ABU SIMBEL

Abu Simbel is a set of two temples near the border of Egypt with Sudan. It was constructed for the pharaoh Ramesses II who reigned for 67 years during the 13th century BC (19th Dynasty).

Abu Simbel at sunrise.

The temples were cut from the rock and shifted to higher ground in the 1960s as the waters of Lake Nasser began to rise following completion of the Aswan High Dam.

The Great Temple is dedicated to Ramesses II and a statue of him is seated with three other gods within the innermost part of the rock-cut temple (the sanctuary). The temple's facade is dominated by four enormous seated statues of the Pharaoh (each over 20 metres or 67 feet high), although one has been damaged since ancient times.

The Small Temple was probably completed ahead of the Great Temple and is dedicated to Ramesses' favourite wife, Nefertari. At the entrance stand six 10-metre-high (33 feet) rock-cut statues - two of Ramesses and one of Nefertari on either side of the doorway.

The Small Temple's facade.

The temples can be reached by road, air or boat. Arrival by boat is achieved by cruising from the Aswan High Dam on a 3-day journey. The author first made the boat trip on the "Eugenie" in January 1995 with the vessel stopping at various relocated temples along the way. In early 1998, the journey was repeated on the "Nubian Sea", but the number of tourists reaching Abu Simbel in this way remains relatively small. A hydrofoil service from the Aswan High Dam to Abu Simbel was re-introduced in 2000 (there was a service in the 1960s) with two return trips per day.

In early 2001, the author was surprised at the increased number of visitors at Abu Simbel at night and for sunrise. Once it was possible to watch sunrise with just a few others. However, it is still a very special time.

During a visit to Abu Simbel during February 2002 by means of the re-opened highway, buses were required to proceed in a convoy with arrival at the site a little after sunrise and about 2.5 hours spent at the temples before the return journey to Aswan. A security fence has been erected around the site and the cruise boats are now kept off to the sides of the temple site. A new visitors' centre has been opened behind the temples and vendors are now housed in a line of permanent shops leading to the centre.

A very good Sound & Light show also has been introduced for those at Abu Simbel in the evening. This includes projections onto the two temples showing how they once would have looked. The program is presented in a number of languages with the provision of ear pieces.

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PHILAE

South of the city of Aswan lies the beautiful temple complex of Philae. Its main temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis and its construction was undertaken during the third century B.C. Philae was the last bastion of ancient Egyptian religion and hieroglyphic usage. It is also a superb example of threatened cultural heritage being saved in the face of modern civilization's march to change the environment.

The island of Philae and its temples came under threat at the turn of the century when the British erected the Aswan Dam at the First Cataract. Philae began to spend some of its time beneath the backed-up flood waters of the Nile (old Philae postcards).

The Dam was progressively raised in the following decades, but the final nail in the coffin for the island of Philae came with the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s. The temples were destined to disappear forever beneath the river's waters.

Fortunately, Philae was saved from drowning. In 1977, a coffer dam was constructed around the temples and the water was pumped out. Then the temples were carefully dismantled with every block assigned a number and its position noted. A nearby higher island called Agilkai was modified to resemble Philae and the temples were resembled. In 1980, Philae was once again opened to the public.

Today, Philae is one of the highlights of any visit to Aswan. To reach it, one can take an organised excursion booked through a travel agent or hotel. Alternatively, take a taxi to the boat landing at Shellal on the east side of the old Aswan Dam. From there, a short boat trip can be arranged to the island.

If time permits, a night visit for the Sound and Light Show is very worthwhile as the temples look stunning under floodlights. Shows are presented in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Arabic. The language and time schedule should be checked before going.

KOM OMBO

Kom Ombo is located on a bend in the river Nile about 50 km north of Aswan. Located on the east bank, Kom Ombo is home to an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris (Horus the Elder). Despite being badly damaged, the temple is a beautiful sight as one approaches from either direction on the river, particularly as sunset nears and the colours change.

Approaching the temple of Kom Ombo from the south with cruise boats moored in front.
Sometimes, one has to pass through the reception area of another boat to get to shore.

