Sightseeing

The Madinat Habu is the place where king Ramesses III decided to build his funerary temple. It is located on the western bank of the Nile River in Luxor city.

We know from inscriptions at sandstone quarries in Jabal Al-Silsila (north of Kom Ombo) that King Ramesses III ordered 300 workers to cut stones for constructed Habu temple from this quarry.

The design of Habu temple 1 – There is a massive wall surrounding the temple complex. This wall has an unusual gate called the pavilion gate. This gate distinguishes with its unique style, as it takes the style of the Syrian migdol fortresses. On this gate, there are depictions showing king Ramesses III in his wars in Syria.

2 – After passing through the open court, you will reach the pylon of the temple. Also, on the pylon, there are scenes for king Ramesses III in battles, as he appears smiting his enemies in front of the ancient Egyptian gods.

On the back of one of the two towers of the pylon, the king is depicted while he was in his journey and hunted the oxen.

3 – Then you will enter the first open court. The walls of this court are decorated with scenes depicting the wars against Syria and Libya.

4 – Then the second open court. It houses scenes depicting religious feasts, as the feasts of the gods Sokker (the god of the underworld) and the god Min (the god of fertility). In these festivals, the king appears giving offerings to the ancient Egyptian gods.  Later in the Christian times, this court was transferred to be a church.

5 – The first Hypostyle: there was an earthquake that occurred in 27 B.C. that caused damage to this court. This court is surrounded by 16 shrines.

• The first shrine is dedicated to King Ramesses III.
• The second shrine is dedicated to the god Ptah.
• The fourth shrine is dedicated to the boat of the god Sokker.
• The seventh shrine is dedicated to the sacred boat of the god Amon Ra.
• The fourteenth shrine is dedicated to the sacred boat of King Ramesses II.
• The fifteenth shrine is dedicated to the divine boat of the god Montho.
• While the other shrines are used as a store for the temple supplies.

The second and the third Hypostyle halls are similar, as they contain 8 papyrus columns in 2 rows.

At the end of the third hypostyle hall, there is the holy of the holies of the temple, as there are three gates leads to the main god of Thebes (Amon Ra – Mut – Khonso).

The Great Sphinx of Giza Plateau is one of the landmarks of Giza Plateau. It belongs to king Chephren or Khafre, the founder of the second pyramid at Giza Plateau. The Great Sphinx was carved directly out of the bedrock and was made of one single piece of limestone in Giza Plateau. It dates back to the fourth dynasty, the old kingdom. There is a temple in front of the statue called the Sphinx Temple.

There are many questions about who destroyed the nose of the sphinx. There was opinions said that Napoleon who destroyed during his campaign in Egypt, but the researches proved that the Egyptian historian al-Maqrīzī wrote in the 15th century that the nose was destroyed by Sa’im al-Dahr.

What does the word of sphinx mean? The Sphinx is a mythical creature taking the shape of the human head and lion’s body. The word Sphinx is a Greek word derived from the ancient Egyptian word (Ssp Ankh), meaning the living image. So we can say that the Sphinx statues are a metaphor for the physical and mental power of the living king, as the physical power can be noticed in the lion’s body, while the mental power can be noticed in the human head of the king himself who wearing the royal headdress.

While in the Arabic language, it is called Abu Al Hol. It is thought that it is derived from the ancient Egyptian word (Pr hol), meaning the house of the lion, or it is called by the Arab, meaning father of terror.

The Dream Stela The Great Sphinx has captured the imagination of travelers and explorers for millennia, even in ancient Egyptian times, as it became a symbol of the sun god.

There is a Stela was discovered in front of the Great Sphinx is called the dream Stela belonging to king Tuthmosis IV dating back to the 18th dynasty, New kingdom.  It is an inscribed granite slab.

King Thutmose IV put this Stela between its front paws of the Great Sphinx due to a sacred deal between him and the Sphinx when he was a prince; as he claimed that he saw the god in his dream and the god said to him if he removed the sand buried the Sphinx up to its shoulders, he would be the king. That was political propaganda for the king, and he documented that on this Stela.

Esna city was one of the most prestigious cities in ancient Egyptian history and the Greco-Roman period. Esna city houses many historical destinations, but the most important temple there is Esna Temple.

