Egypt
Egypt facts & history
in brief
Egypt is surrounded by the Mediterranean and
Red Sea, Israel, Sudan and Libya.
Mainly hot and arid, year/s can pass without rain.
Most of the population of nearly 60 million, live in
or around Cairo or the fertile Nile valley.
Egypt's history goes back five thousand years or so
and being one of the first civilisations on earth.
Some of the interesting things are the history, Pyramids,
Sphynx, other ruins, Suez Canal, Aswan High Dam, the
River Nile and the great Qattara Depression.
We entered the Sinai from Eilat in Israel.
After a lot of hassle at the Egyptian Border Post, we
had to return to Eilat, get another Visa and have another
try the next day.
After some more hassles with the transport operators
and a delay of 5-6 hours, we were on our way in a rickety
old taxi to the St Catherine's Monastery in the desert,
at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
Christians, Muslims and Jews around here all believe
in buckshi (Bribe or tip).
By a van, that rushed just before a scheduled bus to
'pinch' his customers, (We only found out as we progressed),
we crossed the other half of the Sinai to Suez.
After exploring Suez and the sorrounds, we bussed to
Alexandria.
From Alexandria we trained to Cairo and after a few
days on to Aswan.
In Aswan we took time out to fly to Abu Simbel.
Finishing with Aswan we were driven by a van to Luxor,
visiting all the attractions in between, like Kom Omo
Temple and many others.
Luxor of course another thing altogether.
It is chock-a-block with attractions.
Karnak and Luxor Temples, Hatshepsut and the Valleys
of the Kings and Queens just to mention a few.
Than we returned to Cairo to for a final look and farewell
Egypt and an unforgettable experience.
Abu Simbel
Two rock-cut temples built in 13th century B.C.
by Rameses II.
The great temple, with its 31 m. facade with four colossal
seated statues of Rameses, faces due east, and is dedicated
to Amun-Ra and other gods of the period; the small temple
is dedicated to Hathor and Nefertiti, first wife of
Rameses.
In 1963 engineers (An International effort), sawed up
the monument and carried it up the hillside to rebuild
it again, well above the rising waters of Lake Nasser,
while the building of the High Dam at Aswan was under
way.
It was one of the largest archaeological salvage ever
under taken, an operation much like the original construction.
You can click on
these photos for an enlargement.
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| Abu
Simbel 1. |
Abu
Simbel 2. |
Abu
Simbel 3. |
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| Abu
Simbel 4. |
Abu
Simbel 5. |
Abu
Simbel 6. |
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