The Final Stroll in Egypt

Continues from The Stroll in the Streets of Egypt

The afternoon that we had reached Cairo after the trip to Aswan and Luxor, we went out in search of a restaurant for lunch.  Though it may sound show off to many people, we were fed up with the five star cuisines that pampered us on the previous eight days. Our Kerala palette craved for some spicy taste.  We headed to the Egyptian restaurant Felfela suggested byAli.

We walked under the mild rays of afternoon Sun. The streets were in shades and a lot of college students roamed around. As we reached the Hoda Sharawi Street, there were at least five restaurant boards with the same name. However, we were lucky enough to get into the correct restaurant after so many inquiries.

The restaurant was decorated in the theme of a garden.  Though meat was prominent in the menu, they had a wide variety of Vegetarian dishes also to serve. We ordered a vegetable casserole and a spicy mousakka. Food never tasted better in a foreign land.

After the comfortable lunch, we came back to the hotel to take rest. Since our departure is scheduled only for the next day, we decided to take a stroll across the banks of the Nile. It was the day of Eid. The footpaths were crowded and there were a lot of activities going on.  

Since being irritant to the crowds, we chose a lonely bench from where we can watch the Nile and admire the fireworks. However, the bench was already occupied by teenage lovers who were busy in exchanging intense Eid greetings.  I just wondered, this is not a European country, but a well known orthodox Muslim country! Do such public displays of affection happen here too? Well, love knows no restrictions...

Khan el-Khalili market

Chandeliers

On the day of our departure, we decided to take a final stroll in the streets of Egypt.  We were guided to the famous Khan el-Khalili market that was once known as the Turkish bazaar. The market seemed to be an ethnic market with a lot of shops selling Egyptian antiquities. We shopped for souvenirs and other tit bits. Time was running faster in Khan el-Khalili. We finished our visit at a road side open cafe. I really don’t remember what we had for lunch on that day, since I was caught up in the beauty of the magnificent chandeliers in the opposite shop!

Yes, eight days became a memory to cherish in our life forever. We felt all refreshed and together as we boarded the flight in the evening. As I heard the announcement for landing at the King Khalid international Airport, I was excited! After all, nothing is better than homecoming even if it means home in a foreign land.

The End

The Woman Power in Ancient Egypt-Queen Hatshepsut

 Continues from The Valley of Kings!

We were driving to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, when Nariman told us the story of the only one powerful woman Pharaoh in Egypt. Queen Hatshepsut was the sister and first wife of King Thutmose II. After the death of the King she claimed the throne replacing her child nephew/step son Thutmose III.

Queen Hatshepsut’s twenty year’s rule was a golden era in Egyptian history. Trading and economy flourished, temples were restored or newly constructed and Egyptian culture flourished to a new realm. However the good times didn’t last longer. Her nephew, Thutmose III, also known as "the Napoleon of ancient Egypt,” had married Queen Hatshepsut’s daughter and rose into power.

Thutmose III started wiping off the signs of Queen Hatshepsut from Egypt.  He cut her names away from the temple walls and destroyed the monuments constructed by her. However, Queen Hatshepsut’s charisma prevailed over these wile activities. 

We reached Queen Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el Bahri by noon. The burning sun competed with my idea to visit the temple. I finally got down from the car.

In front of

Queen Hatshepsut’s temple

Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was indeed a token for the female Pharaoh’s power. Standing in the higher realms of desert plain in a series of terraces, the temple beheld its majesty. A root of the tree once brought by Queen Hatshepsut from Punt during an expedition was covered and exhibited at the temple entrance.

The temple looked synonymous with the heat reflecting limestone cliffs around it. Nature must have lent its hand in the construction of this temple. 

Woman Power: In front of

Queen Hatshepsut’s statue

The monuments of the female Pharaoh arrayed the temple corridors. However, in comparison with the other temples that we had visited, the temple was smaller in its area.  The walls depicted many expeditions of Queen Hatshepsut, whose names and face have been erased at many places.

After some minutes of visit, we came out. The temple overlooked green fields and hills at the opposite side. They seemed to be a mirage at that point and a token of the contradicting culture that we might never comprehend!

