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Egypt is where history first emerged. it’s here that we’ve the primary pictographic record of events and persons. Hieroglyphics, the system of writing employed by ancient Egyptians are often traced back to about 3200 BC. At about 3180 BC, the nations of Upper and Lower Egypt were brought under the rule of one king titled Pharaoh. the primary Pharaoh is assumed to possess been Menes, who set his capital at Memphis, 22 km south of Giza in today’s Cairo. The Pharaohs established the systems that brought forth the highly successful Egyptian civilization.
The history of Ancient Egypt lasted for about 3,000 years. Ancient Egypt declined, was overrun and thereafter ruled by foreign powers. The Greeks and Romans who ruled after the decline were conscious of the good similarity between their own gods and people of the Egyptians. They not only tolerated Egyptian religion, but also expanded existing temples and dedicated new ones to existing cults. a number of the new overlords, Alexander the good for instance , styled themselves as divine priest-kings in imitation of the Pharaohs.
Emperor Theodosius, who reigned after Christianity became the state religion in Rome, extinguished the last remnants of the living culture. The Egyptians worshipped many gods – an excellent offense against the monotheistic religions; whose first article of religion is that there’s just one God. Theodosius decreed in AD 391that all pagan temples within the Roman Empire be closed. The Arabs, who brought Islam to Egypt in 640 AD, also had no time for deities like Anubis the jackal, Horus the falcon god or maybe Amon the king of the gods.
Ancient Egypt was dead for one thousand five hundred years, until the French found the Rosetta stone within the nineteenth century invasion of Egypt by Napoleon. This priceless discovery was inscribed in both Greek and Egyptian, and it had been the key that allowed the deciphering of Hieroglyphics by Jean-Francois Champollion in 1822. The voluminous literature produced by Ancient Egyptians was now accessible to curious scholars. This rekindled great interest in Ancient Egypt within the West that is still undiminished to the present day.
Religion is that the common theme running through the attractions of ancient Egypt. the range of gods found deserve worship is astounding. there have been over 2,000 of them of either sex and that they supposedly manifested themselves to earthlings as animals. there have been overlaps and therefore the same gods might be known with different names in various parts of the country. There was hardly any a part of the life experience that wasn’t assigned a deity- digestion, mummification, sexuality, feasting, childbirth, writing – you name it. Some gods came and went out of fashion, but those connected with basic aspects of life were enduring. Such deities had cults and temples dedicated to them.
The afterlife was taken very seriously, and tons of the monuments relate to preparation for that glorious time. Mortuary and burial preparation was so elaborate on ensure an easy and enjoyable afterlife. The custom of mummification, for instance , was seen as necessary for the soul needed a human body to occupy within the other world. There was however great inequality in preparation for life eternal . The Pharaohs and other royals, nobles and key officials were mummified and amid grave goods and great treasure. The common folk who couldn’t afford the complete treatment had to try to to with statuettes of mummies.
The main draw to Egypt is that the legacy of the Pharaohs and therefore the Greeks and Romans who ruled after them. Basically this legacy is related to temples, tombs and burial places. People in Egypt from the earliest times to present have always lived along the River Nile and this is often where you discover the richest harvest of ancient monuments. As many travelers will testify, the simplest thanks to experience classical Egypt is by taking a Nile cruise. The cruise may be a very pleasant and relaxing thanks to get on the brink of the attractions of antiquity, most of which aren’t faraway from the banks of the river. you furthermore may get a glimpse of rural Egypt where many eke out a living even as their forbearers did thousands of years ago.
The typical Nile cruiser is basically a floating hotel. Amenities on board will include lounges, restaurants, bars, swimming bath , discotheque and shops. The rooms are rather smaller than those of a land based hotels but will have air con , TV and enough room for twin beds, private shower, nightstand and dresser. the standard of cruisers varies and that they are graded with stars a bit like hotels. Top end cruisers have spacious suites and amenities almost adequate to those of ocean cruisers. Generally, the standard and romance of Nile cruisers surpasses other riverboats anywhere else within the world.
