Tag Archives: Egypt

Egypt

The city of Cairo

We spent four days in the city of Cairo, which is the capital of Egypt. It is also the largest city in all of Africa and of the Arab world. It was a bit overwhelming when we first arrived. The city is massive with well over 20 million people and traffic was thick and quite daunting at times.

A partial view of the city of Cairo

Although the traffic is busy all the time, they still manage to navigate well considering they only have a few traffic lights in the city. Most of the traffic lights are located in the very core of the city. The rest of the city has very limited traffic controls and most cars travel and navigate using their horn.

Typical traffic in Cairo

We were fortunate to have a bus to commute throughout the city. The driver was very good and he was amazing driving through the traffic. We filmed his driving at certain times when the traffic was very chaotic and congestion.

There were all kinds of unique and special things that we saw in the city of Cairo.  We explored many areas including the city of the dead, which is located near the historic area of Cairo.  There are numerous people who live in the city of the dead. The concept of “tomb-dwellers” took hold as more and more demand was placed on the overcrowding of the city. The lack of living space lead people squatting in tombs. The city estimates that currently there is half of a million people living in the city of the dead.

City of the Dead, n Cairo Photo from Daniel Nussbaum https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31146078
Section of the City of the Dead in Cairo

Cairo has a long history as a centre of the region’s political and cultural life. The city is known as “the city of a thousand minarets” because of the importance placed on Islamic architecture.  We saw first hand the beauty and numerous minarets in the city.  Below are just a few examples of some of the minarets we saw in Cairo.

On the outskirts of Cairo there are smaller communities all along the Nile River.  We travelled through some of these small communities on our way to different historic sites. We saw some street vendors selling their wares on the roadside.

Vendor selling veggies on the roadside in small community in Egypt.
Vendor selling miscellaneous articles on roadside.

There were many people using horses, donkeys and camels as means of transportation.

Donkeys were often used as a means of travel.

The communities had a very unique character and the people were very friendly. It was a great experience exploring some of the surrounding towns of Cairo.

We spent an incredible four days in Cairo, exploring some of the  extraordinary history of the city. This is one of the adventure that will remain in our hearts for ever.

“لا تدع الخوف يمنعك من تجربة شيء جديد”

Egypt

Pyramids of Giza

The Giza pyramids are located on the Giza Plateau in Greater Cairo, Egypt. We were surprised at just how close the pyramids are located to the city of Cairo. The pyramids are only 22 kms from the city centre of Cairo.

When we first arrived in the parking lot area and descended from the bus the view of the Pyramids was extraordinary. Even from the far distance of the parking lot,  we could tell they were massive structures.

The pyramid of Khafre  in Egypt.

The pyramid of Khafre, was the one that still had a small section on the tip in a finished state. This pyramid is the second largest and  tallest  of the Egyptian Pyramids of Giza . The Khafre pyramid was the location of the tomb of the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre, who ruled in 2550 BC. The closer we walked towards the pyramid of khafre the more impressive it became.

The khafre pyramid in Egypt

When we reached the base of the pyramid we could see just how large the stones were that made the pyramid.

Shelley standing at the base of the Khafre pyramid in Egypt.

We were able to go inside of the Khafre pyramid and explore part of the interior chamber. It was amazing to think that we were actually inside the pyramid of Khafre.

Inside view of the narrow passageway in the Khafre pyramid.

The Giza pyramids were one of the highlights of our trip to Egypt. The other highlight was seeing the great Sphinx of Giza which was larger than we expected. It is 20 meters high (66 feet) and 73 meters (240 feet) long.

Shelley and Ray in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt.

We were able to get close to the Sphinx but were not able to touch it.

We explored the pyramids and Sphinx area for several hours before heading back to Cairo.

Ray and Shelley’s hands on the Khafre pyramid in Giza

We will always remember and cherish this particular visit to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is by far the oldest of the ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence.

Until next time, be safe and enjoy life.

