الخميس، 23 فبراير 2012

Honeymoon

Cairo, Aswan-Luxor Nile Cruise, Hurghada, Cairo

Day 1: Arrive in Egypt

Upon arrival on the Egypt Honeymoon Tour you will be met at the Cairo International Airport by an expert representative. You will then board an air-conditioned, modern vehicle to your luxury Cairo Hotel, the Mena Oberoi Hotel. You will spend the night in Cairo.

Day 2: Pyramids Tour

After enjoying breakfast in your hotel, you will visit Memphis, the ancient capital of the Old Kingdom. The Step Pyramid in Saqqara is the next stop on the itinerary, and lunch is served at the Al Ezba Restaurant, followed by the Giza Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus, situated on the Giza Plateau. You will also visit the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple, before returning to your hotel for the night.

Day 3: Fly to Aswan/Nile Cruise

Start your day with breakfast in your hotel, and then transfer to the Cairo Airport for your flight to Aswan.

On arrival in Aswan, you will be transferred to the luxury Nile cruise ship M/S Oberoi Philae. Afternoon tea, a cocktail reception, a la carte dinner, music and dancing are the highlights of your first night aboard ship.

Day 4: Aswan Sightseeing

On day 4 of your Egypt Honeymoon Tour you will enjoy breakfast aboard ship, and then you will visit the Aswan High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple.

That afternoon, you will enjoy a lunch buffet while sailing to Kom Ombo, where you will visit the Kom Ombo Temple. That evening, you will sail on to Edfu, where you will enjoy afternoon tea, an Egyptian buffet dinner and a costume party before going to bed aboard ship.

Day 5: Edfu and Luxor

After breakfast aboard ship, you will visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu and then set sail for Esna. You will enjoy a buffet lunch and afternoon tea as you sail on to Luxor, as well as a formal dinner, with music and dancing. You will anchor in Luxor for the night.

Day 6: Luxor Sightseeing

On day 6 of your Egypt Honeymoon Tour you will enjoy breakfast aboard ship and then visit the West Bank area, which includes the Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habou and the Colossi of Memnon. Aboard ship, you will enjoy a buffet lunch and then have the afternoon free to explore. An a la carte dinner is served aboard ship.

Day 7: Luxor East Bank/Hurghada

You will disembark from your ship after an early breakfast. The first stop will be the Karnak Temples, followed by the Luxor Temple. Next, you will take an air-conditioned vehicle to Hurghada, where you will check into your deluxe results, Steigenberger Aldau Resort.

Day 8, 9 & 10: Hurghada/Red Sea

Once you have enjoyed breakfast, you will head out for diving in the Red Sea for three days. You will experience coral reefs, rare marine life and more. Non-divers can enjoy snorkeling and diving classes. You will stay at the resort at night.

Day 11: Cairo/Egyptian Museum

After breakfast, you will enjoy leisure time, before being transferred to the Hughada International Airport, where you will take a flight for Cairo. On arrival in Cairo you will visit the Egyptian Museum. After exploring the museum you will be transferred to the Fairmont Towers Hotel for the night.

Day 12: Final Departure

The final day of the of Egypt Honeymoon Tour. You will enjoy breakfast in the hotel and then transfer to the Cairo International Airport for your departing flight.

Exclusions:

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الأربعاء، 1 فبراير 2012

هو بناء لبيت بتصميم فريد وغريب جعل الناس في فييتنام يعرفونه باسم “البيت المجنون”تعود ملكية هذا Hang Nga دار ضيافهالبيت اللذي يعمل الذي يعمل كفندق أو دار ضيافة، إلى ابنة رئيس فيتنام السابق Hang Nga (اسمها الكامل Hang Viet Nga)، وهي نفسها من قامت بتصميمه، حيث تم منحها الحرية الكاملة في تصميم فندقها، فكانت النتيجة أن أبدعت بناءا غير مألوف، إن رأيته للوهلة الأولى تحسبه بيتا بني في جذع شجرة عملاقة، لكنه في الحقيقة تصميم تم بناؤه باستعمال أساليب غير تقليدية، فهو بني بالاعتماد على أشكال عضوية وغير مستقيمة، لذلك لا تتوقع أن تجد به نوافذ مربعة الشكل أو دائرية، كما به العديد من مجسمات الحيوانات والعناكب !
إنه بيت مختلف كليا عما قد تتصوره، وقد أصاب أهل فييتنام حينما أسموه بالبيت المجنون !!

أجمل حصان في العالم

من اندر وأجمل سلالات الاحصنة التركية حائز على جائزة اجمل حصان في العالم

كلمات أعجبني

ليس من الصعب أن تضحي من أجل صديق عزيز ، ولكن من الصعب أن تجد الصديق الذي يستحق التضحية ..

الصداقة كالمظلة كلما إشتد المطر كلما إزدادت الحاجة إليها ..

هناك ثلاثة ضيوف قد يأتون لديك دون سابق إنذار ..

الحب .. الموت .. الحظ ..

إن بين الحب والوقت علا قة أبدية ، فالحب يقتل الوقت بسرعة شديدة ، والوقت يقتل الحب ببطء شديد ..

هنالك ثلاثه لا يعرفون الشبع :

طالب العلم ، طالب المال ، طالب الشهرة ..

:هنالك صداقات لا تنتهي

صداقة المرأه بمرآتها ، وصداقة الكاتب والقارئ بكتابة ، وصداقة المنافق بحذاء من ينافقة

المتواكل هو الشخص الذي يتغنى بأن الصبر هو مفتاح الفرج ، ولا يكلف نفسة عناء البحث عن الباب الذي سيستخدم فيه هذا المفتاح لفتحه

لا تبكي علي اي علاقه في الحياه لان الذي تبكي من اجله لايستحق دموعك والشخص الذي يستحق دموعك لم يدعك تبكي ابد

الحب أوله ذِكْرٌ وآخره فكر

الحق يحتاج إلى رجلين .. رجل ينطق به ورجل يفهمه.

إذا خفتَ لا تَقُلْ .. وإذا قلتَ لا تخَف

مأساتان في هذه الحياة .. أن تجد من تحبه .. وأن لاتجد من تحبه ..