Who is the god Khnum? The god Khnum is one the most major gods in ancient Egyptian myths, as it is believed that he is the god of creation. Khnum appears in ram-headed with a human body or a lion body, as the avenue of rams in Karnak Complex.

The history of Esna Temple The establishment of the temple started from King Tuthmosis III reign in the 18th dynasty, New kingdom. The construction of the temple was completed during the Greco-Roman period.

The temple appears in a hall of columns with 24 pillars taking the shape of lotus floral and palm. On both sides of the entrance of the temple, there are chambers by the priests of the temple as storerooms.

Most of the depictions in the temple show the Roman Emperors giving offerings to the god Khnum and other gods and goddess of the temple, as Neith, Heka, Satet, and Menheyet.

This temple was considered a sacred place in ancient Egyptian civilization, as there were strict rules for entering the temple like dressing linen clothes, washing the hands with natron salt, and cutting the fingernails and toenails.

In addition, Esna city is famous for its barrage bridges and Esna lock that was built on the Nile River by the British in 1906.

Faiyum Governorate is considered one of the most significant and diverse tourist destinations in Egypt. It distinguishes with its natural beauty, historical, and cultural importance at the same time. Faiyum contains most of the tourism types, as it houses historical attractions dating back to the pre-dynastic period, ancient Egyptian civilization, Ptolemaic, and Roman times. Besides, its scenic nature reserves as Wadi El Rayan and the Valley of the Whales or Wadi El Hitan. Also, it includes rare types of flora and fauna.  In addition, the Heritage attractions like Tunis Village.

Tunis Village or Izbat Tunis lies in the western-most part of the Faiyum Governorate. It overlooks the southwestern part of Qarun Lake. It is considered one of the most important heritage tourism destinations and fabulous sightseeing in Egypt. This village is famous for pottery making, reflecting the Tunis community.

The role of Evelyne Porret in changing the lifestyle of the community of Izbat Tunis The history of this village started with a small house built on a hill. This house is owned by Mohammed Ibrahim Wali and his Tunisian wife. It was a small community depending on farming.

In 1962, the Egyptian poet Sayed Hegab and his wife, Evelyne Porret came to Tunis Village. Evelyne Porret was a Swiss potter. She noticed that this village is populated by farmers. Those farmers saw the potteries of Evelyne Porret and admired them. So in the 1960s, she decided to collaborate with the Egyptian architect Wissa Wassef, who has trusted the artistic of Tunis village.

Then in the 1980s, she established a Pottery School for advancement in this community, satisfying their desire and developing their skills. As a result of community efforts and Evelyne Porret, this village became a heritage tourism destination.

Over the last thirty years, Tunis Village attracts many famous foreign and Egyptian artists, painters, and architects to live in it and build their own houses there. No doubt that the surrounding environment has an essential effect on this success, as the village surrounds by wonderful green gardens along the shores of Lake Qarun providing tranquility. This makes many tourists visiting Tunis Village for relaxing and enjoying this natural beauty. That leads to establish hotels and restaurants in the village to accommodate those tourists.

The Festival of Pottery For encouraging community production, Tunis Village holds a social occasion every year by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and the Fayoum Tourism Authority for pulling in tourists, especially those interested in cultural and human heritage. This fest is called Tunis Pottery Festival. This celebration of pottery and handcrafts began in December 2011.

Through the fest, there are some habits is occurred as desert safaris and horse riding, and watching a bird on the shores of Lake Qarun joined by guides.

The success of the Pottery School gained fame until Evelyne Porret founded several exhibitions in Cairo and abroad of Egypt, in the Gulf Area, and Europe.

The Valley of the Queens is located on the western bank of Luxor city. This valley was dedicated for burying the wives of kings, who were buried in the Valley of the Kings.

This valley was discovered by Schiaparelli in 1904. It houses almost 81 tombs for queens, princes, princesses, and several members of the nobility of the new kingdom, the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.  It was known in ancient Egyptian language with Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning “the place of beauty”.

The first queen buried in the valley was the princess Ahmose, the daughter of Queen Sitdjehuti and King Seqenenre Tao, who was killed in the wars of liberation against the Hyksos.