 Continues in The Valley of Workers and Colosssi of Memnon

The Valley of Kings!

 Continues from Luxor Temple: The Dazzling Preservation of a Culture

We’d been picked up in the early morning to visit the valley of Kings. It was our first travel across the Nile since we started our sail. We passed many half constructed houses on the way. Nariman explained that most of the natives leave their houses half constructed for their next generation to build a home of their own.

The scenery started to change from the lush green foliage at the Nile banks to the barren mountains. On both sides of the road, Theban hills glistened under the hot sun. We anticipated a hot day as the previous day but, never a worse one!

We reached gates to the Valley of Kings within half an hour of our drive. Beyond the gates laid, vast stretches of land that had once been the burial ground for royalties in Egyptian New Kingdom. As of then, there were 63 tombs, out of which three were open to visitors.

Theban Hills

Cameras and personal vehicles were not allowed beyond the gates. As we finished the procedures and waited for the tram to transport us to the tombs, I looked around. Here lay the tombs of the historical figures in Egyptian culture. Many archaeologists and Egyptologists made this area as their haven... Many of the tombs had been opened and robbed off treasures; the major being the tomb of King Tutankhamen!

The tram came to take us to the tombs. We passed the twisting roads under the Theban hills and reached a crowded place.  Nariman explained that owing to the arrival of Nile cruises, the number of visitors on that place would cover more than nine thousand per day. However, being an off season, visitors are less on the day compared to the other days.

We were to visit three tombs in the valley of Kings.  At first we visited the tomb of King Horemheb numbered as KV57 (Valley of Kings Number 57). No guide would come in to assist us and we had to maintain silence inside the tombs. King Horemheb was the last King of the 18^th dynasty. Paintings depicting scenes from Egyptian mythology gave some clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. 

Entrance to the Valley of Kings

The next tomb that we gained entry into was that of Ramesses VI numbered as KV9.  We had to enter the narrow path resembling the entrance to the tombs inside the Pyramids. The decorative images were in a well preserved state than those of King Horemheb’s tomb. Ramesses VI enlarged the tomb of Ramesses V to make it his own. The tomb though thoroughly robbed and excavated gave an idea of the opulence and power of the rulers of the time.

Finally, we reached the tomb of King Tutankhamen. The entry fee is much more than the fee into other tombs. We were definitely interested in this tomb than others since we had a glimpse of the treasures that this tomb had once consisted.  The mask of Tutankhamen, his gold bed, gold chambers etc. at the Cairo museum had boasted the majesty of its owner.

The tomb had an entrance corridor, staircase, antechamber and burial chamber. The paintings were not stretched to all walls. Even after being robbed of its treasure twice, the tomb still holds the affluence of the boy King.

The tombs where the excavation continues...

When we came out of the tombs, Nariman explained to us about the curse of Pharaohs.  It seems many people who had aided in opening the tomb of King Tutankhamen, died of mysterious accidents. Howard Carte, who was the principal leader of the excavation of King Tutankhamen’s tomb, suffered many mysterious hardships. A cobra that resembled the cobra at King Tutankhamen’s crown had once hunted his pet parrot. Jackals of the same type as Anubis that guarded King Tutankhamen’s tomb came in front of him for the first time in over thirty-five years of explorations in the valley. Yet the explorations continue...

We came out of the valley thoroughly exhausted. As we had started to drive back, I just thought! How would the majestic royalties would feel if they were aware that their personal burial grounds and their well kept wives’ burial grounds being peeked on everyday by countless foreigners over the years?

Continues in The Woman Power in Ancient Egypt-Queen Hatshepsut

Karnak Temple: The Most Perfect of Places

Continues from The Nile: Unsurpassed Expressions of Waves 
 

When we woke up in the morning, the cruise had come to the final halt. On the day, we would visit two of the most famous temples in Egypt-Luxor and Karnak temple.

Our travel guide Nariman was waiting for us at the front desk. After ten minutes drive, we reached Karnak, a sacred place of built since the 30^th dynasty in Egypt.