“”السفر يجعل المرء متواضعا. ترى ما هو مكان صغير تشغله في العالم. كما أنه يغير النظرة الإنسانية للحياة ، ويوسع آفاقنا ويجعلنا أكثر قدرة على إدراك الأشياء بشكل مختلف ، خاصة بعد التعرف على الثقافات الأخرى ، والتعامل مع أنواع مختلفة من الناس ، وتجربة تجارب جديدة.”

Egypt

The Valley of the Kings

We went to the Valley of the Kings, which is a valley on the west bank of the Nile, near the city of Luxor.

The Valley of the Kings in Egypt

The Valley of the Kings consists of two valleys,  the East Valley where the majority of the royal tombs are situated and West Valley. There are a total of 63 different tombs discovered to date in the Valley of the Kings. Our guide Aladino explained to us which of the tombs where the best ones to see and then we went our own to explore the tombs.

Aladino at one of the tombs explaining the best tombs to see.

We headed to the first tomb which was one of the most detailed and largest of the tombs.

corridor in one of the tombs which led to a larger burial room at the end.

The tombs of Royals and Nobles were decorated decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology.

Ray inside a tomb complex in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt
Shelley in front of some of the Egyptian etchings in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt
Egyptian hieroglyphs within areas of the tombs in the Valley of Kings in Egypt.

There were some pristine and well preserved Egyptian hieroglyphs throughout some of the tombs. We were amazed at how detailed and precise the hieroglyphs were made. They are carved into the stone and contained very detailed features.

Detailed and pristine hieroglyphs in the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

The Valley of the Kings is an archaeological and Egyptological exploration and its tombs and burials continue to be researched.

We went and explored one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world,  the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings.

Tomb of the Tut Ankh Amun in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt

The Valley of the Kings  has become even more famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Ray and Shelley in the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun
Ray and Shelley in one of the tomb areas

We walked through four different tombs throughout our time in the Valley of the Kings. They were very impressive with amazing Egyptian hieroglyphs, paintings, and stone etchings. Many of them were in pristine condition.

One of the tomb corridors with many Egyptian etchings and hieroglyphs.

The tombs were built with the intention to easily transform the king or noble to transcend to the next world. The tombs were adorned with decorations and ancient texts to help guide the soul to the afterlife.

Etchings and hieroglyphs in one of the tombs
Egyptian stone etching and paintings in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings

The time we spent in the Valley of the Kings was truly one of the highlights of our trip. We walked through the tombs and touched  500 year old history. Truly an amazing adventure.

كن منفتحًا واحتضان الحياة على أكمل وجه.

Egypt

The great Mosque of Muhammad Ali

The Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha also known as the Alabaster Mosque is situated at the top of a high cliff, with magnificent views over the City of Cairo in Egypt.

A view of part of the city of Cairo from the high cliff area of the Muhammed Ali Mosque.

It was commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848.

Ray in front of the Muhammad Ali Mosque

Situated on the summit of the citadel, the mosque which is the largest built in the first half of the 19th century, is the most visible mosque in Cairo.  The main dome of the mosque is 52 metres high and the two minarets reach over 80 meters.

The Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo Egypt

The mosque was built in memory of Tusun Pasha, Muhammad Ali’s oldest son, who died in 1816. In the courtyard we could see the Alabaster covered walls which were quite stunning.

Courtyard walls of the Muhammad Ali Mosque covered in alabaster.
The Alabaster covering on the walls of the courtyard of the Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo.

We were able to go inside and explore the mosque itself which was a highlight of the visit to the citadel.  We took off our shoes and went through the main entrance into the large mosque.

Shelley inside the Mosque with Alabaster walls in the background.

The interior and exterior walls are coated with alabaster to the height of approximately 11 metres.  That is why it is called the Alabaster Mosque.  The mosque floor was covered in a carpet and set up with lines for prayer.

The ceiling was impressive with  a central dome surrounded by four small and four semicircular domes. The central dome was impressive reaching nearly 52 meters high.

View of the main cupola or dome of the mosque

The front area in the mosque had the minbar. This is the pulpit in the mosque where the imam (prayer leader) stands to deliver the sermons.

