For two days we have cruised the Nile and stopped to see amazing temples and tombs. I consider myself an Egyptologist now! I've seen countless temples and tombs from the Early, Middle and New Kingdoms. I've learned myths, interpreted drawings and withstood 120 heat to do so! It's breath-taking to walk in the footsteps of ancient civilizations.
Highlights:
Kom-Ombo Temple, built in the 200's BC. Many of the original colors are still in tact. We toured this at 7am, so it was actually comfortable!
Al-Khaukha temple was constructed in the 1500's BC, by Queen Hatshepsut. Queen Hatshepset ruled for 40 years and was the second woman to rule in Egypt, after Cleopatra of course. She portrayed herself as a man or a cow in the cravings. She was respected and was buried in the Valley of the Kings. An early modern woman!
Valley of the Kings was my favorite stop. In one special place on the West bank of the Nile, the Kings of the Middle and New Kingdom built elaborate tombs for themselves underground, but disguised them in this valley. It was great to walk down into the Tombs and see where they planned to start the everlasting life. There are 62 tombs in the Valley of Kings, but some are unroyal. King Tut's tomb was the last one discovered in the early 1900s, and it was special because it had not been robbed by tomb raiders. I saw all the jewels in the Egypt Museum in Cairo.
I also enjoyed the Karnak and Luxor Temples in Luxor. Where successive kings destroyed part of the old temples and build there own offering to the Gods. One King could not destroy an obelisk (they are good luck and made for the Gods) created by another King, so he built a high wall around it to hide it.
Cruising between the temple and tombs gave me a true sense of how important the Nile is to life in Egypt. Nothing exists without it! Or as they say, the Nile is Life.
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