قد تنسى الذي ضحكت معه ، ولكن لن تنسى الذي بكيت معه

درجات العلم للأصمعي

أول العلم الصمت ، والثاني الاستماع ، والثالث الحفظ ، والرابع العمل ، والخامس نشره

من كثر مزاحه زالت هيبته ، ومن كثر خلافه طابت غيبته

أقدام متعـبة وضمير مستريح خير من ضمير متعـب وأقدام مستريحة

الثلاثاء، 31 يناير 2012

THE HANGING CHURCH

The Hanging Church derives its name from its location on top of the southern tower gate of the old Babylon fortress with its nave suspended above the passage.
It became known to travelers during the 14th and 15th centuries as the "staircase church" because of the twenty-nine steps that lead to the entrance.
It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, St. Barbara and St. John the Baptist.
It is the most famous Coptic Christian church in Cairo, as well as the first built in Basilica style.
By the 11th century AD, it became the official residence of the Coptic patriarchs of Alexandria.
Some patriarchs were either enthroned or elected at El Muallaqa, and a number of others were buried at the church during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Also, Coptic synods were held in the church to determine which day Easter would fall or to judge priests or bishops suspected of heretical teachings.
It was probably built during the patriarchate of Isaac (690-92), though an earlier church building may have existed dating as earlier as the 3rd or 4th century.
The church was largely rebuilt during by the patriarch Abraham (975-78) and has seen many restorations.
Some objects of historical interest that were no longer of service of this church went to the Coptic Museum.
Though now in the Coptic Museum, the oldest artifact unearthed in the church was a lintel showing Christ's entry into Jerusalem and dates from ether the 5th or 6th century.
However, though there are many objects from the church in the Coptic Museum, inside the church are collections of over one hundred icons of which the oldest dates from the 8th century.
Among those very interesting icons of this church are seven small icons that depict the life of Saint John the Baptist.
All of those icons are the work of a single Armenian artist, Orhan Karabedian, and were executed in 1777.
Within the church's southern aisle is a small door of fine pine wood inlaid with translucent ivory plating. This leads to the "little church", actually a chapel, which represents the oldest section of the structure!!!!!
At one time, all of the columns of this chapel were adorned with paintings, but today, only the scene on the fifth column from the east in the southern row is visible.

It probably depicts a female saint who was possibly either a Queen or a Princess.

Al-Azhar Mosque

The Mosque of al-Azhar was founded by Jawhar al-Siqilly, the Fatimid conqueror of Egypt, in 970 as the congregational mosque for the new city of al-Qahira. The first khutba was delivered from its minbar in 972 and a university was established there in 988.

The original structure is a hypostyle mosque, with the aisles defined by round arches on pre-Islamic marble columns with Corinthian capitals, and with the axis to the mihrab emphasized by a wide longitudinal aisle (transept), higher than the rest of the prayer hall. The other aisles are transverse, running parallel to the qibla wall. The termination of the transept at the mihrab is marked by a dome.

Among the original decorations are stucco panels and a window screen in the original qibla wall, stucco representations of a palm tree on the piers of the wall facing the original qibla wall. Also original are the stucco decorations on the inside of the northeast wall of the sanctuary, including bands of Kufic inscriptions framing windows with geometric stucco grilles, and the Kufic inscriptions and stucco carving in the hood of the mihrab. The stucco panels above it, however, belong to the restoration of Sultan Baybars I.

The courtyard was originally enclosed with three arcades. Part of the work of Caliph al-Hafiz (1138) is the addition of an arcade around all four sides of the courtyard, displaying keel-shaped arches, roundels, and keel-arched niches. The transept commences with a pishtaq, which is set in the courtyard's prayer-hall facade and was also built in the time of al-Hafiz. Behind this pishtaq in the first bay is a dome on squinches. This dome, the arches supporting it, the striking stucco decoration both on the spandrels of these arches and the interior of the dome, and the window grille above the qibla side arch that is the earliest extant example of stained-glass in Egypt, were also added by al-Hafiz.

The Shafi'i monopolized the law during the Ayyubid period, so the Friday khutba in Cairo could be delivered from one mosque only. Consequently, the Azhar lost its status as a Friday mosque, when the Mosque of al-Hakim, by virtue of being the largest mosque in the city, was chosen in its stead. In 1266 during the reign of Mamluk Sultan Baybars I, Amir 'Izz al-Din Aydamur al-Hilli restored the mosque and elevated it to khutba status, and Amir Badr al-Din Bilik al-Khazindar had a maqsura made for it.

Mamluk madrasas were established in the ziyada (outer enclosure): Taybarsiyya in 1309 and Aqbughawiyya in 1340. The Taybarsiyya has two iwans, one for the Shafi'ites and the other for the Malikites. Its mihrab is representative of an early Bahri Mamluk combination of glass mosaic and polychrome marble inlay. The mihrab's semi-dome is set in an outer arch surrounded by a molding which forms a loop at its apex, and continues horizontally and then vertically downwards to form a rectangular outer frame for the spandrels of this arch. This is the earliest occurrence of this feature in Egypt. The upper part of the mihrab is framed by a band of white marble with a decorative motif inlaid in black.

The Aqbughawiyya, with a minaret by the royal chief-architect Mu'allim al-Suyufi (also 1340), had housed al-Azhar's valuable collection of Qur'ans and manuscripts since 1898, but has since been relocated to another building. For another minaret by tMu'allim al-Suyufi, see al-Maridani. Originally a madrasa, it was later used for the Sufi exercise of hudur. In fact, in the early 14th c. mosques and madrasas were arenas for Sufi performances including dance and music. It is particularly noted for its portal, adorned with red and black marble inlay, and mihrabs featuring decorations in glass mosaic and mother of pearl.

The foundation (madrasa and mausoleum) of Jawhar al-Qunqubay, added in 1440, displays the earliest example of arabesque foliage carving on the exterior surface of a stone dome in Cairo. Additions by Sultan Qaytbay include the main gate to the courtyard at the end of the passage between the Aqbughawiyya and the Taybarsiyya (1469), and the minaret above it (ca. 1477). Later restorations by Qaytbay under the superintendence of Khwaja Mustafa ibn Mahmud ibn Rustem al-Rumi were finished in 1496. The double-finial minaret belongs to the works of Sultan al-Ghuri (1501-16).

Later works include those of Mamluk 'Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda (under the Ottomans), part of which is the main portal and the expansion behind the Fatimid mihrab, in 1753, and those of Khedive 'Abbas Hilmy in 1894. This mosque served as a model for the Mosque of the Qarafa, a congregational mosque built by al-Sayyida al-Mu'izziyya in 976.

EL HAKIM

Egypt is famous in particular for the diversity and multitude of its Islamic monuments which were built through different eras. The building of Islamic monuments in Egypt has started since the Moslems first opened Egypt in 641 AD. From this point on, Egypt has been ruled by many Islamic dynasties: starting with the "Rashdin Caliphs", the Tulunids, the Fatimids, the Ayyubids, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and ending with rulers from the family of Mohamed Ali.

Each of these periods had its own requirements and characteristics which were clearly reflected on the shape, size, and style of the architecture. Moreover, Each ruler tried his best to build structures that express the features of the period he went through.

