The Legendary Karnak and Luxor Temple

Cruising down the Nile to Kom Ombo, our next site visit!  I wanted to tell you a bit about our visits to Karnak and Luxor Temple – two of the most important temples in all of Egypt.  You have probably heard and seen it in the movie, “The Mummy.”  This movie is my reference point for a lot of the sites we have and are going to see along the Nile River.  Enough about “The Mummy,” on with the show!

Modern Luxor grew out of the ruins of Thebes, once the capital of ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC).  The monumental temples at Luxor and Karnak were famed throughout the ancient world and have attracted tourists since Greek and Roman times, most notably, Alexander the Great!  

The largest of the two temples is Karnak, which encompasses 62 acres of land.  We spent an hour and forty-five minutes walking through Karnak, and we didn’t walk and see the full 62 acres - too hot!  At the heart of the immense Karnak complex lies the Temple of Amun, dedicated to the king of the gods.  With its endless courts, halls, colossi and huge sacred lake, the scale and complexity of this sprawling temple is overwhelming.  From it’s modest 11^th-Dynasty beginnings, pharaoh after pharaoh added to and changed the existing buildings, seeking to make their mark on Egypt’s most important temple.  No expense was spared and during the 19^th Dynasty, some 80,000 men worked in the temple as laborers, guards, priests and servants.  The temple lay buried under sand for more than 1,000 years before excavation work began in the mid-19^th century.

                                A row of ram headed sphinx led to the Nile River.

                                                              Tomb of Seti II

                                                      The Temple of Ramses III

                                                         Colossus of Rames II

        The Great Hypostyle Hall was once supported by 134 gigantic columns.

Priests purified themselves in the holy water of the Sacred Lake before performing rituals in the temple.

                                          The Sound and Light Show at Karnak

                                              Karnak with a full moon above it.

Directly down the block from Karnak is Luxor Temple.  They used to be connected by the Avenue of Sphinx.  The government is currently excavating the streets from Karnak to Luxor Temple, to unearth the rest of the Sphinx to recreate the Avenue of the Sphinx.  Luxor Temple is dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut and Khonsu.  The temple was largely completed by the 18th-Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III, and was added to during the reign of Ramses II in the 19th-Dynasty.  Although the temple was further modified by later rulers, including Alexander the Great, its design remained strikingly coherent in contrast to the sprawling complex at Karnak.

                       The Avenue of Sphinx that will connect to Karnak one day.

                                                                 Luxor Temple

Over the centuries it was engulfed in sand and silt, and a village grew up within the temple walls.  Then in 1881, archeologist, Gaston Maspero, rediscovered the temple in remarkably good condition, but before excavation work could begin the village had to be removed.  Only the Abu al-Haggag Mosque, built by the Arabs in the 13th century, was left intact, standing high on the layers of silt accumulated over the years.  It is also believed that the mosque was built on top of a Christian church given the Romans once occupied the area as well.

                                        Abu al-Haggag Mosque in Luxor Temple

In front of the entrance to the temple is a gigantic pylon that is completely decorated with scenes of Ramses II's victory over the Hittites in the battle of Qadesh.

                                                    The Pylon at Luxor Temple

Two enormous seated colossi of Ramses II and  a huge obelisk flank the gateway to the temple.  The obelisk was originally one of pair, but the other was removed and given to France, as a gift from Mohammed Ali, for their help in discovering the temple.  The obelisk currently stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.  I have seen that one too!

                                        The obelisk and the Colossi of Ramses II.

More giant black granite statues of Ramses II guard the entrance to the original part of the temple with its avenue of 14 columns.  The walls here were embellished during the reign of Tutankhamun and depict the annual Opet festival, when the images of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were taken in procession from Karnak to Luxor.

 The colonnade leads to the superb Court of Amenhotep III, which is noted for its double rows of towering papyrus columns.

The hypostyle hall on the southern side of the court serve as a vestibule to the main temple.  The antechamber beyond was converted into a church by Romans in the 4th century AD, its Pharaonic reliefs being plastered over and covered with Christian paintings.

                            The conversion of the temple to a Christian chapel.

                 The Christian plaster paintings that covered the Egyptian carvings.

A second, smaller antechamber, the offerings chapel, leads on to another columned hall with the Sanctuary of the Sacred Barque in the center.  Rebuilt by Alexander the Great this granite shrine was where Amun's barque ended its journey from Karnak in the Opet festival.

This "little" temple has so much history in it.  I can go on and on with stories of Ramses II and everyone else that has walked through this temple.  I will say it is so amazing, even if it is second to Karnak.

