Egypt is one of the most historical and storied nations on earth. There are numerous attractions and sites to explore with these being 10 of the best.
1. Temples of Abu Simbel
The rock temples, which were built in about 1300 BC, have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
They were constructed under the order of Pharaoh Ramesses II and his lady Queen Nefertari. They were originally built to intimidate their enemies and as monuments to honor their own lives.
2. Great Sphinx of Giza
The Sphinx in Egypt is the world’s biggest monolith statue at a height of 66 feet and length of 241 feet. Nobody really knows why the Sphinx was built or who built it, but many historians believe that Pharaoh Khafra was behind it way back in the year 2500 BC.
3. The Valley of the Kings
It’s believed that a minimum of 63 Pharaohs were buried at this famous site in a series of multi-roomed, private tombs. The tombs, which date all the way back about 1700 BC, were completed with murals and hieroglyphics that told stories of the kings. However the tombs were so elaborate that the first 62 of them were emptied out by grave robbers.
The most famous tomb was King Tut’s, which was buried below King Ramses VI. Somehow it went undiscovered until 1922. The tomb was filled with a fortune of gold and jewelry and was untouched until it was found. You can view the remains of King Tut’s tomb at the Egyptian Museum.
4. The Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid is the biggest of the three pyramids that are located at the Giza Necropolis. This pyramid, which was built around 2560 BC, is the last of the original Seven Wonders of the World. It’s believed that it was erected as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu of Egypt.
5. The Suez Canal
This famous waterway is also referred to as known as the Highway to India. The canal was opened way back in 1869 and helped open up the doors for trade between Asia and Europe. This is because goods could be shipped by going through the Suez Canal instead of traveling all the way around the continent of Africa.
6. The Karnak Temple
The famous Karnak Temple is considered as the world’s largest temple. This is because each of the successive Pharaohs added on their own rooms to it. The temple was featured in the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. It’s located just a hop, skip and jump away from the Temple of Luxor.
7. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo
This museum was constructed back in 1902. It’s two-storeys high and consists of a total of 42-rooms that are home to about 120,000 historic artifacts. These include the mummies of 27 different Egyptian pharaohs along with their coffins, gold thrones, art and jewelry. It also includes the huge King Tut collection.
8. The Nile River
The majority of Egyptians live alongside the famous Nile River. The nation boasts a population of about 85 million people and most have them have lived closed to the Nile throughout history.
This means that taking a cruise down the river is one of the best ways to explore the country and its people.
9. The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
This temple was built to honor the sun god Amun. This is where Queen Hatshepsut was laid to rest after her death and it’s located on the west bank of the River Nile close to the Valley of the Kings.
10. The Temple of Luxor
This temple was constructed back in 1400 BC to honor the Theban Triad, which is a group of Egyptian gods. The gods were held in high regard in Egypt’s Thebes region. The oldest sections of the ancient temple were erected under Queen Hatshepsut’s supervision.
(photo credit: sonofgroucho)