Egypt Tourist Attractions
The Giza Plateau
There are two different monument groups at Giza. One of these includes the most famous monuments: the Sphinx and the three Great Pyramids (Khafre, Menkaure, and Khufu). The other, which is separated from the first by a wadi, was a private burial area. There is a difference in the construction of the two areas as well – the monuments in the better-known area are made of limestone that was quarried some way away, whereas those in the lesser-known area were carved from the living rock.
The Temple of Luxor
In Thebes in ancient Egypt, the key yearly festival of Opet was held at the Temple of Luxor. The festival was meant to integrate a human ruler with the heavenly position he was supposed to hold, and as such, was a time of much ritual. This temple was constructed mostly under Amenhotep II and Ramses II.
Valley of the Kings
In the 18th, 19th, and 20th Dynasties, the kings of Egypt had their tombs built into the limestone cliffs at Thebes instead of making pyramid tombs at Memphis. These new tombs were harder to plunder, partially because they were hidden much better. Tutankhamen’s tomb, which was only discovered in the early 20th century, is in the Valley of the Kings.
Aswan High Dam
The High Dam is over two miles in length and is the second dam built to stem the flow of the Nile River. The first, smaller dam that was built earlier by the British is visible from the High Dam, as is the massive power station serving the dams and the Kalabsha Temple. The High Dam creates Lake Nasser behind it, and supplies all of Egypt with electricity and water.
St. Catherine’s Monastery
Emperor Justinian had the St. Catherine’s Monastery built at the side of Mt. Moses (supposedly on the site of the burning bush) on the Sinai Peninsula in the middle of the 6th century C.E. Countless pieces of artwork from a variety of cultures can be found within. The Fatimid Mosque is located inside the walls of the monastery. St. Catherine’s may be the world’s oldest functioning monastery, and is a diocese unto itself. It is also quite well-fortified: its walls are of granite and have a minimum height of 8 meters and a maximum height of 35 meters. Food would be given to nomads via a rope and pulley system, and the monks could remain inside the walls of the monastery for an indefinite period of time.
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