The temple was excavated last century, although part of it has been lost into the Nile and an earthquake in 1992 caused some further damage.

The colour of the temple changes as the sun sets. Markets are just outside
the entrance to the temple - have your money ready for those items of
clothing you'll be tempted with as you approach or leave the temple.

Long ago, crocodiles probably sunned themselves on an island nearby. Today, there are no crocodiles to be seen - except for some mummified ones on display at the temple complex.

Floodlights play upon the temple of Kom Ombo.

If departing Kom Ombo by boat at night, it is lovely to watch as the flood-lit temple fades into the distance. Perhaps have some insect repellant just in case you are not the only lifeform on the deck.

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EDFU TEMPLE

Between Aswan and Luxor is located the major Ptolemaic temple of Edfu - the best preserved major temple in Egypt. The temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and was built over a 180-year period from 237 BC to 57 BC.

The front of the temple of Horus at Edfu. Visitors approach from the rear of the temple and around the left side of the pylons or through the small corridor visible at ground level in the pylon on the left.

Most visitors to the temple arrive by cruise boat and then take a horse-drawn carriage to the temple where vendors are ready to sell you all manner of souvenirs.

The pylons of Efdu Temple behind some of Edfu's buildings. Seen from a cruise boat heading north to Luxor.

Inside the temple's pylons is a large courtyard. Just before the entrance to the first of two hypostyle halls is a welcoming statue of Horus. Inside the hypostyle halls are dominated by a forest of towering columns.

Statue of Horus, the falcon god, in the courtyard of the temple.	Horus depicted on inside of the rear surrounding wall.

The temple was excavated last century by Auguste Mariette. Its courtyard and surrounds were buried beneath sand and also houses built by local villagers. Deep within the temple is the sanctuary where a statue of Horus would have been cared for by priests.

The Sanctuary at Edfu Temple. The pedestal would have supported a barque, while the shrine or naos at the rear would have housed a statue of Horus. The naos dates from an earlier temple.	An early 20th century replica of a barque of Horus that would have sat in the Sanctuary. The barque would have been joined briefly each year by the barque of the goddess Hathor brought from Dendara Temple.

VALLEY OF THE KINGS

The Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt contains many of the tombs of pharaohs from the New Kingdom, including Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great. (See the end of this article for recent discoveries.)

The Valley of the Kings occupies the lower centre of the image.

The Valley of the Kings actually has two components - the East Valley and the West Valley. It is the East Valley which most tourists visit and in which most of the tombs of the New Kingdom Pharaohs can be found. (The West Valley has only one remote tomb open to the public, that of Ay who was Tutankhamun's successor.)

One of the dilemmas for the normal tourist is trying to decide which tombs to enter. The normal ticket permits three tombs and that will probably suffice for one visit. If you rush, you won't appreciate or remember the details of each tomb. The tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) requires a separate ticket.

The central area of the Valley of the Kings.
Tutankhamun's tomb is just left of the shelter in the centre.

Not all tombs are open and officials occasionally close particular tombs for restoration. The style of the tombs did undergo changes throughout the New Kingdom and one should try to see examples from the span of 500 years that the Valley was in use.

The tomb of Tuthmose III is at the far end of the East Valley and is one of the earliest in the Valley. Its burial chamber is in the shape of a cartouche (oval-shaped) and its inscriptions are interspersed with stick figures. The climb up the modern metal staircase outside and then the descent into the tomb will give you a very good physical workout - but it's worth it!

Horemheb's tomb shows a transition through to the Ramesside-style of tombs. Just a little further down the main path is the tomb of Ramesses III. While in a state of ruin deep within (the burial chamber is off limits), it is definitely worth a visit and one of the small side chambers contains the famous paintings of two blind harpists.

Ramesses VI's tomb has a magnificent burial chamber in which lie the broken remains of the large stone sarcophagus. Along the length of the chamber's ceiling are two images of the sky goddess Nut which depict both the swallowing and rebirth of the sun disc.

Adjacent to Ramesses VI's tomb is that of Tutankhamun described in detail by following the highlighted link.

