Travel Loving Luxor

 Travel Loving Luxor

As a promising future dawns, take a break to stroll through the nation’s past By Glen Johnson

 As Egypt enters a new phase of its history, there may be no better time to catch up with the past. Luxor, surely one of the world’s greatest travel destinations, is the perfect place to refresh your knowledge of Ancient Egypt.

Sitting along the Nile and featuring numerous temples, tombs, obelisks and statues, Luxor provides the perfect historical getaway, packing enough jaw-dropping sights to make the trip — either a quick weekend trip or longer full-week exploration — perfect for any itinerary.
The ancient ruins of Karnak and Luxor — built in worship of a variety of gods, including the vulture-headed goddess Mut — are must-sees. The largest ancient temple in the world, the religious complex known as Karnak was built over a period of 1,300 years from the sixteenth century BC and is truly awe-inspiring. Similarly, Luxor Temple features the ruins of a former church as well as a mosque associated with a Sufi sheikh.

 Luxor Museum, overlooking the west bank of the Nile, is an excellent building: uncluttered, well-ordered and with clearly labeled artifacts including the statue of Hathor, an Ancient Egyptian goddess of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy. A separate wing houses two royal mummies, which you can view without buying a separate ticket — unlike the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. 

Just down the Corniche, the Mummification Museum houses the preserved remains of many animals and offers an easy-to-follow explanation of Ancient Egyptian funerary practices. 

The warren of Pharaonic tombs and temples on Luxor’s West Bank are always worth exploring for their monumental sculpture and brilliant wall paintings. One of the newer attractions on the West Bank is Howard Carter’s house, which has been turned into a museum showcasing the life of the archeologist who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun and unleashed the age of Egyptomania.
If you want a workout with your sightseeing, bicycles can be rented on the West Bank. 

Early risers can get a bird’s eye view of the West Bank with a hot air balloon ride, which starts around sunrise. Magic Horizons and SindBad Hot Air Balloons offer hot air balloon trips over Luxor’s historic sites, including the Valley of the Kings. Both companies provide transport and flights depart early morning, when light is most favorable. Flights last between 30 and 50 minutes, depending on the weather. Taking in the sites of Luxor from the aerial perspective comes highly recommended while presenting an excellent photo-op. For Magic Horizons call +2 095 227 4060 and for SindBad call +2 095 227 2960.

An evening stroll along the Corniche or a felucca ride is a great way to unwind at the end of a day.
Tourism is Luxor’s bread and butter, but the real workhorse of the city is, well, the workhorse. From the horses that draw the caleches along the Corniche to the donkeys used by local farmers and informal vendors, work animals are a key part of the local economy. Show your support with a visit and a donation to the Animal Care Centre, a non-profit organization working to improve the health of the city’s many donkeys and other animals, by tending to the animals’ sores and providing food, water and a much-needed wash. Find out more about how you can help at www.ace-egypt.org.uk. Et
 

Upper Egypt at a Glance

 
 When to go? Upper Egypt is warm throughout the year, but it is best enjoyed in the fall, spring and winter as summers are particularly hot. 
 Must see: Great Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel is carved out of a mountain and dedicated to Ramses II and gods Ra, Amun and Ptah.
 Must eat: Wika, a stewed okra dish made with extra-long okra pods with a side of shamsi (sun) bread, which the locals let rise in the sun and bake in ovens made of Nile clay. 
  Must buy: Luxor is famous for alabaster crafts such as pots and vases, while Aswan is noted for beads and spices

Pharaohs Rally

 

Pharaohs Rally

Rally of the Pharaohs''start''the participation of 25 Arab and foreign countriesOff contest Rally  

Pharaohs 2011 International from 3 to 8 October 2011 under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and the supervision of the General Authority for Tourism Promotion and club cars and flights of Egypt and the International Automobile Federation FIA and the International Federation of Motorcycle FIM and in cooperation with the Egyptian Federation of Motor Sports.

