Aswan ha a busy market atmosphere with a big tourist center. The city sued to be smaller but now it has been expanded. The city includes the previously separated community from the elephantine island.

Most of the Nubian settlement people who have settled here; do not even roof their houses, because there is almost no rainfall.

The city of Aswan used to be called swenet. This is a frontier town that was in the south of ancient Egypt.  Swenet got its name from the goddess that was patron to the city.  The name is also said to have been kept because it could be an Egyptian word and symbol for ‘trade’.

The place was also famous because navigation was possible from here to the delta without encountering any barriers from this location.

Egypt has many stone quarries.  The places are known for their quality and availability of the rock syenite.

Swenet was also important because it was a strategic location for the military to establish station and run operations from here. The local navy also kept a check and collected toll from the trade ships passing through this region.

In about the year three hundred and thirty, Alexandrias bishop got stationed here and this place became the Coptic diocese of syene. Many writers have mentioned this place in their writings like Herodotus, strabo, Ptolemy, pliny the elder. It is also mention in the scriptures of the bible in the book of Isaiah.

Aswan lying toward the south of Egypt. Almost at the Sudanese border. With serest on one side and islands that are beautifully covered in palm trees with great big boulders. All these give off a naturally beautiful sense of being and harmony in Aswan, the southern most town of Egypt.  Aswan used to be a very strategic trade location and it was very famous for its ivory, gold and slave trade throughout the years. . The souk here is amazing. It is filled with spices, perfumes, and produce.  After Cairo’s, this is Egypt’s most active market places even today.

The town of Aswan has been well known to tourists especially during the winters.  People here are quite laid back. And being laid back and the sightseeing tradition of the place go well hand in hand. Get yourself into one of the many tradition feluccas and go sailing. It is also preferable to go sailing downstream to Luxor.

It doesn’t matter what else you do; however you have to book into the old cataract hotel at Aswan. This is where Agatha Christie visited and she was she captivated and inspired that she write her book, death on the Nile, right here. Later on when the movie adaptation was made, the cataract hotel is present in many scenes throughout the movie and a lot of filming had been done with the hotel as well. The hotel gives off a very Edwardian feel which very calmly and stylishly blends into oriental elegance.  It was this that got aga khan the third to get completely mesmerized about this place. He made this place his honeymoon destination and he also visited back quite regularly. In fact, before he died he chose to be buried in this place as well. And so it was. Aga khans body lies in the in the mausoleum here and his tomb is one of the most visited sites here in the city.  You may as well go on and book any of the many suites in the hotel. However, if you are looking for some drama and history then make sure you book into one of the special suites.

Gather Christies quite has a small balcony from where she would watch the sunset and then go back to a small writing room whenever she would wish to write down her thoughts and her novel.  Also there is a suite of thousand and one nights, in which Winston Churchill spends a lot of time. If you could manage getting the Winston Churchill suite then you would probably want to live there for one thousand and one nights as well.

The Aswan high dam reservoir is an artificial hill which has a dome structure.

This monument was built for the pharaoh Ramesses and his wife queen Nefertari. After the victory at the battle of Kadesh, the pharaoh built this temple as a temple to himself and also to intimidate his enemies.

The construction of the temple was started in 1244 BCE and took about twenty years. This place was the temple of Ramesses who is beloved by Amun.

This is one amongst the six other rocks built temples during the reign of emperor Ramesses.

These temples have a side agenda of impressing the southern neighboring countries and to enforce Egyptian religion around the country of Egypt.

The temple was dedicated to Amun, Ra- horakhty and ptah and of course it was dedicated to Ramesses himself.

The entrance of the temples has about twenty two carved baboons that flank the entrance. Baboons were carved as they were believed to be worshippers of the sun.

The statue that lies to the left of the entrance of the temple was damaged during the earthquake that took place here. Although the lower part of the statue is fully in tact.

The temple has about twenty meter statues of the pharaoh with a double crown of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt

The temple of Abu Simbel has great historical value. Pharaoh Ramesses the second ordered for the very colossal sun temple of Abu Simbel to be carved into the side of a cliff.  The exterior side of the temple has a huge monument of the pharaoh and the interior of the temple is also built in Grande style. This work took approximately about thirty six years to complete. A UNESCO operation that was carried out in the nineteen sixties reformed and remaintained this and another two temples. Also these temples were facing the danger of being submerged and hence a dam was built to save them from being submerged entirely. The cost of the project was about forty million dollars and it involved relocated the temples entirely and placing them on elevated grounds. The temples were built in such a way that the first rays of the sun travel about one hundred and eighty feet deep into the temples sanctuary and the sun rays falls on the tombs of the pharos and the statues of him and his gods.

