artery that brings life to the region, and as such a cruise is like a moving hotel that will stop near most landmarks and interesting places so you have time to visit, provide a nice place to eat and sleep and entertainment when in route. It does beat travelling on an old bus under midday heat, doesn't it?

The Ramesseum Temple, Egypt

Ramesseum temple was built by Ramses II as a funerary temple in 1304-1207 BC, and was dedicated to the god Ra. Most of the temple is in a very bad condition today or in ruins. The entrance of the temple were once two towers have now collapsed. In the first courtyard of the temple, there is only one room with columns survived.

In front of the ruins of the first pylon, there was once a colossal statue of Ramses, which was over 1,000 tons and 18 meters high! You can still see the remains of today.

Many other kings bunk monuments in the Ramesseum as Mernptah and Ramses III.

The Greeks identified what Memnonium Temple (associating the colossal statue in front of the temple with its legendary hero, Memnon, son of Aurora who's mother, Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Sometimes also called "the grave Ozymandias ", a name that might have derived from the ancient Egyptian word" User-Maat-Ra. "

This huge temple later inspired a poetic verse by Percy Bysshe Shelley: -

I met a traveler from an antique land
who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
standing in the desert. Near them on the sand,
The average cast broken face lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and contempt of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor those passions read,
Still survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed,
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Check out my works, ye mighty, and despair not! "
There is nothing left to the side. Round the decay
this colossal, huge, naked ruin
the lonely sands stretch far and level.

Percy Bysshe Shelley 1792-1822

The Roman historian Diodorus, had the impression that the temple was built by the legendary king named Ozymandias, and his grave was there. Even detailed descriptions of the tomb of Ozymandias is offered and described the inscription that was at the entrance, which says: -

"I am Ozymandias, king of kings. If anyone wants to know how I am and where I lie, it surpassed any of my works."

The temple is 600 feet by 220 feet. The pylon is the Temple was the main entrance and was once decorated with scenes from the Battle of Kadesh, but is now in ruins! On the right wing of the tower is entries representing 118 cities that Ramses III had acquired during his military campaigns. You can also see scenes of prisoners to the king. On the left side of the tower, there are scenes of the famous battle between Ramses II and the Hittites. After spending the first outdoor patio where you can see many damaged statues. There once was a colossal statue of Ramses II and his feet, read:

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair"

In the great hall of columns there are 29 columns still stand, the averages are lower than the sides to allow light in the temple! Here on the left, you can see more scenes of the Battle of Kadesh.
To the right of this room, and outside the walls of the pillared hall, is a much older temple built by Seti I and dedicated to the god Amon Ra. The second cut is a lot better than the first state, and can see both sides, two rows of columns representing Rameses II Osiris. Further south, there is another small hypostyle hall that once had 8 columns papyrus bud. This is the room of astronomy is, where is the first 12 calendar months. This room is decorated with scenes of the offer, and the scenes of the sacred barque of Amun Ra. On the west wall, you will see Ramses II sitting under the tree of life, where God Thoth and the goddess Seshat register your name on the leaves of the tree for a long life.

If you go later, on the west side, are the ruins of two corridors leading to a library, a linen room and badly ruined shrine, which was dedicated to the god Amun Ra.

South of the temple, Ramses II built a large palace breaking clay where he stayed during his visits to the site. South of this section, is the small temple of Ptah-Mern, the successor of Ramses II. In 1896, the great Egyptologist William Flinders Petrie, excavations made ​​on this site.

Petrie found here a very important Stella known as "Israel Stella," which contained the first reference to the "tribe of Israel." Because of this Stella, many archaeologists believe Mern-Ptah is probably the Pharaoh of the Exodus

The Coptic Museum, Egypt

The Coptic Museum in Cairo is located inside the ruins of the Roman Babylon Fort in Maser El Qadema in Coptic Cairo Center, an area which is full of Coptic Churches and chapels like the famous hanging Church and the Church of St Barbra.

Nobody would ever believe that the foundation of the Coptic Museum goes back to the era of the Persians and a lot of items were added afterwards by the Roman emperors August and Trajan. The famous French scientist Maspero played a major role in the establishment of the modern museum as he spent a long time collecting Coptic monuments from all around Egypt and preserving it.

