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The abundance of stories,
treasures, legends and mysteries to spring from the area of Egypt has
puzzled scholars, historians and travelers since Roman times.
Even Herotodus was awestruck with the ancient Egyptian ruins he
found.
Funky
Tut
The
Valley of the Kings has come to be regarded as the most significant
archaeological find of the 20th century.
It is famous for its 64 bedrock hewn tombs and the treasures of
King Tutankhamen. The long
standing fascination with Tutankhamen has become so pervasive that the
words “King Tut” have entered into the common English vernacular.
Steve Martin comically depicts him as “Dancin’ by the Nile,
(Disco Tut)…The ladies love his style, (waltzing Tut)…Rockin’ for a
mile (rockin’ Tut)…He ate a crocodile.”
Regardless of the
reasons for popular interest in King Tut, the relics from his tomb remain
unique in that they were the only pharaonic treasures to have escaped
grave robbers and therefore represent some of our only clues as to the
true extravagance of ancient pharaoh burial rites.
The
Mummy Trade
For
some time following the discovery of mummified remains in Egypt, a black
market trade emerged. During
medieval times mummified remains were ground to dust and sold as
aphrodisiacs or medications against abscesses, fractures, bruises,
paralysis, migraine, epilepsy, haemoptysis, coughs, sore throats, high
blood pressure, stomach insufficiencies, sickness, liver and spleen
illnesses, internal ulcers and poisoning.” Later, 19th century surgeons found a new trade in
unwrapping mummies in front of live audiences.
However, the most peculiar endeavour to emerge from the mummy trade
was the business developed by an enterprising American entrepreneur named
August Stanwood who developed a thriving wrapping paper business from the
converted bandages and shrouds. Unfortunately,
his business was brought to a halt following a cholera epidemic that was
linked to his paper factories.
Karnack
Temple
Karnak Temple
was once the most important place of worship during the Theban era.
It was referred to as “Ipet-Isut” or “The most perfect of
places”. Over 1500 years it
was enlarged, decorated and enhanced and now represents a complex of
sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons, obelisks, statues, and columns.
The
Great Pyramid of Giza and Riddle of the Sphinx
The only remaining monument of
the 7 Wonders of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid of Giza has been
diligently guarded for thousands of years by the great protector, the
Sphinx. In Arabic the Sphinx
is known as Abu al-Hol or “father of terror”.
The Sphinx is one of the most visible mysteries of the ancient
world and has survived the ravages of time for over 4,500 years.
In Greek mythology the Sphinx was a monster with a lion’s body
and the head of a man that malevolently killed travelers who were unable
to answer a riddle. The riddle of the Sphinx asks, “What walks on four legs in
the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three legs in the evening”.
The traveler that escaped unharmed knew the answer was “man”.
The Sphinx is believed to have special protective powers that guard
the tombs against all forms of evil. In its long history the Sphinx has
been buried and re-excavated several times.
The riddle of the Sphinx has invariably endured as long as its
sandstone structure.
Cave
of the Swimmers
Uwaynat in southwestern Egypt
is the location of the ‘Cave of the Swimmers’, the famous cave
paintings discovered by Laszlo Almasy in the middle of the western desert.
The images, which are found in a region completely devoid of water,
curiously depict characters swimming.
This cave featured prominently in the film The
English Patient.
The
Rosetta Stone
The Colours of The Nile
expedition will finally wind up its journey in the tiny fishing village of
Rosetta. This town is uniquely fitting as a final destination for it
is the location of a much earlier triumph, the monumental breakthrough in
the study of ancient hieroglyphics. For almost 1500 years, scholars were
unable to read the ancient lost language.
Virtually all understanding of this mysterious script had been lost
since the 4th century AD. The
Rosetta Stone played a crucial role in the modern translation of this lost
language. A brilliant French
linguist, Jean Francois Champollion, (1790-1832) toiled at deciphering the
meaning of these lost figures from the age of 18. Finally after 14 years
of intense study he submitted to the world the product of his achievement
in a now famous letter he wrote to the French Royal Academy of
Inscriptions. The full significance of his discovery allowed the
"translation" of "silent" symbols into a living
language, which was necessary in order to make the whole content of
information of these symbols accessible. Finally after nearly 1500 years
of silence, ancient Egyptian writing could be read. Today, the stone is
kept at the British Museum in London.
Pharos
of Alexandria
The
famous lighthouse or “Pharos” of Alexandria was one of the 7 great
wonders of the ancient world. Despite
its disappearance centuries ago, legends of this monument continue to this
day. According to historic
records, the structure was so massive and of such unique design that it
endured the elements for over 1700 years.
It eventually succumbed to a massive earthquake in 1303 and a
century after its destruction the ruins were then quarried and used to
build a fortress on the same site.
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