Ancient Egypt Executive Summary

Tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) “Ancient Egypt & the Nile River” 2 November – 22 November 2022 Introduction I have traveled to quite a few countries over the years both for business and pleasure, but had never been to Egypt until this trip. I had wanted to visit this country for some time and decided in 2019 that if I was serious about it, I better find a touring company that would take me there. I asked Lois Boyer if she had any interest in visiting Egypt and if she did would she like to go with me. She said she did and she would. We signed up to make this trip with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) in 2019. In making the final commitment to come on this tour, Lois and I were concerned about two issues, Covid and terrorism. We postponed the trip twice because of Covid and decided to go in spite of our concern about security. This was the right decision. We did feel safe while in Egypt. There was an armed security man accompanying us at all times. There was also an escort car in front or in back of the bus with three armed security men for much, if not all, of the time we traveled in a bus. They were not always obvious. In Alexandria they were obvious with lights and sometimes sirens to clear traffic for the bus. A great deal has been learned about the major individuals and everyday citzens who formed the history of ancient Egypt. This knowledge began with the discovery and excavation of temples, tombs, pyramids, monuments, statues, etc. Simultaneously, experts studied all that had been found in and around these excavated sites, The result has been an understanding of the hieroglyphics (the formal writing system of ancient Egypt), and stories depicted by pictures chiseled into the stones inside and outside of these structures along with objects discovered within burial sites. The purpose of the tour was to show us ancient Egypt through the understanding Egyptologists have gained through this study. The tour included seven days on a boat on the Nile River. This is the longest river in the world. Our travel on it took us from Aswan to Luxor to Edfu and back again. I found this the most relaxing part of the tour, especially the opportunity to sit on the balcony of our state room on the top deck observing wildlife in the water, in the air, and on the banks as we cruised. I have written a much more detailed account of our experience in Egypt, but many potential readers don’t have the time or inclination for that degree of information, therefor this shorter version. In the pages that follow, I will attempt to give you a summary of what we saw and what we learned by presenting photographs and commentary for each day in chronological order. 1 Map of Egypt Relevant Statistics City Location Cairo Lower Egypt on the Nile River. See map below Population Greater Cairo 9,000,000 Cairo and adjacent population Aswan 18,500,000 Upper Egypt, 137 miles south of Luxor and 563 miles south of Cairo on the Nile River Luxor Upper Egypt 426 miles south of Cairo on the Nile River 351332 487,896 Alexandria On the Mediterranean Sea. See map below Country of Egypt 5,200,000 Middle East. See map below 110,990,103 2 3 Wednesday,11- 2-2022 and Thursday, 11-3-2022 Arrival in Cairo Scene upon our arrival at the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel, Cairo Friday, 11-4-2022 The same shot the next morning showing the pollution in the air We met another couple who also came a day early, Mark and Bonnie Walker 4 Took elevator to top of Cairo Tower with Mark and Bonnie Met a large tree along the way 5 Cairo from the top of the Tower Saturday, 11-5-2022 Cairo Museum This museum has some of the best-preserved examples of artifacts of Ancient Egypt from all of the structures that have been excavated all over Egypt. Nesrine, our tour leader, an Egyptologist 6 7 A granite sphinx of Hatshepsut painted in limestone. Originally stood at her mortuary temple. She ruled Egypt as co-regent for her nephew/stepson Thutmose lll and then as one of the few female pharaohs. This is from the tomb of Tutankhamun. It depicts the king in the form of the god Anubis. Statue of Ramesses II, also spelled Ramses II. He lived to be 90 and reigned as pharaohs for 66 years. He had 90 children by many wives, but his favorite was Nefertari. He built a large temple for her. He fought and won many wars 8 King Tuts throne/chair Saturday, 11-6-2022 Street Scenes 9 A senior on a bike and a sneering on-looker 10 11 Open Air Museum in Memphis This is a limestone giant of a statue of King Ramesses II in the Open Air Museum in Memphis, 12 miles south of Giza. His reign was 1279-1213 BC. It is 33 feet long and he is on his back because the legs are missing. Step Pyramids in Seqqara