The founder of the Museum in modern times is Smeka Pasha who requested that the items in the museum to be added to the Egyptian Committee for preserving antiquities and art. This man exerted huge efforts to found the building of the museum that is present right now and which was opened to the public in 1901 with Smeka as the first head of the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

The Coptic Museum today consists mainly of two major sections: the old section established by Smeka Pasha and the new the section that consists of two floors which was opened for the public in 2006 after a huge renovation and restoration period that its cost reached more than 30 million pounds because the museum was affected badly by the earth quake that struck Egypt in 1992. The museum now displays around 1600 items collected from various regions around Egypt and go back to different century in the Coptic history of Egypt and the Coptic Museum is considered to be a complete illustration of the Coptic history in Egypt

The first section of the old museum the visitor goes to is the Ahnasya section, Alnasya is a town that is near Beni Sweif to the South of Cairo and some Coptic Items were discovered in the area that go back to the third and forth century AD.

The second section is the Saqqara section where the ruins of the Monastery of St Armeia is located with a lot of rock structures and a lot of other items gathered from Monasteries from the Fayoum and Upper Egypt.

The Deir el-Bahari Temple, Egypt

The Temple of Deir El-Bahari is one of the most characteristic of all Egyptian temples, because of its design and decoration. It was built of limestone, sandstone not like most of the other funerary temples of the New Kingdom period.

It is believed that Senimut, the great architect who built this temple, its design was inspired by the plan of the neighboring mortuary Temple of the 12th Dynasty king Neb-Re-Hept. The temple was built for the great Queen Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty), to commemorate her achievements and to serve as a funerary temple for her, as well as a sanctuary of the god Amon Ra.

In the seventh century AD, which was named after a Coptic monastery in the region, known as the "Northern Monastery". Today it is known as the Temple of Deir El-Bahari, which in Arabic means "Temple of the Northern monastery". It is a theory that suggests that the Temple in the early Christian period, was used as a Coptic monastery.

This unique Temple reflects clear ideas about the serious conflict between Hatshepsut and his nephew and son, Thutmose III, as many of his statues were destroyed, and the followers of Tuthmosis III damaged most of their cartridges, after the mysterious death queen.

The temple consists of three imposing terraces. The bottom two were once full of trees. At the southern end of the first colonnade there are some scenes, like the famous scene in the transportation of two obelisks of Hatshepsut.

On the north side of the colonnade is a scene that represents the Queen offering four calves to Amon Ra.

The second terrace is now accessed by a ramp; Originally, it would have been the stairs. The famous Punt relief is engraved on the south side of the second colonnade. The trip to Punt (now Somalia) was the first graphic documentation of a trade expedition recorded, and discovered in ancient Egypt; until now. The scenes show retail, maritime expedition that Queen Hatshepsut sent through the Red Sea to Punt, just before the ninth year of his reign (1482 BC) This famous expedition was led by his high office, Pa-nahsy and lasted 3 years. His mission was to exchange Egyptian merchandise for the products of Punt, especially gold, incense and tropical trees.

In the south, is the sanctuary of the goddess Hathor. The court which led to the columns of the chapel, where Hathor, who is depicted with his face and ears of a cow, carrying a sistrum (musical instrument) of a woman; in the wall, which is described as a cow. In this part of the temple, King Tuthmosis III erased the names of the queen.


In the north colonnade of the second hand, there is a scene depicting the divine birth of Hatshepsut. The Queen said she was the daughter of Amon Ra God to legitimize his rule.

Beyond the colonnade in the north are the chapel of Anubis, the god of embalming and guardian of the necropolis.

The third terrace is accessed by a ramp! It consists of two rows of columns, the front Osirid take the form (a form of the mummy); Unfortunately Tuthmosis III damaged them. The columns in the back, unfortunately, were destroyed; Thutmose III too!

The colonnade leading to the sanctuary of the temple, was also severely damaged. The sanctuary consists of two small chapels.

In the Ptolemaic period, added a third chapel of the sanctuary, which was also decorated with scenes, the most notable being representing Amenhotep, son of Habo (18th Dynasty), which, like Imhotep of the third dynasty, was another genius architecture of ancient Egypt.

