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Here is a glance
at some of the sightseeing
places in Egypt.
Cairo
Pyramids and the Sphinx
Were reckoned by the Greeks to
be one of the Seven Wonders of
the World. A single pyramid is
built of 2,300,000 blocks, each
weighing an average of
two-and-one-half tons. In the
face of such immensity, one
cannot help but feel the wonder
and awe that so many writers and
artists have sought to convey
over the centuries. The Cheops
Pyramid is especially
interesting since its interior
burial chambers are open
to public. Not far from the
Pyramids, is the Great Sphinx of
Giza, which dates from the time
of Chephren (2620 BCE). Hewn
from natural yellowish limestone
and standing 65 feet high and
187 feet long, this
unforgettable statue combines
the head of a Pharaoh with a
lion's body.
Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian
Museum is the major depository
of Egyptian antiquities in the
world. It features artifacts
from the Pharaonic and
Greco-Roman periods, including
the celebrated mummies of
ancient Egypt's King and Tut
Ankh Amun treasures.
Memphis
and Sakkara
Memphis
served as the capital of Upper
and Lower Egypt some 5,000 years
ago during the First Dynasty.
Menes, the first pharaoh of this
dynasty, built a great
white-walled palace and the
Temple of Ptah here.
Sakkara
is one of the most
exciting historical and
archaeological areas in Egypt ,
situated about 12 miles
South-West of Cairo. The site is
dominated by the famous step
pyramid of King Zoser. It was
the first pyramid to be built in
Ancient Egypt, preceding those
at Giza by many centuries, and
is the work of the famous
Pharaonic architect Imhotep.
The
Citadel, Mosque and Khan
El-Khalili Bazaar
 
Situated
on a spur of the Muqattam Hills,
the citadel dominates Cairo's
skyline and was the nerve center
of the city and Egypt for almost
700 years. Its construction was
initiated in 1176 by Saladin and
completed by Muhammad Ali.
Mameluke Sultans and Turkish
governors later on made it their
residence, building palaces and
mosques within the citadel
walls. Facing the citadel is the
Mosque of Sultan Hassan, built
between 1356 and 1363 and
perhaps the most majestic
monument of Arab architecture in
Egypt. The tour also includes a
visit to Khan El-Khalili, a
famous Cairo bazaar dating back
to the late fourteenth century.
Alexandria:
Pompey's
Pillar
An approximately
25 m red Aswan granite column
with a circumference of 9 m, was
constructed in honor of the
Emperor Diocletain. Originally
from the temple of the Serapis,
it was once a magnificent
structure rivaling the Soma and
the Caesareum. Nearby are
subterranean galleries where
sacred Apis bulls were buried,
and three sphinxes. After his
defeat by Julius Caesar in the
civil war, Pompey fled to Egypt
where he was murdered in 48 BC;
mediaeval travelers later
believed he must be buried here,
and that the capital atop the
corner served as a container for
his head. In fact, the pillar
was raised in honor of
Diocletian at the very end of
the fourth century. Diocletian
captured Alexandria after it had
been under siege. The Arabs
called it "Amoud El-Sawari",
Column of the Horsemen. The
Pillar is the tallest ancient
monument in Alexandria.
The
Catacombs of Kom es-Shouqafa
These tombs were
tunneled into the bedrock during
the era of the Antonine emperors
(2nd century CE) for a single
wealthy family still practicing
the ancient religion. As a
privately-financed project, it
is an engineering feat of some
magnitude. These tombs represent
the last existing major
construction for the sake of the
old Egyptian religion. They are
alone worth the trip to
Alexandria. Though the funerary
motifs are pure ancient
Egyptian, the architects and
artists were schooled in the
Greco-Roman style. Applied to
the themes of Ancient Egyptian
religion, it has resulted in an
amazing integrated art, quite
unlike anything else in the
world.
A winding
staircase descends several
levels deep into the ground,
with little chapels opening from
it, furnished with benches to
accommodate visitors or mourners
bringing offerings. There are
niches cutout to hold
sarcophagi.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
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At the
meeting point of the
three continents, Asia,
Africa and Europe, Egypt
has been the cradle of
civilizations since
ancient times. The
ancient city of
Alexandria was at the
beginning of the third
century BCE the
birthplace of the great
plan to build a library:
the Bibliotheca
Alexandrina. However, a
fire, which ravaged
Alexandria, destroyed
the Library, this vast
storehouse of learning.
The Egyptian Government,
in co-operation with
UNESCO, decided to
resurrect the old dream
to endow this part of
the world with an
important focal point
for culture, education
and science.
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