It is scheduled to participate in the rally this year (25 countries) within the limits of 610 rider and technical and administrative staff of different nationalities (Italy - France - Ukraine - Switzerland - Belgium - Hungary - Czech Republic - Portugal - Romania - Russia - Slovakia - United Kingdom - Denmark - Netherlands - Poland In addition to the U.S. - Japan - Argentina - Uruguay, - Venezuela - Chile - New Zealand - Bahrain - Saudi Arabia and Egypt).

Being implemented Rally Pharaohs 2011 in six stages and reach in length in gross 2799 km, starting the first phase of a length of 432 km from the panorama of the pyramids and even the starting point for the actual rally at kilometer 98 through October 6 Bahariya Oasis, and the second phase freedom - freedom of a length of 525 km, 

and the third free - Frafrh length 467 km, and the fourth Frafrh - Frafrh a length of 437 km, and the fifth Frafrh - free length of 527 km, and the sixth and final freedom - Cairo length of 411 km.

And passes the line of the rally in Western Sahara, passing south of Lake ocher and then through the Bahariya Oasis to the grade Alrmick and Mount Hofuf then the plateau top to low-Farafra to the area of ​​Krawin and Bir Abu beak and the Golan Rev. Abu Said and eye function and Sand Sea Great down to the south of Lake Sitra, and Bahariya Oasis and the return to panorama of the pyramids and the end of the race on 8/10/2011.

Participate in the rally's total (76) car and truck wheel drive, (95) motorcycle, (45) Truck administrative and assisting technical, (2) helicopter surveillance and follow-up, a vehicle large equipped hospital with all medical services and treatment and even surgical procedures by medical staff full component of 25 individual and provides structured according to international requirements and the requirements of the International Federation (8), 

a field ambulance vehicle quartet accompany physicians other than ambulances to the Ministry of Health

About Ancient Egypt

The Kings (Pharaohs) of Ancient Egypt

by Jimmy Dunn

The title of "Pharaoh" actually comes to us from the Greek language and its use in the Old Testament. It originates in the Egyptian Per-aa, meaning "Great House", a designation of the palace, which first came to be used as a label for the king around 1450 BC, though it only became common usage some centuries later. For most of the time, the usual word for the king of ancient Egypt was nesu, but a whole range of titles were applicable to any full statement of a king's names and titulary.

According to Egyptian legend, the first kings of Egypt were later some of Egypt's most famous gods. We really do not know whether some of these individuals actually existed in human form or what regions of Egypt they may have ruled over. Only at the end of the Predynastic period, prior to the unification of Egypt, can we recognize specific kings who most likely ruled over either northern or southern Egypt. According to many sources, the first real king of Egypt, therefore ruling over the unified land, was Menes, who would have ruled Egypt around 3100 BC, but we have little if any archaeological basis for this name. Most scholars today believe that he may have been a king named Narmer, or more likely still, Aha, two figures that are better attested in the archaeological record.

  However, Menes might have also been a legendary composition of several rulers. After these first rulers of a unified Egypt, the Egyptian monarchy lasted in a recognizable form for over three thousand years, basically ending with Cleopatra, though even Roman emperors attempted to style themselves as Egyptian pharaohs. We know of 170 or more specific pharaohs during this period of time. Although many changes occurred during that time, almost all of the fundamentals remained the same.

Kings were not only males, and unlike in modern monarchies, the ruler of ancient Egypt, whether male or female, was always called a king. In fact, Egypt had some very noteworthy female rulers such as Hatshepsut and others.

In ancient (Pharaonic) Egypt, the pinnacle of Egyptian society, and indeed of religion, was the king. Below him were the layers of the educated bureaucracy which consisted of nobles, priests and civil servants, and under them were the great mass of common people, usually living very poor, agricultural based lives. Except during the earliest of themes, when the highest official was apparently a Chancellor, for most of Egyptian history, the man or men just under the king were Viziers, (tjaty), a position that was roughly similar to a modern Prime Minister.