Among the most famous Islamic monuments in Egypt , there is the Mosque of Mohamed Ali in the citadel of Salah El Din, the Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, the Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, The mosque of Al Azhar, and the Mosque of Amr Ibn Al As, the oldest mosque ever built in Egypt and in Africa.one of the oldest Islamic monuments in Egypt, and its builder, Al Hakim, one of the most famous Caliphs that ever ruled Egypt.

However, there are many other amazing Islamic monuments in Egypt that tourists, and even Egyptians themselves, usually miss because probably they don’t know of their existence. Some of these monuments are really unique ,picturesque, and have been built on a vast piece of land .

One of the best examples of these remarkable monuments is the Mosque of Al Hakim Be'amr Allah which is considered

The Mosque of Al Hakim is now located at the end of Al Muiz Street very close to Bab El Fetooh, one of Egypt's ancient gates. It is also near the famous Khan El Khalili market. Therefore, it is always a good idea to explore the monuments in the Muiz Street after visiting the most famous tourists market in the world, putting in consideration that Cairo one day only consisted of this narrow street and the areas around it. Therefore the street contains a huge variety of Islamic monuments.

Construction work of the ancient Mosque of Al Hakim started in the year 990 AD with a decision from the Fatimid Caliph "Al Aziz be Allah Ibn Al Muiz le Din Allah" and the mosque was completed in 1012 during the reign of Al Hakim Be'amr Allah, the third Fatimid ruler in Egypt.

Many rumors and a lot of debates were aroused around Al Hakim, his ideas, and the period of his rule. Al Hakim came to power when he was only 11 years old and he formed a plan to assassinate his tutor while he was 15 and he succeeded. It was said that he burned a lot of places in Cairo when people objected to obey some of his weird laws like: replacing his name instead of the name of god, Allah, in the prayers, forbidding people from eating mallow, the Egyptian Molokhia which is one of the most popular Egyptian dishes until now because he hated it. He also prohibited shoemakers to manufacture shoes for women as he believed they should stay home, and it was also debated that he ordered his men once to throw all of Egypt's production of molasses in the river Nile, and many other stories and rumors.

The weirdest and most serious story that was told concerning Al Hakim was that he used to go to a cave in Al Moqatem mountain and stay there alone for long hours. One night, he claimed that he heard a voice telling him that he should unite both religions, Islam and Christianity, to become one new unified religion. The reason maybe why these ideas entered his head is that his father is the founder of the Fatimid Shiite doctrine and in the same time his mother was the sister of the Patriarch of the Copts in Egypt at the time.

The theory of Al Hakim depends on the notion that there is only one god, so why don’t we have only one religion, Why shouldn’t we have only one profit, and why shouldn’t him, Al Hakim, become this prophet conveying the message of this new religion.

When Al Hakim started planning how to spread the message of this new religion, he didn’t know the conspiracy that was taking place around him, with one of the royal family ladies participating in it with the help of the army commander, Seif El Din Ibn Rawash. They decided to assassinate him before he spreads the poison of this new religion among the people of Egypt, putting into account that the Fatimids were Shiites and very conservative towards their Islamic beliefs and thoughts.

As a matter of fact, one night while Al Hakim was riding his donkey and going to his Cave in the mountain, a group of strong black slaves attacked him and killed him, and his body was never found until today. This was the last event in the life of one of the strangest rulers of Egypt.

Although, many historical theories support all of the facts mentioned above, nobody was ever sure what was really inside the head of Al Hakim and was he really a cruel ruler or did his assassins spread these rumors to ruin his reputation and his history. They only absolute fact about Al Hakim is his mosque which is still present in Egypt until today.

the Refa'i Mosque

The Refa'i Mosque

Designed by Mustapha Fahmi with a Bahri Mameluke style, the Refa'i Mosque faces the Sultan Hassan Mosque and is named after a Muslin holy man, Shekh Ali Abu El-Shoubak who is buried here. The mosque was completed in 1912 by Max Herz Pasha and was constructed at the order of Khoushiar, mother of the Khedive Ismail. The mosque also became the Royal Crypt of Egypt's last dynasty. It was built on the former site of the Sheikh ar-Rifa'i zawia and covers 75,350 square feet.

SULTAN HASSAN MOSQUE

It was a school, or madrasa, but for the first time in Cairo, the madrasa had also the status of a congregational mosque for Friday sermons.
There are many interesting stories about this mosque, which is considered to be Cairo's finest example of early Mamluk architecture.
In fact, it is to be considered the finest ancient mosque in Cairo, and has been praised as one of the major monuments of the Islamic world.
This mosque is also considered one of the largest, not only in Cairo but in the whole Islamic world.
Its construction cost an average of 20,000 dirham every day for some five years, a sum that would be considered a lot even today.
Sultan Hassan (the builder of this great mosq ue), imported engineers from throughout the world to build his great monument.
Also craftsmen from all over the world worked on the mosque of Sultan Hassan.
It once overlooked an area below the Citadel that was used for festivities and sporting events such as polo during the Mamluk Period of the 14th and 15th centuries.
The stalactites over the entrance of this mosque, makes one feel like one has entered a magical cave, passing through to an otherworldly experience. Inside the Sahn, one finds oneself emerged in the Mamluk era.

Its Qibla Iwan is the largest vaulted hall of the medieval Muslim world.

AHMAD IBN TULUN MOSQUE

It was built by Ibn Tulun who was the founder of the Tulunide Dynasty in Egypt, the Dynasty which among five rulers survived for 26 years only.
The Ibn Tulun Mosque was completed in 879 AD on Mount Yashkur.
This mosque that he had built over a period of three years of mudbrick became the focal point of the Tulunid capital.
It is the oldest mosque in Egypt that has survived in a fairly original form.
The Ibn Tulun mosque reflects all the characteristic features of Abbasid art, within the realm of architecture, and other features by the famous Samarra mosque in present day Iraq.
The mosque's original decorations, presenting in both stuc co and wood the most valuable and best preserved examples of the Samarra style.
The mosque's famous minaret with its external spiral ramp is Cairo's only minaret with a spiraling external staircase and the overall structure is unique in Egypt. So this minaret of the Mosque is a famous Cairo landmark.
The fountain (sahn), Al-Mustawfi (one of the Arab historians) says it was known as “Pharaoh’s Cup” (Kas-i-Fir’awn), and that its basin was formed from one block of stone 23 cubits in circumference.
Behind the qibla wall, which interestingly has a somewhat d ifferent feature than other Cairo mosques, is the Dar al-Imara consisting of three rooms connected to the mosque and have housed a library.
Interestingly, folktales maintain that this frieze was believed to have been carved onto the planks from Noah's Ark!!!!!

