Other Travel Sojourns
Egypt مصر بلد
Showcasing my photography from other various travel destinations over the years...
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel Cairo
فندق لو ميريديان بيراميدز القاهرة
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Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel Cairo
فندق لو ميريديان بيراميدز القاهرة
I loved that we stayed here at the "Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa" at the onset of our "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" Tour. This chic hotel was a glamorous, modern escape and both sophisticated & comfortable, and had the most awesome views of the Pyramids. Sadly it is now permanently closed.
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
The Saqquara Complex - Serapeum - Step Pyramid of Djoser
مجمع سقارة - السرابيوم - هرم زوسر المدرج
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The Saqquara Complex - Serapeum - Step Pyramid of Djoser
مجمع سقارة - السرابيوم - هرم زوسر المدرج
The Saqqara Complex is a vast ancient burial ground in Egypt that houses the world's oldest monumental stone building, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and the subterranean Serapeum.
Step Pyramid of Djoser: Built around 2670 BCE by the architect Imhotep, it is the oldest monumental stone building and first pyramid in history.
The Serapeum: Massive underground galleries holding enormous granite sarcophagi for buried sacred Apis bulls.
Mastaba Tombs: Elaborate noble tombs like Mereruka featuring exceptionally preserved ancient wall reliefs.
Saqqara (Arabic: سقارة : saqqāra[t], Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [sɑʔːɑːɾɑ]), also spelled Sakkara or Saccara in English /səˈkɑːrə/, is an Egyptian village in the markaz (county) of Badrashin in the Giza Governorate,.that contains ancient mausoleum crypts of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis.
Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, including the Pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Pyramid, and a number of mastaba tombs. Located some 30 km (19 mi) south of modern-day Cairo, Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km (4.3 by 0.9 mi).
Saqqara contains the oldest complete stone building complex known in history, the Pyramid of Djoser, built during the Third Dynasty.
Another sixteen Egyptian kings built pyramids at Saqqara, which are now in various states of preservation. High officials added private funeral monuments to this necropolis during the entire Pharaonic period. It remained an important complex for non-royal burials and cult ceremonies for more than 3,000 years, well into Ptolemaic and Roman times.
North of the Saqqara site lies the Abusir pyramid complex, and to its south lies the Dahshur pyramid complex, which together with the Giza Pyramid complex to the far north comprise the Pyramid Fields of Memphis, or the Memphite Necropolis, which was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.
Some scholars believe that the name Saqqara is not derived from the ancient Egyptian funerary deity, Sokar, but from a local Berber tribe called the Beni Saqqar, even though a tribe of this name is not documented anywhere. Medieval authors also refer to the village as Ard as-Sadr (Arabic: ارض السدر, lit. 'land of the buckthorn').
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saqqara
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
Sunset Horse and Camel Ride - Pyramids of Giza
ركوب الخيل والجمال وقت الغروب - أهرامات الجيزة
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Sunset Horse and Camel Ride - Pyramids of Giza
ركوب الخيل والجمال وقت الغروب - أهرامات الجيزة
We enjoyed relaxing moments at the Great Pyramids of Giza just as the sun is setting while riding either a Horse or a camel. We had the best views of the pyramids at the golden hour and captured memories to enjoy for years to come.
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
The Bent & Red Pyramid – Dahshur, Egypt
الهرم المنحني والهرم الأحمر – دهشور، مصر
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The Bent & Red Pyramid – Dahshur, Egypt
الهرم المنحني والهرم الأحمر – دهشور، مصر
About Dahshur:
A royal necropolis found in the desert west of the River Nile, Dahshur was once home to 11 Ancient Egyptian pyramids, of which few have survived. However, for those wishing to view Egypt’s pyramids in peace and quiet, Dahshur is the place to go.
Dahshur history
Built by the pharaoh Sneferu (reign circa 2613 BC-2589 BC), founder of the Fourth Dynasty and father of Khufu, the Red Pyramid is one of Dahshur’s most famous residents and the second oldest pyramid ever built. In fact, it is thought that this was where Sneferu himself was buried.
Dahshur today
Dahshur is the place to find the ‘Bent Pyramid’, so called due to its unusual change of angle. Also built by Sneferu, the Bent Pyramid is atypical as it has two entrances.
