At the top of every travelers list you will most likely find Egypt. People are drawn to its great monuments and world famous temples and pyramids. These incredible structures have intrigued us all for centuries.
While visiting this ancient city, you can imagine being back in the time of the Pharaohs. People still dress traditionally wearing their headscarfs and bedouin wraps. Call to prayer can be heard 5 times a day. There is a strong sense of tradition in the land and you feel as if you are frozen in time. Visiting the great pyramids lets you imagine exactly what life would have been like thousands of years ago.
It is impossible to understand how the Pyramids of Giza have survived over 4000 years. The desert, looters and all of the elements that Mother Nature can throw at them will not destroy these ancient structures. To see these giants standing proud over the land, you wonder in awe how they could have possibly be built by human hands. Take a camel to see the grounds and imagine that you are an ancient Pharaoh coming across these great monuments for the first time. What would it have felt like then?
Once you have explored Cairo, make your way south to Luxor a city located on the Nile River. It is here that you will find The Valley of the Kings, the final resting place for 63 kings and noblemen of ancient time. King Tut was buried here and his chamber can be explored.
A good travel tip is to hide your camera when entering the grounds. Many people manage to bring their camera's in and photos are allowed outside the temples. Do not however attempt to take a photo inside any of the temples. The flash can damage the ancient paints and you will have your camera taken away instantly. It is nice to have photo's from outside though because the valley is massive and impressive.
Rameses IV and Merneptah are two temples not to be missed. Well preserved and interesting, they are both quite different experiences. King Tuts tomb is most likely not open for visitors, but it is not considered and impressive tomb anyway. Only a handful of tombs are open to tourists at any one time, so you are at the mercy of what is open for viewing on the day of your visit. The chambers are all impressive though, simply for the fact that they are thousands of years old. But also with the grand scale of their size and for the scenes painted on their walls that have survived for centuries.
They have made the afterlife pleasant for their rulers. Large airy chambers are inviting and the bright colours on the walls make you feel as if you are visiting a joyous place rather than a place of burial. Kings were buried with great treasures, but the chambers in the Valley of the Kings are empty. Bandits had robbed the tombs years ago and whatever had been saved by excavators are now safely stored at the Antiquities Museum in Cairo.
Temple of Hatshepsut This was a surprising Temple that is a very popular destination. Egypt was ahead of its time by thousands of years. They had female Kings and Hatshepsut was one of their most successful Pharaohs. Ruling for 21 years.
It is one of the most successful temples blending harmoniously with the land. Built into the side of an imposing cliff, it is thought to be one of the most dramatic temples on earth. Massive and intricate it is a sight not to be missed.
Don't let the massacre of 1997 scare you away from seeing this great temple. Armed guards patrol the grounds and after 12 years, calm has been restored in the land. By the looks of the amount of people visiting the ruins, it has not been hurt by tourism in recent years.
Luxor Temple While in Luxor, you cannot miss the Luxor Temple. Located right in town on the Nile River, it is an impressive monument. It is lit up at night for breathtaking photo opportunities. A little travel tip...the McDonald's right across the street has an incredible view of the temple, but not only that, has free Wifi. So you can have lunch, update your blog and take in the sights all at once.
Standing on the banks of Lake Nasser enroute to Sudan is Abu Simbel this temple was originally built on lower ground. With the creation of the Aswan Dam, an enormous undertaking was initiated in the 1960s to move the ruins to higher ground to keep them from becoming submerged under water.
Abu Simbel was built in 1265 BC. Four great images of Rameses II stand 20-metres high overlooking the great lake. It is definitely worth the over 200km trip from Luxor, or you can see it from the ferry to Wadi Halfa in the Sudan.
It is difficult to grasp just how ancient everything is in the country. Everywhere you turn buildings are thousands of years old. It is almost overwhelming to fathom that every building, structure and monument has a story to tell.