MOSQUE OF AMR

This is the first and oldest mosque ever built on the land of Egypt. Erected in 642 AD (21 AH) by Amr Ibn al'As, the commander of the Muslim army that conquered Egypt, the mosque is also known as Taj al-Jawamie (Crown of Mosques, al-Jamie'al-Ateeq (the Ancient Mosque) and Masjid Ahl ar-Rayah (Mosque of Banner Holders).
The mosque is said to have been built on the site of Amr Ibn el-As's tent at Fustat, is the oldest existing mosque, not just in Cairo, but the entire African Continent. Located north of the Roman Fortress of Babylon, it is actually on the edge of Fustat, the temporary city founded by Amr, and was an Islamic learning center long before El-Azhar Mosque. It could hold up to 5,000 students.
The mosque was originally built on an area of 1,500 square cubits, overlooking the Nile. The initial structure was quite simple; with walls bare of any plaster or decorations, but without niche (miharb), minaret or ground cover. It had two doors on the north and two others facing Amr's house.
The mosque area remained unchanged until 672 AD (53 AH), when Musallama al-Ansari, Egypt's ruler on behalf of Caliph Mu'awiya Ibn abi-Sufian undertook expansion and renovation works for the mosque. Walls and ceilings were decorated and four compartments for "muezzins" (callers for prayers) were added at the corners, together with a minaret, while the mosque ground was covered with straw mats.
In 698 AD (79 AH), the mosque was demolished and expanded by Abdul-Aziz Ibn Marwan, Egypt's ruler. Once again in 711 AD (93 AH), the mosque was demolished by Prince Qurrah Ibn Shuraik al-Absi, Egypt's ruler. Upon the orders of Caliph al-Waleed Ibn Abdul-Malek, the mosque area was enlarged, a niche, a wooden pulpit (minbar) and a compartment and copings of four cloumns facing the niche were gold-coated. The mosque had then four doors to the east, four to the west and three to the north.

Under the Abbasid state, successive additions and repairs were introduced. In 827 AD (212 AH), Abdullah Ibn Taher, Egypt's ruler on behalf of Caliph al-Ma'moun ordered an equivalent area to the north to be added to the mosque, thus bringing its total area to its present level of 13,556,25 square metres. (112.3m x 120.5m). However, the Fatimid period was the gold era for the mosque, where gilted mosaics, marble works, a wooden compartment and a moving pulpit were introduced and part of the niche was silver-coated.
The last structural amendments in Amr Mosque were made during the rule of Murad Bey under the ottoman era, in 1797 AD (1212 AD). Because of the collapse of some columns, the interior of the mosque was demolished and rebuilt. As a result, eastern arcades were repositioned so as to be perpendicular to the mihrab wall. Accordingly, arches were extended across windows. Two minarets were built and are still extant.

Amr Mosque was not merely a place of worship but also served as a court for settling religious and civil disputes. Moreover, teaching circles were organized either for general religious preaching or teaching lessons in Quranic sciences, jurisprudence and Prophet Muhammad's Tradition (Hadith) as well as letters.

The mosque incorporates elements of Greek and Roman buildings, and has 150 white marble columns and three minarets. Simple in design, its present plan consists of an open sahn (court) surrounded by four riwaqs, the largest being the Qiblah riwaq. There are a number of wooden plaques bearing Byzantine carvings of leaves, and a partially enclosed column is believed to have been miraculously transported from Mecca on the orders of Mohammed himself. There are many other ancient legions related to the Mosque.

THE CITADEL

One of Cairo's most popular tourist attractions is the Citadel, located on a spur of limestone that had been detached from its parent Moqattam Hills by quarrying.
It was built by the great Salah El-Din Elayoubi (the founder of the Ayoubied Dynasty in Egypt).
Salah ad-Din used the most modern fortress building techniques of that time to construct the original Citadel.

Most of the fortification was built after Salah ad-Din's rule, being added to by almost every ruler that succeded Salah El-Din.
The Citadel is one of the world's greatest monuments to medieval warfare, as well as a highly visible landmark on Cairo's eastern skyline.
Originally it served as both a fortress and a royal city, that’s why it became the seat of the ruling ship after wards.
By the mid 17th century, the Citadel had become an enclosed residential district with private shops and other commercial enterprises, as well as public baths and a maze of small streets.
It’s location provides a strategic advantage, both to dominate Cairo and to defend outside attackers.
The Bir Yusuf (Salah ad-Din's Well) was dug in order to supply the occupants of the fortress with an inexhaustible supply of drinking water. It is not simply a shaft. There is a ramp large enough so that animals could descend into the well in order to power the machinery that lifted the water.
An-Nasir Muhammad, an interesting Sultan of this era who ruled during three separate periods (1294-1295, 1299-1309 and 1310-1341) built in the Southern Enclosure considerably grander structures. Unfortunately, the only remaining facility built by him is the An-Nasir Mohammed Mosque.
The Ottomans rebuilt the wall that separates the Northern and Southern Enclosures. They also built the largest tower in today's Citadel, the Burg al-Muqattam which rises above the entrance to the Citadel.
The Ottoman Muhammad Ali Pasha, one of the great builders of Modern Egypt, was responsible for considerable alteration and building within the Citadel, He built inside also his very famous Mosque, known as the Alabaster Mosque.

Temple of Kiosk of Qertassi

The Kiosk of Qertassi is "a tiny Roman kiosk with four slender papyrus columns inside, [and] two Hathor columns at the entrance. It is a small but elegant structure that "is unfinished and not inscribed with the name of the architect, but is probably contemporary with Trajan's Kiosk at Philae. According to Günther Roeder--the first scholar to publish research on this building--the kiosk of Qertassi dates to the Augustan or early Roman period.The structure "is only twenty-five feet square, and consists of a single Hathor court oriented north or south, and originally surrounded by fourteen columns connected by screen walls. Of the 14 pillars, only 6 have survived in place. The pillars or columns were made of brown sandstone; the structure itself was "perhaps connected to a small temple on the East Bank [of the Nile] which was still in existence in 1813.
This charming kiosk has now been moved to the site of New Kalabsha in Southern Egypt but "once stood to the entrance to the sandstone quarries" of Qertassi. Its capitals "are decorated with Hathor heads, in honour of the goddess who was [the] patron of quarry-men and miners.Since Hathor was often associated with Isis, as she is at Philae, it has been suggested that "this kiosk and the small temples of Dabod and Dendur were way stations on the processional route taken by priests bearing the image of Isis around Lower Nubia, which was held to be her estate. Due to the paucity of timber in the arid region of Nubia, the kiosk's roof was constructed with sandstone slabs that were supported by architraves on its long sides.