                                                       Sunset at Luxor Temple




  

Glamorous Life on the Nile River

So after getting up at 3am, yesterday morning, I am happy to report that I am now living the glamorous life on the Nile River! We left the confines of Cairo for a cruise down the Nile River on a yacht, called the Sunboat III! It is absolutely amazing! I have never felt so pampered in my entire life! The yacht is owned by our tour company Abercrombie & Kent! I love this company, not just because of the yacht, but because they are a really great company that has gone above and beyond what was expected for our trip. The people that we have interacted with throughout the tour have been fabulous and so super friendly! Love them, especially our guide, Mohammed, and our driver, Sherif! Anyway, back to the yacht. The staff basically caters to our every whim and the food is absolutely delicious! I feel rich, even though I am not. I am so thankful for the Fulbright Commission for this wonderful experience!

                                                   The Sunboat III - Our Yacht!

                                         My room with a view of the Nile River!

                                                  The view from my window!

After our arrival in Luxor, we started out with a packed day. We wanted to avoid the sun at it's most powerful time, from about 1pm - 5pm. The heat is really intense here in the summer. It is about 109 degrees in the morning, so the afternoons are pretty intense. There is a cool breeze if you are lucky enough to catch it in the shade, otherwise, you are standing in the sun for about an hour because there is literally no shade in sight!

The city of Luxor is spread out along the east bank of the Nile. In ancient times, it was known as Thebes, one of the ancient capitals of Egypt. Our first stop for the day was the Colossi of Memnon, which is located on the west bank of the Nile. Soaring 60ft. into the sky, the two enthroned statues of Amenhotep III are the first monuments visitors will see when they arrive. They originally guarded Amenhotep's mortuary temple, but the temple lays in ruins with the statues as a reminder of it's existence. Well, if the temple was built for Amenhotep, why is it called the Colossi of Memnon? The legend follows one of the statues would "sing" at sunrise. The Greeks attributed this "singing" to the legendary figure of Memnon greeting his mother Eos with a sigh in the morning. Memnon was a devoted Christian that was killed by the Romans, and his mother cried long after his death, until she went blind - so the legend says. So the "singing" is Memnon trying to console his mother after his death. What actually caused the "singing" was a hole in the head of one of the statues, and the wind going through it. The Roman emperor, Septimius Severus, was so annoyed by this story, he plugged up the hole in the head of the statue, and the "singing" stopped. Amenhotep III's temple is forever known as the Colossi of Memnon - an Egyptian monument that holds the name of a Christian hero.

                                                         Colossi of Memnon

Our next stop was the Valley of the Queens. The Valley of the Queens lies to the southwest of it's famous counterpart the Valley of the Kings. It holds the tombs of many royal wives and children. Although it was used as a burial sight in the 18th dynasty, it was only from the reign of the 19th-dynasty pharaoh Ramses I that royal wives were laid to rest here. Of the nearly 80 tombs populating the valley, the most famous is that of Queen Nefertari, which, of course, was closed for restoration. Murphy's Law! Actually, most of them were closed for renovation and we only got to see one - the Tomb of Amunherkhepshep. Amunherkhepshep was the son of Ramses III. His tomb is the most well-preserved in the Valley of the Queens, with bright colors and clear paintings and carvings on the walls. Amunherkhepshep is drawn with a braided hairstyle that is characteristic of a prince. Egyptians portrayed people at three age levels. If you were between the ages of infancy and 6 years of age, you were drawn as a baby. If you were between the ages of 7 and 12, you were drawn to the shoulder height of your father. If you were older than 13, you were drawn as an adult. I would like to draw your attention to the age of 13, where one is considered an adult. It is believed that the Jewish practice of Bar and Bat Mitzvah come from this Egyptian practice. When you walk into the tomb, you will see images of Ramses III introducing Amunherkhepshep to the gods. Because Amunherkhepshep was drawn to his father's shoulders, it is believed he did not survive to adulthood. We also saw a mummified fetus that was about 5 months old. The fetus could have belonged to Amunherkhepshep's mother who miscarried and chose to bury the fetus with it's brother, or to a servant, whose wife had miscarried, and chose to bury the fetus with his master, to serve him in the afterlife. The mummy of the fetus was really well-preserved and all the parts were identifiable - so cool! Unfortunately, there were no pictures allowed in the Valley of the Queens.

Our next stop was Hatshepsut Temple. Hatshepsut is the most famous queen of Egypt. She was never supposed to rule. She seized power after her husband died. Being that she and the pharaoh did not have any sons, a son from the pharaoh's mistresses would be chosen to rule, but would have to marry one of Hatshepsut's daughters to properly claim the throne. Tuthmoses III was supposed to rule, but Hatshepsut had him locked away for about twenty years, while she ruled. In order to legitimize her claim to the throne, Hatshepsut, claimed she was empowered by Hathor, the goddess of maternity and fertility. She also began dressing as a pharaoh, so people would see her as a man, and not question her authority. She later died of cancer, but she is forever remembered in Egyptian history with her mortuary temple at Deir al-Bahri. Hatshepsut's temple was designed by Senenmut, and is an extraordinary monument which rises from the desert plain. The temple was defaced by Thutmoses III, as a sign of revenge and disrespect against the women who laid claim to his throne.

