Abydos was Revered in ancient times as the burial place and cult center of Osiris, the king of the underworld, Abydos (ancient Abedju) was an important pilgrimage destination and necropolis from the Predynastic era into Christian times (ca. 4000 BC-AD 641). The area of Umm el-Qa’ab (Arabic for “Mother of pots”), located far out in the low desert, contains the tombs...
Pyramid of Djoser | Ankh | The most prominent monument at Saqqara is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, first king of the 3rd Dynasty (ca. 2650-2575 BC). This structure, believed to have been designed by a high official named Imhotep is the first pyramid and the earliest example of large-scale stone construction in Egypt. The Step Pyramid of Djoser stands at the heart of a...
Akhmim | Ankh | The town of Akhmim stands on the ruins of the ancient town of Ipu, dedicated to the fertility god Min. This town was the capital of the 9th Upper Egyptian nome, and was occupied from prehistoric times through to the end of pharaonic history. It was once home to an immense temple complex dediated to Min, supposedly larger than the complex of Amun at...
Cairo Citadel | Ankh | Cairo Citadel , or The Citadel of the Mountain (Qal‘at al-Jabal) in Cairo is one of the major works of military architecture of the middle ages. Situated on a spur that was artificially cut out of the Muqattam Hills, the Citadel dominates the city of Cairo and turns its back to the rocky hills and the desert behind. Cairo Citadel History The...
Abusir pyramids | Ankh | Abusir is located in the desert west of Cairo, between Giza and Saqqara. The site is dominated by the remains of seven pyramid complexes, five of which can be deated securely to the 5th Dynasty (2504-2347 B.C.): those of Sahure, Niuserre, Neferirkare, Neferefre, and Queen Khentakawes II. A number of papyrus archives have been found in...
Museum of Modern Egyptian Art | Ankh | The idea of establishing a museum to exhibit modern Egyptian art masterpieces was first introduced in 1925 by Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil, a famous Egyptian fine art fan. Following a joint exhibition by Egyptian and foreign artists at the Cairo Arts Saloon, Khalil decided to purchase some of the exhibited items to be the cornerstone...
Beni Hasan | Ankh | The site of Beni Hasan lies on the east bank of the Nile near the town of Minya in Middle Egypt. The principal monuments here are Middle Kingdom tombs carved into the cliffs overlooking the river. There are 39 of these tombs, most built for the local governors of the 11th and 12th dynasties (2125-1795 B.C.). The chapels are famous for their...
Kom Ombo | Ankh | The site of Kom Ombo hosts the Ptolemaic Temple of Herwer (Haroeris) and Sobek, as well as a smaller, Roman-Period temple to Hathor, and a Nilometer. The Temple of Haroeris and Sobek is noted for its symmetrical construction: two entrances, two sanctuaries, and a line of symmetry that divides the temple into the domains of Haroeris and Sobek. The...
Medinet Habu | Ankh | This ancient site was associated with Amun in his form as a creator and fertility god, and was imagined to be the location of the primeval mound of creation. It lies directly across the Nile from Luxor Temple, and was the focus of several annual festivals. In the 18th Dynasty, a temple to Amun was built here by Hatshepsut and Thutmose III...