Temple of Moharka

Small temple that goes back the end of the Greco-Roman period, it is very simple since it is consisting of one hall with columns decorated with composite capitals.

Temple of Amada

The temple is located 20 KM to the south of Wadi es-Sebua, the area had also the temple of El-Derr and the tomb of Aniba. Amada is located at 115 KM to the south of Aswan.
The temple was built at the time of the new kingdom by king Thutmosis III and Amenhotep II,
It was dedicated to the god Amon Ra, and RA Hor –Ahkty. Additions were made later on by king Thutmoes IV and it was renovated at the time of king Seti I
In this temple king Thuhmosis II venerated the middle kingdom king Senusert III of the 12th dynasty, honoring the victorious campaigns that king Senusert have made in the land of Nubia

Temple of Dakka

The temple of Dakka, dedicated to Thoth of the Sycamore Fig, was originally located about 100 kilometers south of the Aswan High Dam in what we refer to today as Nubia, though much of that ancient land is covered by Lake Nasser. El-Dakka was known to the Egyptians as Pselqet and to the Greeks as Pselchis. Because of the impending flooding of the region as a result of the High Dam, it was moved to the site of el-Sebua, about 40 kilometers upstream, between 1962 and 1968.

The temple we see today was actually begun by the Meroitic (Nubian) king, Akamani, who the Greeks called Ergamenes, in about 220 BC, though this date is somewhat disputed, with some scholars maintaining that it dates as earlier as Ptolemy IIPhiladelphus 282-246. However, it is more likely that, while Akamani may have been alive early in the reign of Ptolomy II Philadelphus,
it is more likely that the temple dates to the reign of Ptolomy IV Philopator (222-205). Irregardless, together with his son named Arka (probably Argamani, Greek Ergamenes II), it's construction appears to have become a combined effort between these Nubian kings and the line of Greek Pharaohs in Egypt, probably commencing with Ptolomy IV, though its construction continued through the reigns of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II and into the Roman rule of Augustus and Tiberius.
Today, Dakka sits dramatically on a small bluff. This is the only Nubian temple with a facade that faces to the north and oriented north-south to parallel the course of the Nile. The pylon of the temple is now separated from the remainder of the temple due to the missing enclosure walls of the open court. Above the entrance in the pylon, a solar disk with a uraeus extends its wings. On the southern side of the temple, a small entrance leads into the interior of the pylon and to a stairway that communicates with several internal rooms.
After the open courtyard, the facade of the pronaos is adorned with reliefs of a Ptoemaic King sacrificing to various deities. The portal of this section of the temple is engaged to two columns that support an architrave. Beyond the pronaos, the temple has two sanctuaries, which include that built by Arkamani and then a second one added by Augustus. By far the Nubian reliefs within the temple are the most interesting. They are small and precise in detail, depicting the Nubian king making offerings to local gods of Aswan. Some of these best of these reliefs portray Anqet, the goddess of Aswan with her elaborate feathered headdress, and the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet. Other scenes depict the king making offerings to not only Thoth, but also Isis and Tefnut.
When the temple was moved, it was discovered to contain a number of reused blocks from an earlier structure dedicated to Horus of Baki (Quban) that was built by Hatshepsut and Tuthmosisi III, though this earlier New Kingdom temple may have been constructed on the opposing shore of the Nile. However, unlike many New Kingdom temples built in Nubia that seem to have been constructed more as symbols of power, but isolated and having perhaps no real public worship functions and limited priesthood, this temple was apparently built in an urban center were an active cult was more likely.

It should also be noted that at the modern site of the el-Dakka temple, not only do we find the temple of el-Sebua, but also the small Maharraka temple, dating from Roman times and dedicated to Serapis and Isis. Interestingly, this small temple contains the only spiral staircase in any Nubian temple. However, this temple's decorative theme was never competed. It to was moved to this location from its original site about 81 kilometers to the north.

Temple of Wadi es-Sebua

It is located 150 km south of Aswan,the temple is built by the famous king Ramsis II and it is considered the second biggest temple of the Nubian temples after the great temple of Abu - Simbel.
wadi el seboua

The temple is known with Es-Seboua meaning in Arabic "lions, as it has an avenue of sphinxes at its entrance. The temple was dedicated to the worship of god Ra- Hor-Akhty, Amon, and Ramsis II as a defied person.The temple is built out of stones except the sanctuary, and the inner vestibules which hare fully craved into the bed rock. The temple consists of an entrance with a pylon then an open court yard then a hypostyle hall and then inner sanctuary. The walls of the temple are decorated with many religion scenes and important relief, During the Christian area many parts have been converted in to a church. This temple like most of the other Nubian monuments have been rescued and relocated 4 km north from its original location to escape the rising water of Lake Nasser.

The Temple of Derr in Nubia

The Remains of the first Pillared Hall and entrance to the second

The Temple of Derr, like many others in Nubia, was dismantled in 1964 in order to save it from the waters of Lake Nasser. It was moved to a new location close to that of the temple of Amada from its original site on the Nile's east bank a few miles to the south. This is another example of Ramesses II's rock hewn temples, built during about the 30th year of his reign to celebrate his Sed festival. This temple is similar in many respects to his other speos style monuments in Nubia, including Abu Simbel. The ancient Egyptians named it "Temple of Ramses-in-the-House-of-Re". However, unlike many of his best known temples in Nubia, which were built, it would seem, primarily as a display of his power, often in remote areas where little actual priestly activity

Floor Plan for the Temple of Derr

took place, this one was built in apparently a much more populated region. In fact, on her journeys in Nubia, Amelia Edwards tells us that the town where it originally stood was the Nubian capital at the time of her visit. However, given the temples relatively small size and well known crude execution, it is difficult to believe that Derr was any type of real, thriving community when the temple was built. Also, like other rock hewn Nubian temples, some of the temple's decorations were lost due to its use as a church by early Christians. However, a number of scenes remain, including one depicting a procession of his children with girls on one side of the temple and boys on the other, a theme used often by Ramesses II. Where the reliefs are preserved, the paint is often vivid. Nothing has remained of the pylon that must have stood in front of the temple, or the forecourt from which the temple was probably approached. What remains of the temple that was cut into a cliff, and today it basically consists of two pillared halls and the rear sanctuaries, all oriented north-south. We do know that Both halls are mostly square. The first, cut into the rock, but possibly using masonry for roofing slabs, measures about fifteen by twelve meters and has three rows of four pillars. The third row consists of engaged Osiride Pillars of Ramesses II that are larger than the others. This is a typical theme in many of his Nubian temples, though here, the arrangement does not conform to the usual one, where the pillars and adjoining statues face the central axis of the temple, but instead face the

Ramesses before Re

entrance. In this first hall,. low relief scenes on the side walls cover topics of war, whereas on the rear wall there are scenes of triumph. The second hall follows the axis of the temple and measures twelve by thirteen meters and is five meters high. It contains six, tapered pillars mounted on projecting bases and surmounted by transverse architrave. Here, the process of laying out the plan and the low relief work was carried out very inaccurately. The ceiling is was covered with stucco and then painted with a series of vultures along the center axis. Along the upper part of the walls runs a frieze of uraei alternating with the royal cartouche of Ramesses II. Lower on the walls are scenes of a religious motif, including Ramesses II's jubilees, his purification and the reception of the bark. Other scenes depict Shu, Tefnut and Montu. On the sides of the pillars are depictions of Pharaoh and a deity, including Weret-hekau, Menhit, Ptah and Amun-Re.