The main reason for choosing this place to be the Valley of Queens is unknown, but there are some opinions said that:

• Because this place is close to the Valley of the Kings, as in previous dynasties, queens were buried inside the royal complex, but in the Valley of the Queens, the tombs are separated.
• Also, it is close to Deir el-Medina or the village of workers, who work in the Valley of the Kings.
• There is a chamber dedicated to the goddess Hathor in this place.

The design of these tombs begins with a small chamber, a long narrow corridor with several side rooms, then the burial chamber at the end of the tomb. Its tombs were decorated with religious scenes and books of the other world, which are still impressively preserved.

Tomb of Queen Nefertari The tomb of Queen Nefertari or the tomb QV66 is one of the most fabulous tombs in the valley.  Nefertari was the beloved wife of Ramesses II. It was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904. This tomb distinguishes with its well-preserved depictions. When you visit this tomb, you will see poetry written by king Ramesses II for queen Nefertari in the burial chamber.

The tomb of the prince Khaemwaset Also, the tomb of the prince Khaemwaset is one of the most beautiful tombs in the Valley of Queens. Khaemwaset is the son of king Ramesses III. In this tomb, you will be able to notice the father’s care for his son, as king Ramesses III depicted while he is helping his son in crossing the gates and skipping the obstacles of the afterworld due to the young age of his son in front of several gods.

The temple of Kom Ombo is one of the most beautiful Egyptian temples dating back to the Greco-Roman period. It is located on the east bank as it is perched atop a picturesque bluff alongside the Nile River.

The meaning of word “Kom Ombo” Kom Ombo word is divided into two parts. The first part is (Kom), meaning in Arabic a hill, while the second part (Ombo) means gold. The word Kom Ombo means the hill of the gold.

The history of Kom Ombo Temple The temple of Kom Ombo dates back to the Ptolemaic period and its construction was completed during the Roman period. This temple was built on the ruins of an older temple dating back to the 18th dynasty, Hatshepsut reign. This old temple was called “Ber Sobek”, meaning the house of the god Sobek.

This temple distinguishes that it is the only temple dedicated to two triads. The first triad is Sobek, the crocodile god, his wife Hathor, and their son Khonsu, while the second triad is Horus, the falcon god, his wife Ta Senet Nofret, and their son Paneb Tawy.

The design of the temple The temple is built of sandstone brought from Jabal al-Silsila. As Edfu temple, this temple has the same plan of temples during the Greco-Roman period, as it consists of the traditional elements of the temple during the ancient Egyptian times, with adding some elements of the Greco-Roman time, as the mamisi (house of divine birth).

• A few stairs lead you to the gate of the temple. This gate has inscriptions depicting the Ptolemaic kings beating the enemies and giving offerings to several gods.
• After that, the pylon of the temple. It is greatly destroyed.
• Then the courtyard that surrounded by columns from three directions.
• Then the hypostyle hall. It contains depictions for the ancient Egyptian gods, Ptolemaic Kings and Roman Emperors presenting offerings for gods, and the inscriptions referring to the rituals of the construction of the temple.
• Then you will find some corridors housing depictions for Ptolemaic Kings and Roman Emperors presenting offerings for gods, but the most unique scene is the calendar.
• Then you will enter the inner part of the temple, the two sanctuaries or the Holy of Holies of the temple for the god Sobek and the god.
• Behind the sanctuary, you will find one of the most unique inscriptions in the ancient Egyptian temples. It is surgical instruments scene, that reflecting the great advances that the ancient Egyptians had made in the field of medicine. This depiction presents different medical tools as scalpels, suction caps, bone saws, and dental tools.

• Also, there is a chapel for the goddess Hathor. It is located in the North-Eastern part of the Temple. It displays three mummies of crocodiles representing the god Sobek.
• As well, you will see the Nilometer that was used to measure the level of water in the Nile River. It was built during the Roman period.
• Besides the temple, you will find the Crocodile Museum, displaying several mummies for the Egyptian crocodiles.

The Temple of Horus at Edfu is considered one of the most beautiful and preserved temples in Egypt dating back to the Greco-Roman period, as its construction started with Ptolemy IV reign.