Unlike the more popular Giza and Saqqara, Dahshur has not become a tourist hotspot, despite its ancient attractions, including the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. Visitors to Dahshur can tour the Red Pyramid and the more recently opened Bent Pyramid as well.
Unsurprisingly, the Black Pyramid, also at Dahshur cannot be toured. In fact, this pyramid, built for the pharaoh Amenemhat III (reign circa 1831 BC-1786 BC) and originally 266 feet high, has deteriorated badly due to the unstable ground on which it sits and the mud brick used in its construction.
The Bent Pyramid: Built by Pharaoh Sneferu (founder of the 4th Dynasty), this unique structure marks a brilliant architectural compromise. Its builders started at a steep 54-degree angle on soft ground, causing cracks. To prevent a total collapse, they abruptly changed the angle to 43 degrees halfway up, giving it its famous "bent" silhouette. It also holds the most intact original white limestone casing of any pyramid in Egypt
The Red Pyramid also built by Sneferu right after the engineering scare of the Bent Pyramid, this is the world's first successful smooth-sided true pyramid. It was built with a stable, safer 43-degree slope and gets its name from the reddish tint of its exposed granite blocks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahshur
https://www.historyhit.com/locations/dahshur/
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
The Pyramids of Giza & the Great Sphinx
أهرامات الجيزة وأبو الهول
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The Pyramids of Giza & the Great Sphinx
أهرامات الجيزة وأبو الهول
The pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx are among the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and indeed already were even in Roman times. Each of these spectacular structures served as the final resting place of a king of the 4th Dynasty (c.2613–2494 BC).
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built for king Khufu (c.2589–2566 BC), and the other two for Khafre and Menkaure, his son and grandson.
Khufu’s pyramid is both the oldest and largest of the three, and the first building to exceed it in height would not be built for another 3,800 years!
Although the three pyramids dominate the plateau, they are in fact surrounded by many other monuments.
Every king’s pyramid was just one element albeit the most important of a larger complex that included smaller, subsidiary, queens’ pyramids; an additional one that acted as a second, symbolic, tomb for the king, called a satellite pyramid; mastaba tombs for nobility and other family members; burials of actual and/or symbolic boats; and a pair of temples linked by a richly decorated causeway.
One of these temples, called the valley temple, led into the pyramid complex, and was located on or near a body of water where boats could dock.
The other, the funerary (or upper) temple, stood near the base of the pyramid. Priests maintained the mortuary cult of the deceased king in these temples, where his divine aspect was worshiped, and where rich and diverse offerings were presented to his soul so he could have a peaceful and luxurious afterlife.
The Great Pyramid, the tomb of King Khufu (c.2589–2566 BC), with its original height of 146.5 meters, was the tallest structure in the world for 3,800 years.
It remains the last surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and took an estimated 10 to 20 years to build. To this day, it is not entirely certain how this was done.
The Great Pyramid is made of local limestone, but its exterior was once entirely covered with high-quality limestone.
These casing stones were brought from Turah, south of Maadi, by ship. On the inside, the pyramid has three chambers, one cut into the bedrock underneath, and two high up within the masonry itself, a feature that no other pyramid possesses.
The sarcophagus in which Khufu was once laid to rest can still be seen in the upper of these two rooms, the King’s Chamber. This room is accessed through the Grand Gallery, a majestic corbelled ascending passage, and a masterpiece of ancient engineering and architecture.
Two large and impressive ships were discovered in pits on the south side of the pyramid in a dismantled state. These are believed to have been used to transport the royal mummy and burial equipment to the tomb.
Two of the largest preserved Old Kingdom cemeteries form a part of the pyramid complex of king Khufu (c.2589–2566 BC) in Giza. Called the Eastern and Western Cemeteries after their positions relative to the Great Pyramid, they include the tombs of members of the royal family and the highest-ranking nobles. As such, they contain some of the most beautiful tomb decorations from this period.
The cemeteries consist mostly of mastabas, but rock-cut tombs are attested as well. The term mastaba (Arabic for “bench”) refers to a type of funerary structure that was generally rectangular in shape and built over the tomb proper, which was underground.
Most of the mastabas of the Eastern and Western Cemeteries were built during the reign of Khufu, in tandem with his pyramid complex, whereas the rock-cut tombs were for the most part built later.
Most of the tombs of the Eastern Cemetery dating to the reign of Khufu were intended for his closest relatives.