In many if not most accounts, the king is viewed as an incarnation of Horus, a falcon god, and the posthumous son of Osiris, who himself was a divine king slain by his brother, Seth. Horus fought his uncle for the return of the throne, and part of the accession process of the king was the proper burial of his predecessor, as Horus carrying out the last rites of Osiris. In fact, there are a number of cases where such an act may have been the legal basis for a non-royal figure's ascent of the throne. However, more usual was the succession of the eldest son, whose status as heir was frequently, if not always, proclaimed during his father's lifetime. Furthermore, there were a number of instances where this was taken a step further by the heir's coronation as a co-regent prior to the father's death. This has actually led to much confusion among scholars, because in some cases, the young heir began to count his regnal years only after the death of his father, while in other instances, he started to do so from the moment of his coronation. The ancient Egyptians did not use era dating as we do today (BC or AD), but rather relied on regnal dating of the king's rule, and therefore potential difficulties for modern, if not ancient, historians can easily be imagined.

The king himself (or herself) was the figure upon whom the whole administrative structure of the state rested. These god-kings usually commanded tremendous resources. The Pharaoh was the head of the civil administration, the supreme warlord and the chief priest of every god in the kingdom. All offerings were made in his name and the entire priesthood acted in his stead. In fact, he was himself a divine being, considered the physical offspring of a god. The myth of the ruler's divine birth centered on the god assuming the form of (or becoming incarnate in) the king's father, who then impregnated his wife, who accordingly bore the divine ruler.

Of course, the king was also subject to some rather grave responsibilities. Through his dealings with the gods, he was tasked with keeping the order, or ma'at of the land, and therefore keeping out chaos, often in the form of the enemies of Egypt from foreign lands. But he was also responsible for making sufficient offerings and otherwise satisfying the gods so that they would bless Egypt with a bountiful Nile flood, and therefore a good enough harvest to feed his people. When he failed at these tasks, he could bear not only blame, but a weakening of the state and thus his power. In drastic cases, such as at the end of the Old Kingdom, this could actually lead to a complete collapse of the Egyptian state.

Even today, many questions remain about the kings of ancient Egypt. We have a fairly good idea of their order through time, though often scholars disagree about specific dates related to our current form of the calendar. Our evidence of their order comes mostly from various "kings' lists, that almost exclusively were made during the New Kingdom. Another source is the Egyptian history written by Manetho, an Egyptian priest, but over the years, there have been modifications to both the kings' lists and Manetho's history made through archaeological discovery. Nevertheless, there are periods of Egyptian history, particularly those known as intermediate periods, where very little information exits on who ruled (usually only a part of) Egypt.

Basically, Manetho divided up ancient Egyptian history into thirty dynasties, though this division is a bit difficult, and modern scholarship has proven it to be not completely (and sometimes not at all) accurate. Most of the time, a dynasty consisted of a related family of rulers, though sometimes dynasties seem to have been broken up due to the establishment of a new capital. In a number of instances, modern Egyptologists believe that he may have been incorrect about the end of a family line. Even today, the power that an ancient Egyptian pharaoh commanded in ancient Egypt and the resources under his control can seem staggering. One need only think in terms of the Great Pyramids, the wealth of gold and the grand temples to gain some understanding of their power. They commanded resources that many modern day states would be hard pressed to emulate, and they did so at a time when much of the remainder of the ancient world were struggling for a foothold in history. See Also: Our King's List with Links to information on specific Kings General Topics Related to Kings Ancient Egyptian Regalia Index of Government, Kingship and Law Articles Early Dynastic Kings, Part I Early Dynastic Kings, Part II Royal Cults of Ancient Egypt Royal Titles of the Ancient Pharaohs Was the Phraoh Divine? Topics Related to Specific Kings The Scorpion King by Marie Parsons The Catfish King, Also Known as Narmer by Marie Parsons For the Earliest known Kings prior to the 1st Dynasty, see Naqada III: Dynasty 0 References: Title Author Date Publisher Reference Number Chronicle of the Pharaohs (The Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt) Clayton, Peter A. 1994 Thames and Hudson Ltd ISBN 0-500-05074-0 History of Ancient Egypt, A Grimal, Nicolas 1988 Blackwell None Stated Monarchs of the Nile Dodson, Aidan 1995 Rubicon Press ISBN 0-948695-20-x Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, The Shaw, Ian 2000 Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-815034-2