RECENT DISCOVERIES

Since the mid-1990s, considerable attention has been given to KV5, the extensive tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, located in the East Valley. The work of Kent Weeks and his team has uncovered about 120 rooms in the sprawling complex. The tomb is not open to the public. The full story of the discovery of KV5 is related in Week's book The Lost Tomb.

In early February 2006, the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the discovery of a new tomb by an American team from the University of Memphis. It is located close to that of Tutankhamun's. This is the 63rd known tomb in the Valley of the Kings and the first discovered there since Howard Carter's team found Tutankhamun's resting place in November 1922. KV63, as it is known, consisted of a single chamber with seven sarcophagi and 28 large storage jars. The chamber is from the late 18th dynasty and it appears to have been a deposit of funerary preparation materials, rather than a tomb. No mummies were found in the tomb. (Last update 1 January 2007)

THE LUXOR AREA

The Luxor area of Upper Egypt was the Thebes of the ancient Egyptians - the capital of Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdoms. Today it is famous for its temples and the nearby Valley of the Kings.

On the east bank is the modern town of Luxor. Running alongside part of the river bank and separated from it by the corniche is Luxor Temple. Modified over many centuries, its main pylons, or gates, are on the northern end. In front of them is one obelisk - its companion was given to France and taken to Paris where it was erected in Place de la Concorde on 25 October 1836.

Just south of the temple is the Old Winter Palace Hotel - used early this century by Lord Carnarvon as work proceeded on West Bank excavations and preliminary work on the tomb of Tutankhamun.

At the northern end of town is the sprawling Karnak complex of temples built over a span of about 1,500 years. It is famous for its main Hypostyle Hall with 134 massive columns. One can wander for hours amongst the ruins. Starting at the first pylon, one walks back through time to the earlier constructions toward the rear.

About halfway between Luxor and Karnak temples is located the Luxor Museum - one of the best in Egypt.

The West Bank was the domain of the deceased and it is dominated by mortuary temples and hundreds of tombs.

The major temples include the Ramesseum - the famous mortuary temple of 19th-dynasty pharaoh Ramesses II. Walking amongst its ruins evokes a special feeling and the fallen colossus shows how even the mighty have fallen. This was the site from which Belzoni removed the famous bust now in the British Museum. Belzoni's signature can still be found carved in stone in a couple of places within the Ramesseum, along with those of other well-known personalities of 19th-century Egypt.

Stories of the Ramesseum and the display of the enormous bust of Ramesses II in the British Museum moved the 19th-century English poet Shelley to write "Ozymandias":

I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert... Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, and wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on those lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed: And on the pedestal these words appear: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Medinet Habu was Ramesses III's attempt to copy his ancestor. The complex was added to over the centuries following, but it is most impressive and shouldn't be missed. The artisans from the nearby town of Deir el-Medina moved in to the compound when things got unsafe and the construction of Royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings came to a halt.

The mortuary temple of 18th-dynasty Queen Hatshepsut is a masterpiece of design and has been under restoration for about a century. It is built into a natural amphitheatre in the cliffs and does not look out of place in the 20th century, even though it was constructed during the early 15th century BC.

The mortuary temple of 18th-dynasty Queen Hatshepsut is a masterpiece of design and has been under restoration for about a century. It is built into a natural amphitheatre in the cliffs and does not look out of place in the 20th century, even though it was constructed during the early 15th century BC.

Most famous of all on the West Bank is the Valley of the Kings. Although its modern paths detract a little from its atmosphere, it is still possible to feel the link to the distant past - especially when most of the tourists have left earlier in the day.

Tutankhamun's tomb is one everyone wants to visit - and should if possible - just to appreciate how small was the area that contained the riches now partly on show at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

However, there are many other more impressive tombs. There is no guarantee which ones will be open during a visit, but try to see those belonging to Thutmose III (the Napoleon of Ancient Egypt), Ramesses III, IV and VI, and Horemheb. That of Horemheb contains examples of how workmen created wall reliefs. The tomb of Seti I is a masterpiece, but structural problems keep it closed these days.

