Issue #2 March 2011 Let’s Discover New Egypt

EGYPT

AKHENATEN

Khufu's Inside Story

Horus The Egyptian Falcon God

Hurghada

ABU SIMBEL

EGYPTIAN FOOD

EGYPT NILE CRUISES

COBRA SNAKE

History of Giza Civilization of Ancient

Egyptians

Daily Life In Ancient

Egypt

Land of the Pharaohs

Chairperson

Islam Salh

Editor-in-Chief

Marwa Saad

Sales Manager

Karim Salh

Art Designer

Osama Moharem

Translation Dina Mohamed

Nada Zaki

Editor Staff

Sandy Khalil Nehal Sabaa Sarah rabea

Rehab yousry

Printing

EGYPT Land of the Pharaohs

Ancient Egypt is one of the most

fascinating of the ancient civilizations. Even today, the manner in which modern Egypt has melded with the ancient world is positively astounding. One cannot help but notice that the pull of the ancient world is still very much a part of modern cities such as Cairo and Alexandria.

WebSite : www.egyptlandofthepharaohs.yolasite.com E-mail : Egyptlandofthepharaohs@gmail.com FaceBook : facebook.com/pages/egyptlandofthepharaohs

Dearest Readers

Travel back in time to a place that has

left its imprint and impact on

humanity forever. Discover the ancient

metaphysical civilization of Egypt

whose dvanced knowing and

technologies continue to baffle our

conservative scientific community

today.

A visit to this awe-inspiring destination

is to journey into immortality. At no

other period of

known history has a civilization left

behind so many clues and riddles that

could answer mankind's deepest

searching of

today.

Seven thousands years ago, the ancient

Egyptians waged a war against time

and mortality. Today, humanity can

look at this awesome and ancient

civilization

and proudly declare victory.

Love you all,

Islam Salh

Civilization of Ancient Egyptians 06

History of Giza 08

Daily Life In Ancient Egypt 10

Horus The Egyptian Falcon God 14

Khufu's Inside Story 18 COBRA SNAKE 19

THE MOSQUE OF AMR IBN EL-

AAS 20

THE CHURCH OF SAINTS

SERGIUS 22

BACCHIAS IN FAYOUM 24

ABU SIMBEL 26

EGYPT NILE CRUISES 32

Hurghada 34 EGYPTIAN FOOD 36

EGYPTIAN MOVIES 38

Many individuals share thoughts and ideas about the civilization of ancient

Egyptians. The civilizations of ancient Egyptians are unique and interesting to say

the least. Who doesn’t enjoy sitting down to read some good information about

the civilization of ancient Egyptians? It seems that humankind today has learned a

lot from the civilization of ancient Egyptians.

Ancient Egypt was a civilization that was made along the lower part of the Nile

River in the north. The ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for nearly three

millennia and ended upon the conquest of Alexander the Great. Women, men and

children played a vital role in the civilization of ancient Egypt. In addition, a big

part of the civilization was water. Dark soil was deposited by the flood of the Nile

River and that is why Egypt was known as “the black land.”

Civilization of Ancient

Egyptians

There have been recent studies that show

the Egyptians are related to the North

African regions. The kings of the ancient

Egyptian times were called Pharaoh’s. The

pharaoh’s reigns went between 3000 BC

and 30 BC. For a number of different

reasons, the Egyptian government

imposed taxes on the people in Egypt.

During the ancient Egyptian period, there

was no type of currency; therefore, taxes

were paid by work. The type of work that

would be done all depended on the

person. Every individual that lived in

Egypt was expected to pay the tax by

doing work for the public for at least a

couple of weeks out of the year. Some of

the work that was done involved mining

and digging canals. A rich noble was able

to hire a not so wealthy individual to do

their tax.

During the ancient Egyptian times, there was the ever so famous hieroglyphic,

which was a writing system. Hieroglyphics are known for being the earliest writing

system in the world. Until the introduction of Christianity, the Egyptian magicians

and the Egyptian priests used spells and magic. In ancient Egypt, there have been a

few changes that have been noticeable. For instance, 2580 BC was the Great

Pyramid of Giza. Ancient Egypt is one of those times where you would just have to

be there in order to fully grasp and understand the knowledge. No one living today

is able to describe fully the civilization of ancient Egypt as it truly was. All we are

able to do is go by the records that were left behind by the Egyptians and make our

own comprehension out of them.

History of

Giza

Standing at the base of the Great Pyramid, it is hard to imagine that this monument—which

remained the tallest building in the world until early in this century—was built in just under 30

years. It presides over the plateau of Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, and is the last survivor of the

Seven Wonders of the World. Five thousand years ago Giza, situated on the Nile's west bank,

became the royal necropolis, or burial place, for Memphis, the pharaoh's capital city. Giza's three

pyramids and the Sphinx were constructed in the fourth dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom, arguably

the first great civilization on earth. Today, Giza is a suburb of rapidly growing Cairo, the largest

city in Africa and the fifth largest in the world.

bout 2,550 B.C., King Khufu, the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty, commissioned the building

of his tomb at Giza. Some Egyptologists believe it took 10 years just to build the ramp that leads

from the Nile valley floor to the pyramid, and 20 years to construct the pyramid itself. On average,

the over two million blocks of stone used to build Khufu's pyramid weigh 2.5 tons, and the heaviest

blocks, used as the ceiling of Khufu's burial chamber, weigh in at an estimated nine tons.

