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Cairo

4 galleries with 94 photos.

Updated: Aug 24, 2008 8:57pm PST

Aswan & Lake Nasser

3 galleries with 41 photos.

Updated: Aug 21, 2008 7:56pm PST

Egypt Galleries

Hieroglyphs & Reliefs : I have always found the hieroglyphs and reliefs in Egypt fascinating. While I had thought there was a uniformity to them, the differences between dynasties I find amazing. These are from Seti 1, Ramses III in Abydos, and the Ptolemies (Greeks) in Dendara, Edfu, Luxor Temple, and the Temple at Karnak. More to come as I upload more photos to this gallery.

Hieroglyphs & Reliefs

I have always found the hieroglyphs and reliefs in Egypt fascinating. ...

Updated: May 17, 2008 10:08am PST

Memphis & Saqqara : Memphis was the capital of Egypt around 3100 BC. In Memphis you must see the colossal statue of Ramses II and the gorgeous Alabaster Sphinx from the new kingdom as well as other artifacts. Close to Memphis is Saqqara, the home of the Stepped Pyramid of Zoser which is the earliest successful attempt at building a pyramid (it predates the Great Pyramid by over 200 years). Unlike its later counterparts it does not have sloping sides, but 6 steps as one level was built on top of the other and was the first tomb built from stone. Some of the limestone facing blocks remain on this monumental structure and the funerary complex including the colonnade has been partially restored. Previously the pharaohs were buried in underground tombs called Mastaba. The pyramid was an attempt at a more secure tomb.

Memphis & Saqqara

Memphis was the capital of Egypt around 3100 BC. In Memphis you must ...

Updated: Aug 24, 2008 12:15am PST

Aswan to Luxor - Kom Ombo, Edfu, & Esna : Along the Nile River is Kom Ombo temple which was dedicated to two gods, Sobek (the crocodile god) and Haroeris (Horus the elder). The dual sanctuaries sat side by side in the back of the temple. Only the two hypostyle halls and some of the surrounding walls remain of the temple complex. What is notable, other than the dual nature of the temple, are the hieroglyphs and reliefs detailing surgical instruments as well as an agriculture calendar. Several sacred mummified crocodiles are kept in a small shrine to Hathor next to the main temple. At Edfu, the Temple of Horus was built in the new kingdom and is in excellent shape. The structure of the temple and reliefs were preserved by the flowing sand that buried the temple. Passing though the first pylon you enter the great court which leads through two different hypostyle halls and finally to the main sanctuary to Horus. Large granite falcon statues of Horus guard the entrance. The main sanctuary still contains the polish granite shrine where the Horus’s gold statue was kept as well as a replica wooden barque used to transport it to Dendara for a yearly festival with Hathor (his Mother). Smaller sanctuaries to the other gods surround the main sanctuary to Horus. The detailed reliefs and hieroglyphs are in good shape throughout the temple and include detailed perfumes recipes that were needed for rituals. Also on the outer wall there is an outstanding relief of the legendary battle between Horus and Set that was recreated at the yearly festival. At Esna, the temple of Khnum (the creator god) has been excavated from an area in the heart of the city. This temple was built around 0 BCE and only the hypostyle hall remains. The flowing sands that buried the temple did a good job of preserving the reliefs in the hypostyle hall with its thick pillars. Bright colors still accentuating some of the reliefs and hieroglyphs on the walls, ceiling, and pillars.

Aswan to Luxor - Kom Ombo, Edfu, & Esna

Along the Nile River is Kom Ombo temple which was dedicated to two god ...

