The pyramid was built in 3rd century B.C. The base of this colossal structure is about 706 feet in length. Build with bricks of limestone; it carries a height of about 470 feet. Horizontal courses are used for construction. The lower bases are made up of granite. Stones are the building blocks of Pyramid of Khafre. The base has bigger stones, the size of which continues to get smaller as the pyramid reaches its height. The pyramid lacks degree of precision in its angle as the four base corners are not in perfect alignment with the tip of the structure; this is the reason that it is not completely erect in posture.

A noticeable point in Pyramid of Khafre is the difference in the texture of the upper and lower portions, the reason being that the lower portion was much more prone to the plunderers. Another feature of this structure is Sphinx that is carved out of base rock at pyramid. There are two main entrances leading down the chamber inside the pyramid. There are a number of theories that support the construction of two chambers. One of these being that as the pyramid was supposed to be built at a higher elevation; this would place the entrance near the passage leading from the lower entrance.

Pyramid’s Mortuary Temple is an excellent example of advancement of architecture. The Temple was more complex and larger than its predecessors. Besides, it included all the standard elements required to build a mortuary temple. These elements were an entrance hall, inside chambers, niches for statuettes, a court and a sanctuary. A pathway connecting Mortuary Temple to Valley Temple is intact till today. A large number of statuettes are found inside hall. Only one of these has survived. This statuette gives an insight into the history as it shows Chephren sitting on a throne. There is a 14 m by 5 m burial chamber that contains the sarcophagus of the king, buried only partially in the ground.

Valley Temple of Pyramid of Khafre is built in red granite with megalithic blocks. It is a square shaped structure with two entrances. Inscriptions are engraved on them with a few lines deciphered. A vestibule is located between the entrances. Its walls are made up of granite. There are entrances surrounding the Pyramid. These staircases are made up of limestone.

The pyramid is a major tourist attraction of Egypt. Being the second largest pyramid in the world, it has remained popular tourist destination from centuries. To visit this place A camel can be hired. The light and sound show is played in various languages. One can reach the pyramid by taking a bus or taxi to Cairo.

The pyramid was built by Pharaoh Khufu who was a king of fourth century dynasty of Egypt. It took about twenty years to complete the structure. The dimensions of Great Pyramid of Khufu are 750 feet by 450 feet. More than two million stones form the building block of this massive structure with each stone weighing about two and a half tons. The blocks were made up of limestone and were transported by machines over the Nile River. Upon the completion of the pyramid, the structure was covered by casing stones of marble. These stones were flat from one side and rugged from the other side.

A majority of casing stones got loosened due to an earthquake and fell from the adhering structure over time.  The entrance-gate lies at a height of about 17 meters above ground; then it leads to a descending passageway. At going about 105 meters, there comes the leveled surface; this is where the lower chamber begins. Initially intended for the burial of the Pharaoh, it was never finished. Going further into the pyramid, one encounters a hole in the roof of the passage. It is the beginning of the ascending path way and leads to Grand Gallery and finally to “Queen’s Chamber”. This chamber has pointed roof and horizontal shafts.

The “King’s Chamber” lies further north of the Grand Gallery. It is the burial place of Khufu. Entirely made in granite, this chamber of Great Pyramid of Khufu has a number of Relieving Compartments. The chamber contains the sarcophagus of the king. The sarcophagus is not fully decorated. The pyramid was considered a sacred place as the Egyptians considered Khufu as the divine link between God and man. This place is associated with the immense powers of their king whom they thought to be a living-god.

Entrance to Great Pyramid of Khufu is done through a tunnel known by the name of Robert’s Tunnel. This portion of the structure was built by the workers of Caliph al-Mamun. There are 4 pits around the periphery that resemble the shape of a boat. In fact, these were built to keep the boats inside them. Since ancient times, the Pyramid has been a soar of the eye of looters. Almost all the sacred burial places have been looted in the past including king’s tomb. The building blocks of the structure were plundered much number of times. In order to protect the place, secret rooms were built.

