Egypt
The ruins of Egypt have survived thousands of years and witnessed the rise & fall of great
dynasties; it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to finally travel to this cradle
of world civilization and see the place with my own eyes. Words cannot begin to describe the feelings of awe while in the
presence of such splendor, so the photographs below will have to do most of the talking for me.
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Most of Egypt's prized relics are in museums where photography is prohibited. Frustrating that the only way to share these amazing pieces of history is via postcards. Below, a couple scanned images of the gorgeous artwork in the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo.
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Below, the reason I came to Egypt in the first place: to glimpse the great pyramids at Giza in person!
I was surprised to discover they were so close to Cairo, an easy drive from anywhere
in the city.
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I also hadn't realized that the Sphinx and the pyramids were in such close proximity.
Certainly made
seeing these man-made marvels much easier than I thought it would be.
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Called Abu al-Hol (Father of Terror) in Arabic, the Sphinx was carved from a single enormous
piece of limestone thought to have been left over after construction of the pyramids was completed.
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The Temple of Hatshepsut near Luxor made the world headlines when tourists were massacred by
Muslim extremists here in 1997. Today, a heavy presence of Egyptian military personnel
here and at every important archaeological spot in the country aims to prevent a recurrence.
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Centuries of weathering have faded most of the elaborate decor of Hatshepsut, but the coloring
of the crane below survives because of its relatively hidden position, protecting it from the elements
and giving us a glimpse of what must have been incomparable beauty when the temple was in
its heyday.
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We didn't know it at the time, but our visit to Queen Nefertari's tomb in 1998 came just five years before the tomb would be closed to the general public for good; today the tomb is opened only for dignitaries paying thousands of dollars for the privilege of spending a few minutes inside. Restrictions were already in place when we went: only 150 people per day and 10 minutes per person allowed. My Nefertari tomb ticket (pictured below) is therefore one of my most prized souvenirs from this trip. Hailed as the finest tomb in the Theban necropolis � and in all of Egypt for that matter � the Tomb of Nefertari would offer stunning opportunities for pictures, if photography were allowed inside. Sadly it is not, so I offer the postcard scan below as a tiny taste of the lavish colors preserved underground. Nefertari was one of the five wives of Ramses the Great, a pharaoh known for his colossal monuments. The tomb he built for his favorite queen is a shrine to her beauty.
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The Suez Canal is one of the world's most vital waterways, connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea and allowing trade between Europe and Asia without requiring ships to sail all the way around Africa. Considering its importance to the world economy, I found it somewhat anticlimactic to see the Suez Canal in person. But the fault was all mine; what else should one expect an artificial river cut through the desert to look like?
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The Sinai peninsula is littered with important religious sites.
Here, a couple shots of St. Katherine's monastery.
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Inside the St Katherine's compound itself for a view of what is reputed to be the
actual burning bush of Biblical lore.
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Tomorrow in the pre-dawn hours we will climb to the top of Mt Sinai, where Moses was said to have received the Ten Commandments. Today we simply look at the vertical mountain terrain wondering how on earth we're going to get to the top.
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The agony of an all-night climb to the top of Mt. Sinai is quickly forgotten when the first rays
of a mesmerizing sunrise shine upon us. A tiny church with this mural of Moses sits atop the mountain.
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Flying to southern Egypt to Aswan provides some spectacular views of the Sahara desert below.
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The great stone carvings at Abu Simbel in the south of the country near the Sudan border.
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Winding down our trip to Egypt with a few days and nights floating down the Nile on a traditional felucca, enjoying view of village life along the river shores, stopping at some of the famous temples along the Nile banks whenever we needed a break.
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Incredibly detailed carvings at Kom Ombo Temple.