The Great Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx, Egypt

Among the major tourist sites, there is only one considered "large" and the top of a list - are the Pyramids of Giza

There are three main Pyramids here, which were built in the fourth dynasty (about 2550 BC). The pyramids of ancient Egypt were built as tombs for the kings (and queens), and it was a privilege to have a Pyramid tomb. However, this tradition only applied in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Today there are more than 93 pyramids of Egypt; the most famous are those of Giza.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops:

Great Pyramid of Cheops Great Pyramid KhufuThe is by far the most famous Pyramid in Egypt, the biggest, the tallest, and most intact. After its construction, has become one of the "seven wonders of the world", and today is the only one that remains. Over a period of 4300 years, the Pyramid was also the tallest building in earth, until the French built the Eiffel Tower in 1889 to make that distinction.

The Pyramid of Cheops is built entirely of limestone, and is considered an architectural masterpiece. It contains around 1,300,000 blocks ranging in weight from 2.5 tons to 15 tons and is built on a square base measuring about 230m (755ft), covering 13 acres! Its four sides face the four cardinal points precisely and it has an angle of 52 degrees. The original height of the Pyramid was 146.5m (488ft), but today is only 137m (455ft) high, 9 meters (33 ft) that is missing is due to the theft of the fine quality limestone covering stones, or the housing , by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century AD, to build houses and mosques of Cairo.

You will find the entrance to the pyramid is on the north side, as well as almost all Pyramid in Egypt. On this side there are actually two entrances, one is the original, and is 17 meters (55 feet) above ground level, and the other is a man forced entry through below. Founded in the ninth century by the Caliph Al-Mamun, who was seeking the treasures that he thought were within the pyramid. He sent stonemasons to open a ticket, and got halfway, passing through the center of the north coast. Their tunnel goes almost 35m into the Pyramid, and was crudely cut, and eventually connects with the original inner corridors of the Pyramid. Nothing was found inside, as it was plundered in antiquity. Today visitors to the site, use Mamoun's entrance to access the pyramid, as it is considered really a shortcut.
Note: If you try to go inside the pyramid, you have to look all the way up to the burial chamber!

From the main entrance of the pyramid, there is a long, narrow corridor with a low ceiling that drops more than 100 meters (330 feet), which leads him to a room, located about 24m (79ft) below ground level, what is an unfinished burial chamber with very little in the fresh air, and is currently inaccessible.
Almost 20 meters (66 feet) in the corridor there is another corridor connected to it, which takes you to the heart of the pyramid. This ascending corridor ends in much of the Great Pyramid, the "Grand Gallery"! It is a big moment, living room, rectangular, which is 49m (161ft) long and 15 meters (49 feet) high, with a long tunnel at the bottom, which takes you to the second room, which is well known for be the "Queens Chamber". It has, in fact, nothing to do with a queen, and was given this name in the early Arabs, who were inside the pyramids and gave his name. It is commonly believed that served as a magazine or a storeroom, inside the Pyramid.

When mounting the "Grand Gallery" you will find at its end, an entry to the third bedroom, which was the royal burial chamber of King Khufu, and this is where the stone sarcophagus, which was made ​​from a block of granite is located. You will find that this place was really amazing, it is rectangular in shape, has a flat roof, and is built of granite that was brought from the city of Aswan, which is located 1000 km (625 mi). The roof consists of 9 blocks of granite; Each estimated that about 50 tons of weight! Above the roof of the burial chamber, the ancient Egyptians built 5 small discharge chambers to enormous pressure, over weight, is not cause the burial chamber to collapse. These five rooms are granite, and are about 1 m (3 ft) above the other. The vertices of the first 4 are flat, the fifth with a pointed to divert the enormous pressure of weight away from the burial chamber lid.

Both the north and south walls of the burial chamber two small tunnels with rectangular entrances. They are small, and once thought to go all the way through the outer sides of the pyramid, but there were no exterior openings and are considered "stars" of trees that have served a purpose in ancient cult connecting king with the stars.

For more information on these small tunnels, and their relationship to the stars, it's a long story! Guess you'll have to come to one of my lectures !!!

One last thing! The Great Pyramid is the Pyramid of the great Egyptian King Khufu. The name "Cheops" is also associated with this King and his Pyramid, the name given by the Greeks. Although both names are generally accepted, Khufu was used in this description, as it was his birth name! The same goes for Khafre (Chephren in Greek) and Menkaure (Mycerinus), and pyramids are described below.

