Egypt is a land that both captivates and inspires people from all
around the world. There are enough historical sites here to keep a
traveler busy for months. When planning a vacation to Egypt it's a good
idea to decide which places you would like to see most. From the Great
Pyramid at Giza to the Temple of Luxor, traveling to Egypt is a
thrilling prospect.
Everyone plans to visit the Great Pyramid and
the Sphinx, but today we are going to look at 3 not so talked about but
equally impressive sites in Egypt.
The Unfinished Obelisk
One unique and historical site definitely worth visiting is the
unfinished obelisk at Aswan. This huge obelisk would have been the
largest in the world if it hadn't cracked and then been abandoned. It
offers a unique insight into how the Egyptians built many of their
amazing structures. It was carved directly from the bedrock, and many of
the toolmarks left from the ancient tradesman can still be seen. If it
had been completed it would have stood an incredible 137 feet high.
Temple of Edfu
The Temple to Horus at Edfu is the second largest and best preserved
site in Egypt. It is actually just the last of a series of temples
built in this location which was a marked religious site to ancient
Egyptians. It was built over 2000 years ago and contains integral
information on the religion and language of Egypt during the Greco-Roman
time period. This information includes details of the temples
construction and its importance to the Egyptians. It is just one of
several sites constructed during the Ptolemaic period. Others include
Dendera, Esna, Kom Ombo, and Philae, all of which are exciting places to
explore when traveling to Egypt.
Deir el-Bahri Temple Complex
Located on the west bank of the Nile and just across from the city
of Luxor lies the beautiful temple of Deir el-Bahri. The temple complex
was a focal point for many Egyptian rulers as evidenced by the many
archaeological finds here. Most notably, Mentuhotep II who is renowned
for having reunited Egypt near the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. His
funerary complex is one of the most unique at the site being build on
several different layers.
The inside of the temple was cut into the
cliff and contains a number of chambers besides the tomb itself. The
primary attraction to the Deir el-Bahri temple complex is the mortuary
temple of Hatshepsut, the longest reigning female pharaoh of the
Egyptian dynasty. It features some of the most unique architecture of
any Egyptian site, despite being over 4000 years old.
All 3 of
these places are unique and interesting places to visit when traveling
to Egypt. They don't always get the recognition they deserve among
tourists and visiting them will allow you to experience a more in-depth
view of Egypt.
Jacob Martus publishes an adventure travel
blog called The Adventure Traveler. He enjoys helping others experience
the most unique and exciting vacations around the world. Check out a
related article published on his site about Nile River Cruises.
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No visit to Egypt is complete without a half day excursion to the
Giza Plateau, home to the Great Pyramid, sphinx and the Solar Boat
Museum. This most traveled destination lies on the desert's edge, about
30 minutes from downtown Cairo, and remains one of the most popular
tourist attractions in the world.
The Great Pyramid was
constructed by Khufu, the second pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty, circa
2589-2566 B.C. Also known as Cheops to the Greeks, this ruler left his
legacy in history with the construction of one of the greatest
engineering feats known to mankind. Visitors are permitted to climb the
interior of the Great Pyramid, on an upward trail of narrow passageways
and rock hewn tunnels leading to the burial chamber located halfway up
the structure.
This attraction, if you wish to enter the structure, is
deemed laborious and geared for the physically fit traveler on holidays
Egypt. Interior photography is prohibited and strictly enforced.
Nearby
stands the majestic sphinx, a half-man, half-lion structure pre-dating
the construction of the Great Pyramid. Although there are no interior
chambers opened to the public, you may visit the sphinx up-close and
personal from its base and are free to take photographs.
A few
steps away from the mighty sphinx, lies the Solar Boat Museum, home to
the royal barge owned by Pharaoh Khufu. This vessel was accidentally
discovered beneath the desert sands in Giza, and proved a valuable
source of information about its royal owner and daily life during the
pharaoh's reign. In addition to the ancient ship, visitors may roam the
museum for a photographic chronology record of the solar boat's
excavation and observe artifacts directly linked to Egypt's ancient
maritime industry.
The Giza Plateau is conveniently located within
minutes of the Giza hotel district, with many of the nearby
accommodations offering spectacular views of the monuments. Admission to
the attractions in Giza are sold separately for independent travel, or
will be combined for a holidays Egypt package deal.
If you are
organizing your travel adventure then ensure you use some of the many
planning resources to help you to plan your trip with ease, such as
travel guide books, tour brochures and travel guides online such as http://www.puretravel.com/Guide/Africa/North_Africa/egypt
which has loads of location advice, travel tips, destination photos and
plenty of suggestions on what to do and what to see. This is a one stop
travel guide to help you to plan your trip easily and cost effectively.
Article Source:
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Travelling to Egypt may sound interesting and exciting especially
with the various offers and packages offered by the Aladdin Company.
There are various tips and advices one needs to follow especially if the
person is going out alone without anyone accompanying him or her. The
first and foremost tip that is given is on the currency - they use the
Egyptian pound which is further divided into hundred piaster.
It
is true that Egypt cannot be compared to any other countries especially
as a tourist. Everything available here is in cheap, even the entry fees
are much cheaper than any other countries. Flying for Egypt is the
cheapest than flying to various other countries.
Egypt is relatively so
cheap that even the accommodation done is within the $500 now - a -
days. The advices which are generally given to the alone tourists are
they should avoid taking taxis or cabs to the tour sites - they charge
high after the end of the day when the tourists don't expect the bill to
be so high. The travel agency should be contacted. The Egypt Travel
Tips should be followed for a person's own benefit - the agencies or
tourists guides are well organized and take care of you throughout the
journey with comfort and luxury.
The idea of dining out in a new
place should be dealt with utmost care and research before walking into
any hotel or restaurant - the hotels should be clean, they should
provide clean, healthy and hygienic food to make sure that the tourist
visiting the place should not fall sick because their journey is limited
for a very short span and they should cause any problems regarding
this. The tourists or the visitors should be prepared for the different
cultures and season that Egypt provides which is very unique and famous
for its individuality.
Egypt is a complete Muslim country, their
faith, religion and belief should be respected the right attitude should
be shown at the right place knowing the fact that you are only a
visitor for a few days and this should not hamper anything during the
long run. Another important fact is that if you take up driving they
should be on the correct path that is the right side. Tap water should
not be consumed. The Egyptian museums are very clean and neat this
should be maintained and not dirtied.
Always remember that Egypt
is the world's third country and has poor people who have the idea that
tourists are rich and well off so learning a few words in their local
languages actually help so that they can be avoided in a respectful
manner rather than a harsh tone. Thus, learning these few things from
Egypt Travel Tips for visiting such a place makes your tour more
endearing and beautiful.
This Article is written by Afreen Khan on behalf of Ask Aladdin,
this is having topics on Egypt Travel Advice, Egypt Travel Guide and
many more for information click here.
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