The building and use of pyramids was started at Saqqara by Djoser, the first King of the third Dynasty, with the construction of the step pyramid. The pyramid composes Dozier’s complex tomb. This complex pyramid constitutes a milestone in the evolution of the monumental stone architecture in Egypt and in the world as a whole. Here limestone was first used on a large scale as a construction material and here the idea of a monumental royal tomb in the form of a pyramid was first realized in the 19 Dynasty inscription found in South Saqqara. The ancient Egyptians were already describing Dozier’s as the opener of stone which we can interpret as meaning the inventor of stone architecture. With the third Dynasty, the tomb also became a symbol of the divinity of the Pharaoh, of his survival in the eternal life, of celestial power that went beyond death and could be used to benefit the entire country. In order to express these new ideas mastaba were designed for the King which he later decided to elevate with a series of super imposed mastabas, thus, the step pyramid of Saqqara was born, which symbolizes a stairway reaching up toward heaven to permit the heavenly ascent of the Pharaoh Monday, 11-7-2022 Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan Sanctuary of Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan (A madrasa is any type educational structure) This mosque was constructed between 1356 and 1363 by Sultan Hassan and is one of the largest and architecturally exquisite mosques in Egypt. Commerce in action at the marketplace 12 Tuesday, 11-8-2022 We flew from Cairo to Aswan where we viewed the Aswan Dam and then boarded the Nefertiti, a 75-passenger boat, for seven days on the Nile River. Lois enjoying some relaxation on our stateroom’s balcony. 13 Bird Watching That afternoon we joined a small group on a smaller boat with an expert on this segment of the river to view the birds of the region. 14 Wednesday, 11-9-2022 Nubian People and Egyptian Desert On the way to the two temples that Ramses II constructed, we got a good look at the land of the Nubian people and what most of the country of Egypt looks like, desert. Most Egyptians live on 5% of the landmass along the shores of the Nile River and the Mediterranean Sea. The land of the Nubian people. They are an indigenous group of African descent. They have long maintained language and culture distinct from those of other Arab neighbors. Abu Simbel This is in Abu Simbel, which consists of two temples built by Egypt’s great Pharaoh Ramses II (Egypt’s longest-ruling king) as a tribute to the deities and his favorite wife Nefatari. Originally carved into a mountainside, the temples feature richly detailed stone monuments-including four 65-foot-tall statues of Ramses II that flank the entrance to the Great Temple. 15 Front entrance of the Great Temple with four massive statues of Ramses II 16 This is an interesting story of precision construction. The Abu-Simbel temple's entrance was designed more than 3,000 years ago so that twice a year, on October 22 and February 22 for about 20-25 minutes, the first rays of the sun would shine a beam down the length of the temple cave into the inner sanctuary, illuminating three statues - Ra-Horakhty, the deified Ramses II, and god Amun Ra - leaving the god of the underworld Ptah in darkness. Ramses II built a smaller temple for his favorite wife, Nefertari, to show his devotion to her he had a statue of himself and her constructed that are the same height, showing equality. 17 Statue of Nefertari, favorite wife of Ramses II. She is one of the best known Egyptian queens, among such women as Cleopatra, Nefertiti, and Hatshepsut. She was highly educated and able to both read and write hieroglyphs, a very rare skill at the time. She used these skills in her diplomatic work, corresponding with other prominent royals of the time. 18 19 Birthday Cake of Towels This was a three-layered birthday cake with a candle on top fashioned out of towels. Our cabin attendant created this masterpiece in honor of Harry’s birthday. The bed and cake were covered with flower petals and blinking, sparkling lights. All of this was done while we were gone. Thursday, 11-10-2022 Philae Temple This is the Philae Temple dedicated to the god, Isis. She was an enchantress, known as the giver of life, the protector of kings, and the mother of God. The exterior is deeply etched in relief of Isis and others. They are remarkably preserved. Isis receiving gifts, also well preserved. A group of schoolgirls we met on the street. They are all covered except for one. She explained that at the point of deciding on whether to be covered or not, she had a conversation with her parents, explaining that she did not want to be covered. She said she