After Santorini, we sailed to western Turkey, Cyprus, and Israel – countries I’ve previously covered here. But then we traversed the Suez canal (nowhere near as interesting as the Panama Canal) for the first time and had a few days in Sharm El Sheik, a “made for tourists” resort town I don’t recommend unless you want a cheap beach break.
Having never been to Egypt, we planned a 10 day journey to see the historic sites. I didn’t realize that the center of power shifted from the Cairo area (2650-2150BC) to Luxor (2040-1070BC) then Aswan (330-642AD) and each area has distinctive architecture and temples. Rather than covering the obvious, I’ve decided to spell out the things that surprised me.
A) It’s hard to believe how well preserved things are. Most structures were made of sandstone or limestone. One would think the sandstorms and time would have worn them down over the centuries, or at least destroyed the carvings on their walls. But many were buried by the sand, so the detail, and even some of the coloring survived. Speaking of preservation, inside the mummies are surprisingly in-tact bodies thanks to their dehydration with sodium carbonate (modern day baking soda).
B) The detail and carving quality is stunning. Large chiseled images repeat with exactly the same features, minute details (like toenails and cuticles) are included in everything from sandstone to granite. And walls covered with one inch high hieroglyphics seem not to have ANY mistakes (predating white-out).
C) The tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens are not terribly interesting because most that have been found were completely looted over the years. The exception is King Tut’s. He was only king briefly as he died at 19, but his tomb and its original contents were found undisturbed just 100 years ago. Most of the contents are on display in Cairo including furniture, jewelry, his 400 lb gold sarcophagus and even some portable board games.
D) The size and scale of many of the temples and pyramids are hard to fathom, and they claim only 30% of the sites have been excavated to date. Photos don’t do them justice, but if you go to Luxor, be sure to take a hot-air balloon to get a sense.
And speaking of size and scale, how big do you think the Sphinx is compared to the Great Pyramid? Some pictures make it look as big due to the angle of the photo, but it’s actually tiny in comparison. 66 feet vs 450 feet high!
We went because we felt obliged to learn, not expecting to be fascinated for 10 days. A worthwhile trip.
D & D Adventures 