How did the ancient Egyptians move the massive stones used to build the pyramids from quarries

both nearby and as far away as 500 miles? This question has long been debated, but many

Egyptologists agree the stones were hauled up ramps using ropes of papyrus twine.

The popular belief is that the gradually sloping ramps, built out of mud, stone, and wood were used

as transportation causeways for moving the large stones to their positions up and around the four

sides of the pyramids

Ancient Egypt Houses

Daily Life In

Ancient Egypt

In a very short amount of time, usually just a few years, an ancient Egyptian house constructed of

mud brick would begin to deteriorate and crumble. Ancient muddy houses in Egypt were

primarily constructed and lived in by the commoners on the lowest social strata in Egypt, who

could afford little else.

For the most part ancient Egypt

houses were constructed using

materials that were handy and

plentiful. This meant that the design

of houses in ancient Egypt varied

little, even among the wealthy. This

makes it very easy to imagine what

Egyptian houses look like.

Wood was extremely scarce, almost

non-existent in ancient Egypt. The

two construction materials that the

ancient land of Egypt seemed

capable of producing in multitude

was sand and papyrus reeds; with

some stone quarries.

Therefore, for the most part, the

majority of ancient Egyptian

houses were constructed of mud

brick. Ancient muddy houses in

Egypt were made by first mixing a

compound of mud and straw. The

mixture could then be formed into

bricks that were allowed to bake and

dry under the hot Egyptian sun.

While the mud might be plentiful, it

was not particularly sturdy.

In Egypt ancient houses constructed by the wealthy nobles

were much different than those built by commoners. Those

who could afford to do so built their ancient Egypt house of

stone taken from stone quarries. Ancient Egypt houses

constructed of stone were much sturdier and solidly built.

The wealthy could afford to fill their homes with far more

luxuries than poorer families. In Egypt ancient houses built

by wealthy families, were likely to contain tiled floors and

beautifully painted walls.

While ancient Egypt houses built by commoners and nobles

might have differed in many respects, in many others, they

were quite similar in order to survive the burning heat of the

Egyptian climate as comfortably as possible. Almost all

ancient Egypt houses were constructed with a flat roof. Not

only did this most likely make the construction process

simpler, but the flat roofs also offered a welcome respite

from the burning Egyptian sun.

Families often lounged, ate and slept on the roofs of ancient

Egypt houses.

Another similarity in a typical ancient Egyptian home and

houses was the presence of a hearth.

Even in wealthy ancient Egypt houses, there was a need for

a hearth in order to prepare food. Due to the arid climate of

the Egyptian nation, it is not likely the hearth of a house of

ancient Egypt, although quite common, would have been

needed for heating.

The abundance of furniture was not common in most ancient

Egyptian houses, due to the lack of wood. The most common

furnishings were three legged stools and chests; even in

wealthier Egyptian homes.

History of Cleopatra

Queen Cleopatra of Egypt is the most well known

of all the ancient Egyptian queens. Cleopatra was

born in Alexandria in 69 B.C. during the reign of

the Ptolemy family to Ptolemy XII. Cleopatra

appears to have been a popular name in the family,

as her mother bore the name as well as an older

sister, making the new daughter Cleopatra the

Seventh, although she is rarely referred to as such.

Cleopatra and her family were not Egyptian, but

rather Macedonian, descended through a general of

Alexander the Great. Cleopatra would become the

first ruler of her family who could actually speak

the Egyptian language.

In keeping with ancient Egyptian tradition, Queen

Cleopatra of Egypt married her then 12 year old

brother. The marriage was not truly legitimate,

however and considering the young age of her new

husband and co-inheritor of the throne, Cleopatra

rule Egypt independently and as she wished. This

lasted for only three short years before Cleopatra

received the same fate as her father and was exiled,

along with another younger sister. Her 15 year old

brother and husband remained to rule Egypt.

Cleopatra escaped to Syria, however she did not

intend to give up without a fight.

The events that soon followed are quite legendary.

Cleopatra's brother, Ptolemy, became involved

with a bitter war between Julius Caesar, and a

former friend, Pompey. Ptolemy took sides with

Caesar and had Pompey killed, hoping to curry

favor with the Roman leader. The plan backfired

on him. Julius Caesar was so enraged by the

murder of Pompey; he immediately took control

of the Egyptian palace and ordered Queen

Cleopatra of Egypt and Ptolemy to present

themselves to him.

The history of Cleopatra is one that has been

the subject of novels and movies and is filled

with deception, intrigue and romance. The

historical biography of Cleopatra suggests she

obtained the throne of Egypt through some

rather violent means. When her father was

briefly exiled following a rebellion, an older

sister took the throne. Following their father's

return and reclaim of the throne, the sister was

put to death. The second of the three women in

the family to carry the same name, Cleopatra VI,

died around the same time as well; although the

cause remains a mystery. This left Cleopatra the

Seventh as the oldest child in her family, with a

brother who was several years younger. About

four years later, their father died and Cleopatra

took control of the throne. She was only about

17 years old at the time.

Queen

Cleopatra

Queen Cleopatra had been encamped just on the other side of the Egyptian and Syrian border. When she received the

news that she was to enter Egypt and report to Caesar, she astutely realized she would be easy prey for supporters of her

brother's regime. In a scene that has been replayed in countless movies, Cleopatra allowed herself to be smuggled into

Egypt in a rug. The affair between Queen Cleopatra of Egypt and Caesar is thought to have begun when she was

presented to him, wrapped in the rug. For more than 3 years the couple enjoyed a scandalous affair and Cleopatra gave

birth to a son. Following the birth of the child, she joined Julius Caesar in Rome, but quickly departed when he was killed,

fearing for her own life.