Khafre's pyramid: The pyramid of Khafre

The Pyramid of Khafre, or the second pyramid, is easily recognizable by the layers of the original stones are always near the top layer and this with the fact that he is a top of the tray, gives the impression that is larger than the Great Pyramid. An optical illusion, as it is only 136 m (446 ft) high, with sides of 214.5m (704ft), an area of ​​11 hectares and an angle of 53 degrees. He also lost some of its original height through the years, once being 143.5m (471ft) high.

The only similarity to the pyramid entrance to his father in the same north side location,. No hallways leading to the heart of the pyramid, the burial chamber are buried, and down a long corridor to be negotiated to reach it. This entry is 50 feet (15 m) above ground level, which leads to the narrow path that descends at an angle of 25 degrees in the large burial chamber, measuring 14.2 m by 5 m by 6.9 (46.5 16.5ft by 22.5ft by ft). To support the weight of the pyramid, the top of the camera is set at the same angle as the face of the pyramid. A huge black sarcophagus is in this room.

A lower corridor is directly under the upper corridor, and once contained a portcullis could be reduced to prevent entry and an unfinished burial chamber, which was cut into the rock, it is believed, unused. Since the upper corridor, this has a slope of 25 degrees, then was in levels, rises slightly, and eventually the two of them together. The united passageway leads to the burial chamber.

The pyramid of Menkaure:

Khafre's son, Menkaure, the smallest of the three main pyramids on the Giza plateau built. It was just a 65.5m (215ft) high, currently 62m (203ft), with sides of only 105m (344ft) and an angle of 51.3 degrees. It is believed that this pyramid was modified during construction, and did much more than originally planned. The original, smaller Pyramid had a simple descending corridor burial chamber, but when expanded, a new corridor was built with 3 tiers and a small paneled room. Later, another burial chamber, with a storeroom were added at a lower level. This pyramid, like its neighbors, has an entrance facing north.

Apart from the size of the pyramid Mykerinos differs from the other two in the choice of coating pebbles. While the pyramids of his father and grandfather were completely cased in fine white limestone from Tura, the pyramid of Menkaure was only partially coated Turah limestone, about 15 m up! The first 15 meters were cased in pink granite, which had come from Aswan, the last of which was taken by Muhammad Ali Pasha (1805-1848), who use them to build your arsenal of Alexandria.

The Great Sphinx:

The Great Sphinx, or as the ancients knew, "Shesib Ankh" or "the living image", has to be one of the most recognizable buildings in history. Think of the Sphinx and automatically think of Egypt and the Giza Plateau. The Great Sphinx
Carved into the soft sandstone, many believe it would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried in the sand for so many moments of his life. The body is 60 meters (200 feet) long and 20 m (65 ft) tall. His face is 4 m (13 ft) wide with eyes measuring 2 m (6 ft) high. It faces the rising sun, and was revered both by the ancients built a temple in front of it.
The 18th dynasty king Thutmose IV installed a stele between its front paws, describing how, when Thutmose was a young Prince, who was hunting and fell asleep in the shadow of the Sphinx's head. Thutmose had a dream where Ra Hor-Akhty the sun God, talking through the Sphinx, spoke to him, telling the young Prince to remove sand because the Sphinx was choking him. Sphinx told him that if he did, he would have become king of Egypt.

Thutmose cleared all the sand and s after 2 years, the god fulfilled his promise and the price was made king of Egypt

Today, part of the "uraeus" (the sacred cobra on the forehead) and nose are missing (not shot off by Napoleon's men as many believe, but were destroyed by Al Sa'im Dahr, a fanatic Sufi Khanqah of Sa'id Al-Su'ada.

In 1378, upon finding the Egyptian peasants making offerings to the Sphinx in the hope of increasing their harvest, Sa'im Al-Dahr was so outraged that he destroyed the nose!). There are small parts of the beard in the Cairo Museum and the grand British Museum in London, belonging to the famous Sphinx, but many Egyptologists deny, as the style of beard found, does not address the "Nemes" that door Sphinx - different dynasties!