The pyramid is the most famous tourist places in Giza. Due to its colossal structure and marvelous architecture, it has attracted the tourists from all over the world. In order to maintain the preservation, only 150 tourists are allowed to enter at a time. One cannot get his tickets arranged by a travel operator. He must buy his ticket on his own.

There is an Abydos which is quite a large archeological site in the upper part of north Egypt. There is a conjunction which is visited by the Dendra which lies nearby.  There are many pilgrims that belong to the Devotees from the new age who follow the footsteps of the Famous Dorothy Eady. This woman believed herself to be the reincarnation of a high priestess from the Abydos Temple.

The temple of Seti I is said the be the main monument at Abydos Egypt. This temple has been built in the yea thirteen hundred BC by Ramses the Second and his father Seti. This place is quite famous for its many relief’s and is considered to be the best relief in the whole kingdom.

This site of Abydos used to be a burial site and has been quite sacred since even before the dynasty was established.

This place has been sacred to the Jackal headed God Wepwawet. This was the same God who opened the way to the realm of the dead.  Apparently Anhur had appeared in one of the dynasties and following that had risen to high importance.  Later on this entire site was highlighted and setup at his main.  The Seti temple at Abydos Egypt had started into power by the Famous Pharaoh Seti, this happened in the year thirteen hundred and eighteen BC to Thirteen hundred and four BC. This was later completed by Ramses the second who was his son.  When you come here during the new kingdoms dynasty, this is where you are able to consolidate the Ramessid dynasty. All these happened because of Akhenaton.

Seti identified himself along with the previous rules of Egypt along with the great gods; this gave him the kind of Legitimacy required so that a warrior family could rule with all authority.

The pharaoh Merneptah had added a great Hypogeum of the Osiris at the famous temple of Seti. In fact this place has been a famous tourist attraction from the year eighteen hundred and thirty.   You are excavations that take place up till today by Flunders Petrie.

There are many different ruins and mounds right around the edge of the desert here.  A lot of visitors come here and stick to the grand Seti temple.

There are restrictions that are put by the police now to prevent any mishaps

After a century of foreign oppression and occupation, the new kingdom which was from fifteen hundred and fifty BC to eleven hundred and fifty BC, the kingdom of Egypt, had its capital as Thebes. The city capital was embellished with grandiose and grand temples which were made with such grandeur that it was fit for the great Pharaohs.

This temple complex which was dedicated to the Pharaoh Amun was the center of worship for the Pharaoh and his wife, Mut and their son Khon. Each of these three had a designated area of worship which was in the temple complex. The greatest and largest worship area belongs to Amun.  This apparently was also the area of worship for Montu, who is the Falcon headed local God.

The temple started being constructed in the sixteenth century BC. The construction continued into the Greco Roman period. This period lasted up to thirteen hundred years. About thirty pharaohs all contributed to the building o this place, and added their own touches and designs to the complex. Any new temple of shrine or even a pylon, these were all constructed and had detailed hieroglyphic inscriptions made into it.

When the pharaoh Akhenaton abandoned the traditional worship of Amun and took this all to worshipping Aten, who is the Sun god, he built a temple to Aten in Karnak.  Although after the death of Akhenaton, the Theban priests destroyed all the signs of sun worship at Karnak.

The temple is quite huge, and it has a site that covers a two mile area. There are about twenty five temples and chapels in complex. There are three shrines, and three boats that all look like statues of gods.  There is an old tradition that involves taking the Gods on an annual trip.

Check back here to find out more about what happens here at the Karnak complex.

