History: The Great Pyramids at Giza are the world most famous monument. They are, without question, the icon most associated with Egypt. They have been both the main destination for tourists and a source of imaginative thought to the world for over three thousand years. They are named Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), Pyramid of Chephren (Khafre) and Pyramid of Menkaure.
Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu): Cheops was the second king of the 4th Dynasty and was the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Khufu was succeeded by Radjedef, his son by a lesser wife, whose reign was abruptly ended. He was succeeded by Khephren, Khufu son by Queen Henutsen. A miniature statue of Khufu is on display at the Cairo Museum. This is the only likeness of him known to be in existence. How the Great Pyramid was built is a question that may never be answered. Herodotus said that it would have taken 30 years and 100,000 slaves to have built it. Another theory is that it was built by peasants who were unable to work the land while the Nile flooded between July and November. They may have been paid with food for their labor. The flooded waters would have also aided in the moving of the casing stones. These stones were brought from Aswan and Tura and the water would have brought the stones right to the pyramid. More Details
2- Giza Sphinx
Location: to the north-east of Chephren Valley Temple.
History: In a depression to the south of the Chephren pyramid sits a creature with a human head and a lion body. The name sphinx which means strangler was first given by the Greeks to a fabulous creature which had the head of a woman and the body of a lion and the wings of a bird. The sphinx appears to have started in Egypt in the form of a sun god. The Egyptian sphinx is usually All Postsy ahead of a king wearing his headdress and the body of a lion. There are, however, sphinxes with ram heads that are associated with the god Amun. Where it sits was once a quarry. Chephren workers shaped the stone into the lion and gave it their king’s face over 4,500 years ago. The Sphinx faces the rising sun with a temple to the front which resembles the sun temples which were built later by the kings of the 5th Dynasty. The figure was buried for most of its life in the sand. King Thutmose IV (1425 – 1417 BC) placed a stela between the front paws of the figure. It describes when Thutmose More Details
3- The Egyptian Museum of Antiques
Location: It is situated in Tahrir square, Cairo, Egypt
Built: in 1897 Built by: Khedive Abbass Helmi
History: The Egyptian Museum was first built in Boulak. In 1891, it was moved to Giza Palace of “Ismail Pasha” which housed the antiquities that were later moved to the present building. Opened on November 15, 1902. It has 107 halls. At the ground floor, there are huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures, and the mummies. The Museum also comprises a photography section and a large library. The Egyptian museum comprises many sections arranged in chronological order More Details
4- Old Islamic Cairo Mosques and Area
1-Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque: It was built in Al Fustat in 21 A.H. / 642 A.D. by Amr Ibn Al Aas to be the first mosque in Egypt and in Africa. It was surrounded by the plans and houses of Al Fustat at the northeastern, southeastern and southwestern sides, but as for the northwestern one, there were no building since the mosque overlooked the Nile then. he mosque was of great importance in Islamic Egypt for it was the first university 600 years before Al Azhar mosque where the lessons` circles were held for the public, students and specialists in Quran, language and jurisprudence. Imam Muhammed Ibn Idris Al Shar’s learned there when he came to Egypt at the end of the 2nd century. A.H. / 8th century A.D.
2-Al-Rifa`i Mosque: This mosque was built in the place of the private mosque (Zawiyat) where Sheikh Hussayn Al Rifa`i was buried and where was originally an obliterated Fatimid mosque known as Al Zakhir Mosque 516 A.H. / 1122 A.D.More Details
5- Old Coptic Cairo and Old Churches
1-Saint Mercurius Church . is located in the heart of old Cairo, north of the Babylon Fortress, known as Abu Sayfayn Cloister, it is among many important historical other churches, it was built in the 6th century and underwent intensive restoration during the 12th century, dedicated to Saint Philopater Mercurius, it is also the largest church in this area. Saint Mercurius church was destroyed and converted to a sugarcane warehouse, but Patriarch Abraham rebuilt it again, and then in 1080, the Fatimid Badr Al-Gamal ordered 47 bishops to construct the Coptic canons.