wanted to wait until she was more mature to make this 20 important decision. Her parents acquiesced. We asked her what her mother wore. She said her mother wore a burqa. So, in her house there are two different views coexisting about the practice of being covered. It appears that the trend in Egypt is to allow the girls of the country to make their own personal decision about being covered. This trend is moving more slowly in the south of Egypt than it is in the north and more slowly in the rural areas than it is in the cities. This trend will probably move ahead, but slowly. Kom Ombo (Two Temples) The Kom Ombo (Two Temples), below, is unique as it is Egypt’s only double temple dedicated to both Sobek, the crocodile God, and Horus, the great, winged solar disk. Everything here is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along a central axis-twin entrances, twin courts, and twin colonnades. We saw the exterior by installed electric light and the interior by Nesrine’s cell phone light. 21 The form is set in deeply carved relief 22 Party Onboard the Boat We dressed in the Egyptian style for a party on board the boat 23 Friday, 11-11-2022 Philae Temple of the God Horus In the early morning, we took a horse drawn carriage to our next site. It was far better than walking on the rough surfaced road. Entrance to the Philae Temple of the god Horus. 24 Horus as a Falcon To the ancient Egyptians, Horus was one of the most important deities. He was commonly depicted as a falcon-headed god with a double crown. The pharaohs of Egypt were associated with Horus since the pharaoh was considered to be the earthly embodiment of the god. In the beginning stages of the ancient Egyptian religion, Horus was believed to be the god of war and the sky and was married to the goddess Hathor. Looks like a standoff of the Falcons. Horus versus Horus 25 26 Luxor Sailing from Luxor to Aswan on the Nile. Rich forestry with what composes that vast majority of Egypt’s land mass, desert. Saturday, 11-12-2022 Luxor: The shopping area above the dock, steep concrete stairs with no railings and street above Hot Air Balloon Ride Early preparations for the balloons to fly at dawn This was a great ride. 27 Visit to a Farm Visit to a farming community across the Nile from the bustling city of Luxor. What a contrast. Table set for lunch hosted by one of the families of the village 28 The kitchen of the farmhouse Sunday, 11-13-2022 Back to Aswan A pleasant scene on our cruise back to Aswan. Those aren’t mountains. It’s desert. 29 Monday, 2022-11-14 Valley of the Kings The Valley of the Kings has several tombs where pharaohs were placed at their deaths and are still there. Here are several entrances. We visited three. Including Tutankhamun 30 Mummified King Tut Remarkably preserved tomb of Ramses VI 31 More of Ramses VI Tomb of Ramses III 32 Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Temple of Queen Hatshepsut In the mythology of ancient Egypt, Hathor was one of the most powerful and highly regarded goddesses of the pantheon. Hathor was considered the protector of women and was also honored as the Egyptian goddess of love, music, fertility, beauty, cosmetics, and pleasure. Hathor was also believed to assist souls traveling in the afterlife in reaching their destinations. 33 Avenue of the Sphynxes Luxor Temple Outside of the Luxor Temple with its obelisk. The Luxor Temple was largely the product of two Kings, Ramses II (1290 through 1224 BC) and Amenhotep III. It grew from back to front with courts and entryways. 34 Base of the above obelisk Tuesday, 2022-11-15 Karnak Temple The Karnak Temple is a huge complex of shrines, built and enlarged over a period of 1300 years. The ancient Egyptians called the enormous temple complex of Karnak, “the most perfect of places,” and today it is one of the most important sites in Egypt as it encompasses a wealth of ancient Egyptian history, primarily between the 12th and 13th dynasties. 35 Tallest obelisk in Egypt 36 Wednesday, 2022-11-16 Pyramids and Sphynxes in Giza Back in Cairo and this is the largest of the three pyramids in Giza Entrance to the pyramid 37 How often do you get to see kissing camels? Profile of the Sphinx 38 Speaks for itself 39 Thursday, 2022-11-17 Cavern Church Inside the cave under Abu Serga Church (the Cavern Church) in Cairo where it is said that the to protect Jesus holy family hid from the Romans who were hunting for baby Jewish boys. 40 Friday, 2022-11-18 Alexandria Entering Alexandria on the Mediterranean Fresh fish on the dock 41 Very rough road into our hotel, Helnon Palestine Hotel View from our balcony 42 Saturday, 2022-11-19 Alexandria National Museum Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and established Alexandria. This is his statue