The Arab Republic of Egypt is a country located on two continents: Africa and Asia. It inherited from the ancient Egyptian civilization unique historical and cultural monuments of world importance. Many of them are around 5,000 years old.
At least three unique factors attract tourists from all over the world to Egypt: year-round beach holidays, stunning coral reefs and the rich heritage of ancient Egyptian civilization. Skipping the beach-coral theme and focusing on some of the vast array of landmarks in this country that can leave a lasting impression.
Nile
The Nile is the second longest river on planet Earth. The source of life not only of Ancient, but also of modern Egypt. All major cities in the country are located on its shores, including the capital of the country, Cairo. About 97% of the population lives in its narrow coastal strip.
National Museum in Cairo
In 1902, the Egyptian National Museum was opened in Tahrir Square in Cairo. It has countless treasures of Ancient Egypt. The museum is filled with sarcophagi, mummies, statues and figurines, objects from royal tombs, papyri, and many other priceless artifacts. But the palm in popularity among tourists is held by the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered intact on November 3, 1922 by the English archaeologist Howard Carter.
In a heightened spotlight, there is an elaborate golden burial mask of the Pharaoh.
Pyramids of the Giza Valley and the Sphinx
On a rocky plateau near Cairo, man-made "mountains" of ideal shapes rise - three huge pyramids: Kheopas (Hofu), Khafre (Khafra), Mikerin (Menkaur), and three small ones. The great pyramids of Giza were for the pharaohs, the small ones for their wives. The rest of the tombs are for relatives and close associates of the pharaohs.
Adjacent to the pyramids is a giant figure of the majestic and mysterious Sphinx, facing east.
The purpose of the entire complex is a necropolis. The Pyramid of Cheops is considered one of the surviving 7 wonders of the world, and the Sphinx is the oldest sculpture on the planet. At the end of 2014, the restoration of this huge half-lion-half man was completed, and now tourists have the opportunity to get very close to the Sphinx.
Luxor Open Air Museum
On the site of the present city of Luxor, there was the capital of Ancient Egypt - Thebes. There are so many large monuments left in this region from the past that it is called an "open-air museum". The Nile divides the area in half: on one bank - the City of the Dead with the valleys of kings and queens, the colossi of Memnon, the temple of the extraordinary female pharaoh Hatshepsut; on the other, temple complexes and residential areas.
From the Luxor temple to the Karnak complex, there is an alley of sphinxes - Tari al-Kibash ("the road of the goats"). Along the entire length of the road, which is about 2, 7 km long, there are statues of sphinxes with goat heads. According to media reports, in early August 2018, a statue with the body of a lion and a human head was found in the alley during restoration work, which looks like the Great Sphinx in the Giza Valley.
Karnak complex
Karnak is a huge temple complex on the shores of a sacred lake. It has 33 temples, the most important of which is dedicated to the god Amon-Ra. The complex was constantly growing due to the fact that each pharaoh attached his own temples to it. True, there were cases when the buildings of the previous pharaohs were destroyed. So the sanctuary of Hatshepsut with wall images of her coronation was destroyed. Amenhotep III used parts of it as building material. The construction of the complex on the banks of the Nile began in the 16th century. BC. architect Ineni.
Colossi of Memnon
The two colossi are all that remains of the memorial temple of Amenhotem, which was guarded by these giant statues. They were considered images of the hero of the Trojan War, Memnon, killed by Achilles. But scientists have found out that these statues belong to the appearance of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. However, the name stuck and still exists. One of the colossi, injured during the earthquake, "sang" until the 2nd century AD. It stopped making sounds after its shattered parts were collected.
Valley of Kings and Queens
The Valley of the Kings is a gorge not far from ancient Thebes (now the Luxor region), in which tombs were carved into the rocks for the burial of the pharaohs for 500 years: from Thutmose I to Ramses X. The number of tombs found has exceeded six dozen.
Not far from the Valley of the Kings is the Valley of the Queens. About seventy burials of not only wives, but also the children of the pharaohs were found in it. Burials took place from about 1550s to 1070 BC. NS. The tomb of the wife of Ramses II Nefertari has been preserved here. The walls of the burial are decorated with polychrome fresco painting.
Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahri
A majestic temple in the area of ancient Egyptian Thebes (now Luxor), during her lifetime, was built by the woman-pharaoh Hatshepsut. The sanctuary, carved into the rock, is located on a dais. To climb to it, you need to overcome three terraces along a wide three-tiered staircase leading to them.
Abu Simbel
A unique place for several reasons:
- Two temples are carved into the rock: one in honor of Pharaoh Ramses II, the other in honor of his wife Nefertari.
- At the entrance there are 4 huge statues of Ramses II the Great: their height reaches 20 meters. The time of creation is about 1279-1213 BC. NS.
- The monument is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- Twice a year - October 22 and February 22 - a ray of the sun penetrates deep into the rocky corridor, which is 65 meters long, and for several minutes illuminates the four statues of the gods standing at its end.
- In the 60s of the XIX century, one of the outstanding engineering and archaeological operations in the world was carried out: the huge monument was moved to another place due to the threat of flooding by the waters of the reservoir, which was formed as a result of the construction of the famous Aswan Dam. Soviet specialists took part in its construction and the transfer of churches. Since the dam and the filling of the reservoir took place faster than the work on the transfer of the monument, a wall was built to protect the old place from water. This made it possible to continue work on the monument, although it was 12 meters below the level of the Nile.
Monastery of St. Catherine on the Sinai Peninsula and the Burning Bush
In the Sinai part of Egypt, there is a Christian monastery of St. Catherine with a mosque inside. It arose in the very place where God appeared before Moses, who was tending the sheep. Moses saw a thorn bush that was burning brightly, but miraculously did not burn. It turned out that God himself appeared in this form, who announced to Moses that he had chosen him for the salvation of the Jewish people from the Egyptian slavery.
According to legend, this very bush is still growing on the territory of the monastery. All attempts to propagate the plant and plant seedlings in other places have led to nothing. The bush grows outside, and its roots are under the altar of the Burning Bush chapel, one of the most ancient buildings of the monastery. You can enter it only by removing your shoes.
The monastery has never been destroyed or closed since its founding in the 4th century. The inhabitants of the monastery are mainly Greek Orthodox monks.
Climbing Mount Moses and meeting the sunrise at its top
There is a strong belief that those who ascended the top of Mount Sinai (Moses) and met the dawn there will be forgiven for all their sins. It is unlikely that this is so, but since ancient times, pilgrims have made ascents to the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, standing at the very top, and hold services there. There is a small mosque next to the church.
Tourists who dare to climb make it as part of tourist groups for several hours. The time of the night ascent is calculated in such a way that people have time to climb to the summit before dawn. The difficulty or ease of lifting depends on the level of physical fitness or the strength of the religious urge. It should be borne in mind that no matter how hot it is at the bottom of the mountain, it is very cold at the top before sunrise. With its appearance, the air temperature instantly warms up, and stunning, unforgettable views of the Sinai mountains open up.
