Holocaust in Krakow, Poland

 

Abu Simbel



Standing in front of the Great Temple of Ramses II

Ramses II & Sun God Ra flank both sides of the Great Temple

 

Notice how small this person is in comparison to the temple



Inside Ramses II's temple

Nefetari's temple



Ramses II and Nefetari's temple side by side



Abu Simbel's view of Lake Nasser



The next day I headed 2 hours down the road to Abu Simbel - my MAIN reason behind my Aswan visit. The Abu Simbel monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has often been referred to as the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World.  The monuments were built in honor of Ramses II and his wife Nefetari.  Ramses II was one of the most powerful pharoahs of ancient Egypt. He had many wives and over 100 children. His favorite wife was Nefetari, a Nubian queen whose beauty was legendary. The temples were originally carved out of a mountainside in the region of Nubia in 13 B.C. The region was named for the African tribe (Nubians) that settled in southern Egypt. When the Aswan Dam was built, Abu Simbel was relocated block by block in 1968 to its current location - only 60 meters from its original site. The relocation was done to avoid Abu Simbel from being submerged by Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir that formed after the completion of the dam. It was wonderful to see these fantastic monuments, and it was the perfect end to a perfect staycation!

A Little Staycation in Aswan, Egypt

Welcome to Awan!







My comfy hotel

 

Feluca sailors



Pharonic Stone Quarry

  

Unfinished Obelisk



Craccccck!



Philae Temple

Time to head back.

Ok, so I'm a little behind on my blogging. LOL. So, I will try to update as much as I can. In late August, I traveled to Aswan which is the southern most point city in Egypt closest to the border of North Sudan. I traveled during Eid (Egyptian holiday period celebrating the end of Ramadan), wanting very much to get away from the overpopulation and smog of Cairo, and to a more tranquil and aesthetic environment which Aswan provided in spades! It was sooo much more relaxing, and the Nile was bluer and cleaner! It was a wonderful 3 day staycation as I mainly spent my time sailing on the Nile. I also spent my time visiting Pharonic sites, such as the Unfinished Obelisk that still remains in the rock quarry from where it was started due to a crack that developed halfway through the process. My favorite site was the Philae Temple, which was a barrier island off of Aswan that had temples dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis. However, I soon discovered the best temple yet to come was the temple of Abu Simbel that I visited the following day, which is highlighted in my next blogpost. So, stay tune!

Funning at the Giza Pyramids!

Giza Pyramid 



Wassup?!?

Camel break!

Spies like us. LOL

A tale of 2 pyramids?

Myyyyyy.... what big feet it has!

 

Sphinx kisses!



What a photo op, eh?

Tom trying to climb to the top.

Let's do the Time Warp Againnnn!

This one needs a makeover...

Karate Kid at the Giza Pyramids. LOL!

Dashing to the Dahshur Pyramids!

Red Pyramid

Entry into the Red Pyramid

Climbing into the bowels of the pyramid

Scary and Smelly!

Wooden floors inside? Really?!?

Nothing but a pile of old rocks here. LOL.

Bent Pyramid

Planking! LOL

Tom at Memphis Open-Air Museum

Ramses II Colossus = Ginormously Huge!

Tickling Ramses II. LOL

Last month my friend Tom came to Cairo on a business trip, and we were able to meet up on his last day to see the pyramids.  Since I had not been to Dahshur yet to visit the Red and Bent Pyramids, we started their first. So on an early Friday morning, we headed an hour south of Cairo to the Dahshur necropolis. The first stop was the Red Pyramid, which got its name because of its reddish hues. Built during the Old Kingdom period, it was the tallest man-made structure of its time. Today it is the 3rd largest pyramid in Egypt. It was also the first successfully completed smooth-sided pyramid, marking the end of step pyramid design. Visitors can enter the pyramid and make their descent into its deep interiors, which Tom and I eagerly did. The interior was unremarkable. The walls were devoid of hieroglyphics, and its treasures had already been transferred to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. However, bragging rights were gained. LOL. Who else can say they have been inside of a pyramid? Our next stop was the Bent Pyramid, which was named... wait for it... for its bent appearance! :) The lower corner rises at a 55 degree angle, while the top structure angles at a shallow 43 degrees. Because of its uneven sides, egyptologists believe this was the experimental prototype that attempted a smooth-sided exterior. Clearly, the kinks were worked out because the Red Pyramid was the next one built.  Before Tom and I headed to the Giza Pyramids, we stopped at the Memphis Open-Air Museum; the site of the Great Temple of Ptah, which was the  largest and most important temple in Memphis - the former capital of ancient Eygpt.  Although the temple was no longer there, the colossus of Ramses II - one of a pair that used to be at the temple - was at the museum.  It was on display lying down because of its fractured lower portions. (Incidentally, the other colossus is intact and will be exhibited at Giza's Grand Egyptian Museum opening in 2013.) Next stop... Giza Pyramids!