The rock-cut tomb of his mother, queen Hetepheres I, along with her funerary equipment, was discovered here, and it is the site of the mastaba of his half-brother Ankh-haf, who had an important administrative position in the construction of the Great Pyramid.
On the other hand, the mastabas of the Western Cemetery, which are mostly arranged in an orderly grid, were reserved for very high-ranking noblemen that were not as closely related to the king.
Among them is the monumental mastaba of Hemiunu, who oversaw the building of the Great Pyramid.
https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/archaeological-sites/giza-plateau
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a resting sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion.
The monument was sculpted from the limestone bedrock of the Eocene-aged Mokattam Formation and faces east on the Giza Plateau, on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt.
The oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt, the Sphinx is part of the Memphite Necropolis and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Archaeological evidence suggests the Sphinx was created by Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of Khufu (c. 2590–2566 BC) or Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC).
Scholars and Egyptologists believe the face of the Sphinx was carved to represent either the pharaoh Khufu or one of his sons, pharaohs Djedefre and Khafre, but a consensus has not been reached and the person(s) in whose likeness the Sphinx was carved remains in dispute.
The Sphinx has undergone multiple restorations, the most recent of which involved replacing layers of limestone blocks around the base. The monument is 73 m (240 ft) long from paw to tail, 20 m (66 ft) high from the base to the top of the head, and 19 m (62 ft) wide at its rear haunches.
The circumstances of the destruction of the Sphinx's nose are unknown, but examinations of the face have shown evidence of a deliberate act with rods or chisels. Contrary to a popular myth, the nose was not destroyed by cannon fire from Napoleon's troops during his 1798 Egyptian campaign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Sphinx_of_Giza
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
Abydos Temple of Seti 1 and The Osirion معبد سيتي الأول والأوزيريون في أبيدوس
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Abydos Temple of Seti 1 and The Osirion
معبد سيتي الأول والأوزيريون في أبيدوس
The Temple of Seti I (also known as the Great Temple of Abydos, in antiquity, known as "Menmaatre Happy in Abydos,") is a significant historical site in Abydos, Egypt. Abydos is a significant location with its connection to kingship due to being the burial site of the proto-kings from the Pre-Dynastic period, First Dynasty kings, and the location of the Cult of Osiris.
Initially, construction started in the 13th century BC under the 19th Dynasty Pharaoh Seti I, also known as Sethos. Though Construction was not completed before his death and was continued by his son Ramesses II. The temple was built in order to commemorate and worship the earlier pharaohs of Egypt as well as the major gods of the Egyptian pantheon. Ramesses II continued the construction and decoration of the temple, making changes to its design and adding inscriptions. At the Temple of Ramesses II at Abydos Ramesses states that "son arose in his father place, none of them restored the monument of him who begot him."
The Temple of Seti I was designed with a standard layout from the Ramesside period featuring a "L" shaped design constructed of limestone and sandstone possibly brought from Gebel Silsila. The temple boast many features, including the first and second courts that house hypostyle halls, chapels to Seti I and various gods, and the Osireion. The South wing houses the Gallery of the Kings, which leads to a slaughter court and four secondary rooms, which continues into the Corridor of Bulls with a stairway that exits into storage rooms, and the Hall of Barques.
The temple is also notable for the Abydos graffiti which is ancient Phoenician and Aramaic graffiti found on the temple walls. The Temple additionally contains graffito from the 21st dynasty till the Roman period then from Later periods ranging from Aramaic, Phoenician, Carian, Greek and Cypriot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Seti_I_(Abydos)
Temple of Seti I at Abydos is an exceptional New Kingdom architectural masterpiece renowned for its remarkably preserved painted reliefs and unusual L-shaped layout.
The Abydos King List: A famous corridor wall displays a chronological record of 76 pharaohs from Menes to Seti I, showing Seti and his young son Ramesses II honoring their royal ancestors.
Seven Chapels: Instead of the typical single sanctuary, the innermost hall features seven distinct chapels dedicated to major deities (Osiris, Isis, Horus, Amun-Re, Re-Horakhty, Ptah, and the deified Seti I).
Vibrant Reliefs: Unlike many ruined Egyptian sites, parts of the temple retain their original, vivid colors and fine-line carving styles.
The Osireion (Osirion)
Tucked directly behind the main temple lies the Osireion, a megalithic subterranean cenotaph (symbolic tomb) dedicated to the god of the afterlife, Osiris.