Edfu city was named with Apollopolis Magna, as the Greeks linked between the ancient Egyptian god, Horus, and their Greek god, Apollo. This city was known as the center for worshipping a triad of gods, (Horus of Behdet – his wife Hathor – their son, Hor-Sama-Tawy).

This temple of Edfu is located on the west bank of the Nile River. This is unique in ancient Egyptian history as it is a temple for god, so it should be on the east.

This temple is consists of the traditional elements of the temple during the ancient Egyptian times, with adding some elements of the Greco-Roman time, as the mamisi (house of divine birth).

Let’s start our tour in Edfu temple

• Firstly, you will find the pylon. It is considered one of the best surviving pylons among temples in Egypt. This pylon is decorated with scenes depicting the king in a battle smiting his enemies in front of the god Horus, the main god of this temple.
• Secondly, you will enter the open courtyard. This courtyard was opened to the public, as people entered this place for giving the offering to the god Horus.
• Then, there is the Hypostyle Hall. This hall contains two rooms, the library, and the storeroom of the temple. In addition, the scenes of the construction of the temple.
• Finally, at the end of the temple, there is the Holy of Holies. It houses a niche made of granite and the dais for resting for the divine boat.

Among the important scenes in the temple, scenes are depicting the divine marriage of Hathor and Horus of Behdet. This was considered as a feast in the ancient Egyptian myths occurring twice a year, once at the Dendera Temple and the second at the Edfu Temple.

There is another scene depicting the legend of the conflict between Horus and Seth, the victory of Horus over Seth, and Horus’s coronation to rule ancient Egypt.

The Citadel of Qaitbay is considered as one of the most important defensive fortresses along the Mediterranean Sea coast. It is located on the eastern side of Pharos Island in Alexandria.

The history of Citadel of Qaitbay This citadel was constructed by Circassian Sultan Al-Ashraf Abou Anasr Saif El-Din Qaitbay El-Jerkasy Al-Zahiry in 1477 to defend the Egyptian northern borders against the Ottoman attacks, as it was used as barracks for the soldiers and armories.

Sultan Qaitbay was a Mamluk and came to Egypt when he was young. Qaitbay became the Sultan in 1468. He was one of the most prominent Mamluk Sultans.

Qaitbay Citadel was established where the place of Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Egypt was distinguishes housing two wonders of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the great pyramid of Khufu and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

This lighthouse was built during the Ptolemaic period and destroyed due to an earthquake that occurred in 1303. Some of the lighthouse stones and blocks were reused in the construction of the citadel.

Throughout history, this citadel played a vital role due to its strategic location, so the Sultans and rulers keened to maintain it continuously. The citadel continued to function during the Mameluke period, the Ottoman period, and the Modern period, but in 1882 during Orabi revolt, the citadel was bombed by the British fleet resulting that it became neglected.

The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities in 2005 started to restore it to become a unique tourist destination on the Alexandria coast.

The description of the citadel

The citadel consists of three floors:
• The first floor contains the mosque divided into a courtyard and four iwans.
• The second floor has several halls and passages, might be used store weapons and provisions.
• The third floor houses the Sultan’s hall where he observed from it the movement of ships in the harbor, grain mill, and bakery for preparing food for soldiers.

The Haramlek of Montazah Palace, the last royal palace was built during the Muhammed Ali family, is one of the most famous sightseeing in Alexandria. It is located on at the eastern edge of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea coast.

The history of the Montazah Palace The royal family of Muhammad Ali Pasha chose Alexandria to be one of their destinations to escape from the summer heat. The Khedive Abbas Helmy II used to ride horses near Sidi Bisher in Alexandria. He noticed the amazing views of the sea in this place, so he decided to build Montazah Palace and gardens in 1892 to be the summer residence for the royal family.

The Khedive Abbas Helmy II asked Dmitri Fabersious, one of the most famous architects at the time, to put the design of this palace. The design of this palace mixes various types of styles as Byzantine, Classic, Gothic, and Islamic.

The Egyptian revolution that occurred in 1952 led that the palace was taken away by the Egyptian government. Then this palace becomes one of the presidential palaces for hosting the president’s visitors.