Dendera is a location of a very old holy place. The astronomical alignment of the main temple of Dendera, before 5000BC, is found to be towards Gamma Draconis – a Pre-dynastic temple rebuilt during the Old Kingdom, and developed still more by the New Kingdom, of pharaohs. What we see there today marks the works of the Greek and Romans – who built the Hypostyle Hall in 1st century AD, along with the sanctuaries, that came into existence because of the Ptolemies in 1st century BC. The temple of Dendera was primarily a shrine for worshipping Hathor – a patroness of earthly love. She was a goddess who healed and provided feminine nourishment in a great way. In ancient times the place known as lunet or Tantere – or Tentyris, as known to the Greeks – which was the capital of the 6th nome of Northern Egypt and was a town of some importance – is now known as Dendera. The population of this place has graduated to Qena, across the river to the eastern bank of the Nile. This ancient temple is now a part of the ruins, lying isolated on the edge of the deserts.

According to studies conducted in recent times, the temple of Dendera was involved in several interrelated activities. Apart with being a place of pilgrimage it was also a healing destination where miraculous cures were provided by the goddess Hathor. It also used to be an ancient kind of hospital with various physical, physiological, and psychiatric therapies being practiced, that worked wonders. It played the role of the source and destinations for many festivals and processions. The Dendera complex encloses several other magical features like a sacred lake, a sanatorium where various magical healings were practiced, and, the most sacred of all, a temple of the goddess Isis. There are beautiful and knowledge consistent astrological calendars carved and painted on the ceilings with detail to seek interest of the viewers, inside the main temple of Dendera. There are some ceilings inside the temple which are in blackened condition. For information of future visitors – these blackened marks were from the cooking fires of the village people, when Napolean’s scholars had found a centuries-old Arab village established inside the temple, during their first visit to Dendera.

Let us look at some of these sacred art places in Luxor.

Valley of the Kings :

Also called ‘valley of the gate of Kings’, is a valley in Egypt where lie the tombs of dead nobility from the eighteenth to the twentieth century.

This place has a west valley and an east valley. Most of the royal tombs are located in the east valley.

There are about sixty-three tombs in total in the valley of the Kings; as of 2008. Some tombs have simple pits with less chambers and some others had complex pits with as many as one hundred and twenty chambers.

Many privileged nobles as well as all the royalty of the new Egyptian Kingdom; were buried here.

The tombs have various drawings, symbols and sacred art carved on them. From all the decorated articles and symbols, it can be said that these were powerful and affluent rulers, during their time.

Tombs of the nobles

Many of the powerful Egyptian nobility and courtiers; were buried right here in the Necropolis, almost alongside the Kings and Queens.

The Karnak Temple complex

This complex is a vast conglomeration of temples ruins and buildings. Pharaoh Ramses the second started its construction.

This complex is located about five hundred kilo meters south of Cairo and is near Luxor. The main place of worship was the Theban triad with the god Amun at its head. Although it is out of Luxor, it is and was part of Thebes.

Luxor Temple

This is a large ancient Egyptian complex that is located on the east bank of the river Nile. The Luxor temple complex was known as the southern sanctuary. The temple sanctuary was made in tribute to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut and Chons.

Valley of the Queens

The valley of the Queens, is where the wives of pharaohs were buried during the time of their death. It was also called ‘the place of the children of the Pharaoh’ this is because along with the Queens, Princes and Princesses were also buried here. There were mortuary priests who would be caretakers to the royal tombs and they would make offerings and pray for the dead.

Theban Necropolis

This is an area that lies to the west bank of the river Nile and lies opposite Thebes. This is the place that was used as a categorized burial ground for people during ancient Egypt.

Come to Luxor and explore Sacred Art and temples in the ancient city of Thebes.

History:

Valley of the Kings was in use from 1539-1075 BC. The valley features about 60 tombs, ranging from Thutmose I to Ramses X or XI. Besides, the pharaohs, the valley also had tombs of the favourite nobles as well as those of the wives and children of the pharaohs and the nobles. Valley of Queens was also set up around the time of Ramses I (1300 BC).