Absolute chaos ensued in the Roman Empire following the assassination. One of the three men poised to take the throne of

Rome, Mark Anthony ordered Cleopatra back to Rome for questioning. Once again displaying her political savvy and

intelligence, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt made plans to seduce Mark Anthony. She donned the garb of Venus, the Goddess

of Love and was completely successful in her attempt to seduce her would be inquisitor. Of all the costumes Egyptian

Cleopatra has been portrayed in, this is the most famous. The full costume of Cleopatra, dressed as Venus, is vividly

remembered when Elizabeth Taylor wore a reproduction in her famous portrayal of the queen. The film was so successful

in memorializing the queen and her seductive costume, that historical Cleopatra costumes have remained popular ever

since.

Horus the Egyptian falcon god is often associated with the "Eye of Horus'; a symbol that is

prominent throughout Egypt even until modern times. This symbol was found on the

mummy on King Tutankhamen.

Perhaps the most well known version of the Horus mythology involves the birth of Horus

following the death of his father. In this tale, Horus' parents are Osiris and Isis. Osiris was

slain by his adversary and brother, Seth, prior to the birth of Horus. Later he was believed

to have avenged the death of his father. The war that ensued as a result of Horus' attempts

to avenge his father lasted for eighty years, with mutual casualties occurring between the

two ancient Egyptian gods. In one scenario, Seth even tore an eye from Horus. It is believed

that this incident led to Horus' association with his one eyed symbol.

Other versions and variants of Horus the Egyptian falcon god continues to be prevalent

throughout Egypt, depending on the point in history and the location. Harmakhet is one

of these many variations and is represented by a sphinx. Harpokrates is the version of

Horus that is commonly associated with the deity that avenged the death of his

father Osiris, at the hands of Seth. Like many other ancient Egyptian gods, Horus also

became combined with the deity Ra. This version is known as Ra-Harakhte.

Unlike most Egyptian gods goddesses who were worshipped at specific cult centers in Egypt,

Horus seems to have enjoyed immense popularity throughout the Egyptian nation.

Throughout the history of the Egyptian nation there are many references in mythology to

several different Egyptian gods known as Horus; not just Horus the Egyptian falcon god.

The first of these ancient Egyptian gods known as Horus appears in the early days of the

Egyptian kingdom. It is believed that the first Horus, sometimes referred to as Horus the

Elder, was a falcon god and creator god.

Horus The Egyptian Falcon God

The World of the ancient Egyptian Gods

In the earliest stories regarding this deity, he was thought to be the son of Ra and that the

eyes of the first Horus were the sun and the moon. In later stories, references to a Horus

Egyptian falcon god indicate he was the son of Geb and Nut. The most popular version

regarding one of the many Horus deities states he was in fact the son of Osiris.

Horus as Many Egyptian Gods

Horus may have been known in many forms, but he was always associated with the same

symbol; that of the falcon. In almost all variations, Horus was known as the patron saint of

the existing pharaoh. In fact, the pharaoh was often referred to as the 'Living Horus'.

Egyptian Symbols the wordNot all symbols represented single letters; some pictures represented words. The symbols that make up the alphabet in Egyptian hieroglyphics are sub-divided into categories including phonograms and ideograms. Ideograms were used to write the words they represented. An example of an ideogram would be a picture of a woman that actually looked like a woman and represented the word 'woman'. Phonograms were used to spell out the sound out the words they represented and they usually had no relation to the word they were sounding out. As a result, symbols could be both ideograms and phonograms and the reader would need to determine the context of the 'sentence' in order to find out which word was intended. To indicate whether a symbol represented a complete word or merely a sound scribes would place a straight line after .

Khufu's Inside Story

Dates Built:

c. 2589-2566 B.C.

Total Blocks of Stone:

over 2,300,000

Base: 13 square acres, 568,500 square feet, or 7 city blocks. The length of each

side of the base was originally 754 feet (230 m), but is now 745 feet (227 m) due

to the loss of the outer casing stones.

Total Weight: 6.5 million tons

Average Weight of Individual Blocks of Stone:

2.5 tons, the large blocks used for the ceiling of the King's Chamber weigh as much

as 9 tons.

Height:

Originally 481 feet (146.5 m) tall, but now only 449 feet (137 m).

Angle of Incline:

51 degrees 50' 35“

Construction Material:

limestone, granite

WARNING upon entering Khufu:

The 1908 edition of Baedeker's Egypt warns "Travelers who are in the slightest

degree predisposed to apoplectic or fainting fits, and ladies travelling alone, should

not attempt to penetrate into these stifling recesses.”

King Khufu, who is also known

by the Greek name Cheops, was

the father of pyramid building at

Giza. He ruled from 2589 - 2566

B.C. and was the son of King

Sneferu and Queen Hetpeheres.

The Cobra is the most feared of all poisonous snakes. Cobra De Capello is

Portuguese for ‘Hooded Snake'. At an average length of six feet, with a brownish skin, glaring eyes, darting tongue, hissing breath and spoon shaped hood, it rates as one of the most dangerous snakes in the world.

It is a silent, stealthy hunter feeding on insects, lizards, frogs and small mammals, such as rats and mice. The Cobra snake favours warm, dry regions where water is readily available. As the cobra grows it sheds it skin.

