Deir al-Bahari The celebrated temple of Hatshepsut (c.1473–1458 BC), the queen who became Pharaoh, is located here, in Deir al-Bahari, on the west bank of Luxor. Made up of three man-made terraces that gradually rise up toward the sheer cliff face, this structure is truly a sight to behold. The site of Deir al-Bahari was...
Tomb of Sety I (KV17) The tomb of Sety I is one of the longest, deepest, and most beautifully decorated tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Sety I (c.1294–1279 BC) was the second king of the Nineteenth Dynasty, and father of Ramesses II (the Great). His tomb, number 17 in the Valley of the...
Abu Simbel The Great Temple of Abu Simbel, in Nubia near Egypt’s southern border, is among the most awe-inspiring monuments of Egypt. It was cut into the living rock by King Ramses II (the Great) of the Nineteenth Dynasty, around 1264 BC. The temple is most well-known for the four imposing seated colossal statues that...
Al-Azhar Mosque Al-Azhar Mosque known simply in Egypt as al-Azhar, is an Egyptian mosque in Islamic Cairo. Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah of the Fatimid dynasty commissioned its construction for the newly established capital city in 970. Its name is usually thought to derive from az-Zahrāʾ (meaning “the shining one”), a title given to Fatimah. It was...
Sekhmet (Sakhmet) is one of the oldest known Egyptian deities. Her name is derived from the Egyptian word “Sekhem” (which means “power” or “might”) and is often translated as the “Powerful One” or “She who is Powerful”. She is depicted as a lion-headed woman, sometimes with the addition of a sun disc on her head....
The tomb of Tuthmosis III (KV 34) is said to be one of the most sophisticated tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Discovered by Victor Loret’s workmen in 1898 during this famous Egyptologist’s absence, work did not begin on clearing the rubble form the entrance until his return. He then excavated the site meticulously,...
Tomb of Rekhmire While it may be non-royal, the tomb of Rekhmire (TT 100) is one of the most interesting on theWest Bank atLuxor (ancientThebes). Located on the southeastern slope of the Sheikh Abd el-Qurna hill, it is one of the largest of the private tombs.Rekhmire was avizier, the highest ranking official under the pharaohsTuthmosis...
The mosque of ‘Amr ibn al-‘As is the oldest surviving mosque in Egypt and Africa. General ʿAmr ibn al-ʿAs (d. 664) was one of the first companions of the Prophet Muhammad. After conquering Egypt in 19 AH/640 AD, he founded its first Islamic capital, Fustat, which falls within the modern city of Cairo. A year...
Simple point-and-shoot digital cameras can give surprising quality when they have the right lenses and sensors. Because they are totally automatic in focus and exposure, they just have to be pointed at a subject and clicked. They have limited capabilities for controlling the image, although …