Ancient Engineering: Excavated much deeper than the surrounding temple, it sits down at the natural water table of the Nile.
The Water Chamber: Massive pink granite monolithic piers rise out of a central island surrounded by dark, reflective groundwater, symbolizing the primeval waters of creation and rebirth.
The Osireion (or Osirion) is believed to be the cenotaph of Seti I, located to the rear of the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, Egypt. The temple was built in the 13th century BC and many researchers believe the Osireion dates from the same period. Seti I ruled from c. 1294 BCE to c. 1279 BCE.
The Osireion is part of the Temple of Seti I's complex. It may have been built to resemble the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. It is located centrally behind the main part of the Temple of Seti I along an east west axis. Most of its structure would have been subterranean. It was built at a considerably lower level than the foundations of the Temple of Seti I. However, most of the roof has been lost. There is an entrance tunnel that runs along a north south axis behind the Osireion's central hall. It is 69 metres (226 ft) long and stone lined.
The central hall is constructed with very large stone blocks; limestone interior with sandstone facing. The roof would have been formed of large granite beams.[2] The hall contains a stone-paved 'island' in the centre surrounded by a channel of water, the depth of which is yet to be determined. The water is at least 10.4 metres (34 ft) deep and connects to an underground water source. There are 17 small chambers in the hall's walls, and behind the wall opposite the entrance there is a 'sarcophagus chamber'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osireion
The Flower of Life: the carving that should not be there
On one of the granite columns of the Osireion there is a carving that has generated a disproportionate debate among archaeologists, mathematicians and students of sacred symbolism: the so-called Flower of Life, a geometric pattern formed by multiple overlapping circles that generates, when developed, all the fundamental geometric forms found in nature. The same pattern appears in cultural traditions on every continent: in Roman mosaics, in Hindu temples, in medieval European manuscripts, in Gothic cathedrals.
The debate about the carving centres on its technique and its age. The pattern does not appear to have been incised with standard pharaonic tools: it seems to have been carved or burned onto the granite surface using a technique that some researchers consider incompatible with the instrumentation available in any period of Ancient Egypt. Precise dating is impossible with current techniques.
https://travelcenteregypt.net/en/the-mystery-of-the-osireion-at-abydos/
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
The Dendera Temple Complex
مجمع معابد دندرة
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The Dendera Temple Complex
مجمع معابد دندرة
The Dendera temple complex (Ancient Egyptian: Iunet or Tantere; the 19th-century English spelling in most sources, including Belzoni, was Tentyra; also spelled Denderah) is located about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) south-east of Dendera, Egypt. It is one of the best-preserved temple complexes of ancient Egypt. The area was used as the sixth nome of Upper Egypt, south of Abydos.
The temple that dominates this complex, the structure that commands the attention of those who visit, is the Temple of Hathor. The original temple structure underwent continuous modifications throughout the Middle Kingdom and up until the beginning of the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan. The existing temple's structure began construction in 54 B.C.E, the late Ptolemaic period, under the reign of Ptolemy Auletes. The hypostyle hall was built in the Roman period under Tiberius.
In Egypt, Trajan was quite active in constructing buildings and decorating them. He appears, together with Domitian, in offering scenes on the propylaeum of the Temple of Hathor. His cartouche also appears in the column shafts of the Temple of Khnum at Esna.
Layout elements of the temple are:
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Large Hypostyle Hall
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Small Hypostyle Hall
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Laboratory
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Storage magazine
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Offering entry
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Treasury
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Exit to well
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Access to stairwell
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Offering hall
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Hall of the Ennead
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Great Seat and main sanctuary
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Shrine of the Nome of Dendera
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Shrine of Isis
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Shrine of Sokar
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Shrine of Harsomtus
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Shrine of Hathor's Sistrum
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Shrine of gods of Lower Egypt
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Shrine of Hathor
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Shrine of the throne of Rê
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Shrine of Rê
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Shrine of Menat collar
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Shrine of Ihy
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The Pure Place
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Court of the First Feast
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Passage
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Staircase to roof
Depictions of Cleopatra VI, which appear on temple walls, are good examples of Ptolemaic Egyptian art. On the rear of the temple exterior is a carving of Cleopatra VII Philopator (the popular, well-known Cleopatra) and her son, Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar (Caesarion), who was fathered by Julius Caesar.