The Minbar of the Mosque

We walked through the mosque admiring the architecture and the history of this amazing mosque. Today the mosque of Muhammad Ali is one of the most popular historical sites of Cairo.

 

Egypt

Saqqara Archaeological Site and Imhopted Museum

Our guide Aladino took us on a bus excursion out into the Sahara Desert near the city of Memphis Egypt. We went there to see the UNESCO world heritage site called the Saqqara Archaeological site and Imhopted Museum. One of the amazing items we saw was the Step Pyramid of Djoser.

Aview of the step pyramid in the Sahara Desert

The height of the pyramid was amazing and larger than you would expect for the first large stone structure in the world. It is 62.5 metres high (205 ft).  It was constructed in (2667—2448 BC), Amazing to think that this Djoser step Pyramid is the first all-stone complex ever built on earth.

The step Pyramid of Djoser

These were not the normal Giza pyramids that everyone goes to see in Cairo. For us, Saqqara was a site that was more interesting than the Giza Pyramids.

View of the Step Pyramid and several others.

Scattered around the area of Djoser’s Step Pyramid are more than ten other pyramids and a large number of tombs and burial temples.

View of some of the Pyramids

We were able to enter into several of the Pyramids at Saqqara.  We had to climb to the entrance on the outside of the pyramid which was a fair distance from the base.

View of the pyramid with the entrance almost halfway to the top.

We climbed the outside of the pyramid until we reached the entrance.

View of the stairs leading to the entrance of the pyramid
Walking up the incline towards the entrance of the pyramid

Once we reached the entrance, we began our descent into the centre of the pyramid. The incline into the pyramid was around 45 degrees and went for around 30 meters or more into the centre of the pyramid.

The  centre of the pyramid contained one or more chambers with small crawl spaces that went between the chambers.

Shelley at the base inside the pyramid.

The camber was large and there was a set of wooden stairs that led to the inside top of the pyramid.

Stairs leading the to top of the inside of the pyramid.

We walked up the stairs and eventually reached the top. The  white stones were piled with each row inset slightly above the row below.

A view of the inside of the pyramid and how the stones are placed on each row.

We decided to take a selfie at the very top of the inside of the pyramid.

Shelley and Ray at the top inside the pyramid.

What wasn’t noticeable at first was the local residents. As we took a closer look we found that there were literally hundreds of bats in the pyramid hanging just above out heads.

Bats inside the pyramid

We explored the pyramid for a while before heading back up the steep incline to the exit. We then took a well deserved rest before going to see and explored more of the Saqqara Archaeological site.

One of the impressive structures in the site.

There are a large amount of  burial sites that date before the beginning of the Old Kingdom up through the Greek Period of Egyptian history.

ruins, tombs and other historical sites located at the Saqqara Archaeological site.
Shelley sitting on ruins at the Saqqara Archaeological site.

One tomb in particular was the  tomb of Mereruka.

Entranceinto the tomb of Mereruku in Saqqara Archological site.

We went to explore this amazing tomb which was built around 2330BC. This tomb contains more that 30 chambers with some of the chambers decorated with scenes and inscriptions.

Ray inside the tomb with Hieroglyphic writing on the walls of the tomb

Below are just a few of the detailed and beautiful carvings in the Tomb of Mereruka.

Stone carving inside the tomb of Mereruka.
Detailed stone carvings in the tomb of Mereruka.

There was a large tomb encasement that remained in one of the chambers.

Ray standing beside the tomb encasement

We looked inside the tomb encasement and could see hieroglyphic writing.

View inside the tomb encasement with hieroglyphic writing.

The entire site of the Saqqara Necropolis is one of the largest burial sites in all of Egypt, We enjoyed our time at the Saqqara Archaeological site.. There were so many things to see and explore. What an amazing visit to the somewhat remote and overlooked historical site.

الحياة لعبه، العبها؛ الحياة هي التحدي، مواجهته؛ الحياة فرصة ، التقطها – غير معروف