Abu Simble and lake Nasser Overview

The construction of the High Dam in Egypt resulted in the formation of the largest artificial man made lake called lake Nasser which is 500 miles long and provides water and electricity for the whole Egypt. The formation of this lake endangered the monuments in the area. resulting in the relocation of these temples by the UNESCO. The two Abu Simble Temples constructed by Ramsis II one for himself and one for his wife are considered among the most magnificent monuments in the world. The removal of the temples and their rebuild was a historic event in itself. It is said that the sun shines on the face of the king twice a year once on his birthday and once on his coronation day. The newly formed Lake Nasser enabled the creation of a new kind of cruise to visit the temples in the area such as Amada temple which is a sand stone temple with brightly painted relief and was moved 2.5 km from its original place. The Wadi Seboua Temple, the Fortress of Kasr Ibrahim.

Abu Simbel:

Opening time: Daily 6am to 5pm (summer); 6am to 4pm (winter).

The two temples of Abu Simbel, the Temple of Ramses II and the temple of Hathor (the Sun God) dedicated to his wife Nefertari, were cut out of the sandstone cliffs more than 3,000 years ago. Not only are these temples among the most magnificent in the world, but also their removal and reconstruction are recorded as a major historical feat during the construction of the High Dam on Lake Nasser. The monuments were threatened with submersion, and after an appeal by UNESCO in co-operation with the Egyptian Government they were dismantled and reassembled exactly, about 197ft (60m) higher up. Abu Simbel was carved into a cliff on the banks of Nile as a grand display of the power and territory of Rameses the Great. Anyone coming down the Nile from Nubia would sail beside it. It's grandeur was meant to intimidate and awe. The sight that first greets the visitor is that of the four colossal statues guarding the entrance to the Grand Hall of the Temple of Ramses. It was a reminder that those who passed beneath the giant statues were under the governance of the Pharaoh and subject to his majesty. The interior is highly decorated with relief paintings and is supported by eight statues of Ramses acting as giant pillars. Leading off the hall are painted sanctuaries and chambers. The Temple of Hathor is smaller and simpler, also with statues guarding the entrance and a manifestation of the Sun God portrayed above. It is aligned in such a way that the sun's rays reach inside to illuminate the statues of Ptah, Amun-Re, Ramesses II, and Re- Horakhty twice a year.

Amada Temple of Nubia:
Is small, however contains several important historical inscriptions and is also significant as the oldest of the Lake Nasser temples. One of its attractions is the carved on a stela on the rear wall of the sanctuary in the third year of Amenhotep II describes an Egyptian military campaign into Asia, and his bringing back the bodies of rebel chieftains to hang on the walls of Thebes and one on the prow of his ship sailing through Nubia as a warning. Another, carved on a stela on the northern side of the entrance doorway describes a Libyan invasion of Egypt in the fourth year of Merenptah, the son of Ramesses II. The temple is situated about 180 kilometers south of the High Dam, and was dedicated to the important New Kingdom gods, Re-Horakhty and Amun-Re. It was originally built on the orders of Tuthmosis III and his son, Amenhotep II during Egypt's New Kingdom 18th Dynasty. The hypostyle hall was a later addition by Tuthmosis IV. Seti I had a hand in some small additions, such as a large pylon with a sandstone gateway abutting against the hypostyle hall, along with other 19th Dynasty rulers including his son, Ramesses II, who seems to have involved himself in some way with almost every Nubian temple built prior to his reign. However, Ramesses II's restoration of the temple has been noted as rather a poor effort, probably employing the use of local artists of inferior skill. Of course, Ramesses II also added a number of his own temples to the Nubian landscape during his reign.

Wadi Seboua Temple:
The Wadi Seboua temple of Ramesses II is dedicated to two Gods: Amon Ra and Ra Harmakis and was first documented in 1905-7 by the first Egyptian Expedition of the Oriental Institute, led by James Henry Breasted. The temple today is situated 4 KM west of its ancient site. It is one of the group of temples relocated by UNESCO.

Fortress of Kasr Ibrim:
The endangered fortress of Kasr Ibrim is on a summit which is strewn with remains from the Nubian pharaohs and Roman-era inhabitants. Kasr Ibrim was the strategic site of a fortress during the pharaonic times due to its elevated position. Through the Middle ages, a stone church was erected there which was later converted into mosque. Kasr Ibrim is the only construction still maintaining its original location.

Temple of Kalabsha

Kalabsha Temple originally built at Kalabsha (Talmis) was moved to its present location at New Kalabsha (Chellal) in 1970, together with other monuments from Nubia, including the Kiosk of Qertassi (Kertassi). Also nearby is Beit al-Wali. Reachable by taxi or by boat, depending on the water level, the sandstone edifice was built by the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus (30 to 14 BC) and dedicated to the fertility and Nubian Solar deity known as Mandulis (Merwel who was the Nubian counterpart of Horus).

It was the largest free-standing temple of Egyptian Nubia and the design of Kalabsha Temple is classical for the Ptolemaic period with pylons, courtyard, hypostyle hall and three room sanctuary. However, the Pylon is offset, which creates a trapezoid in the courtyard beyond. It was built on the site of an earlier structure built by Ptolemy IX as evidenced by a chapel. There is also a small chapel and gate on Elephantine Island from Kalabsha, and a gate built by Augustus was given to the Agyptisches Museum in West Berlin.

The courtyard just inside the pylon once had columns on three sides. At either end is a staircase that leads to the upper stories of the pylon and a good view of Lake Nassar. On the right screened wall separating the courtyard from the hypostyle hall is an inscription from Aurelius Besarion (about 249 AD), the governor of Ombos and Elephantine, decreeing the expulsion of swine from the town for religious purposes. On a column here is the text of King Kharamadoye and is one of the longest Meroitic inscriptions found to date. On an end wall is thought to be an inscription of the 5th century Nubian King, Silko, who conquered the fierce Nubian Blemmyes. Other seances on the on the screen walls include the King with Horus and Thoth. On the rear of the vestibule are scenes depicting a Ptolemaic king making offerings to Isis and Mandulis. Also, Amenhotep II, who founded the original temple (1450 to 1425 BC) upon which this one is built, is making offers of wine to Min and Mandulis.