There are ten dead deities represented at Dendera, specifically on/in Hathor's temple, that can be connected to the nine dead deities at Horus's temple in Edfu. This would be due to the either parental or marital relationship between Hathor and Horus.
The sculptured Dendera zodiac (or Denderah zodiac) is a widely known relief found in a late Greco-Roman temple, containing images of the zodiac system still recognized today (i.e. Taurus [bull] and Libra [scales]). A sketch was made during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt. In 1820 it was removed from the temple ceiling by Frenchmen and later replaced with a copy.
There is controversy as to whether they were granted permission by Egypt's ruler, Muhammad Ali Pasha, to do so, or whether they stole it. (It is also said that in 1822, an antiquities thief using the name "Claude Le Lorraine,” who should not to be confused with the French Baroque painter, removed the zodiac from Dendera, brought it back to France, and sold it to the King.) The real bas relief is now in the Louvre.
Jean-François Champollion, the man who deciphered the Rosetta Stone, dated it back to the Ptolemaic period, and it has been proved that he was correct, as Egyptologists now date it back to the first century BC.
Crypts.
The Hathor temple's subterranean tombs contain twelve chambers. Some reliefs seen in the tombs are dated to as late as the reign of Ptolemy XII Auletes.
The crypts reportedly were used for storing vessels and divine iconography. An opening in the Flame Room floor leads to a narrow chamber with representations on the walls of the objects which were kept in them. In the second chamber, a relief depicts Pepi I offering a statuette of the God Ihy to four images of Hathor.
(Hathor is understood to be Ihy's mother.) In the crypt accessible from the Throne Room, Ptolemy XII has jewelry and offerings for the gods.
"Dendera light" reliefs
The Hathor Temple has stone reliefs that depict Harsomtus, in the form of a snake, emerging from a lotus flower.
Harsomtus was equated with the god Ra. Harsomtus, also known as Horus, is depicted as one of the ancient gods, a "primeval creator." Harsomtus is likely depicted at the Dendera temple complex due to the main temple being dedicated to Hathor. In Egyptian mythology, Harsomtus is referenced as either Hathor's son or lover.
In six reliefs he is positioned within an oval container called a hn, which might represent the womb of Nut.
The oval container was sometimes interpreted by 20th-century pseudoarchaeologists as a modern incandescent light bulb with a power cord (lotus stem) and filament (snake). (See Dendera light.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendera_temple_complex
Hathor was among the most important and popular deities in ancient Egypt. She was associated with music, joy, dance and motherhood; she was also known as the lady of the sky.
Her main cult center was at Dendera where one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt stands today.
The entrance of the temple, with six massive columns surmounted with the head of Hathor, is considered among the most beautiful monuments in Egypt. Sistrums (a musical instrument) closely associated with the goddess, frame her head.
The temple of Dendera dates back to the Ptolemaic Period, although evidence points to older structures once existing on the site, dating as far back as king Pepy I, from the Old Kingdom. Among the temple’s most notable features are astronomical engravings on its ceiling.
https://egymonuments.gov.eg/monuments/temple-of-dendera/
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
Deir El Bahari Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
معبد الدير البحري للملكة حتشبسوت
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Deir El Bahari Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
معبد الدير البحري للملكة حتشبسوت
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as Djeser-Djeseru ("Holy of Holies"), is a breathtaking cliffside archaeological site located at Deir el-Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor, Egypt
Key Facts & Architecture
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Builder: Queen Hatshepsut, one of ancient Egypt's most successful female pharaohs (18th Dynasty, c. 1473–1458 BC).
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Designer: Senenmut, her royal architect and chief steward of Amun.
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Structure: Three cascading terraced levels connected by wide ramps, featuring elegant colonnades that harmonize with the dramatic limestone cliffs behind them.
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Dedicated to: The god Amun, alongside shrines for Hathor, Anubis, and her father Thutmose I.
Deir El Bahari - Hatshepsut’s Temple and Thutmoses III’s Mortuary Temple
Although Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s stunning temple is the most well-known structure at Deir-el-Bahri, the site also includes two other temples. These temples were dedicated to the worship of the pharaohs who built them, a place where offerings and prayers could be made to them.