Nariman first guided us to the miniature presentation of Karnak temple at the main entrance. A glimpse at the miniature presentation revealed that we had no chance to view the entire temple. Nariman explained that we would be visiting a part of the Eastern section of the temple.

The sun seethed on the visitors at the temple yard. It was really a challenge to step onto the yard under the blazing sun. Yet, we ventured it and the result was worth it.

Entrance to Karnak Temple

Ramesses II

Human headed Sphinx Avenue welcomed us before the huge colossal gates.  Each sphinx cradled a Pharaoh under them. The Sphinx heads were created in the image of God Amun Ra, who had presided in the temple. At the entrance were the two huge statues of Ramesses II with his hands crossed on his chest. Nariman explained that the action signified the dead status of the King.

Close image of the Sphinx

We entered the temple with its ruined mud yards and an array of sphinxes on its side. Many visitors were trying different poses in front of it. There was a woman jumping with joy in front of the sphinxes while her husband tried to capture the moment behind the lens.

We passed many headless statues on the corridor before reaching the many pillared hall. Nariman explained the invaders were adamant in removing the Pagan tradition and beheaded many of the statues. Many of the statues were faceless, nose less and ear less owing to the invasions. 

The many pillared hall of the temple displayed pillars designed with Papyrus and lotus like the pillars of Philae, Edfu and Kom Ombo. The pillars in the precinct of Amun were free standing and had inscriptions all around them. 

The Rising Sun Obelisk

There was a beautiful obelisk belonged to Queen Hatshepsut behind the pillars on whose tip the Sun always seemed to raise on the day time. There had another one belonged to the Queen but toppled by her nephew Thutmosis III.

The Scarab Beetle

Nariman left us at the temple pond to have a look by ourselves. There was a pylon with a huge structure of Scarab-beetle on it. For many years Egyptians worshiped the scarab beetle for its association with the creator God Amun. They had believed that the beetle pushed the Sun around the planet to ensure fertility for the country. 

We came out in exhilarated and exhausted at the same time. We have to head to Luxor temple soon. The Sun’s rays blinded us, yet we wanted to!

Continues in Luxor Temple: The Dazzling Preservation of a Culture

The Nile: Unsurpassed Expressions of Waves

Continues from Into the Domain of Hawk-Edfu Temple

We reached the cruise earlier than the Spanish tourists returned! There was ample time to take rest before the evening tea. As we were getting into the room, the guy from the spa came out and greeted us. Definitely, I got interested in the guy, who acutely resembled Harry Potter with his  round glasses, girlish grin and disheveled hair. After a conversation with him, both of us decided to get a spa treatment with the arrangement of each of taking turn to take care of Shreya. 

It was evening by the time we finished our spa treatments. The cruise had already started its sail by the time we went to the upper deck for tea. The sun had started his descend for the day, turning the waves of Nile into dark black.

The mist stretched across the water. We took our cups of tea and went to the forefront seats on the terrace. We immediately regretted! The tea instantly turned cold and the chilling wind started to sweep on our face. Little Shreya grinned in merry with the chill weather.

A Cruise in the Nile

It was then that we noticed the other cruise sailing behind us. Our cruise manager explained that they always travel in a convoy mode in watch for some emergencies.

Nile after the Sunset

Life flew on both sides of the Nile. A group of water birds headed in hurry towards their destination. The sun would sink at any moment and night cover the activities on the water. As if in a hurry to complete the day duties, the waves in the Nile fluttered frantically. At last the sun sank! The waves became calm as if something had dropped into it and submerged into the bottom.

No more had seen of the Nile. We listened to splashing music of Nile for some time and went down to our room. As we lay in our room, listening to the growling engine and splashing waters, I thought of the difference between day Nile and the night Nile.

Nile was in its best charm as we’d sailed from Aswan to Edfu. T he deep blue water evoked lush green waves on its banks. Just beyond the green growth, burning soil of Sahara desert glistened and craved for the touch of Nile.

Many camels had grazed on the river banks while farmers walked busy with their routines. We never knew time skipped into hours as we sat near the huge glass pane windows in our room, watching the beautiful expressions of the Nile.