After the vestibule are three chambers, the pronaos (a chamber preceding the sanctuary, the naos, or sanctuary where statues of gods were located, and the adyton, which is the innermost or secrete shrine). Various seances within these chambers show the King surrounded by the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, Amun-Min and Ptah while receiving holy water from Thoth and Horus. In the naos and adyton, the king is making offerings to Osiris, Isis and Mandulis.

There is also a small chapel which can be reached from stairs in the first chamber which then descend from the roof into the chapel set inside the wall. As you leave the temple, be sure to note the rear wall with images of Mandulis with his vulture feathered cloak.

Esna Temple

Esna was the ancient city of Senat, called Latopolis by the Greeks. The “town of the fish” where the Nile perch was worshipped. Nowadays, Esna is very famous for its river barrage and as a result, it is a stop over for most of the cruise boats. However, the Temple of Esna, which was buried beneath debris that accumulated for many centuries, is situated in the centre of the city, close to the River Nile, and to reach it you should pass through the local market. The Temple of Esna is located to 485 miles (776Km) south of Cairo and lies on the west bank of the Nile.

The Temple of Esna is dedicated to the ram headed God Khnum, the God of creation. The god Khnum was worshiped at Esna as the Creator. He embodied all things, and was closely associated with the process of conception. It was built in Greco-Roman times by the Ptolemies. The temple remains consist only of the first hypostyle hall of columns. Also the remains of the Temple contain a hall of columns, with only 24 pillars, beautifully decorated with lotus and palm capitals. The walls are covered with four rows of relief’s, showing Ptolemaic and Roman Emperors dressed in Pharaoh costumes, sacrificing to the God of the Temple. On both sides of the Temple entrance there are chambers that were used by the priests and keepers of the Temple as storerooms.

PHILAE TEMPLE

One of the main sites visited by almost every tour to Egypt is what is allocated as Philae.
Philae Island occupied a position at the beginning or southern end of the First Nile Cataract, where the river gath ered speed, dropping sixteen feet in swirling eddies and turbulent falls of white water for a distance of three miles.
Philae Temple was dismantled and reassembled (on Agilika Island about 550 meters from its original home on Philae Island) in the wake of the High Dam.
The temple is dedicated to the goddess Isis, is in a beautiful setting which has been landscaped to match its origi nal site.
Although Isis was the major deity honored therein, the location of the island on the frontier between Egypt and Nub ia meant that cults of Nubia were also featured on the island, represented by significant cult buildings.
Supernatural experiences as floodlit constructions are silhouetted against the volcanic rocks and water surrounding them. So today, Philae is more fun than ever before!!!!!
There are many legends connected to Philae, but the most well known one tells the story of how Isis found the heart of Osiris here after his murder by his brother Seth.
Each evening there is a Sound and Light Show which recounts the legends against the magnificent backdro p of the floodlit monuments - a truly magical experience.
Although antiquities on the island date between the 26th Dynasty and the Roman Period, most of the work is from that of the Roman.
Construction on the island took place over 800 years duration, and it was one of the last strongholds of Ancient Egyptian Religion which continued to flourish here into the 6th Century.
The island comprises of many ruins and temples, among which are the temples of Isis, Horus, Imhotep, Augusts, as well as gates, Kiosks and a Nile-meter.
The colonnade of the temple of Imhotep is about one hundred yards long and contains thirty-one of the original thirty-two columns. The column capitals tops are floral and remarkable in their variety with no two being alike!!!!!
In addition to these ruins, there are also two ancient Coptic churches, as well as the remains of a Coptic monastery. In addition to these ruins, there are also two ancient Coptic churches, as well as the remains of a Coptic monastery.
The Temple of Isis was the last surviving outpost of the old Egyptian pagan religion. Some say that Christianity and the pagan religion, for a time, were practiced here side by side until the pagan priesthood was officially disbanded by Justinian in about 550 AD.

EDFU

Edfu was the Greek city of Apollinopolis Magna, and is a religious and commercial center.
Located about 33 miles south of Esna and 65 miles north of Aswan, this is a gracious town which produces sugar and pottery.
The main attraction there is the Temple of Horus, which is considered by nearly everyone to be the finest preserved cult temple in Egypt.
This temple is dedicated to Horus, the falcon headed god, and it was built during the reigns of six Ptolemies.
We have a great compact of information about its construction from reliefs on outer areas. It was begun in 237 BC by Ptolemy III and was ended in 57 BC.
It is the second largest temple all over Egypt just after the temples of Karnak.
It is assumed that the temple was built on the site of the great battle between Horus and Seth; or what is known to be the good verses the evil!!!!!!!!!!!
The temple is comprised of an outer pylon, then an open fore court, then an outer hypostyle hall, then an inner hypostyle hall, then a portico, leading to the sanctuary and the Naos.
Around the sanctuary and the Naos are twelve rooms for various purposes.
One of the features of this temple is the presence of two huge stone statues for the God Horus facing the pylon.
As you enter the great hall, you will begin to notice the use of light Even though the temple was build over hundreds of years, it is very harmonious, and ebbs and flow of lighting was certainly purposeful, portraying a feeling of mystery?????
It is likely that a golden of Horus about 60 cm tall would have resided on the Naos. This statue would have been cared for by the priests in a human manner, being washed, dressed, anointed, fed and entertained !!!!!

KOM OMBO

KOM OMBO TEMPLE (Sobek & Haroeris)

Kom Ombo is an Egyptian city located about 30 miles north to Aswan in Upper Egypt.
The Temple known as Kom Ombo was built by the Greek King Ptolemy VI, but actually each other Ptolemy who ascended the throne of Egypt make renovations and additions to this temple.
This temple is actually two temples consisting of a Temple to Sobek and a Temple of Haroeris.
The left or northern side is dedicated to Haroeris who was the falcon headed sky god and the right to Sobek the corcodile headed god.
Everything is duplicated along the main axis. There are two entrances, two courts, two colonades, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries. There were most likely even two sets of priests.
The whole temple is built over some kind of a hill overlooking the Nile, so any visitor will sure be taken if not by the one of a kind Egyptian temple!!!!! So by the breath taking view.

Temple of Ramesseum

The name "Ramesseum" – or at least its French form, Rhamesséion – was coined by Jean-François Champollion, who visited the ruins of the site in 1829 and first identified the hieroglyphs making up Ramses' names and titles on the walls.