The Elements of Montazah Palace This palace, like the ottoman palaces, contains the Haramlek and the Salamlek. The Haramlek and the Salamlek are Turkish words. The Haramlek means the place where women stay, while the Salamlek is the place where men meet.

The Haramlek was built by King Fouad I in 1925 to be the last royal palace founded during the Muhammed Ali family.

The Haramlek consists of three floors:

• The first floor contains many rooms, but the most important rooms are the office of the king and the meeting room.
• The second floor houses many suites of the king, the queen, the princesses, and the prince Ahmed Fouad.
• The third floor hosts a hung terrace overlooking a fabulous view of the Mediterranean Sea.

This palace has a royal elevator.

The Montazah Gardens: the palace is surrounded by lush gardens with a Victorian bridge. It is 3000 meters wide and houses a huge selection of rare trees and plants.

King Farouk Tea Kiosk: this kiosk is located in the gardens of Montazah Palace. It was opened in 2020 to the public for the first time ever, as you will be able to enjoy having your brunch as a king while seeing the sea.

The Egyptian architect Mustafa Pasha Fahmy designed this kiosk and built it in 1936. It is built in the Roman style, as there are four statues depicting women who symbolize the four seasons of the year.

Throughout ancient history, Alexandria was known as a center for learning and melting different cultures because it houses the library of Alexandria or Bibliotheca Alexandrina the most famous destination for students in the ancient world.

It is important to be referred that there are two libraries of Alexandria libraries (the ancient library of Alexandria – the modern library of Alexandria).

The ancient Bibliotheca Alexandrina During the Ptolemaic period, Ptolemy II built the ancient Alexandria Library. This library contained many books in different specialties, so it became the main destination of many science students in the ancient world. It is said that it houses about 700,000 books, as it contained books from the ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations, as well as, the library obligated its scholars to leave a copy of their writings in the library. This led to making this library very rich with books in several specialties and from different cultures.

Some of its students were Euclid and Archimedes. This library was divided into three parts the original library or the Muses, the smaller library, and the book store.

It was a public library, in contrast to the libraries of temples at that time, which were accessed only for priests of temples.

Unfortunately, the ancient Library of Alexandria was destroyed during the attack of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII against Ptolemy XIII in 48 BC, where the ships in Alexandria port were burned by Caesar and this fire spread to the library.

The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina was built on the 16th of October 2002 when Lotfy Dowidar and the Egyptian Government asked UNESCO to revive the ancient Library of Alexandria.

The library is surrounded by a great wall, decorated with the letters and signs of 120 languages, referring to the wealth of knowledge in that building.  This wall is made of the granite of Aswan.

• The Antiquities Museum
  It is considered the first archeological museum to be situated within a library. The museum collection displays the ancient history of Egypt from the ancient Egyptian civilization to the Roman period. Part of the museum collection is displayed under the water of the Mediterranean Sea.
  The museum texts are written in three languages (English, Arabic, and French).
• The Manuscripts Museum
  This museum distinguishes with housing the largest collection of digital manuscripts in the whole world. It provides digital access to more than 6,000 rare books, maps, and documents.
• The Sadat Museum
  This museum contains many personal belongings of the Egyptian president Anwar Al Sadat, as his Nobel Prize medal and his military robe stained with blood, which he wore on the day of his assassination.
• The History of Science Museum

• The Arts and Multimedia Library/li>
• The Taha Hussein Library for the visually-impaired This library is named with Taha Hussein Library because its materials are specially designed for blind and visually impaired people. These materials enable them to read books.
• The Children’s Library
• The Young People’s Library
• The Exchange and Archive Section
• The Rare Books and Special Collections Library

• The Planetarium Science Center
• Culturama: It is a patented nine-screen interactive technology created by the Egyptian Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT) in 2007. Culturama allows the library to inform information that could never have been displayed by traditional displaying methods. Culturama exhibits three times from Egyptian history (Ancient Egyptian Period – Highlights of Islamic Civilization – Modern Egypt).

The new library of Alexandria seeks to revive the old library approach, as it is dedicated to recapturing the spirit of openness, spreading culture, and acting as a public research center.