                                                       Temple of Hatshepsut

The final stop for our morning tour was the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Kings was built by the New Kingdom pharaohs. By digging their tombs deep into the Theban Hills, pharaohs from Tuthmosis I on hoped to stop robbers from stealing the priceless possessions buried with them. It was an unsuccessful strategy. Despite their hidden locations, every burial chamber was raided except for those of Yuya and Tuya, and Tutankhamun. The structures themselves remain, their dramatic corridors and burial chambers stunningly adorned with symbolic accounts of the journey through the underworld and ritual paintings to assist the pharaohs in the afterlife. The valley contains 63 tombs, number 62 being that of Tutankhamun.

                      The Golden Mask of Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Museum

Tutankhamun's tomb is an incomplete tomb, being he died at such a young age. But the burial chamber still contains his mummy and one of the sarcophagi inside the gilded coffin. You will also see the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony painted on the walls. But the best wall paintings were found in tomb 14, Pharaoh Sethnakht. The well-preserved wall paintings showed the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony and the gods greeting Sehtnakhte. It was originally built for Seti II's wife, Queen Tawsert, but Sethnakhte commandeered it when he had difficulties building his own tomb. Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures in the Valley of the Kings, but Mohammed had some from his previous visits that he shared with us.  Yeah, Mohammed!

                                                      The Valley of the Kings

I have so much more to post, especially our evening at Karnak Temple and down the Avenue of the Sphinxes to Luxor Temple.  Stay tuned!

Traveling Back in Time to Ancient Egypt . . .

I know, I'm way behind on this blog, but we have a full schedule each day and Internet time was an issue.  Luckily, it isn't an issue now!  Thank you Vodafone and the Fulbright Commission for my wonderful USB modem, although Skype won't work, but beggars can't be choosers!

After the Great Pyramids of Giza, our next site visits centered on ancient Egypt.  We visited the ancient cities of Memphis, Dahshour and Saqqara.  Our first stop was Memphis!  I was so excited to visit the old capital of ancient Egypt, but was a bit disappointed because I was expecting much more than what I saw.  Mohammed, our Egyptologist, explained that there wasn't much left, in terms of artifacts and ruins, because everything was built or made out of brick and wood.  Brick and wood cannot stand the test of time, especially when thousands of years have passed.  The only thing left were those built of stone.  We saw the Sphinx of Memphis, which is thought to be the first Sphinx made in all of Egypt!  It was beautiful and pretty well preserved.

The image of the sphinx is thought to be that of Ramses II because they believe there is a resemblance to artifacts found at other sites identified as Ramses II.  Ramses II reigned until he was in his late 80s or 90s, based on the timeline of artifacts that document his reign.  There is no concrete evidence that Ramses II was based at Memphis, but they believe he was there at some point.  They also found statues that are believed to be Ramses II's son.  The most spectacular thing we saw was a gigantic stature of Ramses II in military stance even though the legs were chopped off.  The statue was so detailed and beautiful!  It was amazing!

An interesting thing that Mohammed taught us was that the most important part of Egyptian life was the afterlife. He said that most things were not built on or made of stone because life wasn't permanent. You were not going to live that long, so you didn't need things that were permanent or long lasting. There was no need to build a permanent life, the focus was on the afterlife. The pyramids were built of stone because it was in preparation for the afterlife. The afterlife was forever - permanent. Stone lasts for a very long time. Temples, tombs and pyramids were meant for the afterlife, so they were built in stone and took many years to build. So much work to prepare for the afterlife.

Our next site visit was Dahshour, which is the home of the Red and Bent Pyramids. Both pyramids were commissioned by Sneferu. The Red Pyramid was the first pyramid built in Egypt. It is called the Red Pyramid because when it was first uncovered it was encased in a red colored stone.

Sneferu was thought to be entombed in the Red Pyramid and not the Bent Pyramid. Sneferu was thought to have commissioned the Bent Pyramid for his tomb, but because it turned out correctly, moved to the Red Pyramid. If the Bent Pyramid had continued at it's original angle, it would have been the largest pyramid in Egypt.

Most people in the world would probably think that the Bent Pyramid was a mistake. That would be preposterous because the lines and angles were so precise, and then they made a mistake and didn't notice, duh! The most logical reason given is that the angle changed because of the pressure of the stones on the burial chamber. The pressure would have been too much, and would have caused the pyramid to collapse. There was evidence of scaffolding inside the passage, which suggests the ceiling was unstable. I will have to go back to my History Channel and National Geograpphic videos to check to see what they said though!