Saint Mercurius church is divided into two churches one on top of the other, with various chapels dedicated to many Saints, there are also 15 marble columns, a door on the north side of the aisle that leads to the courtyard.
The church was rebuilt and renovated over the centuries, using wood and stonework that is why many parts of the church are earlier to the main structure.
2-The Hanging Church (Saint Virgin Mary Church) is considered one of the oldest and most amazing churches in Egypt, dates back to the 3rd century A.D, located in Al Fustat (old Cairo), it was renovated several times, the first built in Basilican style. More details
6- The Citadel of Salah Eldin
Location: on Mokattam hill near the center of Cairo
History: The Citadel was fortified by the Ayyubid ruler Salah al-Din (Saladin) between 1176 and 1183 CE, to protect it from the Crusaders. Only a few years after defeating the Fatimid Caliphate, Saladin set out to build a wall that would surround both Cairo and Fustat. Saladin is recorded as saying, “With a wall I will make the two [cities of Cairo and Fustat] into a unique whole, so that one army may defend them both; and I believe it is good to encircle them with a single wall from the bank of the Nile to the bank of the Nile.” The Citadel would be the centerpiece of the wall. Built on a promontory beneath the Muqattam Hills, a setting that made it difficult to attack, the efficacy of the Citadel’s location is further demonstrated by the fact that it remained the heart of Egyptian government until the 19th century. The citadel stopped being the seat of government when Egypt’s ruler, Khedive Ismail, moved to his newly built Abdin Palace in the Ismailiya neighborhood in the 1860s. More Details
7- Bibliotheca Alexandrina Museum
Location: Alexandria, Egypt.
Built: Completed October 2002
History: The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for Library of Alexandria) is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. It is both a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria that was lost in antiquity and an attempt to rekindle something of the brilliance that this earlier center of study and erudition represented. The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974 when a committee set up by Alexandria selected a plot of land for its new library, between the campus and the seafront, close to where the ancient library once stood. The notion of recreating the ancient library was soon enthusiastically adopted by other individuals and agencies. One leading supporter of the project was Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak; UNESCO was also quick to embrace the concept of endowing the Mediterranean region with a center of cultural and scientific excellence. An architectural, organized by UNESCO in 1988 to choose a design worthy More details
8- Karnak Temple
location: Luxor, Egypt Built: built and enlarged over a 1300 year period History: the Karnak Temple Complex usually called Karnak comprises a vast mix of ruined temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II (ca. 1391-1351 BC). Sacred Lake is part of the site as well. It is located near Luxor, some 500 km south of Cairo, in Egypt. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut (The Most Selected of Places) and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex takes its name from the nearby and partly surrounded, modern village of el-Karnak, and some 2.5 km north of Luxor. The history of the Karnak complex is largely the history of Thebes and its changing role in the culture. Religious centers varied by region and with the establishment of the current capital of the unified culture that changed several times. The city of Thebes does not appear to have been of great significance before the Eleventh Dynasty and previous temple building here would have been relatively small, with shrines being dedicated More Details
9- Valley of Kings – Luxor
Location: on the east bank, Luxor, Egypt.
History: the Valley of the Kings, less often called the Valley of the Gates of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. The wadi consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs situated) and West Valley. The Valley of the Kings took its name from the furnished rock-cut tombs for the kings of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties. At least 26 of the 32 rulers of these dynasties were buried in the Valley of the Kings. It is a small valley that lies about six kilometers or four miles from the western bank of the Nile at Thebes. It is 70 meters or 230 feet above the level of the river Nile. The valley was probably chosen as the burial place More Details
10 – Hatshepsut Temple – Luxor
Location: on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt. Built: in the 15th century BC. History: Deir el-Bahari is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs. The first monument built at the site was the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II of the Eleventh dynasty. During the Eighteenth dynasty, Amenhotep I and Hatshepsut also built extensively at the site. Mortuary temple of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep: Mentuhotep II, Eleventh Dynasty king who reunited Egypt at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, built a very unusual funerary complex. His mortuary temple was built on several levels in the great bay at Deir el-Bahari. It was approached by a 16-metre-wide (150-ft) causeway leading from a valley temple which no longer exists. The mortuary temple itself consists of a forecourt, enclosed by walls on three sides, and a terrace on which stands a large square structure that may represent the primeval mound that arose from the waters of chaos. More details
11- Efu Temple
Location: on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu 60 miles north of Aswan, Upper Egypt
Built: in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BCE.