The cobra's venom glands are essentially modified salivary glands, through which the cobra injects its victim. Even given its dangerous properties the Cobra still remains the favourite of snake charmers. Death from cobra snakebite is one of the oldest fates of mankind. In ancient Egypt every ‘healer’ was required to know the repertoire of spells for conjuring the poison of every serpent.

Pharaoh would often wear a representation of the wide hooded Cobra on his crown as an emblem of royalty. From this position the cobra was said to be able to defend the king.

In the ‘Book of the Dead’ the Cobra snake is seen as the symbol of Earth. Whilst the Ouroborus sign (below) shows a snake swallowing its own tail bringing together both circle and serpent, which represents the round of existence.

COBRA SNAKE

THE MOSQUE

OF AMR IBN

EL-AAS

The mosque was originally built on an area

of 1,500 square cubits, overlooking the Nile.

The initial structure was quite simple; with

walls bare of any plaster or decorations, but

without niche (miharb), minaret or ground

cover. It had two doors on the north and two

others facing Amr's house.

The mosque area remained unchanged until

672 AD (53 AH), when Musallama al-

Ansari, Egypt's ruler on behalf of Caliph

Mu'awiya Ibn abi-Sufian undertook

expansion and renovation works for the

mosque. Walls and ceilings were decorated

and four compartments for "muezzins" (callers

for prayers) were added at the corners,

together with a minaret, while the mosque

ground was covered with straw mats.

This is the first and oldest mosque ever built

on the land of Egypt. Erected in 642 AD (21

AH) by Amr Ibn al'As, the commander of the

Muslim army that conquered Egypt, the

mosque is also known as Taj al-Jawamie

(Crown of Mosques, al-Jamie'al-Ateeq (the

Ancient Mosque) and Masjid Ahl ar-Rayah

(Mosque of Banner Holders).

The mosque is said to have been built on the

site of Amr Ibn el-As's tent at Fustat, is the

oldest existing mosque, not just in Cairo, but

the entire African Continent. Located north

of the Roman Fortress of Babylon, it is

actually on the edge of Fustat, the temporary

city founded by Amr, and was an Islamic

learning center long before El-Azhar

Mosque. It could hold up to 5,000 students.

The last structural amendments in Amr

Mosque were made during the rule of Murad

Bey under the ottoman era, in 1797 AD (1212

AD). Because of the collapse of some columns,

the interior of the mosque was demolished and

rebuilt. As a result, eastern arcades were

repositioned so as to be perpendicular to the

miharb wall. Accordingly, arches were

extended across windows. Two minarets were

built and are still extant.

Amr Mosque was not merely a place of

worship but also served as a court for settling

religious and civil disputes. Moreover,

teaching circles were organized either for

general religious preaching or teaching

lessons in Quran sciences, jurisprudence and

Prophet Muhammad's Tradition (Hadith) as

well as letters.

The mosque incorporates elements of Greek

and Roman buildings, and has 150 white

marble columns and three minarets. Simple in

design, its present plan consists of an open sahn

(court) surrounded by four riwaqs, the largest

being the Qiblah riwaq. There are a number of

wooden plaques bearing Byzantine carvings of

leaves, and a partially enclosed column is

believed to have been miraculously

transported from Mecca on the orders of

Mohammed himself. There are many other

ancient legions related to the Mosque.

In 698 AD (79 AH), the mosque was

demolished and expanded by Abdul-Aziz Ibn

Marwan, Egypt's ruler. Once again in 711 AD

(93 AH), the mosque was demolished by

Prince Quran Ibn Shuraik al-Absi, Egypt's

ruler. Upon the orders of Caliph al-Waleed

Ibn Abdul-Malek, the mosque area was

enlarged, a niche, a wooden pulpit (minbar)

and a compartment and copings of four

cloumns facing the niche were gold-coated.

The mosque had then four doors to the east,

four to the west and three to the north.

Under the Abbasid state, successive additions

and repairs were introduced. In 827 AD (212

AH), Abdullah Ibn Taher, Egypt's ruler on

behalf of Caliph al-Ma'moun ordered an

equivalent area to the north to be added to the

mosque, thus bringing its total area to its

present level of 13,556,25 square metres.

(112.3m x 120.5m). However, the Fatimid

period was the gold era for the mosque, where

gilted mosaics, marble works, a wooden

compartment and a moving pulpit were

introduced and part of the niche was silver-

coated.

THE CHURCH OF

SAINTS SERGIUS

The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus

(Abu Serga) is a 4th century church and

today is considered to be the oldest

of Cairo's Christian churches. It is

dedicated to two early martyrs and

traditionally believed to have been built on

the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph,

Mary and the infant Christ, rested at the

end of their journey into Egypt. They may

have lived here while Joseph worked at the

fortress.

Hence, the church is of significant historical

importance, and in fact, it is where many

patriarchs of the Coptic Church were elected.

The first to be elected here was Patriarch

Isaac (681-692) It is the episcopal church of

Cairo, and it was the episcopal See of Misr

(the district of Old Cairo) that replaced the

former See of Babylon. Many bishops of the

See were consecrated in the Church until the

reign of Patriarch Christodulus (1047-

1077). The church is dedicated to Sergius

and Bacchus, who were soldier-saints that

were martyred during the 4th century in

Syria by the Roman Emperor, Maximilan.

The building was probably constructed

during the 5th century. It was burned during

the fire of Fustat during the reign of Marwan

II around 750. It was then restored during

the 8th century, and has been rebuilt and

restored constantly since medieval times.

