| Where the adventure
begins... |
Cairo |
... and the adventure
ends. |
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The Sphinx is about 73.5
metres in length. It was originally sculptured from a limestone outcrop
and, for most of its history, the Sphinx has been at least partly covered
in sand. The first recorded clearing took place in the 18th Dynasty when
a prince, who later became the pharaoh Thutmose IV, ordered that the sand
be removed. This happened after he supposedly had a dream in which he
was told that he would become pharaoh if he cleared the Sphinx
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The Giza necropolis, situated
in the immediate vicinity of the southwestern suburbs of modern Cairo is
probably one of the most famous ancient sites in the world. The group of
pyramid complexes of the 4th Dynasty of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure form
the three most famous pyramids in Egypt together with the Great Sphinx,
and are the only remaining "wonders" from the Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World. The earliest monument at Giza is mastaba V which probably
dates to the reign of the 1st Dynasty ruler Djet (c.2980 BC).
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The pyramids of Giza were built
over the span of three generations - by Khufu, his second reigning son Khafre,
and Menkaure. At Giza the pyramid reached its climax and the standard features
of the Old Kingdom pyramid complex - the mortuary and valley temple - were
expanded and formalised. |
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| Khufu (2589-2566 BC) was the
builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza. In ancient times, this pyramid was
known as "Khufu is the one belonging to the horizon". His father
Sneferu, had in fact built the first ever true pyramid, the "north"
or Red Pyramid at Dahshur, near Saqqara.
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After the accomplishment of the
building of the Great Pyramid, King Khafre had a hard act to follow. Khafre
rose to the occasion by building his pyramid on higher ground giving the
illusion that his pyramid was taller. He also encased the lowest course
in granite. |
The Valley of the Kings actually
has two components - the East Valley and the West Valley. It is the East
Valley which most tourists visit and in which most of the tombs of the New
Kingdom Pharaohs can be found. (The West Valley has only one remote tomb
open to the public, that of Ay who was Tutankhamun's successor.)
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| Hatshepsut was an
18th-dynasty pharaoh who was one of the handful of female rulers in Ancient
Egypt. Her reign was the longest of all the female pharaohs. Her funerary
temple still stands as a tribute to her incredible rise to power. Hatshepsut
was the daughter of the Pharaoh Tuthmosis I and Queen Ahmose, both of royal
lineage. Hatshepsut disappeared in 1458
B.C. when Thutmose III, wishing to reclaim the throne, led a revolt. Thutmose
had her shrines, statues and reliefs mutilated. |
As for the artificial lake
that it created, the lake Nasser, with 500 km length of which 150 belong
to Sudan, over a width going from 10 to 30 km, it is by its capacity of
volume of water (157 billion m3) the second of the world after that of
the Zambezi.
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The town of Aswan
in Upper Egypt marked the southern boundary of Ancient Egypt. It is one
of the most beautiful places in the country with the town located on the
east bank and the desert coming right to the Nile on the west bank. The
Aswan dam or Sadd el-Ali, of its Egyptian name, is a colossal work and one
of most impressive in the world in this domain. Thick of 980 metres at the
base, of 40 metres at the top, it makes 3 600 metres length and 111 metres
in height. |
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| Between Aswan and Luxor is located
the major Ptolemaic temple of Edfu - the best preserved major temple in
Egypt. The temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and was built over
a 180-year period from 237 BC to 57 BC. |
Abu Simbel is a set of two temples
near the border of Egypt with Sudan. It was constructed for the pharaoh
Ramesses II who reigned for 67 years during the 13th century BC (19th Dynasty).
The Small Temple was probably completed ahead of the Great Temple and is
dedicated to Ramesses' favourite wife, Nefertari. At the entrance stand
six 10-metre-high (33 feet) rock-cut statues - two of Ramesses and this
one of Nefertari on either side of the doorway. |
Kom Ombo is located on a
bend in the river Nile about 50 km north of Aswan. Located on the east
bank, Kom Ombo is home to an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic
and Roman periods. The temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek
and the falcon god Haroeris (Horus the Elder).
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| The Aga Khan III,
Mohammed Shah, The spiritual leader of the Ismalian Muslims, died in 1957.
He was buried in this mausoleum located above the white villa where he lived.
I could see the mausoleum for quite a distance away as I rode on a feluca
on the Nile. |
Nile level view on the feluca in Aswan |
Qena is a provincial
capital located about 57 miles from El Balyana and 39 miles north of Luxor.
It is most famous for its proximity to the ruins of Dendara. It owes its
modern prosperity to the opening of the Wadi Qena towards the Red Sea, which
is a major traffic route between Upper Egypt and the Red Sea. Tourists traveling
between Luxor and the Red Sea pass through this City. |
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| In
ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during
the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten,
it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two thirds
of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, evidenced by the
stupendous buildings at Karnak. |
Camels being herded for sale in Cairo |
On the east bank of the Nile
at Luxor lies the magnificent Luxor Temple which was dedicated to the
great god Amun-Re, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu (the moon god) -
together representing the Theban triad. The temple was built on the site
of a probable smaller Middle Kingdom structure for the god Amun, while
the earliest parts of the temple seen today date from the 14th century
BC and the time of Amenhotep III (the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom).
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The home of the Ababda is
the vast expanse of the Eastern Desert between the Red Sea and the Nile
Valley, a region covering the land from Kosseir in the north down to the
southern borders of Egypt. From time immemorial the Ababda have been nomads,
wandering through the desert with their flocks of sheep and goats. They
were always on the move, looking for water and food for their animals.
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Hurgada |
Hurghada was founded in the early
20th century, and until a few years ago, remained a small fishing village.
But today, it has gone on to become the foremost tourist resort of the Red
Sea coast and an international center for aquatic sports. |
Off the docks in Hurgada |