Features:

• Valley of Kings is separated into East and West Valleys, with most of the important tombs located in the East Valley.
• West Valley has only one tomb, tomb of Ay (Tutankhamen’s successor) open for public viewing.
• Burials like that of Amenhotep III (these are still unexcavated and hence not accessible for public)
• Each discovered tomb in Valley of the Kings has been allocated a sequential ‘KV number’ while those in the Western Valley are known by the WV equivalent for identification convenience. The KV tombs range from KV1 (of Ramesses) to KV62 (of Tutankhamen). KV5 is the largest of the tombs. It contains at least 67 burial chambers.
• Most of the open tombs in the valley are located in the East Valley and most tourists visit these sites.
• KV62, the tomb of King Tutankhamun is the most significant. The tomb was discovered by Howard Carter. It was the last major discovery in the valley.

Tombs of East Valley:

KV1 Tomb of Ramesses VII, KV2 Tomb of Ramesses IV, KV3 Tomb of an unnamed son of Ramesses III, KV4 Tomb of Ramesses XI and others.

Tombs of West Valley:

WV22 of Amenhotep III, WV23 of Ay, WV24, WV25, WVA

Deir el-Bahri:

This tomb is located in the cliffs overlooking Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahri and contained an astounding mummy cache.

Accommodation:

• Iberotel Luxor
• Pyramisa Isis Hotel & Suites Luxor
• Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa
• El Luxor Hotel
• Sheraton Luxor Resort

Tourist information:

It is always advisable to consume plenty of water while visiting Valley of Kings. Even if you forget to carry water, do not forget to buy it from the nearby visitors’ centre. Particularly during the summer months, drinking inadequate water can cut short an otherwise fantastic experience. Sunglasses and sunlotions are also essential during the trip. One should also carry sturdy shoes for descending into the tomb. It is also advisable to bring flashbooks, pens and notebooks.

Luxor Temple is among the most famous and popular tourist destinations in Egypt and thousands from across the world pay visit to be a glad witness to this marvel of the ancient age.

History:

Luxor Temple was built by Amenhotep III. The architect of the construction work of the temple was Amenhotep, the son of Habu. The temple was constructed on the site of a small Temple of Amon. The structure was only 190 metres long and 55 metres wide during the time of Amenhotep III. Later, Ramses II, added the front part and completed the Temple. In the 320s BC, Alexander the Great is said to have undertaken major reconstruction work of the temple.

Features:

• The huge Luxor Temple has several pylons (monumental gateways) measuring about 70 yards in length. The first pylon is over 70 feet high aand it has huge statues and several obelisks in front.
• Open areas, which were once used for various forms of worship but now, stand empty.
• The temple entry is from the northern side and a causeway lined by Sphinxes starts. The causeway, known as Sacred Way or Avenue of Sphinxes, was an addition made during the time of Nectanebo I in the 30th Dynasty. It once led all the way to Karnak.
• The proper temple starts with the First Pylon, which was built by Ramses II. The pylon was decorated with scenes of Ramses’s much acclaimed military triumphs (particularly the Battle of Qadesh over the Hittites). Similar additions were made by later pharaohs.
• The main entrance to the temple was originally flanked by six colossal statues of Ramses but only two are standing today.
• A 25-metre tall pink granite obelisk.
• A peristyle courtyard, built by Ramses II, to accommodate three pre-existing barque shrines
• Atop the columns of this courtyard was built Abu Haggag Mosque.
• The inner sanctums that begin with a dark antechamber. Roman stuccoes are present here
• A cache of 26 New Kingdom statues, that was found from beneath the floor in the inner sanctum

Climate:

Luxor experiences a fairly hot throughout the year.

Reaching Luxor:

By air:
Luxor International Airport is located about 6 km from the Luxor city centre. It is connected with various European cities as well as with Cairo

By rail:
Luxor’s main railway station is at El-Mahata Square. Frequent train services link Luxor with Cairo, Aswan as well as Edfu and Kom Ombo.

Opening hours of Luxor Temple:

• October-April: daily between 6am to 9pm
• May-September: 6am to 10pm
• Ramadan: 6am-6:30pm and 8-11pm

Luxor Accommodation:

• Mara House
• Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa
• Sheraton Luxor Resort
• El Nakhil
• Hotel Sheherazade
• Pavillon Winter Luxor

‘Bent’ nature:

The lower portion of the pyramid rises at 55 degrees inclination while the top section is built at 43 degree angle, which gives the pyramid a ‘bent’ appearance. The pyramid has a height of 101 metres while its base is 188 metres.