Built by: started during the reign of Ptolemy III and completed under Ptolemy XII
History: The Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple which was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna, after the chief god Horus-Apollo. It is one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BCE. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth, and religion during the Greco-Roman period in ancient Egypt. In particular, the Temple’s inscribed building texts “provide details of its construction, and also preserve information about the mythical interpretation of this and all other temples as the Island of Creation.” There are also “important scenes and inscriptions of the Sacred Drama which related the age-old conflict between Horus and Seth.”They are translated by the German Edfu-Project. Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic period, including Dendera, Esna, Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple, More Details
12- Kom Ombo Temple
Location: 40km north of Aswan, Egypt.
Built: during the Greco-Roman period (332 BC AD 395)
Built by: Ptolemy VI
History: The temple is split up in two equal parts. It was dedicated to two Gods, Horus and Sobek the temple at Kom Ombo is about 30 miles (48 km) on the east bank of the Nile north Aswan. There was an earlier structure from the 18th dynasty but little remains.The Temple was mainly dedicated to the God Sobek, the crocodile God, together with his wife, in another form of the Goddess Hathor. The Temple is of Greco-Roman structure, dating back to the year 119 BC, when Ptolemy VI, who started the construction, built it out of limestone. Neos Dionysus finished most of the building, while Emperor Augustus added the final touches. The temple is unique because it is, in fact, a double temple, dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god, and Horus the falcon-headed god. The layout combines two temples in one with each side having its own gateways and chapels. On the inner side, of the back wall of the Temple, is a very remarkable scene! It shows the first illustration of medical and surgery tools. More Details
13- Philae Temple – Aswan
Location: at the first Cataract of the Nile, Aswan, Egypt.
History: Philae Island was a rocky island in the middle of the River Nile, south of Aswan. It was called in Hieroglyphic Apo which means Ivory. It was also known by the Greek Elephantine, most probably because it was an important center of trade, especially for ivory. The Ancient Egyptians built a beautiful and magnificent Temple on this island for the Goddess Isis, but the Temple became submerged after the first Aswan dam was built in 1906, and it was not until the seventies that many nations attempted to save the Temple. All these countries, together with UNESCO, selected a suitable place, but they had to wait until the completion of the High Dam, in 1971, which would stabilize the level of the water around their chosen island. The new island was called Egilica (also called Agilika), and it was completely reshaped to imitate Philae Island as closely as possible. Firstly, a cofferdam was built around the Temple and the water was drained. Next, the Temple was dismantled and transferred, stone by stone, from the submerged Philae Island to the redesigned Egilica Island. Each and every stone had to be numbered and then replaced, in the same position, in the new location. It was a massive, and very complicated, project taking over 9 years to be accomplished. The oldest structure on the island is the kiosk built by Nectanebo More Details
14- Abu Simbel Temple
Location: Southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 230 km southwest of Aswan.
Built: Construction of the temple complex started in approximately 1284 BC and lasted for about 20 years.
Built by: Ramesses II.
History: The Temples of Abu Simbel are amongst the most interesting Pharaonic Temples. Consists of two, rock-cut Temples, which both date back to the reign of King Ramses II (1290-1223 BC). This is the Great Temple of Abu Simbel. The temple was cut into the rock in the 13th century B.C. by the famous pharaoh Ramses II in honor of himself and the triad Amon-Ra, Ptah, and Ra-Harakhte. Together with a smaller temple dedicated to Ramses’ wife Nefertari and the goddess Hathor, it lay strategically in a bend of the river Nile overlooking the plains to the south as an impressive monument of Egypt’s might. As such it must have served to impress people coming from the south, possibly to scare anyone thinking of invading the land of Egypt. The temple’s strategical position proved unfortunate for its placement right at the bank of the Nile, because the building of a new dam in the Nile in the 1960s caused the water to rise to its feet, and threatened to eventually drown the great monument. During a great international rescue campaign headed by UNESCO between 1963 and 1967, the temple was moved to a higher and safe location. The front of the temple is dominated by four gigantic statues of the great Pharaoh himself. More Details
15- Hurghada City
Location: on the West Coast of the Red Sea, Egypt.
