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Pharaohs
Lure Tourists
Story and
photos by Habeeb Salloum
From atop the
Cairo Tower, the mighty Nile appears to be
overwhelmed by the edging luxury hotels and
towering apartment buildings. Beyond, the city with
its crowded streets, literally infested with
humanity, spreads out to the horizon. In between
the avenues with their mass of darting autos, one
sees a thousand minarets of new and historic
mosques, peppered with a number of Coptic-Christian
basilicas. It appears to be an inviting city to
explore - a mixture of eastern exoticism and
Western sophistication.
Yet, this is not
what the millions of people traveling to Egypt want
to see. If one turns atop the Tower to the other
side, in the distance, a visitor glimpses the
outline of the Great Pyramids. Located on a desert
plateau on the western edge of the city, they are
the magnets that draw these tourists. It is as if
the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt are still caring for
their descendants. Of the millions of tourists who
travel to Egypt, the vast majority come to view the
monumental vestiges left by one of the greatest
civilizations the world has ever
known.
 Click
for radio
interview
with ZOHAIR GARRANAH
Egyptian Minister of Tourism
Mr. Ahmed El-Khadem, Chairman of the Egyptian
Tourist Authority, Sandy Dhuyvetter, Executive
Producer and Host of TravelTalkRADIO and TV, and
Mr. Ayden Nour, Director of North and South
American Office for Egyptian Tourist Authority
Europeans
and North Americans, traveling in groups, usually
stop in Cairo, the cultural capital of the Arab
world, but never in reality see Africa's largest
city, milling with some 15 million inhabitants.
They spend one or two days visiting the Egyptian
Museum of Antiquities and the Great Pyramids, then
are whisked southward to see the other eye-bulging
works of the ancient Egyptians around Luxor and
Aswan.
 Pyramids
and Sphinx, World's Enduring Monuments
Perhaps the tour operators have a point when
they steer their herds toward these world renowned
monuments. By any standard, the pyramids - the only
one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World' which still
exist - are an unbelievable accomplishment by
ancient man. It is said that no traveler who has
viewed them for the first time, has not gasped in
awe, overwhelmed by their majesty. With their
guardian, the Sphinx, they stand on a desert
plateau some 15 km (9.3 mi) from the heart of
Cairo. Since the days of ancient Greece and
continuing to modern times, they have been visited,
written about, explored and, in this century, have
become a part of world mythology.
Called the Giza
Pyramids to distinguish them from the other 108
pyramids in the country, they are approached by a
wide-straight road built in the 19th century by the
Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III.
She came during the inauguration of the Suez Canal
and in order to see the pyramids, the empress
constructed this avenue called Al-Ahram - in Arabic
meaning 'the pyramids'.
Giza Pyramids of
Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos
In the early 1960s, when I first visited the
pyramids, this road was mostly edged by desert.
Today, it is one of Cairo's major and longest
streets and, on both sides, a forest of buildings
cover every inch of space to the very edge of these
venerable monuments. Standing immutably majestic,
the Giza Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and
Mykerinos, the most famous of all the attractions
in Egypt, have watched humans come and go for
untold centuries. The largest and oldest of these
is the Great Pyramid of Cheops, erected about 2590
B.C. Its base covers 6 ha (13 ac) and it is
estimated to contain 3 million separate blocks of
stones, averaging 2 1/2 tons each.
Once these pyramids
and others played a vital role in the lives of
Egypt's kings and peasants. Today, for many, they
are the trademark of lasting power, drawing, from
across the globe, tourists and those who dabble in
magic and the extraterrestrial. Watching haughtily
over the pyramids is the nearby famous Sphinx,
carved out of solid natural rock by Chephren the
son of Cheops, the builder of the second pyramid.
He had this huge statue sculptured from soft
limestone with a lion's body, and a god's face -
believed to be his own. For over 45 centuries, it
has defied time, witnessing all the morning suns
civilized man has seen. Carved in the midst of
temples, which are in the process of being
excavated, this half man half beast statue has
acquired, through the centuries, an air of mystery
and romance.
The magnificence of
the pyramids and the Sphinx are superbly portrayed
in the 'Sound and Light' shows, presented nightly.
After sunset throughout the year, on different
nights, in Arabic, English, French and German,
these shows, the finest of their kind presented
anywhere, draw droves of tourists. They add much to
the appreciation of the Giza phaorononic monuments
and their history.
Egyptian Museum
of Antiquities
On the other hand, more thrilling to many tourists
is the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, housing some
100 thousand exhibits. It contains a very rich
store of remains from the Ancient Egyptian
civilizations, including the 4000 piece treasure
found in Tutankhamen's tomb. Few museums in the
world can even come close to its impressive
exhibits. This huge classical-style museum was
built in 1853 by Auguste Mariette, the great
pioneer archaeologist, but its collection has only
occupied the building since 1902. Days are needed
to truly appreciate the exhibits, not the half or
one day tours allotted most visitors.
However, the museum
has long become too small for its ever-increasing
collections and a modern and larger one is in the
works. Nevertheless, this too will likely be not
spacious enough after it is completed. The untold
thousands of pieces of one of the oldest and
grandest civilizations on earth can easily fill
half a dozen museums.
After this
storehouse of priceless ancient treasures, one
becomes eager to explore the boundless pharaonic
monuments around Luxor and Aswan where, it is said,
half of the world's important ruins are to be
found. The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo
is the best door through which tourists can enter
into this heart of the pharaonic
history.