Sharm El Sheikh City, Egypt

The simplicity of sun, sea and sand. The luxury five-star hotels, water sports, shopping and entertainment. This is Sharm el-Sheikh, one of the most accessible and developed communities in the Sinai tourist resort. All around are Bedouins, colorful tents, mountains and sea. There are small hotels, intimate with modern designs, as well as large hotel complexes belonging to international chains, as well as all the facilities one would expect of a tourist center, including casinos, discos and nightclubs, golf courses and health centers. In fact, diving and snorkeling, windsurfing and other water sports, horses and camel riding, desert safaris, and great nearby antiquities attractions, it is almost impossible for a visitor to ever suffer from boredom.

Four miles south of the southern part of the city sits on a cliff overlooking the harbor. and is an excellent point.

Naama Beach is one of the tourism centers. Located just north of Sharm, this area has become a tourist city itself. Most hotels in Naama Bay have their own private beaches with comfortable amenities such as chairs, shades and even bars.

Shark Bay is also nearby, and again is a seaside community on the rise and more and more to offer, along with several diving centers.

The little known as Sharm el-Moiya port is located next to the civil harbor has accommodations for boats, and includes a Yacht Club with rooms.

For those who live to shop, the commercial center of Sharm El-Sheikh has shops with local and foreign products, including jewelry, leather goods, clothing, pottery and books.

It has been said that this is a must visit for all diving enthusiasts. There are many diving sites along the 10 mile beach between Sharm el-Sheikh and Ras Nusrani.

Arabian Desert Fantasy, Dubai & Cairo

Our Dubai and Cairo journey was a perfect juxtaposition of ultramodern with the ancient.

We came to planet Dubai to be astonished and this 21st century wonder did deliver. Since my visit last year, it has exploded with even more growth. Dubai seeks to become the world's premier tourist destination. With favorable tax rates, it is now home to worldwide mega corporations. Credit is due to the ruling sheik with his entrepreneurial vision and super tolerance. He's the opposite of xenophobic.

The 7 emirates are sandwiched between Iran, Qatar, Oman and Saudi. Each tiny kingdom is ruled by an emir or sheik. Once upon a time, Dubai was a sleepy village for pearl diving and camel trading. Today it expands at an astounding rate with 800 miles of new shoreline added from the man made islands. The hundreds of new islands in The Palm and The World are visible from space. This land of sun, sand, sea, snow and sex is a pocket of freedom in Arabia with such titles as; "Las Vegas of the Middle East", "St. Tropez of the Gulf" and "Monaco of the Desert."

The dichotomy is found in its Islamic culture within an environment of western affluence forming a total fusion of East meets West. It was hard to comprehend that there's a war going on next door in this clean and crime free city state.

We were welcomed with an Arabian dinner cruise onboard a wooden dhow. Our city tour revealed that camels have been replaced by cranes. We saw the new, nearly completed Burj Tower, tallest building in the world along with countless other architectural marvels. ("Burj" means tower in Arabic, thus "Burj Tower" ironically means "Tower Tower".) We visited the Spice Souks and glittering Gold Market. We toured neighboring Abu Dhabi, capital of the emirates that is actually an island.

We drove along the rich Corniche lined with lush gardens set against the turquoise Persian Gulf. We tasted chocolate dates, visited a fish market and entered the world's largest mosque. It holds 40,000 worshippers. There the women in our group had to cover head to toe in borrowed black abayahs (sort of a burka.)

One evening was our Desert Safari. Our caravan of 8 jeeps headed deep into the desert for some "dune bashing". Our driver Ahend careened like a drunken sailor at sea over the steepest dunes. As I screamed, he chatted on his cell phone.

We arrived to a tented camp oasis for dining and dancing under the stars, like the Arabian tale of 1001 Nights. My favorite time was spent on our leisure day with its endless options. The majority of our group went skiing in the morning and swam the crystal clear Gulf beaches in the afternoon. The water was so bath warm, they could have brought soap.

Terry and I began our day at Mall of the Emirates, world's largest mall with 1563 stores and Ski Dubai. Envision a 25 story mountain of 6 acres under one roof with 5 ski runs and chairlifts. Machines hidden in the ceiling drop 3 inches of snow daily. Winter gear is included in the nominal entrance fee. It was 32 degrees inside and 102 outside.

Later I fulfilled my travel dream of dining at the famed Burj Hotel, the iconic 7 star masterpiece shaped like a sail and set on its own artificial island. It had been closed to tourists for months to give its billionaire guests privacy. We were fortunate now to get a reservation for lunch, albeit at an unheard of 3 figure price. Entering the lobby was like standing inside a kaleidoscope. The restaurants gourmet spread of delectable goodies exceeded my expectation and will never be forgotten. It was Terry's birthday and at the end of our meal, a work of art cake was discreetly presented to him. The chocolate mousse explosion with figs and berries was layered with thick sheets of Godiva.