History: Once similar to many of the other little seaports and fishing villages along the eastern coastline, Hurghada has developed into Egypt & major Red Sea resort, catered by a growing number of hotels and self-contained beach-side holiday villages, with a wide and excellent variety of facilities. With guaranteed sunshine all year, golden sandy beaches, and warm turquoise water, Hurghada is an ideal place for travelers wishing to unwind and recharge their batteries. Hurghada is serviced by regular flights to and from Cairo and is accessible by a 528 km road journey Via Suez. A good road connects Hurghada with Luxor. This 280 km journey takes about four hours and combines the spectacular scenery of the eastern desert with the lush rural setting of the Nile. 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. If it takes place in or on the water you can do it here: windsurfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, but, above all, snorkeling and diving. The unique underwater gardens offshore are some of the finest in the world, justifiably famous amongst divers. The warm waters here are ideal for many varieties of rare fish and coral reefs. More Details
16- Sharm El Sheikh City
Location: on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt
History: Sharm el-Sheikh is the administrative hub of Egypt’s Southern Sinai province which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, Saint Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai. Sharm el-Sheikh is known as The City of Peace referring to a large number of international peace conferences that have been held there. The simplicity of sun, sea, and sand. The luxury of five-star hotels, water sports, shopping, and entertainment. This is Sharm el-Sheikh, one of the most accessible and developed tourist resort communities on the Sinai Peninsula. All around are Bedouins, colorful tents, mountains, and sea. There are small, intimate hotels with modern designs, as well as larger hotel complexes belonging to International chains, plus about the entire amenities one could expect of a tourist center, including casinos, discos and nightclubs, golf courses and health facilities. In fact, with 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 the southern section of the town stands on a cliff overlooking the port. More details
17- St.Catherine Monastery
Location: at the heartland of south Sinai at a distance of 300 km from Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel History: St. Catharine town is a town of a distinguished type of privacy. It is the highest of the inhabited area in Sinai. It is located at the top of a plateau that rises to 1600m above the sea level, and it is surrounded by a series of the highest mountains not only in Sinai but in Egypt as a whole. At the foot of the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments, lies the monastery. Early Christian hermits, searching seclusion from worldly affairs, were living around the holy mountain since the early times of Christendom. After her visit to the impressive site of the Burning Bush Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, decided in 330 AD to let a chapel be built at the site; and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. Many travelogues from early pilgrims talked about the massacres among the monks. Finally, in 527 AD Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a fortress. Above the heavy wooden entrance, wooden frames carry the names of Justinian. More Details
18- Siwa Oasis
The Siwa Oasis is an urban oasis in Egypt between the Qattara Depression and the Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert, nearly 560 km from Cairo. About 80 km in length and 20 km wide, Siwa Oasis is one of Egypt’s most isolated settlements, with about 33,000 people, Siwa is surrounded on all sides by diverse landscapes. To the north of Siwa is a range of stone outcrops and hills and to the south is the great sand sea of high rolling dunes. To the east is rocky desert stretching all the way to the Qattara depression, near El-Alamein and to the west is the border with Libya. mostly Berbers, who developed a unique culture and a distinct language of the Berber. More Details
19- Baharyia Oasis
Over time, the Bahariya Oasis has had a number of different names. It has been called the Northern Oasis, the Little Oasis, Zeszes, Oasis Parva and the especially during the Christian era, the Oasis of al-Bahnasa, along with various other names. At one time, the Bahariya Oasis, as well as most of the rest of what is today referred to as the Western (or Libyan) Desert, was the floor of an immense ocean. Yet from about 3000 BC until the present, almost no rainfall graces this part of the world, so groundwater is its lifeblood. More Details
20- Wadi El Rayan Waterfalls
Area: 1,758 km²
Designated as world heritage site: June 4, 2012
Location: 65 km southwest of Fayoum city, Egypt
History: The valley of Wadi El-Rayan stretches on an area of 1759 km2. The reserve is composed of: A 50.90 km2-Upper Lake, 62.00 km2-Lower lake, Waterfalls between the two lakes. In addition to springs, of which three are sulfur springs at the southern side of the lower lake, with extensive mobile sand dunes. Wadi El Rayan Waterfalls considered being the largest waterfalls in Egypt. Jabal Manqueer Al-Rayan at the south and southeast of the springs where marine fossils and archeological remains are found. Also, Jabal Madwera near the lower lake, which is known for its extensive dune formations. Jabal Madwera near the lower lake, which is known for its extensive dune formations. More Details
Location: to the north-east of Chephren Valley Temple.