The oldest temple at the site is the Eleventh Dynasty temple of Mentuhotep II (reigned ca. 2040-1991 BCE), the pharaoh who re-united Egypt at the beginning of the Middle Kingdom period. His tomb is the earliest mortuary temple showing the pharaoh enacting ceremonies for the deities instead of just receiving offerings from them. The temple also identifies the pharaoh with Osiris, a local Theban deity who grew in importance from then on.
Thutmose III’s mortuary temple was built next to that of his stepmother and co-pharaoh, Hatshepsut. It was dedicated to Amun.
Hatshepsut’s magnificent temple includes a shrine to Amun, as well as chapels for Anubis and Hathor. The walls show scenes from Hatshepsut’s famous expedition into Punt (modern Somalia) and the so-called “Birth Colonnade” which describes the story of Hatshepsut’s divine birth – a story she used to legitimize her rule. The temple was designed by Senenmut and includes a series of terraced colonnades set near a sheer cliff face. Later pharaohs destroyed all images of Hatshepsut in the temple, as well as her other monuments, yet it remains one of the most enduring and beautiful ancient sites in Egypt.
Ref: https://egyptianmuseum.org/explore/new-kingdom-monuments-deir-el-bahri
This Temple Honors the Egyptian Queen Who Ruled as King
Hatshepsut's temple is one of the world’s most striking architectural masterpieces, but perhaps even more noteworthy is the woman who commissioned it.
Beneath the sheer, stark cliffs of Deir el Bahri, the mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut reveals one of the most extraordinary reigns in Egyptian history.
Stepped platforms, pillared porticoes, and vibrant reliefs set against the desert backdrop make it one of the world’s most striking architectural masterpieces, but perhaps even more noteworthy is the woman who commissioned it.
The eldest daughter of King Thutmose I, Hatshepsut first assumed the role of queen regent during the 18th dynasty after the death of her husband, Thutmose II. Although her stepson, Thutmose III, eventually came of age, she adopted the title of pharaoh and ruled for more than two decades.
She was one of ancient Egypt's first female pharaohs.
Today, evidence of Hatshepsut’s achievements can still be seen from Nubia to Beni Hasan. In Thebes, she erected towering obelisks and built roads in honor of Amun, king of the gods and patron of pharaohs. Her statues also evolved, depicting her with a male body in full pharaonic regalia, including the traditional beard, shendyt kilt, and head cloth—a declaration of power.
But the crowning jewel was her mortuary temple, strategically placed on the west bank of the Nile next to the Temple of Mentuhotep II to reinforce her position among kings. Known as Djeser Djeseru, or “holy of holies,” her temple was decorated with scenes from her reign and housed shrines to Anubis, god of the dead; Hathor, goddess of fertility; Amun, king of gods; and Re, god of the sun. [Related: See the Mummy of Hatshepsut.]
Hatshepsut died in 1458 B.C.E. and was buried in the Valley of the Kings. Although she went to great lengths to be remembered after her death, Thutmose III carried out a sweeping campaign to destroy her legacy 20 years later. He crushed her statues, defaced her images, and erased her cartouche. Some say it was an act of vengeance, others believe it was to ensure a smooth succession of his own son to the throne. A third theory proposes that he didn't want the rule of kings—Thutmose I, II, and III—interrupted by a woman. Between 1923 and 1931, the Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art excavated fragments of her destroyed statues, which were dumped into pits in front of the temple.
Whatever the reason, Thutmose’s efforts were successful and Hatshepsut's pioneering reign was slowly forgotten. When scholars deciphered hieroglyphics in the early 19th century, they were finally able to read the inscriptions on her temple and piece together the story. Today, her legacy lives on in her surviving architectural achievements throughout Egypt.
The temple is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.—go early in the morning to avoid high temperatures. Hatshepsut’s temple is just one of many archaeological wonders that make up Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Note: This story is part of Women of Impact, a National Geographic project centered around women breaking barriers in their fields, changing their communities, and inspiring action.
Ref: By Gulnaz Khan https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/luxor-temple-of-hatshepsut-theban-necropolis
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
Luxor Temple (The Temple of Man)
معبد الأقصر (معبد الإنسان)
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Luxor Temple (The Temple of Man)
معبد الأقصر (معبد الإنسان)
We as a group visited Luxor Temple in the evening and this was an amazing experience and felt magical beyond words as we progressed through each part towards the Holy of Holies.
Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the Nile River, Luxor (ancient Thebes) in Egypt and it is an ancient complex built around 1400 BC and famously interpreted by philosopher R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz as "The Temple of Man".