Isis in the Alexandria National Museum 43 Head of Akhenaten, the 10th king of the 18th Dynasty. He ruled for 17 years (1379-1362). He came to the throne as Amenhotep IV. He renounced polytheism, introducing a monotheistic cult based on worship of the sun disk, Aten, in whose honor he changed his name. The husband of Nefertiti, he moved the capital from Thebes to the newly built city of Akhetaten. The empire began to disintegrate during his reign. When he died his wife became Regent for her stepson and returned to polytheism and the original capital. Chance Encounter with a Boy and His Family Famous restaurant in Cairo 44 This is a nice story. This young man asked Harry to take a photo of his sister and him. He took a photo of his photo as it appeared on the viewfinder of Harry’s camera. He then asked Harry to photograph his sister, mother, and father in a car nearby. He did and engaged in conversation with the family. The young man approached Harry later and gave him a one pound Egyptian note worth 4 cents in US dollars. Harry told him he would keep the note to remember their time together on Cairo Street. 45 Sunday,2022-11-20 Alexandria Eliahu HaNavi Synzagoque Front entrance toThe Alexandria Eliahu HaNavi Synzagoque Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue has a long history in Alexandria, but they can no longer hold services because there are not ten Jewish men available, as required by the faith. There are less than twenty Jews left in Egypt. This is a beautiful worship space with its pink columns from Italy. 46 Bibliotheca Alexandrina The library of Alexandria, also known as Bibliotheca Alexandrina, is both beautiful and functional. It has vast stores of documents digitized for easy access by those wishing to take advantage of the library’s web site to reach the databases in the main library in Alexandria and the satellite locations with databases in countries all over the world. It was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. This is a large space with computers for accessing the various databases of the library and workspaces for reading and otherwise assimilating the information acquired. The right side of the space is filled with various exhibits including some of the earliest printing presses. The space below is an example of the multiple layers for storage and study. This is an amazing place both in its architecture and its vast store of information. The library is also full of interesting art. Some examples are below. 47 A bulls face, bronze, 1972 Chest Base, Colored Gibson with iron base, 2006 48 This frog is just for fun 49 Additional Information of Interest Discussion of Women’s Rights Later that afternoon we met in separate groups to hear a woman speak on women’s rights. She covered three topics: The practice of women covering themselves in varying degrees, selection of a marriage partner and living arrangements after marriage. Covering: The general practice is that a young woman would make a decision on whether or not to cover, and if so, to what extent at the point of getting her first period. If a girl is going to cover it would start with just the hair, but over time can progress to covering every part of the body except the eyes and they may be covered with a veil. However, this is a decision that is usually made in conjunction with the parents. In some families the parents are extremely strict in observing what they consider to be the proper practice in accordance with their interpretation of the Koran, the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. In other cases the wishes of the daughter are respected by the parents, in which case the daughter may decide to cover in one degree or another, or not at all. During our travels with our group to various sites and in the streets along the way we spoke to groups of school-age girls, usually in the uniform of their school. In some cases one or more girls in the group spoke English and in other cases the conversation was carried on with Nesrine acting as interpreter. We found that some girls in the group would be covered and others not. Most of the girls were very straightforward in stating whether their parents had given them the freedom to make their own choice, some were and some weren’t. In the young girls we talked to there seemed to be no discrimination between those who elected to be covered and those who did not. Although this impression may be deceiving since this is a very sensitive period in a young girl’s life and there are bound to be discussions among those where the decision has been made for her to be covered and those where the decision has been the opposite. This difference in the status of a girl who covers at the point of her first period and a girl who has yet to have a