Luxor: Temples and Tombs

The guidebook gushes with the following descriptive terms for this 4000 year old city of ancient Thebes: "staggering ancient splendor, extraordinary, compelling, spectacular, massive, and strikingly graceful." * For once I agree 100%.

My first stop, and my favorite, is the Luxor Temple. The temple is filled with wall writings and pictorial carvings and enormous statues of the Pharaohs: Amenhotep III, Tutankhamen, Ramses II, Nectanebo. Even Alexander the Great and various Romans (Marc Anthony?) added their touch.

Places I Missed the First Time

Bangkok, Thailand
4 October 2009

Dear Friends,

When I visited Egypt two years ago, I missed Aswan and Abu Simbel.

When I visited Turkey seven years ago, I missed the Aegean Coast, the Mediterranean Coast, and Southeastern Anatolia.

When I visited Israel last year I missed The Negev and Masada.

So for my next adventure, I decided to see some of the places I missed.

Aswan, Egypt

10 October 2009

Marhaba,

The recollections of the engineer Medhat Ibrahim are both informative and powerful. He describes the enormous project to save the ancient Nubian monuments from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. I have reprinted his article below.

My best moment at Abu Simbel came when, after strolling past several wall carvings and decoration, I turned the corner of the mountain, looked to my left, and was startled; "There it is!" "There they are!"

December 22, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Despite the heavy traffic and the early morning smoke and fog, my group’s day of sightseeing in Cairo included several memorable stops.  The Saladin Citadel.  The Muhammad Ali Mosque.  Virgin Mary Coptic Church.  The Ben Ezra Synagogue.  The Egyptian Museum.  Can you guess which one is my favorite?

The Citadel of Salah al-Din (Saladin) is imposing and dramatic as it overlooks the skyline of the city.  It was built by the Ayyubid ruler and conqueror in the Twelfth Century.  The Mosque of Muhammad Ali dominates the grounds of the citadel.   Built by Pasha Muhammad Ali in the Nineteenth Century, the enormous Ottoman-Turkish style mosque is reminiscent those in Istanbul and Edirne.