For the lunch we had descended to the restaurant which came beneath the water level. The waves splashed across the window pane next to our seats. The waves seemed to touch us but danced back in glittering sunshine. It was an exotic experience for sure! We savored the view for a long time after finishing our lunch.

The dinner time took me away from the thoughts of the Nile. We went to the restaurant and took our regular seats. Our Spanish companions were busy reading the travelogue of Egypt. They suddenly rose in the midst of their dinner and hurried out of the hall. “They must have gone to see the Esna Lock,” The cruise captain who had dined with us, explained.

We had never heard of Esna Lock. It turned out to be the lock to raise and lower stretches of water between different levels of the Nile. The cruise would wait behind the closed gates in a chamber until the water level become equal. We rushed after our neighbors to watch this unheard practice.

Chill wind brazed us as we waited on the deck for the gates to be opened. Engines growled as they leveled the water in the Nile. After 15 minutes’ wait at the gate the water leveled to allow us to enter into the next phase of Nile. I didn’t felt anything great though! It may be due to my lack of interest in technical complicacies. Sreejith raved about this technique, while we came down.

The night had turned really dark as we came back from the Galapia Show at the visiting hall. I gazed through the window in hope to watch stars strewn across the Egyptian sky. The sky was dark and devoid of glitter. I dropped into sleep when the dark waters float out. The waves that cradled five thousand years of history and culture proudly floated along.


Continues in Karnak Temple: The Most Perfect of Places

Into the Domain of Hawk-Edfu Temple

Continues from Kom Ombo Temple- A Visit to the Crocodiles and the Hawks

It was afternoon by the time we took the halt at Edfu. Fatima had come with us from Aswan in assisting our visit to the Edfu Temple. The sun was blazing hot as we’d started from the cruise in an old horse cart to Edfu.

Entrance to Edfu temple

As we reached the temple, the stone floors were burning hot. My head was sleepy after a heavy lunch and needed much persuasion to move from the shades into the burning courtyard. We crossed the courtyard and entered into the temple. 

At the ruins of Edfu Temple

At the other side of the temple entrance were some mud hills in their ruined state. Fatima explained that the Ptolemaic period temple was often threatened by the annual floods in the Nile. When the time of worshippers declined, Nile took its advantage and deposited the river silt on the temple. Later, the native people started to have their own homes, right from the temple courtyard. However, the temple was recovered in 1798 without much damage.

In front of the Hawk Guard

Two mighty falcon giants, bigger than human size and made in granite, guarded the temple entrance. Many pillars with lotus and Papyrus designs adorned the entrance hall of Edfu temple also. The ancient paintings depicting the age old conflict between Horace and Seth were strewn over the walls. Though the ancient colours retained their charm, the faces of the characters were scraped out by the invaders.

There was great significance for the Nile in relation with the temple of Edfu. In the temple days, huge boats sailed across the Nile carrying the supplies for the temple. There are remains of huge barns in the temple, where Egyptians had once stored their grains. The existing huge boat in the shrine was once used by the ancient priests to accompany Horace in his divine trips.

The boat at the shrine

It seems the entry for normal people into the temple were limited only till the entrance gates. It was mandatory for the priest to take a bath before entering the temple. The entry to the shrine was limited solely to the priests and even the King had to stop in front of the shrine. Well, this was not a new custom for me who has grown up in place that still follows these rules.

Edfu temple corridors

After spending some time in front of the shrine, we climbed to the first floor of the temple. Many doves have taken place of the falcons on these days. We climbed down the mighty corridors that surround the temple. In the ancient days of war, the temple also served as a hideout for the native warriors. The corridors were a strong protection cover for them on those days.

The heat was fading a bit as we came out of the temple. We passed many stalls selling native attires. Fatima suggested us to get some dresses on discount, if at all we are taking part in the Galapia Performance in the cruise. We didn’t!

Fatima bid us good bye at the cruise. We are sailing to Luxor on the same night and a new guide will assist us there. It is always a bit sad to part forever!

Continues inThe Nile: Unsurpassed Expressions of Waves