Luxor TempleThe Luxor Temple was begun by Queen

Hatshepsut in 1504 BC and completed byRamses II 200 years later. The obeliskwhich is twin to the one in the photo atthe right, today stands in front of theVatican. Recognize the model for theU.S.s Washington Monument?

Many rulers had part in building andreigning over Luxor and her people,including Alexander the Great, wholiberated Egypt fromPersian occupationin 332-322 BC. Alex-anders reign isevidenced by hiscartouche (name panel),carved into a wall of theinner sanctum.

Hathor Temple at DenderahDenderah is home to the temple to

Hathor, the primary goddess ofthe Egyptians. Hathor is alwaysdepicted with cow ears or horns(lower right), whether with ahuman body or not. The templewas built during the Ptolemaic era(300-30 BC), when Greeks ruled.

The photo on the left shows therichness of thecarvings andthe amazingcondition of the2300-year-oldpaintings inthis temple. Theearliest circularzodiac is alsofound here.

Abydos, Temple to OsirisOutside of Luxor is Abydos, a

place of pilgrimage duringancient Egyptian times. Builtprimarily by Seti I andRamses II around 1300 BC, itis said the head of the godOsiris is buried here. (Godshave heads???)

In one painted carving inside thetemple, King Seti I and Horus,the hawk god (husband toHathor, the cow goddess) offergifts to each other. In Horus lefthand is the Ankh, or Key of Life,which is said to ensure eternallife. Note the vibrancy of the3300-year-old paint.

Osirion at AbydosDedicated to the god Osiris, the

Osirion next to Abydos is said tobe a place of healing. Indeed, thealgae growing in the pools ofwater are known to have healingproperties. Many in our group feltthe peace of these surroundings.

Note the size of the blocks of granitethat comprise this temple.

A team of Swissarchaeologistsis about tocommencedismantlingand thenrestoring the Osirion.

Karnak Temple ComplexThe temples at Karnak are the

largest ancient complex in Egypt.Begun in 1970 BC by Sesostris I,construction continued through thereign of Ramses III in 1166 BC.Each Pharaoh of those 800 yearswanted to leave something ofhimself here a new temple,chapel, or carvings of himselfsuperimposed over oldercarvings.

The Great Hypostyle Hall,comprised of the hugecolumns seen to the right,is one of the greatestachievements of Ancient Egypt,considered as difficult to achieveas the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Karnak Temple Complex - Features

Top: TheSacred Lakeat Karnak

Bottom:BotanicalGardencarvings ontemple wallTop: Scenes

of Royal life,carved oninterior chapelwall

Bottom:Gateway tostatuerepository

Cruisin the NileFor six nights, we lived aboard the

Radamis II, one of 400 boats thattransport visitors down and up the Nile,between Aswan and Luxor, stopping atmany sites along the way. You mayhave seen the wooden boat at the rightin Death on the Nile.

While awaiting turn to pass through thelocks at Esna, merchants in small boatssurround each cruise boat. They shoutout their wares for sale, and toss plasticbags containing the items mostlygalabbeas (robes) and head scarves up to passengers gathered on the topdeck. If the passenger likes the item,they shout back, negotiating a price,then put the agreed-upon money in thebag and toss it back down to the boat.If no price is reached, someone putsthe item back in the bag and tosses itback down to the boat. Its very lively,loud, and hilarious!

Along the Nile Today

WhileEgyptiancities areincreasinglymodern, lifealong theNileremainsverytraditional.

Valley of the KingsWhen Pharaohs figured out the

massive pyramids didnt keepthieves out, they began hidingtheir tombs deep undergroundin the desolate mountains nearThebes. Experiencing the heatand dryness of the relativelycool Egyptian spring, we in ourgroup felt sorry for the ancientslaves who worked in the heatof summer to dig thesetombs out of the solid limestone.

This necropolis held the tombs of62 kings, including all theRameses, Setis, Thutmoses, andthe famous Tutankhamen.Sorry, no photos were allowedinside the tombs.

Temple of Horus at EdfuHorus, husband to the cow goddess

Hathor, was one of the primary godsto the Egyptians. He is depicted withthe head of a hawk, sometimes on thebody of a human, sometimes on thebody of a hawk.

Built in 200 BC under the GreekPtolemaic kings, this is one of theyoungest and the best preserved of the Egyptian temples.

Sekhmet, the lionessgoddess, is veryloving and, whenneeded, equallyvicious.

Bedouini Judy and Ruthwrap themselves inancient-style scarvesto ward off the coldmorning winds.

Elephantine IslandThe cataracts (rapids) across the Nile at Aswan

made large boat travel impossible, so tradersfrom the Mediterranean met those from deepin Africa at this key trading site. Villageswere built one on top of another onElephantine Island throughout all the 3,000years of Ancient Egypt.

Active excavations are ongoing, sorting throughthe five layers of communities found so far.The Ark of theCovenant is saidto have restedhere for a time.

Aswan TodayThese pictures speak four thousand

beautiful words.

We had high tea at the tables on therocky outcrop below the Old Cataract,this British-era luxury hotel.

Abu SimbelBegun around 1300 BC, these

temples to Ramses II (top) and hiswife Nefertari attracted a lot ofinternational attention when theywere moved in the 1970s duringconstruction of the High Damacross the Nile at Aswan. Theoriginal temple site, in Nubia, wasflooded by the rising Lake Nasser.

Isis Temple at PhilaeAround 330 BC, during the height of

the Persian Empire, Artaxerxes IIIbegan construction on a temple tothe Greek goddess Isis, on thebanks of the Nile. Closed in the 6th

century AD by the EmperorJustinian, the temple was the last topractice the ancient Egyptianreligion. The temple was later usedas a Christian church.

Egyptian Life Today

Guardians of the PastNew discoveries of Ancient Egypt are

made all the time, as archaeologycontinues. While we were there, forexample, a new group of mummies,thought to be nobles, were found intombs near Giza. The work isfunded and done by universities,museums, and scientificcommunities in many countries.

To ensure the temples andtreasures remain in good

condition,guards patrol everywhere. They are happy to be in your photos (even if you dont want them there), for a small baksheesh (tip).

ResourcesThis trip would not have been possible

without these special people: Jaine Smith of Sedona, AZ, trip

coordinator, who brought thiswonderful group of peopletogether

Ruth Shilling of Rhode Island,tour leader and guide, whopacked our days with amazingexperiences and made all thedetails flow seamlessly. Wehighly recommend her Egypttours! www.1worldtours.com

Ehab Mahmoud of Cairo, Egypt,our Egyptologist Guide parexcellence, who taught usimmeasurably about theancients and his country today

The End