However it is still considered to

be a model of the early Coptic

churches and its basilican style

is easily recognizable. This

church resembles religious

structures in Constantinople

and Rome. It has two aisles

with a western return aisle (a

passage at the west end of the

church), along with a tripartite

sanctuary that measures 17 x

27 meters and is 15 meters

high. Within the sanctuary is

an altar surmounted by a

wooden canopy supported by

four pillars. On the east wall of

the sanctuary rises a fine,

semi-circular tribune with

seven steps. There was

probably a khurus, a

transverse room preceding the

sanctuary, in front of the

sanctuary but which no longer

exists.

n much the same style as

the Hanging Church, two rows of

six columns each separate the

aisles from the nave. Eleven of

these unique columns, with faint

painted decorations of probably

apostles or saints, are marble,

while one is of red granite. While

the pulpit was replaced by a copy

of the ambon (a pulpit) in

the church of Saint Barbara, some

of the older wooden pulpit now

reside in the Coptic Museum in

Cairo, while a few others are in

the British Museum. Also, the

oldest wooden altar in Egypt was

found in the church, but it too is

now in the Coptic Museum.

However, the sanctuary

iconostasis, a screen separating

the sanctuary from the rest of the

church on which icons are usually

displayed, is a beautiful work of

art which probably dates to the

12th or 13th century. The several

panels are inlaid with ivory and

ebony, and covered in a

wonderful relief that features

arabesque designs. The apse is

encrusted with strips of marble

and decorated with mosaics. There

are some wooden panels within

the church that are of earlier date,

and depict fine scenes of saints on

horseback, the Nativity and the

Last Supper. There are any

number of other relatively old

icons that date, perhaps, to the

17th century. They show various

scenes depicting the life of Christ,

the Virgin Mary and some of the

saints.

AND BACCHUS

(ABU SERGA)

BACCHIAS IN FAYOUM

The name of the ancient ruins of the Ptolemaic

(Greek era) village of Bacchias (Bakchias) are

located at Kom Umm al-Atl (Kom al-Atel, Umm al-Atel,

Kom el-Asl) in the Fayoum. The name Bacchias is likely

derived from Bakchos, one of the names of Dionysos,

who was particularly venerated by the Ptolemies. The

ancient village is located on the northeastern edge of

the basin, not far from the larger town of Karanis (Kom

Oshim). It is located along one of the Fayoum's most

scenic routes just into the desert, where it was

originally situated by a caravan road from

Memphis to Medinet Fayoum (Arsinoe during the Ptolemaic Period).

He site was visited by Petrie in 1889-90 but it was B.

P. Grenfell and D. G. Hogarth (later joined by A. S.

Hunt), excavating here for seven weeks in 1896,

that identified it with Bacchias on the basis of the

papyri found on the site. Among other things, like

papyri and domestic objects, they found three jars

filled with 4,300 coins. According to Grenfell and

Hogarth, the site had not been much disturbed at

that time "owing to its distance from cultivated

land". In 1993, an Italian Egyptian team from

Bologna and Lecce site began excavating at the

site, and there work appears to be ongoing as of

2005. Although the site was almost destroyed by

looters, many prehistoric tools were found by the

first investigation and new streets and building were unearthed by the second.

Bacchias was probably founded in the third century BC, and

abandoned around the fourth century AD. It contained about 700

homes from which archaeologists estimate the population to

have been around 3,000. The earliest attested settlers were Greek

cavalrymen. The entire archaeological area covers about 340,000

square meters. The site is almost always deserted and one is

usually free to roam at will through the ancient buildings. The

village was dominated by the local temple, with houses on three

sides and an open space on the east. The best part of the town

lies to the north and west of the temple, both on the lower ground

and on the southern face of the high ridge. Bacchias has never

been fully excavated, although the Italian team working here

uncovered the stone structure of the village temple which was, of

course, dedicated to a form of Sobek In fact, according to some

scholars, the Temple was actually dedicated to a pair of

crocodile brothers. They were Soknokonnis and Soknobraisis. Their

names, respectively, mean "Sobek lord of Bacchias" and "Sobek

lord with the terrible mouth". Soknokonnis is attested from

the Ptolemaic Period onward, while Soknobraisis is only found

during the Roman Period.

ABU

SIMBEL

Perhaps after the Giza pyramids, or coincident

with them, the great temple of Abu Simbel

presents the most familiar image of ancient Egypt

to the modern traveler and reader. When the

conservation efforts to preserve the temple from

the soon-to be built High Aswan Dam and its

rising waters were begun in the 1960s, images of

the colossal statues filled newspapers and books.

The temples were dismantled and relocated in

1968 on the desert plateau, 200 feet above and

600 feet west of their original location.

Abu Simbel lies south of Aswan on the western

bank of the Nile, 180 miles south of the First

Cataract in what was Nubia. The site was known

as Meha in ancient times and was first

documented in the 18th Dynasty,

when Ay and Horemheb had rock-cut chapels

hewn in the hills to the south.

Ramesses II, called "the Great," built seven rock-cut

temples in Nubia. The rock-cut temple of Ramesses II on

the west bank of the Nile at Abu Simbel is the greatest of

these. This temple was not seen by Europeans until J.J.

Burckhardt discovered them in 1813.

The temple, called Hwt Ramesses Meryamun, the

"Temple of Ramesses, beloved of Amun," was begun

fairly early in Ramesses’ long reign, commissioned some

time after his fifth regnal year, but not completed until

his 35th regnal year. The massive facade of the main

temple is dominated by the four seated colossal statues

of Ramesses. These familiar representations are of

Ramesses II himself. Each statue, 67 feet high, is seated

on a throne and wears the double crown of Upper and

Lower Egypt. Each is taller than the famed Memnon

Colossus at Thebes, and all are sculpted directly from

the rock face. The thrones are decorated on their sides

with Nile gods symbolically uniting Egypt.