Nile cruises normally take three, four or seven nights. you’ll be ready to see the foremost important and interesting monuments on the shorter and more popular cruises that ply between Luxor and Aswan. The longer sail takes you up to Dendera. The boats sail both downstream and upstream and on the shorter cruises, you’ll embark at either Aswan or Luxor. The more adventurous travelers or those on a decent budget avoid the posh cruisers in favour of fellucas- the normal Nile sailboats. Though amenities onboard fellucas are very basic, those that can survive them, visit all the attractions along the Nile at a fraction of the value of the cruisers.
At Aswan, the Nile is deep, calm and is at its most glorious. it’s an honest place to start your Nile cruise. Aswan was for long Egypt’s southern frontier city and its gateway to Africa. This was the region referred to as Upper Egypt , being upstream of the Nile. After Aswan, the Nile passes through a neighborhood of hard rock, leading to rapids or cataracts. Thus naturally did Aswan attain its strategic position and it’s served as a garrison town for those that have ruled Egypt over the centuries. And for this reason, there are monuments here related to the Pharaohs, Greeks, Romans, Christian Copts and Islam.
At Aswan, confirm to go to the Philae Temple. Ptolemy II started the temple when the Greeks ruled, and therefore the Romans completed it. it had been dedicated to the goddess Isis, a crucial figure in Egyptian mythology that was worshipped across the Roman Empire . Even after Emperor Theodosius ordered all pagan temples to cease operations, Isis was still being glorified at Philae, until about AD 550 when Emperor Justinian finally pack up the temple. the first Christians converted the temple’s hypostyle hall into a chapel. permanently measure, they defaced a number of the pagan reliefs adorning its walls.
The temple forms a superb backdrop for the nightly sound-and-light show. The temple was nearly lost after the Aswan Aswan High Dam was commissioned within the 1960’s. It took UNESCO and therefore the Egyptian government ten years to maneuver it, one stone at a time, to higher ground on Agilka Island. most of the people also visit Elephantine Island, which has temples and a museum. The Island has been inhabited since about 3000 BC and was a crucial trading and cultural centre.
Aswan is home of the Nubians, a dark skinned people, associated with the people of the north of the Sudan. you’ll see some Nubian villages at Elephantine Island. The Nubian museum celebrates Nubian culture right from prehistoric times. Aswan was once a crucial centre for Christian Copts. you’ll see the ruins of the once majestic Monastery of St Simeon, which was destroyed by the conqueror Saladin (Salah ad-Din) in 1173 AD.
Aswan was the source of the granite stone that the Pharaohs favoured for building temples and other monuments. The Northern Quarries are the location of the enormous Unfinished Obelisk. Had the obelisk been successfully completed, it might be the only heaviest piece of monolithic stonework -reaching about 42 m and weiging over 1168 tonnes. It must have broken the hearts of the builders, who supposedly abandoned it, after seeing defects within the rock formation.
The next stop on the cruise is Kom Ombo, 48 km to the north of Aswan. the most attraction here is that the Graeco-Roman temple. Work on the temple was started by Ptolemy VII in early second century BC and continued by a number of his successors. The Romans Emperor Augustus built a part of the temple at around 30 BC. The Temple of Kom Ombo actually consists of two separate temples, each with its own entrance, colonnades, hypostyle hall and sanctuary. The southern temple is devoted to Sobek -the crocodile god, while the northern one honours Horus -the falcon god.
Though the 2 gods shared an equivalent grounds, in mythology, Sobek was related to the god Seth, an enemy of Horus. At Kom Ombo, the gods took the freedom to bring along family – Sobek sneaked in his consort Hathor and son Khonsu, while Horus had his wife Tesentnefert and son, Panebtawy. If you’ve got not seen mummies before, make certain to ascertain the mummified crocodiles within the Sobek a part of the temple.
At Edfu, you disembark to ascertain the Temple of Horus. Edfu was the cult centre of Horus the falcon god. it’s perhaps the simplest preserved of ancient temples of Egypt. The temple standing today was started by Ptolemy III at about 237 BC on the location of an earlier Pharaonic structure. Work continued under a number of the Ptolemies that followed. Appropriately, the doorway adorned by two majestic granite falcons. The walls bear reliefs depicting Horus. One scene would please any tyrant -it shows Ptolemy XII dealing mercilessly together with his enemies.
