A GLANCE OF EGYPT

    

     “It is better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.”

·    BLUE HOLE (DAHAB)      

                                            

The Blue Hole is a gaping sinkhole that drops straight down – some say as deep as 130m. Exploring the deeper depths should be left to experienced technical divers, but there's plenty to discover close to the surface. The outer lip is full of marine life and a reasonable plunge into the hole is somewhat akin to skydiving. 

How to get there? 

The Blue Hole is located 4 miles (7km) North of Dahab. Every day, many scuba divers, free divers, snorkelers, and onlookers make the journey from Dahab by jeep or camel, eager to discover and explore the Blue Hole. Many tours are organized daily form Dahab (from $20pp.) and Sharm el-Sheikh (approximately 60 miles south of Dahab). You can also get there with your own car, but you will absolutely need an all road vehicle to cover the last 4 miles.

·    LUXOR (ancient treasures)

Luxor is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, but that comes nowhere near describing this extraordinary place. Nothing in the world compares to the scale and grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes.

Best places in Luxor

1-                Temple of Deir al-Bahri (Queen Hatshepsut's Temple)

The Deir el-Bahri Temple Complex (also spelled Deir el-Bahari) includes one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt, perhaps in the world, built by the architects of the New Kingdom Pharaoh Hatshepsut in the 15th century BC.

2-              MEDINET HABU

The ancient Egyptian name for Medinet Habu, in Arabic the "City of Habu" was Djamet, meaning "males and mothers." Its holy ground was believed to be where the Ogdoad, the four pairs of first primeval gods, were buried.Medinet Habu was both a temple and a complex of temples dating from the New Kingdom.

                    

                                                                                           

3-              COLOSSI OF MEMNON

The Colossi of Memnon (also known as el-Colossal or el-Salamat) are two monumental statues representing Amenhotep III (1386-1353 BCE) of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. They are located west of the modern city of Luxor and face east looking toward the Nile River. The statues depict the seated king on a throne ornamented with imagery of his mother, his wife, the god Happy, and other symbolic engravings. The figures rise 60 ft (18 meters) high and weigh 720 tons each; both carved from single blocks of sandstone.

 

4-             MUMMIFICATION MUSEUM

  The Mummification Museum is a small yet interesting       museum dedicated to explaining the ancient art of mummification. It can easily be explored and appreciated in less than an hour. Mummification Museum in Luxor is the best place to learn about the most powerful secrets of the pharaohs. It is set in an underground hall on the Nile, next to the national ferry on the east bank. The word "mummification" comes from the Persian word "mummy" meaning bitumen or pitch. In the Arabic language, mummification means Tahnee and it comes from the word "hanoot", meaning the substances that are used to aromatize the body of the deceased. 

  

·    KHAN-EL-KHALILI (CAIRO)

The skinny lanes of Khan EL Khalil are basically a medieval-style mall. While strolling the market, you may find your eyes becoming lost in the unique mix of merchandise displayed in shops and allies. There is a variety of goods –from sparkling silverware, gold, artifacts, and antiques, to stained glass lamps, incense, handmade accessories and ancient Pharaoh Souvenirs. The Khan el-Khalil today is mainly occupied by Egyptian rather than foreign merchants and shop holders, but is significantly geared towards tourists. Shops typically sell souvenirs, antiques, and jewelry, but many traditional workshops continue to operate in the surrounding area and the adjoining goldsmiths' soup, for example, is still important for locals.

·    PYRAMID OF GIZA

You'll have seen a thousand photographs of the Pyramids of Giza by the time you finally get here, but nothing beats getting up-close-and-personal with these ancient monuments. This remarkable pyramid complex contains an ancient valley temple, although it is now buried beneath the village of Nazlet el-Samman. Archaeologists have discovered various segments of the temple walls but the temple itself has never been excavated. Studies have shown that the temple was once connected to a causeway which led to the mortuary of Khufu, but unfortunately, not much remains of the causeway or the mortuary temple.

·    GREAT SPHINX

The Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest and oldest statues, but basic facts about it are still subject to debate, such as when it was built, by whom and for what purpose. It is impossible to identify what name the creators called their statue, as the Great Sphinx does not appear in any known inscription of the Old Kingdom and there are no inscriptions anywhere describing its construction or its original purpose.

·    ABU SIMBEL

Abu Simbel is a temple complex, originally cut into a solid rock cliff, in southern Egypt and located at the second cataract of Nile River. It is certain, based upon the extensive art work throughout the interior of the great temple, that the structures were created, at least in part, to celebrate Ramesses’ victory over the Hittites at the battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE.

·      KARNAK TEMPLE (2055 BC – 100AD)

It is the city of a temple built over 2,000 years and dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, but, and khon. This derelict place is still capable of overshadowing many wonders of the modern world and in its day must have been awe-inspiring.

The Egyptian believed that toward the end of the annual agricultural cycle the gods and the earth became exhausted and required a fresh input of energy from the chaotic energy of the cosmos. To accomplish this magical regeneration the open festival was held yearly at Karnak and Luxor. It lasted for twenty-seven days and it was a celebration of the link between the pharaoh and god Amun.