Nile cruise from
Luxor to Aswan
The best way to see the most important monuments of
Upper Egypt is to take a Nile cruise from Luxor to
Aswan. Luxor, the pharaonic Thebes, a city of a
half million, was divided by the ancient Egyptians
into two parts - on the East Bank of the Nile, the
City of the Living; and on the West Bank, the City
of the Dead. On the East Bank, the Karnak and Luxor
Temples where the gods lived - two of the 10
temples in the area - still greet the sunrise; and
the sunset on the West Bank throws shadows over the
400 tombs located in the Valleys of the Kings,
Queens and Nobles; and Queen Hatshepsut's
Temple.
The city's most
important monument, the Karnak Temple, dedicated to
the god Amon-Ra, was for the ancient Egyptians, a
highly esteemed place. Covering over 40.5 ha (100
ac) and spanning thirteen centuries, the complex is
a massive collection of ruins on which at one time
81,000 people toiled - the largest series of
temples ever built in one complex. In both the
Karnak and Luxor Temples, imagination overtakes
eyesight, as thousands upon thousands of these
visitors take a thrilling walk through history.
Beneath pillars carved with lotus buds and the
papyrus plant, past statues of gods and animals,
and climbing down into fantastically decorated
tombs, they are never far away from the early
Egyptians and their remains.
From Luxor the ship
stops at Esna - 64 km (40 mi) to the south. Its
temple, dedicated to Khnun, the ram-headed god who
modeled people on his potter's wheel, is a
Ptolemaic building with Pharaonic, Greek, Roman and
Coptic elements. At one time, the Temple was
completely concealed with debris and sand. This
kept the hypostyle hall with its forest of 24
columns, 13 m (43 ft) high, topped by capitals of
flowers and plants, in almost perfect
condition.
The next stop,
Edfu, 123 km (76 mi) north of Aswan, has the best
preserved of Egypt's 100 temples which were built
to honor some 750 gods. The sand that for centuries
had covered the temple and was responsible for its
preservation. Dedicated to the falcon-headed god,
Horus, the most famous deity in Upper Egypt, it is
covered inside and out, with mythological and
religious decorations, bas-reliefs and hieroglyphic
texts.
Before reaching
Aswan the ship stops at the Temple of Kom Ombo,
dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god of fertility,
and Haroeris, the Good Doctor. Built a few
centuries before the Romans occupied Egypt, the
temple also served as a hospital - a whole series
of medical instruments are sculptured in reliefs on
the temple walls.
At Aswan, the
Philae Temple and, to the south, the Temple of Abu
Simbel, both moved due to the waters of the High
Dam, draw annually thousands of visitors. From
Cairo to Aswan and beyond, these, and the dozens of
other temples, especially after peace has returned
to the Nile Valley, are again enticing tourists in
the millions. With the foreign exchange these
Ancient Egyptian monuments bring, there can be
little doubt that the god-king pharaohs are lending
a helping hand in the life of modern Egypt.
Writer: Habeeb Salloum
58 Langbourne Place, Don Mills (Toronto),
Ontario
Canada M3B 1A9, Tel: (416) 445-4558, Fax: (416)
510-2143
E-mail: mailto:habeeb.salloum@sympatico.ca
Egypt: How to
Get There:
The best way to see Egypt is to take an
organized tour from North America or Europe. There
a good number of companies offering these
excursions. No matter what one pays to take these
tours, it will be much less troublesome and cheaper
to join a group before traveling to that
country.
If one does not
join a tour group, Misr Travel in Egypt, 1 Talaat
Harb St., P.O. Box 1000, Cairo, Tel: 20-2-392-3177,
Fax: 20-2-392-4440, e-mail Misrtrav@link.com.eg
will make arrangements for tours to any part of the
country. Also, there are excellent river, air, bus
and rail connections between Cairo and
Luxor.
Facts to Know
About Egypt:
1) Visas are needed to enter Egypt. Tour
companies can easily obtain them, but they are
available at the airports in Egypt - cost
$15.
2) The best place
to exchange foreign currency is in banks. Branches
are found in all major hotels. The U.S. dollar
hovers around 3.80 LE (Egyptian pounds).
3) Despite reports
of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism, Egyptians are
very friendly and hospitable to tourists. The
country is very safe - safer than most countries in
the West. Also, in spite of poverty, crime is
rare.
4) To get around
the cities, taxis are the best bet, but you must
bargain - make sure of the price before you enter
the cab. Small autos rent for around $40. per day,
but renting a car is not recommended. Traffic does
not seem to have any rules.
A Good Place to
Stay in Aswan:
Hotel Sofitel Old Cataract, an excellent luxury
hotel which is reasonably priced. Abtal El Tahrir
St., Aswan, Egypt. Tel:(+20)97/3l6000.
Fax:(+20)97/316011. Daily cost for a room from a
$130. to $160., depending on location. Also, hotels
in Egypt charge an extra 26% for taxes and services
charges. Note: All prices quoted are in U.S.
dollars
For Further
Information Contact:
Egyptian Tourist Authority, 1253 McGill College
Ave., Suite 250, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3B 2Y5.
Tel: (514)861-4606. Fax: (514)861-8071.
 or
Egyptian Tourist Authority, 630 Fifth Ave.,
Suite 1706, New York, NY 10111, U.S.A. Tel:
(212)332-2570. Fax: (212)956-6439.
(1) Great Sphinx
of Giza (2) Gold Mask of Tutankhamun
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