According to archaeologists, Bent pyramid marked a transition from step-sided to smooth-sided pyramids.

Why bent construction?

It is believed that the constructors of the massive structures preferred a lesser angle to avert any possible collapse of the building. The Red Pyramid, located nearby the Bent Pyramid and also built by Sneferu, was constructed at an angle of 43 degrees from the very base, which validates the archaeologists’ opinion.

Another theory says that construction of the temple, if continued at 55 degree, would consume more time and hence the top angle was altered to complete the structure early.

About the pyramid:

In the ancient days, Bent Pyramid was known by the names of either ‘The Southern Shining Pyramid’ or ‘Sneferu is Shining in the South’. The pyramid is 599 square feet in area. Today it is the only Egyptian pyramid that retains most of its original limestone casing.

Features:

• Bent Pyramid has two entrances: north-face and west. The western entrance passage is blocked by two stone blocks
• Bent Pyramid has a small satellite pyramid to its south
• The eastern side of the temple has fragmentary remains of the pyramid temple. There are two stelae behind the temple
• Queen’s Pyramid to the southern side of the Bent Pyramid
• Causeway and Valley Temple
• About Dahshur:
  Dahshur is located 10 km from Saqqara and 35 km from Cairo. It was part of the necropolis of ancient Memphis during the Old Kingdom or the ‘Pyramid Age’. Pharaoh Sneferu, father of Khufu, builder of the Giza Pyramid by the same name, had built two pyramids (Bent and Red Pyramids) besides completing another pyramid at Meidum. Till 1996, Dahshur was a restricted military zone. It has only been promoted as a tourist spot in recent times to ease the tourist pressure on other great pyramids.

Reaching:

Dahshur can be reached by road from Cairo as part of a day trip to Saqqara and Memphis.

History:

Dahshur North Pyramid was built by Pharaoh Sneferu (2575-2551 BC), father of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, who also built Bent Pyramid at Dahshur (one km north from Red Pyramid) and completed the pyramid at Meidum. Construction work of Red Pyramid is said to have begun in the thirtieth year of Sneferu’s reign. Evidence suggests that it took ten years and seven months to complete the Red Pyramid, which marked the maiden successful attempt to build a true smooth-sided pyramid (the Meidum Pyramid had collapsed into antiquity while the Bent Pyramid witnessed inconsistency in its building angle).

Features of Dahshur North Pyramid:

• It is 105 metres high and is built at a consistent angle of 43 degrees. This is in contrast to Bent Pyramid which was built at this angle from halfway up (the lower part of Bent Pyramid is built at 54 degrees)
• The interior of Red Pyramid has three chambers that feature ceilings (a triangular bracket of brick or stone) made of corbel and loads of 19th century graffiti.
• The entrance from northern part gives access to a long passage of 200 foot that slopes downwards at an angle of around 27 degrees. The passage is just three feet high and four feet wide.
• There is a short corridor at the bottom of the passage that leads to the first chamber that rises to a height of 40 feet.
• Another short corridor leads to a second chamber from the southern end of the first chamber. This chamber, which features a corbelled ceiling and other features similar to the first chamber, is located directly under the apex of the pyramid.
• A wooden modern staircase from the southern end of the second chamber leads to a third chamber, which is said to be the burial chamber. This also has a corbelled ceiling rising.
• A rare pyramidion or capstone has been discovered and reconstructed next to Dahshur North Pyramid.

About Dahshur:

Dahshur is located 10 km from Saqqara and 35 km from Cairo. It was part of the necropolis of ancient Memphis during the Old Kingdom or the ‘Pyramid Age’. It was a restricted military zone till about 1996.

Reaching:

Dahshur can be accessed by road from Cairo during a day trip to Saqqara and Memphis.