We then flew to Egypt on award winning Emirates Airlines. We felt like the Jetson's traveling back in time to this land of Cleopatra. I've always enjoyed the chaos of Cairo, world's largest capital city of 17 million. All was eased when we checked into the deluxe 5 star Sofitel Hotel.

I'm guessing this was my 9th visit to Cairo and this one provided the most outstanding guide ever. Hany has obtained tourism awards and is the current president of Egypt's Tour Guide Union. He intended to educate us in a crash course of Egyptology 101 but did so with such an entertaining style that brought things to life before our eyes.

A full day was spent at Giza viewing the only remaining wonder of the 7 World Wonders. It is written, "The world fears time, but time fears the pyramids." We were allowed to enter one of the pyramids built around 2500bc to see the burial chamber. Another day we toured the Egyptian Museum, inarguably one of the world's greatest, crammed with over 100,000 antiquities. Hany enthusiastically performed a skit with members of our group to ensure we understood exactly the story to King Tut and what we were viewing. The crowning jewel was the Royal Mummy Rooms which exhibits 11 bodies of kings and queens.

In our free time, we intentionally got lost in Khan Khalili Bazaar. "The khan" is a crazy maze of souks where one can haggle over anything from hookah pipes to bras. We all said our goodbyes during a farewell sailing by felucca on the Nile.

There was much more included on this one trip to two different "worlds." In Dubai, we experienced magical affects in a new land with a vision that knows no end.

In Cairo, we gained knowledge, virtual knowledge of civilizations past. Each place indulged our five senses. We were aspiring "citizens of the world" who felt most welcomed in those Islamic lands. As we boarded our departing flight, Belinda said to me, "I feel like its Christmas. My carry on is filled with gold, frankincense and mir." Another journey well done.

Suzy Davis is President, founder and tour leader of Adventures For Singles Inc., has traveled the world for nearly 20 years initially as a flight attendant and now with her company Adventures For Singles.

More than Just the Wonders of Antiquity

Egypt is one of the most fascinating destinations on the world tourist map. This extra ordinary country is today the favourite vacation spot for many, just like it was in the days of the early Greeks and Romans. The thoroughly cultured Greeks, in particular, were fascinated by this civilization that predated theirs by at least 2000 years. The biggest draw continues to be the amazing abundance of historical treasures- temples, pyramids and museums –contained in this one country. But the destination offers more than just the wonders of antiquity. Your visit to Egypt can be rounded off by a cruise down the Nile and a beach vacation at the top notch Red Sea and Sinai resorts.

The unification of the Kingdoms of Lower and Upper Egypt around BC 3180 marks the point from when Egypt became a significant power. This event is credited with Menes, who thus became the first Pharaoh. Menes went on to establish a new capital at Memphis, just to the south of where Cairo stands today. For the next 3000 years and under 30 dynasties of the Pharaohs, a dynamic and culturally sophisticated civilization flourished. It was not however smooth sailing for the descendants of Menes and power was for short periods in the hands of foreigners. Historians who as usual want to simplify things, have divided up the reign of the Pharaohs into three periods: the Old Kingdom (2575-2134 BC), Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 BC) and New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC).

It is a curious fact that most monuments of the Pharaohs relate to death. Though moderns may view this as an unhealthy preoccupation with death, some scholars see it as an indication of the ancient Egyptians great love for life and desire for continued existence. The pyramid was the highest evolution in the practice of preparing elaborate tombs for the departed. Pyramids were the final resting place, from where the Pharaohs enjoyed the afterlife. The most famous of these edifices are the Pyramids of Giza, built in the 4th Dynasty (2575-2465 BC), when the power of these ancient kings was at its peak.

Religion was another reason for the great monuments of ancient Egypt. The deities found deserving of worship were truly diverse. And many, many temples were built in honour of these gods. Temples for the most esteemed gods were quite elaborate and were administered by high priests. Auxiliary buildings housed libraries, granaries, and what may today be considered as research laboratories for astronomers, biologists and other scientists. Most gods were linked with specific animals and to whom special powers were attributed. Some gods came and went, but the sun god was one of the most enduring. It has been suggested that the design of the pyramids had some association with practices of the sun cult. The Pharaoh was considered to be a living god.