Updated: Aug 22, 2008 7:22pm PST

Luxor : We docked at Luxor after several days of a relaxing cruise down the Nile visiting other ancient sites. Luxor, or as it was originally called Thebes, was the ancient capital of Egypt since 2000 BCE, with the city of the living on the east bank and city of the dead with tombs of Pharaohs and Queens on the west bank. There are two great temples on the east bank, the Luxor Temple and Karnak. Karnak is actually a collection of temples dedicated to various Egyptian gods and Pharaohs. For over 1500 years, starting with the Middle Kingdom, Pharaoh after Pharaoh added onto Karnak. The largest section is the Amun temple enclosure which alone is over 260,000 square meters. There are ten huge pylons, many chapels, temples, obelisks, sanctuaries and even the remains of a botanical garden on the site. But it is best known for the great hypostyle hall with its 134 huge carved stone columns. A truly an amazing sight; like being lost in a forest of stone trees. The Luxor temple to Amun is smaller and younger (being built in the New Kingdom) than its bigger brother Karnak and was primarily built with courtyards and colonnades. The passing years have not been kind to this temple, in the 14th century CE a Mosque was built in the temple and in the central temple chamber there are remains of a 3rd century Christian church with patches of plaster on the walls covered with paintings of saints. Both have night sound and light shows which I found a bit of a disappointment, however moving through the temples at night was worth the price of admission. On the west bank there is the Valley of the Kings and Queens as well as the Temple of Hatshepsut. You don’t realize that the Nile is truly the life’s blood of Egypt until you take a balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. There is a clear line that separates the fertile section from the desert. It also gives you a bird’s eye view of the various temples and tombs, right outside the fields of corn and sugar cane. As we floated over the Colossi on Memnon we were reminded that according to legend these 3400 year old statues of Amenhotep III would sing to the sun at dawn. The Valley of the Kings is the “home” to the New Kingdom Pharaoh’s tombs. Like the pyramids, the tombs are adversely affected by tourist humidity. Only 3 are open each day for visits and they are rotated regularly to allow them to “recover”. We visited the tomb of Tutankhamun, Rames IV and Thutmos III. Thutmos III was one of the greatest Pharaohs in Egypt and is my favorite. He reigned in the beginning of the new Kingdom and was the stepson of Hatshepsut (the woman pharaoh). He’s known to be a fair and just king, expanded the Egypt’s boarders farther than any other Pharaoh and reigned for over 60 years in the golden age of Egypt. The differences in the hieroglyphics and reliefs could not be more different than in the later tombs. While the tomb of Thutmos III is a treasure trove of information as most of the ancient Egyptian “books” were painted on the walls, the painted reliefs were more like stick figures than in Tut’s tomb. Not surprising since was one of the first tombs with painted walls. King Tut’s tomb, while small, was extensively decorated as was Rames IV which was the other open tomb that day. In the valley of the Queens it was much the same with the tombs being rotated. The painted reliefs and hieroglyphs were just as fascinating. Finally if you get a chance take a balloon ride over the west bank. If give you a different perspective seeing the temple complexes from the air.

Luxor

We docked at Luxor after several days of a relaxing cruise down the Ni ...

Updated: Aug 25, 2008 7:24pm PST

Crusing down the Nile River : Cruising down the Nile really gives you a sense of past and present of Egypt. There are mud brick houses (with satellite dishes on top) and villages along the bank. Donkeys being ridden by men and boys or pulling carts of vegetables, fruit or sugar cane. Woman washing their cloths with children playing along the banks or swimming in the brown water, all waved and smiled as we sailed by. In the distance were the ever present bluffs and golden rolling dunes signifying the desert’s edge.

Crusing down the Nile River

Cruising down the Nile really gives you a sense of past and present of ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2008 7:14pm PST

Luxor to Qena - Abydos & Dendara : The Temple of Osirus at Abydos is considered one of the best preserved temples in Egypt and has some of the best reliefs. It was originally built by Seti I and added onto by his son, Ramses II. Rather than the traditional rectangular design, the temple is built in an L shape. The most impressive reliefs are in the Seti I portion. The detail of the reliefs is amazing, especially since they are almost 3300 years old. While the ceiling are blackened and some of the faces are chipped away, the areas that were under the sand are amazingly well preserved. Along one corridor was a list of Pharaohs from Seti back to the first Pharaoh, Menes. The discovery of this “Gallery of Kings” was one of the most significant finds in Egyptian archeology, since it defined the historical record of the ruling pharaohs. Since each Pharaoh reset the clock when his reign started, there was always a controversy on which Pharaoh ruled when. The temple of Hathor in Dendera was built at the end of the pharaonic period and is in excellent shape. The detail is amazing, most of the paint on the reliefs is still intact. Here too the ceiling is blackened and some of the faces of the gods and pharaoh were chipped away by the people that moved in after the collapse of their civilization. There were several crypts under the temple which were used to store the offerings from worshipers like jewelry, spices, oils, each in their own crypt. We visited the crypt for jewelry and despite being narrow and cramped, the detail of the wall carvings were simply amazing. We also had a chance to visit the roof shrine where Hathor was taken once a year to have her powers “recharged” by the rays of Ra. There is a relief of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and their son on the back wall of the temple. Just outside the main building is a birth house dedicated to Hathor and Bes. Bes was the god of dance and music and was said to protect women in childbirth.

Luxor to Qena - Abydos & Dendara

The Temple of Osirus at Abydos is considered one of the best preserved ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2008 7:59pm PST