Burckhardt said of the first face on the left that it "was the

most expressive, youthful countenance, approaching

nearer to the Grecian model of beauty than that of any

ancient Egyptian figure I have seen."

An ancient earthquake damaged the statues. One is

demolished from the waist up.

Between the legs and on each of their sides stand smaller

statues of members of the royal family. The smaller statues

of relatives were probably, for the first southern colossus:

Queen Nefretari by the left leg, the king’s mother, the great

wife of Seti I, Muttuya by his right leg, and

Prince Amenhirkhopshef in front. For the second southern

colossus, Princess Bent’anta stood by the left leg, Princess

Nebettawyby the left, and one unnamed female figure,

probably that of a lesser royal wife named Esenofre.

The family statues at the first northern colossus were, Queen

Nefretari, Princess Beketmut and Prince Riameses in front.

For the second northern colossus, there were Princess

Merytamun, Queen Muttuya and Princess Nofretari.

Beneath these giant sculptures are carved figures of

bound captives.

The forecourt or terrace which fronted the temple

contained two tanks for the ablutions of the priests. On the

northern side of this terrace stood a small sun-chapel, and

on the south, stood a chapel of the god Thoth. Above the

entrance, a figure of the falcon-headed sun-god Ra is

shown worshipped by flanking images of Ramesses. The

rebus figure of Ra contains the prenomen of Ramesses II, or

Userma’atre: the falcon headed god Ra has next to his

right leg the glyph showing the head and neck of an

animal, read User, and the goddess at his left leg is ma’at.

At the top of the temple façade is a row of baboon

statues in adoring attitudes, said to welcome the rising sun.

A stela at the southern end of the external terrace is

called "the Marriage Stela," and is a copy of the record of

one of Ramesses II’s diplomatic triumphs, his marriage to a

daughter of the Hittite king Hattusilis III.

Within the temple a series of chambers becomes

increasingly smaller as the floors of the rooms rise

noticeably.

There were many pharaohs that ruled in Ancient Egypt and all tried to leave an eternal legacy. Of the

many mighty pharaohs that ruled only a few have actually accomplished such a goal. Those that have

achieved the status have done so through luck as most the tombs have been destroyed or robbed. This

unfortunate fact has left many holes into Egyptian life and culture—we can only image how a pharaoh and

his people lived their lives.

Amenhotep IV – better

known as Akhenaten was

Egypt’s most Profound

pharaoh to rule Egypt. He led

Egypt in a direction that

would tag him ―The Heretic

Pharaoh.‖ He brought forth

new ideas mainly in religion

and art that would leave a

lasting impression on the

world. Unlike most pharaohs,

Akhenaten presented himself

in a way that would lead to

controversy and would shock

the world and his culture.

We invite you to take an in-

depth look at Akhenaten and

discover for yourself the man

that would lead Ancient

Egypt with much mayhem

during his reign and

thereafter.

To really understand

Akhenaten, you must

go back to Tuthmosis

IV when the city of

Thebes became the

main habitat for

Egypt. Its foremost god

was Aten and was

created during this

time. Aten was the

solitary god set up by

Amenhotep IV

(Akhenaten) to be the

main deity.

Amenhotep IV

eventually changed

his name to

Akhenaten. The new

name took on the

meaning ―He who is

of service to Aten.‖

FAMILY

Akhenaton's parents were Amenhotep III and Queen Tiy. His wife was Nefertiti who was probably a distant

relative. The Couple had six daughters named Ankhesenpaaten, Neferneferuaten-tasharit, Neferneferure,

Meketaten, Merytaten, and Sotepenre. Also present in the family are two unknown members in Akhenaten’s

family. They are Smenkhkare (successor of Akhenaten) and Tutankhaten who was later renamed Tutankhamen.

As a young child Akhenaten was raised in a traditional Ancient Egyptian manner and observed religious

rituals to the god Amon. In Thebes, Amon was the god that was elevated to the highest position. In time,

Akhenaten turned his focus and beliefs to another deity called Aten. (Aten is the sun god and was taken into

battle with Tuthmosis IV and later taken by Akhenaten).

Soon after becoming pharaoh of Egypt, Akhenaten discarded his royal name and loyalty to Amon. He turned

away from old priests and began the cult of the sun disk -- the Aten. Akhenaten acknowledged that Aten was

the single god except Re, the sun god. He claimed he was the only person able to converse with his god. This

only caused an absence of priests and he soon came to ban those that remained. He banned the worship of

Amon and closed down sacred temples.

Akhenaten’s wife’s name Nefertiti was also changed to ―Nefer Nefru Aten‖ meaning ―Beautiful is the Beauty of

Aten.‖ The couple then moved out of Thebes to a new capitol called Akhetaton. Everyone from the old capitol

moved to the new constructed capitol including the court and artisans

Amarna was erected in 1353-1335 B.C. in honor of the

god Aten. (Amarna is the modern name for the city

called Akhetaton) It had more naturalistic styles and the

art portrayed natural scenes and life-like figures. The

couple raised many extraordinary buildings and

conducted sophisticated ceremonies in the temples and

palaces. His new capitol attacked the cults of other

deities in Egypt, especially Amon. Sites of Amon were

desecrated and any evidence of worship to this god

destroyed. Akhenaten even had his father's cartouches

destroyed because it had Amon’s name encrypted upon

it. This continued to outrage the people of Egypt and left

the population uneasy and angry. Most of the cities in

Egypt were deprived of their estates and plantations.

