All across the world, there are a number of places that showcases the great legacy of ancient times but one civilization was able to shine more than others. The heritage of ancient Egypt is truly immortal able to last of more than 5000 years and provides an infinite amount of information across different times and unique cultures from ancient pharaonic to Greco-roman to Coptic to Islamic. With amazing Egypt tours , you will be able to discover these fabulous attractions and we recommend that a holiday in Egypt will not be interesting without visiting these landmarks. Egypt is like a beautiful painting made from ancient historical facts and emotions that need to be discovered to the fullest. There are nine incredible archaeological attractions and heritage sites that reflect a great deal about how the time transformed Egypt to a hub of culture and world history. All the locations located below are a UNESCO World Heritage Sites :
Abu Mena Monastery (1979)
One of the most unique locations all across Egypt is the Abu Mena monastery which was put on the list of endangered world heritage in 2001 and before that the world heritage sites in 1979. The complex monastery is a Christian pilgrimage center that began in the late 3rd century AD which is 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Alexandria. It celebrates and Menas, a soldier from Alexandria, an officer in Diocletian’s army, famous for publicly announcing his religion Christianity and rejecting the concept of killing any Christians after his own army won. Some remains of the structure are still standing.
Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis (1979)
The epic land of Thebes a.k.a Luxor is where the art, allure, and legends were created and honored, it is located east the Nile 500 mi (800 KM) and 419 mi (675 km) south of Cairo, it was the capital of ancient Egypt in the new kingdom (1570-1069 BCE). Thebes was the hub of all the cultural and religious activities as described by the greek poet homer who described Luxor as the city of a thousand gates. It was the worship city of Amun the sun creator god & many deities and the host of various festivals like the Opet & Shemu. Luxor contains many monuments for pharaohs from the new kingdom who build a powerful empire that lasted until today. At the grand entrance of Thebes lies two massive statues of Amenhotep III standing at guard.The heavenly Karnak temple is one of the most recognized and known temples in the history of the world constructed by Amenhotep III (1353-1279 BC) as a worship center for the holy triad of the creator god Amun-re, the goddess of truth Mut and their son the moon god Khnosu. in the heart of Luxor’s fountain, hills are the royal Valley of the Kings which holds the tombs of more than 60 tombs like Tutankhamen, Seti I and the Ramses Dynasty of the new kingdom while the valley of the queens was the home of the pharaohs’ wives & daughters. Thebes holds the valley of the nobles which contains the tombs of 500 individuals that worked as governors, tax collectors or were a form of nobility. the beautiful Luxor Temple was the centerpiece of the Opet festival which was dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship, Luxor also saw the crowning of many grand rulers such as Alexander the Great.
Historic Cairo (1979)
Nothing really compares to the history, allure, and importance of Cairo as it one of the oldest cities in the world that date back to more than 1400 years. The city was known as al-Fustat and become the first capital of Islamic Egypt in 640 AD and in the same year, the mosque of Amr Ibn Al-as became the first mosque in the history of Africa. In 970 AD during the Fatimid dynasty, the city became known as Cairo or Al- Qahirah. Cairo holds a lot of churches such as Abu serge church, hanging church and more. in Cairo is a number of mosques such as al Azhar mosque, Ibn Tulan mosque, sultan Hassan mosque and more. In 1183 the Cairo citadel of salah el din became the crown jewel of the entire city.
Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur (1979)
Egypt’s oldest heritage comes in the shape of great constructions called pyramids created more than 5000 years ago. All the pyramids were constructed between the old kingdom (2575-2150 BC) and the middle kingdom (2030-1650 BC) and there are over a 100 of them, the most famous ones are the great pyramids of Giza; the first one is the great pyramid of pharaoh Khufu or Cheops (2589 BC-2566 BC), the last surviving one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world and one of the biggest structures in the world. The second tallest pyramid is the Khafre pyramid built in the 4th dynasty to contain the tomb of pharaoh Khafre (2558-2532 BC) who is known for building the sphinx, the world’s oldest and biggest statue. Finally The pyramid of Menkaure (2532 BC- 2500 BC) built-in 2510 BC is the smallest of the three pyramids. The royal necropolis of Dahshur is located in the west bank of the Nile, constructed from 2613 BC to 2589 BC. There are several pyramids in Dahshur, two of them are among the largest, oldest, and best-preserved, the first is Black Pyramid for its black appearance of decayed mudbrick core and The Red pyramid also known as the north pyramid was king Sneferu third pyramid and ultimate success at constructing a true pyramid and It is named red pyramid because of the use of red limestone. Egypt’s first capital Memphis (2686-2181 BC) is 20 km south of Giza that was the center of rule, culture, worship, and art from the ancient Egyptian civilization in the old kingdom and lost its stature in the new kingdom after the capital was relocated to the city of Thebes.
Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae (1979)
The city of Aswan is known as the city of gold, wonder and the unforgettable sight of allure. Aswan is a place outside the boundaries of time which contains some of the most incredible collection of artifacts such as the great Abu Simbel Temples the embodiment of victory, brilliance, and glory carved on a rocky mountain by Ramsess II between 1244 and 1224 BC to immortalize his victory in the battle of Kadesh and honor the deities of Amun, Ptah, and Re-Hor-Akhty. The temple becomes the center of the sun festival that takes place on the 22 of February and October when the sun rays shine on the faces of the same deities. It is very recommended globally to visit the Abu Simbel temples through a magical Nile river cruise .
Another equally amazing construction is the mesmerizing Philae temple built between 380-362 BC by king Ptolemy II on a rocky island to honor “Isis” the goddess of Motherhood, healing, and birth. Both the Abu Simbel and the Philae temple were part of a relocation rescue operation by the UNESCO from 1964 to 1968 to save it from being lost forever.
Saint Catherine Area (2002)
One of the holiest spots in Egypt is the Saint Catherine area which is one the oldest function Christian monasteries on earth which is located on the summit of the holy mount Horeb where the prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments. The entire area is near the el Tur Mountains above sea level at the elevation of 1,586 m. The famous Monastery of Saint Catherine was built by the order of Sinia between 527 & 565 BCE on the top of Mount Sinai. Inside the site is the world’s oldest operating library, possessing various unique books including the Syriac Sinaiticus and, the Codex Sinaiticus until 1859.
Conclusion
Egypt is filled with a lot of amazing treasures and ancient legends that needs to be explores to the fullest and there is no one better than enjoying a holiday in Egypt.
We hope that our article helped you enough to know the best information that you are looking for.