Egypt…
For two weeks in Egypt we saw and experienced so much. The depth of the history is, for me anyway, unfathomable. How can we stand before a structure that is 4,800 years old? We saw intricate carvings well over 2,000 years old, painted hieroglyphics that have survived the centuries, pyramids and tombs, the Sphinx, quiet villages, beautiful sunsets over the Nile, bustling markets, the High Aswan Dam, and more. We sailed in luxury down the Nile on a century-old steam paddlewheeler, rode a camel up a mountain, heard the call to prayer from minarets, dined on amazing fare, took horse-carts through a village at twilight, ballooned over the Valley of the Kings at sunrise… Egypt was simply amazing!
Pyramid of Djoser, or Step Pyramid, is Egypt’s oldest stone monument, and the first pyramid constructed. Saqqara (25 miles south of Cairo). 27 century BC, or nearly 4800 years ago!
The Bent Pyramid is one of the oldest in Egypt; limestone construction rises 344 feet in height, with an angle of 54 degrees below the bend, and a more gentle 43 degrees above. Soqqara. 26th century BC
Great Pyramid of Khafre retains some of the original outer limestone near the top (c. 2575–c. 2465 BCE). Giza Plateau, Cairo.
Sphinx and Khafre Pyramid, Giza Plateau, Cairo
on the Giza Plateau
The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is one of the oldest in Egypt, and in fact in the whole of Africa. Cairo. 884CE
Muhammad Ali Mosque, Cairo
Built in 1917, the SS Karim is a steam paddlewheel vessel. Originally the Royal vessel, it was later used by Egypt’s presidents.
Desert sunsets and minarets
SS Karim; Today 15 cabins accommodate up to 30 guests in style (with a crew of 30).
The surrounding desert often comes nearly to the banks of the Nile. The irrigated farmland produces dates, sugar cane, olives, cotton, and much more.
Life on and along the Nile
Temple of Khnum, Asna
Temple of Khnum columns and ceiling, Asna
Hieroglyphics, including the God Min - son of Isis, and also husband to Isis. Many of the hieroglyphics date from as late as 250AD.
Kom Ombo Temple reliefs
Kom Ombo Temple reliefs
Abu Simbel complex; 13th century BC
tombs of Pharaoh Ramesses II (left) and his queen, Nefertari (right), Abu Simbel
The Aswan souk (market) or Sharia-As-Souq Aswan extends for several city blocks, carrying nearly anything you might need, as a local or tourist.
The Kiosk of Trajan (Emperor from 98-117AD), on the the island of Philae. The entire temple complex was raised and moved to a protected site when the High Aswan Dam filled in the late 20th century.
Karnak, Luxor
First Courtyard and Kiosk of King Taharqa, Karnak Temple, Luxor
Karnak obelisk, erected by Queen Hapshetsut between 1458-1473BC. 97 feet tall.
An afternoon felucca across the Nile, Aswan
Ruins of the mountain-top mud-brick Monastery of St. Simeon, founded in the 7th century AD and rebuilt in the 10th century.
The way up the mountain to the monastery!
Sunrise balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Luxor archeological sites, and quiet villages and fields.
up up and away
Dendera Temple Complex, and the Temple of Hathor, is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt.
Jordan…
The view from atop Mt. Nebu, from where Moses looked out over the Promised Land. That’s the Dead Sea to the left, and the River Jordan is the swath of green extending to the right. Just peeking out of the mist and fog in the distance is the city of Jericho in the West Bank.
The Madaba Mosaic Map is the oldest known cartographic depiction of the Holy Land. It is located in the early Byzantine church of Saint George in Madaba, Jordan
Our time is Jordan was short, but we made the most of it… The first day included Mt Nebu, Madaba and the map of the Holy Land there, plus our first look at Petra, walking into the Siq by candle light! Our next day was devoted to Petra and all the remarkable sights there. For our third and final day we visited Little Petra, had a swim (float) in the Dead Sea, and saw some of the highlights of Amman.
That first glimpse of The Treasury as you approach through Al Siq (a towering slot canyon over a mile in length).
45m tall, “The Treasury” dates to roughly 300BC and is carved into the pink sandstone cliffs.
As the Siq widens one reaches the Street of Facades - the modern name given to a monumental row of Nabataean tombs carved into the mountainside.
The Bedul Bedouin have long inhabited the Petra region. Today they live just outside the Siq, but very “enthusiastically” push handicrafts, guided hikes to photo spots, donkey rides…
Bedouin merchants had several cafes or rest stops along the Siq.
The Petra theater was mostly carved from solid rock, while the outer wall was constructed. Roman in design, with similar acoustics, it was constructed at the apex of the Nabataean kingdom (between 9-40AD)
Al Dier (the “monastery”) was carved from a mountaintop mid-first century CE. The name was given to the place by native Bedouins because of the crosses inscribed on the interior back wall during its Christian use in Byzantine times. The original Nabataean purpose for Al Dier remains unknown. The monumental facade measures 154 feet tall, and 157 feet wide. Let that sink in for a moment; that facade is the equivalent of a roughly 15 story building (you can see a tiny person in front of one of the columns)! The monastery is reached via a trail with over 800 steps up from the basin (made much easier by renting a donkey for the ride up!).
Amman's Roman Theatre is a 6,000-seat, 2nd-century Roman theatre. A famous landmark in the Jordanian capital, it dates back to the Roman period when the city was known as Philadelphia.
travel journal text and photography by Mark Grantham