The next site was Saqqara where we saw Djosser's pyramid, which was engineered by Imhotep. Imhotep is probably best known in pop culture as the villain in "The Mummy" movies, with Brendan Frasier. I must confess I loved those movies! Anyway, in ancient Egypt, Imhotep was not a villian. As a matter of fact, he was Egypt's version of the Renaissance man. He was an architect, doctor, priest, engineer - he could just about do anything! Imhotep wasn't just building Djosser a tomb, he was building a palace for Djosser for the afterlife! It was just over the top! Imhotep's creation became known as the Step Pyramid because of it's shape. He kept building mastabas on top of each other to create this pyramid. He also created a grand entrance that led to the pyramid, where he was creating a grand palace as a tomb for his beloved pharaoh. Imhotep was truly amazing and talented, and the Step Pyramid is a testament to his true prowess.

Our final site visit was to the Oriental Carpet School to learn the ancient art of carpet making.  This school is very unique though.  In an effort to improve the literacy rate in Egypt, carpet schools were created to teach reading, writing and carpet making.  Students learn to read and write, and take on the trade of carpet making.  When the students can create carpets on their own, the school sells the carpets for them and gives them a percentage of the sale as payment for their work.  Only the most talented go on to make carpets and start their own carpet-making business.  It was quite amazing to see how hard working the kids were, and how proud they were of their work.  There were these little boys that were so adorable.  They kept asking us to sit next to them, so they could teach us how to make a carpet.  Of course, they also wanted a coin, but that wasn't a big deal.  They are trying to survive, we get it.  Our immediate reaction to this school was that it was promoting child labor,  and the students were being exploited.  Mounnira, our Fulbright Leader, and Mohammed emphasized it was beneficial for the students because it helped them to provide for their families and receive an education, however minimal it may be.  Otherwise, they would be begging on the streets somewhere.  This school allows them to learn and be a productive member of society, so it's not seen as exploitation in Egypt.  I felt so bad for the kids because they were working so hard, so I bought a rug.  I hope it helps them.

As we traveled to our sites we found ourselves on Saqqara Road, one of the main roads leading to and from Cairo.  Traveling along Saqqara Road, I saw everyday Egypt.  People trying and struggling to make a living, and just living their lives.  I saw people trying to fish in the river, herding their cattle to markets, or manning their street stalls.  I saw kids helping their parents with the cattle or farm, swimming in the river or hanging out under a tree with friends.  This is a part of Egypt people don't see, but it touched my heart.

I will have to edit this post at a later point to include pictures of the Step Pyramid and the Oriental Carpet School because they are on my iPad and I can't transfer them without wifi. I was also supposed to upload a video, but haven't quite figured out how to use iMovie. I'm working on it, and have lots to tell and show you! Hugs!!

Hello, Egypt!

So after two long flights and a layover, I am finally in Cairo, Egypt!  We arrived in the early evening in Cairo, with a 7 hour time difference from New York City, so who knows how long I haven't slept well!  Anyway, we arrived at the Cairo International Airport.  The airport was newly constructed and was absolutely gorgeous, way better than the airport in Frankfurt!  We, Fulbrighters, are living it up - we had people pick up our luggage and have an awesome coach bus, just have to check to see if it has WIFI, and were greeted with a bouquet of flowers, for the girls anyway.  Dan, one of my fellow Fulbrighters was quite disappointed he didn't get a bouquet!  Too bad!

Today was the first full day in Egypt, and we went to see the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza!  So amazing!  This is what really told me I was in Egypt!  The Great Pyramids of Giza are depicted as a group of 3, but there were really 9!  The one below is the largest surviving pyramid, and serves as the finally resting place for the pharoah, Khufu or as many know him to be, Cheops.  While this pyramid isn't perfectly square, it is close enough - roughly 556 square meters, total estimate of 2.3 million stones, with each stone weighing an average of 2 tons and some are even 55 tons!

The Pyramids of Giza are one of the Seven Wonders of the World!  They are so big, just to give you an idea of how large the stones are take a look at the picture below!

The stones used to build this were almost as tall as human beings! How could the Egyptians pull this off with no machinery? Well, they used there strength and their noggin!  I won't get into a whole history lesson on the pyramids, but my lessons do need to be revamped after this trip because what we have been teaching is wrong!

This is the solar power boat that was found in a boat pit next to the pyramid. They call it the solar power boat because it was supposed to allow the pharaoh to sail with Re, the sun god, in the afterlife.

Here is the second pyramid with a limestone cap and the third smaller pyramid in the background.

Here is the image of the Giza Plateau that is used in Transformers and other movies.

Look, I'm taller than the pyramid! I can touch the tippy top!

Here is the Great Sphinx!  The Sphinx is composed of a female body and the head of a falcon!

It's my first time in Egypt, so I had to kiss the Sphinx!

Anywhoo, it's time for me to go!  I have class and limited internet time.  I miss everyone!  Next time, I'll be posting a video! Hugs!