Architectural Overview & Human Body Analogy
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The Temple as an Organism: Schwaller de Lubicz spent 15 years studying the site, concluding that the temple's structural proportions, chambers, and axis mirror the skeletal and anatomical layout of a human body in motion.
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Key Sections: Features include the Avenue of the Sphinxes, the Pylon of Ramesses II, the Court of Amenhotep III, and the inner sanctuaries aligned to specific symbolic and biological correspondences.
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Historical Layers: The site layers New Kingdom pharaonic architecture with Roman military camp remnants, a Coptic Christian church, and the active.
The Luxor Temple (Arabic: معبد الأقصر) is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city of Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was constructed around 1400 BC. In Egyptian it was known as ipet resyt, "the southern sanctuary". It was one of the two primary temples on the east bank, the other being Karnak.
Unlike the other temples in Thebes, Luxor temple is not dedicated to a cult god or a deified version of the pharaoh in death. Instead, Luxor temple is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned in reality or conceptually (as in the case of Alexander the Great, who claimed he was crowned at Luxor but may never have traveled south of Memphis, near modern Cairo).
To the rear of the temple are chapels built by Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty, and Alexander. Other parts of the temple were built by Tutankhamun and Ramesses II. During the Roman era, the temple and its surroundings were a legionary fortress and the home of the Roman government in the area.
During the Roman period a chapel inside the Luxor Temple originally dedicated to the goddess Mut was transformed into a Tetrarchy cult chapel and later into a church.
Along with the other archaeological sites in Thebes, the Luxor Temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Temple
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
The Colossi of Memnon and Nile Sunsets تمثالا ممنون وغروب الشمس على النيل
To view the slideshow individual images click on the slideshow...
The Colossi of Memnon and Nile Sunsets
تمثالا ممنون وغروب الشمس على النيل
Experiencing the gorgeous sunsets on the Nile River like we did as a group, at the best of times offers a magical view of golden waters, palm trees, and ancient monuments such as the Colossi of Memnon.
The Colossi of Memnon are two gigantic statues of Amenophis III that presided over his funerary temple on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor. The statues, built 3,400 years ago, show the pharaoh at ease, hands on his knees, gazing at the rising sun. His mother, Queen Mutemwiya, and his wife, Queen Tiy, are sculpted on the lower part of the statues.
Legend has it—and it's documented by several historians—that in the year 27 BC, an earthquake knocked down a large part of one of them. From then on, the other colossus began to ‘sing’ every morning at dawn. In the early 3rd century the Roman emperor Seventh Severus rebuilt the statue and its twin was silenced.
Dimensions...
Each statue is 14 metres (45 feet) high, weighs 700 tons, and stands on a 4-metre-high (13 ft) pedestal weighing 600 tons. In total, the ensemble is 18 metres high (59 feet) and weighs 1,300 tons. Parts of the head and headdress are thought to be missing, so the actual height could have been around 21 metres (68 feet).
Each sculpture is constructed from a single block of granite brought from quarries located near Cairo, 675 km (419 miles) from Luxor.
So the legend goes...
Ref: https://www.introducingegypt.com/colossi-of-memnon
Photography by Jeannette Andrea Jackson ~ My "Magic Egypt 12.12.12" travel experience captures from back in 2012
Luxor - Temple of Karnak and Ave of The Sphinxes
الأقصر - معبد الكرنك وطريق الكباش
To view the slideshow individual images click on the slideshow...
Luxor - Temple of Karnak and Ave of The Sphinxes
الأقصر - معبد الكرنك وطريق الكباش
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak (/ˈkɑːr.næk/), comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I (reigned 1971–1926 BCE) in the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000–1700 BC) and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305–30 BCE), although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom.
The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut ("The Most Selected of Places") and the main place of worship of the 18th Dynastic Theban Triad, with the god Amun as its head.
It is part of the monumental city of Thebes, and in 1979 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List along with the rest of the city. Karnak gets its name from the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of El-Karnak, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) north of Luxor.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnak
Karnak Temple dates from around 2055 BC to around 100 AD
Cult temple dedicated to Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The largest religious building ever constructed.
The temple of Karnak was known as Ipet-isu—or “most select of places”—by the ancient Egyptians. It is a city of temples built over 2,000 years and dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. This derelict place is still capable of overshadowing many wonders of the modern world and in its day must have been awe-inspiring.