SAQQARA

Saqqara is an immense necropolis (cemetery) just south of Cairo and west of the ancient city of Memphis of which very little remains. Used as a burial ground for thousands of years, Saqqara hides its secrets well under desert sands. Despite virtually continuous excavations for some two centuries, much of the area remains to be excavated. The site stretches six kilometres from north to south and more than 1.5 kilometres across at its widest point.

The famous Step Pyramid is on the right with the ruined pyramid
of the 5th Dynasty pharaoh Userkaf on the far left.

The site's best-known feature is the Step Pyramid, the world's oldest major stone structure. It was built in the 3rd Dynasty (around 2630 BC) for King Djoser and its construction was overseen by his vizier Imhotep.

The Step Pyramid of Zoser.

All over Saqqara can be found tombs of different periods. Those open to the public date to the Old Kingdom. Around the northern-most of Saqqara's pyramids is that of the 6th Dynasty pharaoh Teti. Adjacent to the pyramid are the mastabas (free-standing tombs of earlier periods) of his officials, some of whom had marvellous reliefs created for themselves.

Relief showing fishermen in the mastaba of Kagemni, vizier
and judge under three kings of the 5th and 6th Dynasties.
The tomb is just north of the pyramid of Teti.

One of Saqqara's most famous archaeological sites is the Serapeum which was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1851. Its rockcut corridors and burial chambers were excavated for the Apis bulls which were sacred to god Ptah. The corridors form a virtual underground extending for hundreds of metres. The stone sarcophagi weigh as much as 70 tonnes and average some 4 metres in length and 3.3 metres in height. Twenty chambers still contain sarcophagi. The Serapeum was in use from the New Kingdom down to the Graeco-Roman period.

The path to the Serapeum which leads from a Resthouse on the site of Mariette's house.	Serapeum entrance.
One of the underground corridors in the Serapeum .	A 70-tonne basalt sarcophagus of an Apis bull.

Most people visiting Saqqara see only the surrounds of the Step Pyramid (its interior is off limits) and perhaps one tomb or pyramid depending on what is open. If time permits, include the pyramid of Unas which contains the first hieroglyphs to appear in pyramids, the Serapeum, and the mastabas belonging to Mereruka and Ti. There are of course, many other attractions for the enthusiastic person with plenty of time. Remember that the authorities occasionally close particular tombs.

THE SPHINX

The Sphinx is one of the best known monuments on Earth and dates back over 4,500 years to the Old Kingdom and the time of king Khafre - builder of the second largest pyramid on the Giza plateau on Cairo's outskirts. The head of the Sphinx probably depicts Khafre, while the body is that of a recumbent lion.

The Sphinx at Giza near Cairo.
In the background is the pyramid of Khafre (Chephren).

The Sphinx is about 73.5 metres in length. It was originally sculptured from a limestone outcrop and, for most of its history, the Sphinx has been at least partly covered in sand. The first recorded clearing took place in the 18th Dynasty when a prince, who later became the pharaoh Thutmose IV, ordered that the sand be removed. This happened after he supposedly had a dream in which he was told that he would become pharaoh if he cleared the Sphinx.

The Sphinx and, in the background, the great pyramid of Khufu (Cheops).

Fragment of the beard of the Sphinx, now in the British Museum.

Unfortunately, in recent centuries, the Sphinx has suffered greatly from the influence of man and exposure to the environment. Numerous attempts have been made to restore the figure and additional modern limestone blocks have been added around the base.

The Sphinx, the Sphinx Temple and the Valley Temple of Khafre.

In front of the Sphinx is its temple, while adjacent to it is the better preserved Valley Temple of Khafre. A causeway, seen behind the Sphinx in the photograph above, connected Khafre's Mortuary Temple next to his pyramid with the Valley Temple. At night, Sound & Light shows are performed at Giza and the audience is seated in an area located to the left of this view.

At night, a Sound And Light show is performed relating the history of Egypt and the Sphinx. The show is viewed from an area to the east of the Sphinx and pyramids and you should check the language schedule. A view of the Sphinx from behind (the west side).