Egypt Journey

View From Mount SinaiIf you’ve got Egypt on your list of places to visit before you die, you’re like a lot of people. And why shouldn’t you be? Whether for historical significance, ageless wonder or timeless beauty, the lure of Egypt is strong.

But most people have the same places on their list of spots to hit, such as the Valley of the Kings, a Nile cruise or a trip to the Giza Pyramids. While these are obviously hugely significant places to see, they’re not the only ones that Egypt has to offer. Below are a few must-see places that the average tourist may not have on his or her list of places to explore—yet! Read more

Baksheesh for this photo by fetus karateOne of the most common complaints you’ll hear from tourists visiting Egypt (and other Arab countries) is the feeling they are being hassled by the ubiquitous requests for “baksheesh” which accompany almost any small service. Westerners often consider baksheesh to be like tipping and so have difficulty understanding why someone opening a door or giving you directions to the toilet considers that they are due a tip. Mark Twain visited Egypt and later complained about the "torture that no pen can describe from the hungry appeals for baksheesh that gleamed from Arab eyes." However, these requests should be not considered to be simple greed. This is not an attempt by Egyptians to rip–off western tourists. The annoyance springs from our failure to understand a concept that is central to Egyptian culture. Read more

St. Catherines Monastery photographed by Magnus ManskeSaint Catherine's Monastery is also known as St. Helena's Chapel. The official name is a serious mouthful “Sacred and Imperial Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount of Sinai”. It is located on the Sinai Peninsula, at the entrance to an inaccessible gorge located at the foot of Mount Mousa (or Jebel Mousa). This spot is thought by many to be the biblical Mount Sinai (where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God). The monastery is Greek Orthodox and claims to be the oldest working Christian monastery in the world (although the monks of the Monastery of Saint Anthony near Cairo would dispute that). The site is sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Read more

The Luxor temple complex is one of the main tourist attractions at popular destination Luxor (ancient Thebes). It is smaller than the famous temple complex of Karnak but equally worth a visit. It was known as "ipet resyt" ("the southern harem") by the Egyptians.

The temple complex was originally constructed during the New Kingdom for one of the most famous festivals in the Egyptian calendar – the feast of Opet. During this festival statues of Amun, Mut and Khonso would travel from Karnak in their sacred barques (boats) to the Luxor temple where the marriage of Amun and Mut was celebrated and the Pharaoh was symbolically reunited with his Ka (divine spirit). The city of Luxor would grind to a halt for the festival every year and huge quantities of food and drink would be consumed as the population celebrated. Read more

The Valley of the Kings is one of the most memorable places we visited in Egypt. It is a secluded valley which houses the tombs of the pharaohs great and small. Sadly the location was not secret enough and before archaeologists could get in on the act most of the tombs had already been thoroughly ransacked by thieves. When you consider that the only tomb found completely intact was Tutankhamun’s and he reigned for a very short time and had one of the smallest of all the tombs we can only imagine what treasures and wonders may have been buried in some of the larger tombs.

The valley is situated on the west bank of the Nile across the river from what was Thebes but is now Luxor. In total they have discovered over 60 tombs and chambers there and many are open to the public for a spot of exploration. The site is incredibly popular and so it gets very busy indeed, it is also far enough from the river that the heat can be unbearable. Read more

Hatshepsut was a fascinating character and one of the few females to rule ancient Egypt as pharaoh. She initially came to power by acting as regent for her infant stepson but when he came of age instead of passing rule to him she made herself pharaoh. Her reign was long and successful and she was a prolific builder. Her mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri near the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the Nile at Luxor is a stunning monument to her power.

The mortuary temple is in one of the most amazing locations imaginable at the head of a valley nestled in amongst the peaks. This beautifully symmetrical geometric temple structure is a tribute to the architectural style and skill of the ancient Egyptians. The avenue leading up to entrance would originally have been lined with trees and sphinxes and there would have been entrance pylons to mark it which are now sadly gone. Read more

The island of Philae (situated about four miles south of Elephantine) was the cult centre of Isis during the Ptolemaic Period. Although the island was only around 457 metres by 146 metres it was almost entirely covered with temples and monuments. The most impressive of the bunch was the temple complex dedicated to Isis herself.

The islands of Philae and Bigeh combined to form a temple complex in which the ritual focus was on the "Tomb of Osiris" on the island of Bigeh while Isis was worshipped on the larger island of Philae. Every tenth day Isis and her retinue of priests would travel to Bigeh to visit the tomb of Osiris. However, a number of Upper Egyptian or Nilotic deities and Nubian gods and goddesses were also represented.

In ancient times the temples and buildings of Philae were protected from the yearly flood waters of the inundation by sturdy granite foundations and high walls. Read more

The Temple of Kom Ombo was built by the Ptolemaic dynasty and it was dedicated to the crocodile headed god Sobek and the falcon headed god Horus. The Ptolemy’s came late in the history of ancient Egypt and ruled for almost three hundred years after the empire was conquered by Alexander the Great. Although they originally came from Macedonia they assumed the customs and many of the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.

The temple is located at the town of Kom Ombo which is a few miles north of Aswan. It was built on a dune overlooking the Nile and while it was started by Ptolemy VI back in the second century B.C. it was later added to by Ptolemy XIII and the Roman Augustus. It was originally a huge structure and the two halves are identical in terms of layout with the southern half dedicated to Sobek and the northern to Horus. Read more

Abu Simbel is an incredible archaeological site which is not be missed. This popular attraction features two massive temples carved directly into the mountainside by the great Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century B.C. one for himself and one for his favourite wife and queen, Nefertari.

The temples are huge structures and the larger of the two took twenty years to build and features four 20 foot high statues of Ramesses II with smaller statues of his mother, wife and children at his feet. There are rows of baboons flanking the entrance and a relief which features Ramesses paying tribute to the falcon headed god Re-Harakhte. In fact the temple is dedicated to the four universal gods Ptah, Re-Harakhte, Amun-Re and Ramesses himself. Inside the Great Hall is 57 feet high and 52 feet wide and there are stunning painted columns and hieroglyphs and a great carving commemorating his victory over the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh. Ramesses is pictured firing arrows from his chariot and smiting his enemies. Read more