Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Righttravel.info describes the history of Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest tombstone on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Antique World. The Great Pyramid took about 20 years to complete, and several theories are debated by scholars as to how it was built and by whom. Some theories point to slave labor, but it seems more reasonable that Egyptians themselves lent their efforts, working during the times of year when the Nile was flooded and their farm work would not have been possible. It would have been a sort of civil service.

Sphinx is an image of a recumbent lion with a human head invented by the Egyptians of the Old Kingdom, and is a cultural import in Greek mythology. Sakkara is one of the most wide archaeological sites in Egypt! It was the burial ground for Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt, yet it is still one of the virgin archaeological sites, despite the fact that so much has already been found here! The Egyptian museums describe the history and historical events of Egypt.

Mohamed Ali Mosque is surrounded by the most attractive Mosques in Egypt. It stands proudly on the highest point inside the courtyard of the Citadel of Saladin, and is also called the Alabaster Mosque. The architect was Yousf Boushnaq, a Turkish man who had come over from Istanbul to construct this huge Mosque for Mohamed Ali, the ruler of Egypt from1805 until 1849. He based his strategy on the Sultan Ahamed Mosque in Istanbul, and the building began in 1830 A.D. The work sustained ceaselessly until the death of Mohamed Ali in 1849, and had to be over during the reign of his successors.

Construction of the Abu Simbel Temple complex started in approximately 1284 BC and lasted for circa 20 years, until 1264 BC. Their purpose was to impress Egypt's southern neighbors, and also to support the status of Egyptian religion in the region. This is the great temple of Abu Simbel, dedicated to the glory of pharao Ramses II. Philae Island was a rocky island in the middle of the River Nile, south of Aswan. It was called in Hieroglyphic “Apo” which means Ivory. It was also known by the Greek “Elephantine”, most likely because it was an important centre of trade, especially for ivory.

Righttravel is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. It is much more than what we refer to as the Valley of the Kings, though many have called the whole of the area by that name. The Egyptian faith that "To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again" is surely carried out in the building of the tombs. The king's formal names and titles are inscribed in his tomb along with his images and statues.

The temple of Karnak was known as Ipet-isut (Most select of places) and was devoted to the Theben triad of Amen, Mut and Khonsu. It is actually a complex of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples. This vast complex was built and enlarged over a thirteen hundred year period. Karnak is the biggest temple complex in the world, covering an area of 100 hectares.

Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor. Many festivals were celebrated in Thebes. The Temple of Luxor was the center of the most important one, the festival of Opet. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, it appears that the temple's purpose was for a suitable setting for the rituals of the festival. The festival itself was to reconcile the human aspect of the ruler with the divine office. http://www.righttravel.info/country/egypt-1.html