You next stop and highlight of the cruise is Luxor. The range, magnificence and variety of the monuments within the Luxor area is unsurpassed altogether of Egypt. Known to the Greeks as Thebes, Luxor became the capital of Egypt at around 2040 BC. the town survived the sacking by the Assyrians within the 7th century BC, but steadily declined, and was finally destroyed by the Romans within the first century BC. Among the celebrated monuments dating from Luxor’s heydays are the necropolis complexes at the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tombs of the Nobles. you’ll also encounter some outstanding temples scattered within the region.
The Egyptians buried their dead within the direction of the setting sun and therefore the West Bank at Luxor was the ultimate resting place of royalty and high officials. The Valley of Kings is where the rulers of the amount historians ask because the New Kingdom period (BC 1550-1070) awaited the afterlife. The Pharaoh normally picked the spot for his tomb and had it inbuilt his lifetime. Tomb building for royalty and high officials was very serious business and it supported A battery of architects and craftsmen, who had a settlement within the valley. The valley contains over 60 tombs that have thus far been excavated.
The tombs have suffered in recent years thanks to increased number of tourists , pollution and therefore the rising spring water that has accompany the Aswan Aswan High Dam . For this reason, not all of them are hospitable the general public at anybody time. Unless you’re a scholar, visiting three or four tombs should be sufficient. Among the simplest tombs are those of Ramses I, Tuthmosis III and Ramses VI. Tutankhamun’s is today the foremost famous – though he’s not considered a big Pharaoh and he died at only nineteen.
Treasure hunters had over the years looted most tombs within the valley. But Carter , British archeologist, discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb almost intact in 1922. The treasure that was found here is actually amazing- statues, chests, chariots, beds, weapons, and lots of items he needed for the afterlife. the most item today at Tutankhamun’s tomb is his mummy. About 1700 items recovered at the tomb are now at display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. the foremost outstanding of the gathering is that the 11 kg solid gold cast . Imagine then, what the looters carried faraway from the larger tombs of the more illustrious Pharaohs!
On the opposite side of the Valley of Kings is that the Temple of Deir el-Bahri, built by Queen Hatshepsut. Hatseput. The temple is extremely impressive from a distance and may be a excellent spot to require photos. The name Valley of the Queens is misleading, as both male and feminine royals and a few high officials were interred here. About 80 tombs are identified, of which the foremost famous is that of Queen Nefertari. Take more photos at the Colossi of Memnon -two huge statues that are the only legacy of the temple of Amenhotep III.
Amenhotep III also built the Temple of Luxor on the east bank. The temple was dedicated to the god Amon, though inside you furthermore may find a shrine dedicated to Alexander the good . The temple’s entrance is lined with Sphinxes, and inside you discover colonnades, courts, obelisks and wall murals. The mosque of Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj was built on top of a part of the temple. you’ll also visit the Luxor Museum, which has interesting exhibits from the world .
The incredibly impressive Temple of Karnak may be a huge complex that was dedicated to the god Amon. within the New Kingdom period, this was the foremost important temple is Egypt. it’s probably the most important religious building ever and it can carry no but 10 average Christian cathedrals. a number of the interesting structures within the complex are the large hypostyle hall, the Kiosk of Tarhaka, statue of Rameses II , temple of Ramses III and therefore the sacred lake.
The best time to require a Nile cruise is over the cooler months of November – March. These also are the height months and to avoid crowds, always start out early every day . October, at the top the recent season is tolerable, especially once you think about that it falls with off-season period: it’s cheaper ad less crowded. When visiting the monuments, you’re advised to rent a guide who will explain the historical context at each site. If you’re on a Nile Cruise package, the services of a guide will usually be included.
You do tons of walking, and you would like to bring along suitable shoes. Other items you ware encouraged to pack are: sunglasses and sun screen lotion. Remember also to hold drinking water and film , which you’ll patronize the cruiser or at a bazaar. Light clothing is usually recommended though you’ll need a sweater and jacket for winter evenings.
Private tour Barcelona.Of course, you may combine some sites in one out of town tour, or different activities. our guide in Barcelona
Private tour Barcelona.Of course, you may combine some sites in one out of town tour, or different activities. our guide in Barcelona