period and does not cover could affect the relationship. This decision appears to be evolving toward allowing young girls to make their own decision in this regard. This evolution may continue for some time and will come more slowly in the South than the North and more slowly in rural areas than in metropolitan areas. Women who cover only do it outside their home. When at home most women opt for casual wear such as jeans and don’t cover. The issue may arise if the woman is home alone and must answer the door. She either doesn’t answer or covers and then answers. Opinions on covering are split in two ways. On the necessity to cover, the majority interpret the Koran as requiring a woman to cover. Others interpret the Koran as not requiring cover. 50 The Koran states that Muhammad’s wife covered but the Koran also states that she is held to a higher standard. Another split opinion is that some see covering as identifying with the Muslim faith and others see it as oppression of women. These opinions are evolving in Egypt. Selecting a marriage mate: She also discussed practices of the selection of a marriage mate. The practice among Muslim families has been for the parents of the young man to select a young woman to be his marriage partner in conjunction with the young woman’s parents. There may be a dowry involved. However, this practice is also evolving toward the young men and women meeting and selecting their own mates. Living arrangements after marriage: There is a second practice that the woman will move into the house, or in the case of an apartment building, into another apartment in the same building as the husband’s parents. In some cases, when the parents are in the process of building, or otherwise acquiring their own home, there may be provisions made to add on to the home to provide accommodation for living quarter for a son, his new wife and then family. This is the case with a son, regardless of how many sons there may be. We visited a couple in their apartment who had two daughters. Before they were married he lived in Cairo and she lived a few miles away in Giza. After the marriage she, with her new husband, moved into an apartment in the same apartment building where her new husband’s parents lived. Subsequently, his brother and his new bride also moved into a separate apartment in the same building. We have observed that there are many buildings that appear to be still under construction by the evidence of rerod protruding from columns reaching above the roof. In many cases this is to avoid paying the taxes that would be due on the completed building. In other cases it is in preparation for adding an additional floor to accommodate a son and his new bride. This was an extremely interesting and informative discussion. Our speaker was articulate, candid, and personal in her presentation and in her response to questions from our group. Security in Egypt All the sites we visited, including hotels and most restaurants, required you to pass through a metal detector and any handbags or luggage to be placed on a conveyor belt and x-rayed. Our bus was checked by a trained dog and a security person checked the underside of the bus with a mirror on a long pole. The airports had extremely tight security. You had to pass through three checkpoints before getting to your gate. The first one required a show of passport and x-ray of your checked luggage. The second one required you to place everything in your pockets, and a jacket or coat you may be wearing into one or more plastic boxes to go through the x-ray machine along with any carry-on luggage. You then had to pass through a metal detector. The third one required you to do the same things as the second one except in addition you removed 51 your belt and shoes. Because of all the potential delays at each one of the stations, mostly having to do with the long lines at each one, put a premium on arriving at the airport a minimum of two hours prior to flight in three hours being a more prudent time. This process not only takes a considerable amount of time and patience, it also requires a good deal of energy, both mental and physical. Final Comments I started reviewing my photos and composing the beginnings of this Journal the next morning after awakening very early from jet lag. In the process of doing research entailed in gaining a better understanding of what I had seen, heard, and photographed it was clear to me that I had not fully understood the significance what I had seen and done on site in Egypt. Compiling this Journal has gone a long way to correct that short-coming, and there is so much more to the story on Ancient Egypt. What we saw and were told about Egypt 4,500 years ago is prologue to Egypt today. That is another important story.