The Greeks, in the name of Alexander the Great finally brought the Age of the Pharaohs to an end in 332 BC. He founded that city that bears his name, Alexandria. The Greeks ushered in a period of comparative prosperity and stability under descendants of Ptolemy. Ptolemy was the Macedonian general who was appointed by Alexander as governor. The Pharos Lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the Great Library of Alexandria were built in this era.

As the Greeks declined, so did the Romans rise, and they too cast a covetous eye upon Egypt. The last of the Ptolomies was the notorious Cleopatra, lover to both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The Roman Empire too declined Egypt and was torn apart by foreign armies. The most significant event at this time was the invasion of the Arabs in 462 AD. Though other foreigners including Ottoman Turks, French and the British, subsequently ruled the country, it is the Arabs who brought Islam whose legacy has been the most enduring.

Egypt is today a modern vibrant nation that carries the burden of its 5,000-year history graciously. Just like in ancient times, the Nile sustains the country and upto 95% of the population live in close proximity of the river. The rest of the country is desolate desert, mitigated only by a few isolated oases and the habitable narrow strips along the African Red Sea and the Mediterranean coastlines.

According to the tourism ministry, Egypt for the visitor is best seen as six tourist super-sites. This covers the most popular destinations and excludes off-the-beaten-track locations. The six super-sites are anchored on: Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada on the Red Sea and Sharm El Sheikh in Sinai. Except for Luxor, none of these destinations relies entirely on ancient monuments to attract visitors. Egypt tours and vacations are very competitively priced relative to other destinations.

Cairo is a huge, sprawling and chaotic metropolis. It has all the amenities of a modern city and is the usual gateway for the visitor to Egypt. Cairo is a young city relative to nearby Heliopolis, Giza and Memphis that are associated with the Pharaohs. The city began as a Roman trading post called Babylon- in the area now referred to as Coptic Cairo. The area was a settlement of one of the world’s first Christian communities. This predominantly Christian locale houses a museum that is a repository of religious art, manuscripts, paintings and pottery.

But it is the Arab invaders who arrived in the 7th century who can be said to have founded the city. They settled just north of the area referred to as Old Cairo. The medieval district of Islamic Cairo is densely packed with people and lots of mosques and temples. This is where many still go during the month of Ramadan to eat and spend the night after a days’ fast. Giza on the Niles’ west bank is where you find the Great Pyramids. These truly magnificent monuments were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. You will appreciate the achievement of the builders of these edifices when you reflect on the fact that until the 19th century they were the world’s largest buildings.

The visitor to Cairo will easily tuck in trips to see museums, mosques and monuments such as Pyramids and the Sphinx. To commemorate your visit to this unforgettable city, visit the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. The wide array of souvenirs on sale here includes jewelry, brass, silver and copperware, carpets, perfumes, alabaster and soapstone carvings. You will also find reproductions of antiquities, which you are advised to buy as opposed to anything presented as original. Such “originals” are usually counterfeit, and it is in any case illegal to export the real article.

Alexandria, monument to Alexander the Great, is located 180 km to the northwest of Cairo. The city has a Mediterranean temper and compared to the hothouse of Cairo has a cooler and more pleasant climate. The Greco-Roman Museum is within central Alexandria and has on display artifacts from the period 300 BC to AD 300. You will see mummies, sarcophaguses, pottery, tapestries and the granite sculpture of the bull god Apis. Other sights in the area include the Roman Amphitheater, the Royal Jewelry Museum and the Roman era catacombs of Kom el-Shukafa.

The island of Pharos, near the harbour is the site of the Great Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today, what remains on the site is a 15th century fortress. After immersing yourself in antiquity, you can take a dip at some beach resorts within 20 km to the west of the city. At the resort of Marsa Matruh, 230 km further on, you will find some excellent beaches and an opportunity for reef diving. This area right from Alexandria along the coast is part of Egypt's Med. It is still relatively undeveloped despite long stretches of white sand beaches and turquoise waters.

