Retire in Paradise

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Egypt, a country situated on the Northern part of Africa, is world renowned for its breathtaking monuments and ancient attractions. Of great interest is that many of the attractions found in Egypt are lined up along the great River Nile and thus taking a cruise along this world’s longest river gives you a rare opportunity to see the best attractions that are found in Egypt. Because of its many attractions, Egypt gets millions of visitors who come to see the famous pyramids, temples, the great monuments found in River Nile and many other attractions.

The greatest attraction to Egypt are the Pyramids. Historians believe that the Kings of Egypt must have build more than eighty pyramids between the period of 2600BC and 1500BC. All of these pyramids are located on the banks of the Nile river. The dead bodies of the rulers of Egypt were preserved in these pyramids by wrapping them as mummies and placing them inside the pyramids. This tradition was rooted in the Egyptian belief that the soul of the person returned to the body thus requiring them to properly preserve the body as well as valuable objects in the afterlife.

1. The Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza

Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are the most popular among visitors. The Pyramids of Giza are said to have been built by over 20,000 workers in a span of 80 years and they include the largest of all pyramids popularly known as ‘Great Pyramid’. The Great Pyramid is the oldest and largest of the three Pyramids of Giza and it is believed to have been built as a tomb for Khufu, the Fourth dynasty Egyptian king around 2560 BC. The pyramid, which stands 481 feet high, remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 3500 years. The other Pyramids of Giza are Pyramid of Kafhre and the Pyramid of Menkaura, each of them being a tomb dedicated to a different king of Egypt.

The Great Sphinx is on the other hand one of the best known monuments of ancient Egypt architecture. Also located in Giza, the bewitching sphinx (a Greek word meaning to strangle) is a huge sculpture of a lion with a woman’s head believed to have been curved around 2,500 BC. The Sphinx was used to symbolize the strength of the Pharaoh. The body of the sphinx is 200 feet (60m) in length, and 65 feet (20m) in height and it stands out as a symbol of man’s earliest attempts at civilization.

2. Khan al-Khalili Market

Khan al-Khalili is one of the largest markets in the world which attracts both local’s and international tourists. This is a great place to buy exotic perfume bottles, Arabic clothing and other souvenirs. Bargaining has been the way of life in these bazaars since late 14th Century and it is easy to be mislead by the sweet-tongued salesmen who abound in the market.

3. The Awesome Egyptian Museum of Antiquities

Near Khan al-Khalili is the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. With over a hundred thousand artifacts in 107 halls, the mosque contains the oldest university in the world (AD 970). The exhibits in the museum bring Islamic Cairo to life with arts, ceramics, mosaics and calligraphy.

4. The Karnak Temple

Karnak Temple is another great attraction in the land of Egypt and its situated in Luxor, the place of the famous city of Thebes that is widely known as the city of the a hundred gates. The temple has countless columns, statues and sphinxes. As you enter the Karnak Temple, you see a row of sphinxes and the most popular section of the temple is the big hall called the Great Hypostyle Hall. This huge hall that measures 50,000 sq ft is the biggest of all the rest and is one of the most visited monuments in the land of Egypt.

5. The Memorable Theban Necropolis

Theban Necropolis is another great location to visit in Egypt. It is located on the Western Bank of the Nile and is reputed to have some of the world’s greatest tombs. These are Valley of the Kings, Tombs of the Nobles and the Valley of the Queens. The highlights to this place include a visit to the tomb of Nefertari that was restored recently and that only allows 150 visitors per day for 10 minutes. Others are the tomb of Ramses II and Tutankhamun.

Tags: africa, egypt, egypt tour, egypt travel, egypt vacation, Travel & Leisure, vacation