Location: It is situated in Tahrir square, Cairo, Egypt
Location: on Mokattam hill near the center of Cairo
Location: Alexandria, Egypt.
location: Luxor, Egypt Built: built and enlarged over a 1300 year period History: the Karnak Temple Complex usually called Karnak comprises a vast mix of ruined temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings, notably the Great Temple of Amun and a massive structure begun by Pharaoh Ramses II (ca. 1391-1351 BC). Sacred Lake is part of the site as well. It is located near Luxor, some 500 km south of Cairo, in Egypt. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut (The Most Selected of Places) and the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex takes its name from the nearby and partly surrounded, modern village of el-Karnak, and some 2.5 km north of Luxor. The history of the Karnak complex is largely the history of Thebes and its changing role in the culture. Religious centers varied by region and with the establishment of the current capital of the unified culture that changed several times. The city of Thebes does not appear to have been of great significance before the Eleventh Dynasty and previous temple building here would have been relatively small, with shrines being dedicated More Details
Location: on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt. Built: in the 15th century BC. History: Deir el-Bahari is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs. The first monument built at the site was the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II of the Eleventh dynasty. During the Eighteenth dynasty, Amenhotep I and Hatshepsut also built extensively at the site. Mortuary temple of Nebhepetre Mentuhotep: Mentuhotep II, Eleventh Dynasty king who reunited Egypt at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, built a very unusual funerary complex. His mortuary temple was built on several levels in the great bay at Deir el-Bahari. It was approached by a 16-metre-wide (150-ft) causeway leading from a valley temple which no longer exists. The mortuary temple itself consists of a forecourt, enclosed by walls on three sides, and a terrace on which stands a large square structure that may represent the primeval mound that arose from the waters of chaos. More details
Location: on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu 60 miles north of Aswan, Upper Egypt
Location: at the first Cataract of the Nile, Aswan, Egypt.
Location: on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt
The Siwa Oasis is an urban oasis in Egypt between the Qattara Depression and the Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert, nearly 560 km from Cairo. About 80 km in length and 20 km wide, Siwa Oasis is one of Egypt’s most isolated settlements, with about 33,000 people, Siwa is surrounded on all sides by diverse landscapes. To the north of Siwa is a range of stone outcrops and hills and to the south is the great sand sea of high rolling dunes. To the east is rocky desert stretching all the way to the Qattara depression, near El-Alamein and to the west is the border with Libya. mostly Berbers, who developed a unique culture and a distinct language of the Berber. More Details
Over time, the Bahariya Oasis has had a number of different names. It has been called the Northern Oasis, the Little Oasis, Zeszes, Oasis Parva and the especially during the Christian era, the Oasis of al-Bahnasa, along with various other names. At one time, the Bahariya Oasis, as well as most of the rest of what is today referred to as the Western (or Libyan) Desert, was the floor of an immense ocean. Yet from about 3000 BC until the present, almost no rainfall graces this part of the world, so groundwater is its lifeblood. More Details
Area: 1,758 km²