Corruption fell upon the temples and soon they were

dependant on the city of Akhetaton.

THE NEW CAPITOL

The art during the Amarna period had made a colossal change. People were portrayed as they were. Unlike most pharaohs,

Akhenaten portrayed himself less god like and more human. This new style of art was portraying people in everyday lifestyles

and sometimes with minute details. Bek was Akhenaten’s main artist during this period. The disfigured pharaoh showed an

almost strange elongation of the head, large breasts, swollen stomach, and the diminutive splayed legs. He looked more feminine

then masculine.

Not only did Akhenaten show his naturalness but also the surroundings around him. His paintings were detailed and unique in

that they showed naturalism along the Nile River. The scenes of the time period showed the river engulfed with vegetation and

wild animals.

Pharaohs in earlier periods showed themselves as being well proportioned and taller then their subjects. Akhenaten, on the other

hand, was depicted as being at equal level with his surroundings that showed him in inappropriate scenes. Such scenes included

him kissing his daughters and sitting with his wife in a family oriented manner.

ART

During the 12th year of his reign, Queen Tiy joined Akhenaten in his

city. She brought with her a princess named Baketaten (Later

Baketamon). Akhenaten soon provided her with housing and

constructed a temple in honor of her. Nefertiti was no longer a favorite

to Akhenaten and she soon disappears from the time period. Historians

are puzzled as to why and where she left. Her daughter soon took her

place and held the duties her mother once did. His daughter was then

replaced with Ankhesenpaaten. He soon found anther queen who was

named Kiya and might have been from the Mitanni heritage. At

around the eighteenth year of his ruling Akhenaten died. Everything

was destroyed and demolished soon after his death. His mummy has

never been found. Everything was ravished and destroyed upon his

death.

THE END OF AKHENATEN’S REIGN

EGYPT NILE

CRUISES

A first time visitor to Egypt who wants a classical (pharaonic antiquities) experience would do well to book a Nile cruise.

Of course modern airlines shuttle tourists to the southern region of Egypt, but historically the Nile cruise was really the

only way to visit the temples and tombs located along this stretch of the river. It is still a popular means of visiting upper

Egypt and has many advantages to other means of travel.

First of all, it is very nice to unpack and once and have

your hotel travel with you, rather then the hectic routine

that accompanies the stop and go itineraries of air and

land tours. But besides the more relaxed mode of travel,

there are other significant advantages. Nile cruises often

visit a wider variety of antiquities along the banks of the

river. But equally important, they also allow the tourist to

gain a prospective of the rural Egypt, where people live

much the same way they did even thousands of years ago,

in mud brick homes, tending their fields with wooden

plows and moving produce via donkey. It is a wonderful

experience to sit on a shaded deck of a floating hotel,

sipping an iced beverage while watching 5,000 years of

culture slowly drift by nile cruises may very considerably.

But typical Nile cruises are either three, four or seven nights. The shorter tours usually operate between Luxor and Aswan,

while the longer cruises travel further north to Dendera, often offering day tours overland to more remote locations.

Therefore, a fairly complete 14 day tour of Egypt might include several days around Cairo, seeing the pyramids, museums

and other antiquities, a short flight to Abu Simbel in the very southern part of Egypt surrounding a seven day Nile Cruise.

The usual cruise is aboard a

Nile cruiser, often referred to

as a floating hotel. Indeed,

the better boats have most the

accommodations of a land

based hotel, including small

swimming pools, hot tubs,

exercise rooms, nightclubs,

good restaurants, stores and

even small libraries.

Depending on what one is

willing to pay, rooms may be

very utilitarian and small, or

larger then some land based

hotel rooms.

Egypt's Party Town Hurghada

Since the 1980s, Hurghada has become the principal bathing resort on the

Red Sea, visited by American, European and Arabs. Holiday villages and first

class hotels provide excellent aquatic sport facilities.

What used to be a small fishing village is now a fully developed resort that

stretches for about 40 km along the Red Sea shore, attracting package holiday

tourists mostly from Europe, notably Russians, Czechs and Germans. Many

restaurants, bars and shops, small pubs and internet cafes are available all over

Hurghada. Mobile internet in Egypt (covered perfectly in Hurghada and all

around Red Sea) is available for low rates from the three major mobile

networks; Vodafone, Mobinil and Etisalat. You may need to check the

coverage in your current stay.

Known as a party town, with its many clubs, life in Hurghada begins at night.

Nearly every hotel has its own disco. The most famous ones at the moment are

"Calypso" and "Papas Beach". Renowned for belly dancing, Arabic and Nubian

folklore, is "Alf Leila Wa Leila" ("One thousand and one nights"). It is a big open-

air area, which offers a bit of everything.

Hurghada has become an international center for aquatic sports like windsurfing,

sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming and, above all, snorkeling and diving. The

unique underwater gardens offshore are some of the finest in the world, justifiably

famous among divers. The warm waters here are ideal for many varieties of rare

fish and coral reefs, which may also be observed through glass bottom boats.