If your primary interest is ancient Egypt, bear in mind that about 80% of Egyptian antiquities are in the vicinity of Luxor. The city sits on the site of the ancient city of Thebes and together with the surrounding areas carries magnificent treasures of antiquity such as palaces, temples and royal tombs. The royals of those times whiled their afterlife at what is referred today as the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tombs of the Nobles. The tombs contained treasure that has been plundered over the centuries. Some of the more famous tombs are those of the boy king Tutankhamen and the queen Nefertari.

On the east bank of the Nile you find the Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak, packed with obelisks, wall murals and statues with heads of gods. If you overnight here, enjoy the evening sound-and-light show at the Temple of Karnak. Temples on the west bank are Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple and The Ramesseum, a once massive edifice that is today mostly a ruin. You need to spend at least two days here for your trip to be worthwhile. You are also advised to hire a guide who can explain the historical context of each artifact or monuments. Start out early each day before the day-trippers, airlifted from Cairo arrive to crowd you out.

Aswan, a scenic town by the Nile lies 680 km to the south of Cairo, in the region that was so long ago known as Lower Egypt. Though not as numerous as elsewhere, you can find temples and tombs at those two islands in the Nile- Elephantine and Kitcheners islands. You can get to the islands by sailing in a felucca. The Nubian Museum celebrates the history and culture of the Nubian people. Aswan is also important in the history of Coptic Christians and the ruins of the 7th-century Coptic monastery of St. Simeon laze in this area. In today’s Egypt, Aswan is important as the location of the High Dam that finally put an end to the annual bursting of the banks of the Nile.

The Red Sea is well known to readers of the Bible as the sea that God parted with his own hand so that Moses and his people could cross over to Sinai. So named because of its red tint mountain ranges, it is home to a number of resorts, the biggest of which is Hurghada. The underwater world of the Red Sea is alive with over 800 fish species and the deep-sea fishing is excellent. Snorkellers can explore the coral reef that is reputed to be one of the finest in the world. Hurghada aside, there are other resorts in the area that have good beaches, coral reefs and some golfing too. The modern day traveler escaping the city will empathise with the early Christian hermits who built their monasteries here as they sought to get away from it all. Hurghada lies 380 km to the southeast of Cairo.

Sinai is where Africa meets Asia. Like the Red Sea coast, it has top resorts and is great for water sports. Sharm El Sheikh, towards the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula is the most developed resort town. Here you will find entertainment in the form of casinos and nightclubs and also some good shopping malls. The marine life is abundant and the coral reefs are great. Sinai is also where the three great monotheistic religions meet. You can make an excursion to Mt. Horeb, said to be Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments. For Roman Catholics, emulate Pope John Paul II who visited nearby St. Catherine's Monastery in 2000. The monastery is supposed to sit on the site of Moses' burning bush.

The people of Egypt from antiquity to the present day have always built their lives around the Nile. It is no coincidence therefore, that probably the best way to see the major sites is by taking a Nile Cruise. There are several luxury cruise ships offering Nile Cruises. The longer cruise goes all the way from Cairo to Aswan in two weeks. There is however not much to see between Cairo and Luxor and you will get better value if you take the shorter cruise between Luxor and Aswan. This cruise, which normally takes six days, goes in both directions and you can embark at either Aswan or Luxor. You can get to Luxor or Aswan from Cairo by taking a flight or the overnight sleeper train. The adventurous and thrifty can also sail along the Nile by using traditional boats, feluccas.

The summer in Egypt, which falls between April and October, is hot and dry. The winters are mild with cold nights. The best time to visit is between November and March, outside the intolerable summer season. Light clothing is generally recommended though you may need a sweater and jacket for winter evenings. Remember that this is a Muslim country and dress for women in particular is expected to be modest. All the same, immodest western style holiday dress is acceptable in nightclubs, beaches and hotels in Cairo and other locations frequented by tourists.

In the cities and locations popular with tourists, you will find a wide variety of accommodation ranging from 5-star luxury to budget lodging. This in particular covers: Cairo, Alexandria and the north coast, Luxor, Aswan and at the Red Sea and Sinai resorts towns. During the popular winter season, advance booking is advised. Egypt hotels and resorts are very good value and you will find accommodation cheaper here than the equivalent in most other destinations.

Copyright © Africa Point

Andrew Muigai is the editor of AfricaPoint Insider online newsletter. It is part of AfricaPoint.com - the Africa travel website that has helped thousands of travelers discover Africa.

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