For the uneducated ancient Egyptian population, this could only have been the place of the gods. It is the largest religious building ever made, covering about 200 acres (1.5 km by 0.8 km), and was a place of pilgrimage for nearly 2,000 years.
The area of the sacred enclosure of Amun alone is sixty-one acres and could hold ten average European cathedrals. The great temple at the heart of Karnak is so big that St Peter’s, Milan, and Notre Dame Cathedral would fit within its walls.
The Hypostyle Hall, at 54,000 square feet (16,459 meters) and featuring 134 columns, is still the largest room of any religious building in the world. Besides the main sanctuary, there are several smaller temples and a vast sacred lake – 423 feet by 252 feet (129 by 77 meters).
The sacred barges of the Theban Triad once floated on the lake during the annual Opet festival. The lake was surrounded by storerooms and living quarters for the priests, along with an aviary for aquatic birds.
The Egyptians believed that towards the end of the annual agricultural cycle the gods and the earth became exhausted and required a fresh input of energy from the chaotic energy of the cosmos.
To accomplish this magical regeneration, the Opet festival was held yearly at Karnak and Luxor. It lasted for twenty-seven days and was also a celebration of the link between pharaoh and the god Amun. The procession began at Karnak and ended at Luxor Temple, one and a half miles (2.4 kilometres) to the south.
The statue of the god Amun was bathed with holy water, dressed in fine linen, and adorned in gold and silver jewellery. The priests then placed the god in a shrine and onto the ceremonial barque supported by poles for carrying.
Pharaoh emerged from the temple, his priests carrying the barque on their shoulders, and together they moved into the crowded streets. A troop of Nubian soldiers serving as guards beat their drums, and musicians accompanied the priests in song as incense filled the air.
Ref: https://discoveringegypt.com/karnak-temple/
Avenue of Sphinxes or The King's Festivities Road, also known as Rams Road (Arabic: طريق الكباش), is a 2.7 km (1.7 mi) long avenue (dromos) which connects Karnak Temple with Luxor Temple having been uncovered in the ancient city of Thebes (modern Luxor), with sphinxes and ram-headed statues lined up on both flanks.
Construction of the Avenue of Sphinxes began during the New Kingdom era and was completed during the Late period during the reign of 30th Dynasty ruler Nectanebo I (380–362 B.C.), the road was later buried under layers of sand over the centuries.
In Description de l'Égypte (1809) the Avenue of Sphinxes is described as 2,000 meters long, lined with over 600 sphinxes.
Georges Daressy reported in 1893 that at Luxor the road is buried and couldn't be excavated because it lay below the groundwater level, whereas at Karnak nearly a kilometer of it is visible.
The first trace of the avenue (at Luxor) was found in 1949 when Egyptian archaeologist Mohammed Zakaria Ghoneim discovered eight statues near the Luxor Temple with 17 more statues uncovered from 1958 to 1961 and 55 unearthed from 1961 to 1964 all within a perimeter of 250 meters.
From 1984 to 2000, the entire route of the walkway was finally determined, leaving it to excavators to uncover the road. The original 1,057 statues are along the way, and they are divided into three shapes:
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The first shape is a lion's body with a ram's head erected on an area of approximately 1,000 feet between the Karnak temple and the Precinct of Mut during the reign of the ruler of the New Kingdom Tutankhamun.
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The second shape is a full ram statue, built in a remote area during the eighteenth dynasty of Amenhotep III, before being transferred later to the Karnak complex.
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The third shape which includes the largest part of the statues is a statue of the Sphinx (body of a lion and head of a human), the statues extend over a mile to Luxor Temple.
On 25 November 2021, the avenue was opened to the public having concluded restoration works that took over seven decades to complete.
The opening ceremonies consisted of a parade that featured participants in pharaonic dress, a symphony orchestra, lighting effects, professional dancers, boats on the Nile and horse drawn carriages.
Three golden pharaonic-style model boats dedicated to the ancient sun god Amun Ra, moon god Khonsu and mother goddess Mut were carried by men in sheer gold and black robes.
The vision for this event was created by a team under the German University in Cairo. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi attended the city-wide spectacle. By that time, the avenue was lined with 1057 statues in total including 807 sphinx-shaped and 250 others with a ram-shaped head.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avenue_of_Sphinxes