The city provides a gateway to prime diving sites throughout the Red Sea. Its

central location provides favorable access to very famous dive sites. In addition,

Hurghada is known for providing access to many uninhabited offshore reefs and

islands. The waters around the islands are popular with divers from all over the

world because of the chance to spot several kinds of sharks, including

hammerheads and oceanic whitetips

Hurghada

TOUR ATTRACTIONS: The main reason to

visit Hurghada is for the beautiful Red Sea,

excellent for diving or snorkeling. If you

aren't licensed to dive, it is often possible

to snorkel and see incredible coral reefs

and hundreds of varieties of tropical fish

just 10 meters from the beach. Again,

either your hotel will have dive escorts on

site, or they can arrange a scuba diving

expedition with guides. In late March, the

water is still quite cold (21 Celsius), so a

wet suit is necessary, and even snorkeling

in a bathing suit is too cold after about 10

minutes. It is also windy in late March;

sustained 20 MPH are common. Make sure

your beach resort hotel provides wind screens on the Beach.

TO DO: Hurghada offers many activities not to be found

anywhere else on Earth. Quad-biking hundreds of miles into

the Sahara desert for tea with a Bedouin tribe, then camel-

riding across Biblical plains to see remote and ancient

wonders; diving and snorkeling around a vibrant and

colourful coral reef; boat trips to the unpopulated Big and

Little Gifton islands; swimming in the warmest and saltiest sea

in the world (the Red Sea is more saline than even the Dead

Sea); good shopping; excellent and varied cuisine from

across the world.

Those new to Egypt will find Karkaday (a drink made from an

infusion of hibiscus, served hot or cold and reputed to have

many health benefits) and Chi (local version of tea, usually

served in a glass) offered everywhere. Both are delicious,

and will usually come replete with a smoke on a "sheesha"

pipe, known in the West as a "Hookah". Sheesha's are used

for smoking molasses tobacco in various flavours, with the

smoke passing through water before inhalation through a

long tube attached to the bowl. Although they may

resemble a device used to smoke illicit substances in the

west, (i.e, a bong), sheesha contains nothing illegal.

Beans come in all sizes, shapes and colors. They are found in all parts of the world and provide an

inexpensive protein source for a vast number of the world’s population. Known as a "powerhouse"

food by nutritionists, beans are low in calorie while being very rich in their nutrient content.

EGYPTIAN FOOD

TAMIYYA (or Falafel) – Bean Cakes

* 2 cups skinned white broad beans

* ½ cup fresh dill leaves

* ½ cup coriander leaves

* 2 onions*

* 10 garlic cloves*

* ½ cup parsley leaves

* 1 small leek, stalk only

* 1 teaspoon cumin

* ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or chili pepper powder)

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1-2 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

* Cooking oil ( I used canola oil)

* salt

Fava beans are broad beans (spp: Vicia faba), and the word comes from the Latin, faba,

meaning, broad bean. In reality, there are both small and large broad beans. If you find fava beans in the produce department of your grocer, you will see a large, no, really a huge green pod, much larger than your standard green bean (haricot verte.) They also come in bags of dried beans, which are dark reddish brown in color with a very dark, short, stripe on them. Dried, shelled beans are also available in bags and are pale yellow in color. Large broad beans are used for Tamiyya, or seasoned, fried bean patties, which is our recipe choice for the month. Small fava beans are used in the very popular Fuul Medamis, which we will have a taste of next month. Tamiyya is a classic local Egyptian dish. While known in other parts of the Mediterranean as falafel, it is very commonly served as part of the mezze or appetizer course in Egypt. You will also see it served as a main course, as the "hamburger" of the Middle East, in a pita round with lettuce and tomato. As a different sort of recipe challenge, I decided to have a taste test with my family, serving first Tamiyya made from a commercial mix, from Egypt, that was purchased at Sindibad’s Import Co. in Rochester, NY. The package contains finely ground or powdered broad beans with seasonings. Water is added, patties are formed by hand and the patties are then fried. And the vote? My family gave it a thumbs up, no recount necessary. Later that evening I prepared my dried, shelled beans by soaking them, anticipating making tamiyya from scratch the next day. And so, the next day, Sunday actually, I begin to prepare my tamiyya. I found myself up to my elbows in beans. While the homemade tamiyya was even more satisfying to the family than the pre-packaged kind, I found myself in need of a meat grinder. My initial grinding of the beans and seasonings in my food processor was woefully inadequate, as my patties fell apart during the frying process. Before I got too far into this project, I put the mixture through my food processor a second time, resulting in a finer mince. The patties then stayed together during frying. The vote this time around? A resounding two thumbs up!

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Below is a list of films that have an Egyptian theme. (Some more

loosely than others!!) We do not profess that this listing is complete, as

we have included only what we consider to be the most popular

Egyptian based films. Even though we are aware there were

numerous films made before the 1930's, with an Egyptian theme

(mostly black and white silent movies) we decided to start with this 'International' era of movies.

1932 USA

The Mummy. (Universalpictures)

Starring Boris Karloff.

Directed by Karl

Freund.

A mummy accidently

brought back to life,

tries to do the same to

his long lost love, an

ancient Egyptian

princess. 1933 USA The Ghoul. Starring Boris Karloff. Directed by T.

Hayes Hunter.

A Professor returns as a walking corpse

to seek revenge on those who refused

to carry out his dying wish , namely that

he be buried with an ancient Egyptian

jewel, The Eternal Light.

1934 USA

Cleopatra. Starring Claudette Colbert. Directed by

Cecil B. DeMille.

The story of Cleopatra and her fateful

romances with Julius Cesear and Mark

Anthony.

I s s t i l l n o t k n o w n

Issue # 2

ALEXANDRIA

EGYPT Land of the Pharaohs

AMENHOTEP III