While visiting this ancient city, you can imagine being back in the time of the Pharaohs. People still dress traditionally wearing their headscarfs and bedouin wraps. Call to prayer can be heard 5 times a day. There is a strong sense of tradition in the land and you feel as if you are frozen in time. Visiting the great pyramids lets you imagine exactly what life would have been like thousands of years ago.
It is impossible to understand how the Pyramids of Giza have survived over 4000 years. The desert, looters and all of the elements that Mother Nature can throw at them will not destroy these ancient structures. To see these giants standing proud over the land, you wonder in awe how they could have possibly be built by human hands. Take a camel to see the grounds and imagine that you are an ancient Pharaoh coming across these great monuments for the first time. What would it have felt like then?
Once you have explored Cairo, make your way south to Luxor a city located on the Nile River. It is here that you will find The Valley of the Kings, the final resting place for 63 kings and noblemen of ancient time. King Tut was buried here and his chamber can be explored.
A good travel tip is to hide your camera when entering the grounds. Many people manage to bring their camera's in and photos are allowed outside the temples. Do not however attempt to take a photo inside any of the temples. The flash can damage the ancient paints and you will have your camera taken away instantly. It is nice to have photo's from outside though because the valley is massive and impressive.
Rameses IV and Merneptah are two temples not to be missed. Well preserved and interesting, they are both quite different experiences. King Tuts tomb is most likely not open for visitors, but it is not considered and impressive tomb anyway. Only a handful of tombs are open to tourists at any one time, so you are at the mercy of what is open for viewing on the day of your visit. The chambers are all impressive though, simply for the fact that they are thousands of years old. But also with the grand scale of their size and for the scenes painted on their walls that have survived for centuries.
They have made the afterlife pleasant for their rulers. Large airy chambers are inviting and the bright colours on the walls make you feel as if you are visiting a joyous place rather than a place of burial. Kings were buried with great treasures, but the chambers in the Valley of the Kings are empty. Bandits had robbed the tombs years ago and whatever had been saved by excavators are now safely stored at the Antiquities Museum in Cairo.
Temple of Hatshepsut This was a surprising Temple that is a very popular destination. Egypt was ahead of its time by thousands of years. They had female Kings and Hatshepsut was one of their most successful Pharaohs. Ruling for 21 years.
It is one of the most successful temples blending harmoniously with the land. Built into the side of an imposing cliff, it is thought to be one of the most dramatic temples on earth. Massive and intricate it is a sight not to be missed.
Don't let the massacre of 1997 scare you away from seeing this great temple. Armed guards patrol the grounds and after 12 years, calm has been restored in the land. By the looks of the amount of people visiting the ruins, it has not been hurt by tourism in recent years.
Luxor Temple While in Luxor, you cannot miss the Luxor Temple. Located right in town on the Nile River, it is an impressive monument. It is lit up at night for breathtaking photo opportunities. A little travel tip...the McDonald's right across the street has an incredible view of the temple, but not only that, has free Wifi. So you can have lunch, update your blog and take in the sights all at once.
Standing on the banks of Lake Nasser enroute to Sudan is Abu Simbel this temple was originally built on lower ground. With the creation of the Aswan Dam, an enormous undertaking was initiated in the 1960s to move the ruins to higher ground to keep them from becoming submerged under water.
Abu Simbel was built in 1265 BC. Four great images of Rameses II stand 20-metres high overlooking the great lake. It is definitely worth the over 200km trip from Luxor, or you can see it from the ferry to Wadi Halfa in the Sudan.
It is difficult to grasp just how ancient everything is in the country. Everywhere you turn buildings are thousands of years old. It is almost overwhelming to fathom that every building, structure and monument has a story to tell.
About the Author:
Deb Corbeil is one half of Canada's unique Couple. Side by side with her spouse Dave Bouskill they have trekked, hiked, biked and climbed to over 30 countries all over the globe. Visit their website theplanetd for more tips, advice and information on travel and unique locations. To view their photo gallery click on picturetheplanet