History

Ramses II was a 19th dynasty pharaoh of Egypt. He ruled for 67 years during the 13th century BC, the apogee of Ancient Egypt's power and glory.
This extraordinarily long reign, the wealth available in the state coffers, and, undeniably, the pharaoh's personal vanity meant that Ramses, of all the ancient rulers, left what is perhaps the most indelible mark on the country. His legacy can be seen most clearly in the archaeological record – in the many buildings that Ramses modified, usurped, or constructed from the ground up.
Most splendid of these, in accordance with New Kingdom Royal burial practices, was his memorial temple, the Ramesseum – a place of worship dedicated to pharaoh, god on earth, where his memory would have been kept alive after his passing from this world. Surviving records indicate that work on the project began shortly after the start of his reign and continued for 20 years.
Unlike the massive stone temples that Ramses ordered carved from the face of the Nubian mountains at Abu Simbel, the inexorable passage of three millennia was not kind to his "temple of a million years" at Thebes. This was mostly due to its location on the very edge of the Nile floodplain, with the annual inundation gradually undermining the foundations of this temple, and its neighbours. Neglect and the arrival of new faiths also took their toll: for example, in the early years of the Common Era, the temple was put into service as a Christian church.
This is all standard fare for a temple of its kind built at the time it was. Leaving aside the escalation of scale – whereby each successive New Kingdom pharaoh strove to outdo his predecessors in volume and scope – the Ramesseum is largely cast in the same mould as Ramses III's Medinet Habu or the ruined temple of Amenhotep III that stood behind the "Colossi of Memnon" a kilometre or so away. Instead, the significance that the Ramesseum enjoys today owes more to the time and manner of its rediscovery by Europeans.

Temple of Madinat Habu

The Temple of Medinat Habu is one of the largest memorial Temples in Egypt. It measures 320 m in length (East to west) and about 200 m in width (North to south). It was built to commemorate Ramses III, after his death, by orders of the King himself. A huge mud brick enclosure wall surrounds the Temple.
This building basically consists of a huge gate, which takes the shape of a Syrian fort, and is decorated with battle scenes of the King's wars in Syria. After accessing the gate there is a shrine, which dates back to the 18th Dynasty, on the right hand side. There is also a wide-open court that leads to a huge pylon, which has both towers decorated with battle scenes. On one tower the King, wearing the red crown with his "Ka" or "double", smiting his enemies in front of Re-Horakhty. On the other tower, the King is represented with the red crown of Lower Egypt, smiting his enemies in front of the God Amon Ra.
One of the most wonderful scenes engraved on the back of the southern tower, is the oxen hunt, which depicts Ramses III, leading his chariot, hunting wild oxen. Here you will notice that the sculptor was very skilful in showing the pain of the wounded animals.

The 1st open court measures 42m long by 33m wide. Its walls are decorated with battle scenes fought against the Syrians and the Libyans.
The 2nd courtyard (42m long by 38m wide) was converted into a basilica in the early Christian times, but there are scenes representing religious ceremonies, especially the festival of the Gods Sokker (also spelt Sokar) and Min. Other scenes represent the King, with the priests, making offerings to various deities. Habu temple

The 1st Hypostyle is badly damaged, probably by an earthquake in 27 B.C. It contained 24 columns in 6 rows, surrounded by 16 chapels: 8 to the right and 8 to the left. Among the most important shrines on the right side are the first one, which was dedicated to King Ramses III, chapel number 2, which was dedicated to the God Ptah, chapel number 4, which was consecrated for the boat of the God Sokker, and chapel number 7 which was dedicated to the sacred boat of the God Amon Ra.

Dendera & Abydos

The Temple of Seti I at Abydos and the Temple of Hathor at Dendera are seperated by 1000 years in time. Seti's temple was built in the New Kingdom, and the current temple at Abydos was built by the Ptolomies and the Romans. They offer a contrast in how much the art form changed and how much it stayed the same through Egyptian History.

The Temple of Hathor at Dendera
Dendera was the main city of the sixth Egyptian Nome (province). Dendera was also the site of an ancient cult center for Hathor. The Temple of Hathor at Dendera, on the Nile north of Luxor, is one of the latest Egyptian temples. Dedicated to the wife of the god Horus, it was built by Ptolemys and its decorations include Roman emperors alongside Egyptian gods. The complex included two birth houses, a sacred lake, two chapels dedicated to Osiris and a chapel dedicated to Isis. The complex was surrounded by high mud brick walls that were built in alternating concave and convex sections. This produced a wavy structure that is assumed to signify the primordial sea which surrounds the symbolic mound of birth and regeneration on which the temple was built. Inside, the most fascinating sight is the roof chapel dedicated to Osiris, which contains a sundial and circular zodiac. The zodiac, a replica of the original that is now in the Louvre, consists of two superimposed constellations. One is centered on the geog raphical north pole, the other on the true north pole. An axis passes through Pisces, confirming what we know from archaeological evidence: it was built in the age of Pisces, just over 2,000 years ago. Among the many other structures here are the remains of a 5th-century Christian basilica, an excellent example of early Coptic church architecture. There is also a sanatorium, where pilgrims could bathe in the sacred waters or take holy water — which had been run over magical texts to infuse it with power — home with them. Along with Abydos further north, Dendera is a popular day trip from Luxor.

The Temple of Seti I in Abydos
Abydos is a huge, significant archaeological site in northern Upper Egypt, a collection of temples, sites and ancient cemeteries located close to the town of al-Balyana in the Egyptian province situated 90 km (56 miles) north of Luxor. Often visited in conjunction with Dendera. It is still a place of pilgrimage for New Age devotees, who follow in the footsteps of Dorothy Eady (d. 1981) who believed herself to be a reincarnation of a temple priestess at Abydos.

The main monument is the Temple of Seti I, built around 1300 BC by Seti and his son Ramses II. The temple contains one of the best reliefs of the New Kingdom and the King list. The raised reliefs in the temple are some of the finest quality in all Egypt, incredibly beautiful and detailed. Although the lighting in the interior of the temple can be somewhat gloomy in places, the reliefs still stand out as exceptional. Visitors should note that the reliefs on the outer portions of the temple were completed during the reign of Ramses II, and are of a much lower quality than those further inside the complex. (Ramses moved the best craftsmen to work on his own temples after his father's death). Also worth noting is that the Kings List, or Pharaohs List is somewhat selective, omitting for example Akhenaten (the heretic king), Hatshepsut (a female pharaoh), and the reigns of the kings during the Hyskos occupation. If you are interested in ancient Egyptian history and art, this temple is more than wo rth the trip.

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