The temple is engineered in such a way that the semi annual phenomenon that takes place on February the twenty second and October twenty second. These two days were believed to be Ramesses birth and coronation dates respectively.

Lake Nasser is the largest man made lake in the world. This came to be because of the UNESCO dam project.  The M.S Eugene was the first cruise ship to bring its wealthy passengers to this land after it lost its fame through the years.  A lot of cruise ships head north on the Nile from Aswan to Luxor , however these are some cruises available that sail towards the south all the way to lake Nasser. Hence when this place is visited, the tourists here have the privacy of the entire place to themselves as they are very little people around.

The place has lovely patches of desert that gives you spectacle of moonlight once the sun sets. The long and beautifully dotted shores have the lakes temples on them and the environment here is just amazing. The pyramids located here are scenic and have strong cool winds that blow around the area most of the time. The steam boat Eugene which came here first was named after the French empress who opened the Suez Canal in eighteen sixty-nine. The empress had a suite reserved on the ship which was the designated imperial suite and it was about six times the size of the average cabin.

Because of these sites, the city of Luxor has become very popular amongst tourists.

Luxor used to be the ancient city of Thebes in Egypt. The city was said to have been blessed by Amon -Ra. Also called ‘city of the scepter’ and ‘the shrine’. Thebes was known as ‘the city of hundred gates’ and ’southern Heliopolis’. This was the main venue for the worship of the sun God Ra. Luxor, Memphis and Heliopolis were the three distinguished cities in Egypt at this time. The earlier town as it consistently grew in its social status, art, religious and political supremacy. Later on the city became the military and political capital of ancient Egypt.

Later on the city of Thebes lost its political and military importance in the region. It was succeeded in its role by Alexandria.

Even though the city went through all this loss of power, it still maintained being the religious capital of Egypt. Thebes as a city had a main God called Amon. As Thebes grew in in Egypt, Amon grew as well; linked to the Sun God Ra, and they thus created a new deity celled ‘Amon-Ra’ also called king of Gods.

The city receives almost no rainfall. In summers you might want to keep away as the temperatures go as high as fifty degrees Celsius. To go from the east bank of the river to the west bank, you will find many ferries and be sure to try out the motorboat known for their speedy crossings of the bank.

He east side of the bank is quite spread out, so you may have to use transport. There are many bus routes available that take you most of everywhere in the region. The specialty local transport here is horsed carriages called ‘caleches’. These even provide citywide tours.

Taxi cabs are also widely available. The standard taxis are new and well air conditioned. So if you are looking for a fairly comforting ride, don’t hesitate to stop a cab.

Let us look at the things that you can do on the west bank:

Luxor temple

Karnak temple

Luxor museum

Mummification museum

Now let us look at the things that we can do on the east side:

Valley of kings

Valley of queens

Medinat Habu

The Ramesseum

Tombs of the nobles

Malkat

Colossi of Memnon

So come to Luxor and experience life in one of the most important cities of ancient Egypt

This Temple of Kom Ombo is also simply acknowledged as Kom Ombo, moreover is in fact two temples that consists of a Temple that is been dedicated to Sobek as well as a Temple of Haroeris. All through the ancient times, sanctified crocodiles used to laze around all through the time, when the sun was scorching in the sky on the banks of the river close to here. Temple of Kom Ombo has few of the inadequate remains, owing foremost to the changing of the course of the Nile river, after that the Copts who on one occasion utilized it as a church, as well as in conclusion by the builders who has utilized the stones that were meant for the new buildings.

The foundations of the Temple of Kom Ombo are the entire that are been left behind of the novel Pylon.  Located further than the Pylon, on one occasion there was a flight of steps placed within the court room that used to show a way to the roof terrace.  In addition the court has a central altar as well as columned portico.  In addition there is a landscape of the King while leaving his citadel when he was been escorted by his standards. Purification scene is positioned in close proximity to the sanctuary.  Moreover on both sides of the main door that lead to the pronaos are huge columns that are been inscribed by means of icons of the papyrus (in the north) and lotus (in the south), which symbolize the ‘two lands’ that are located in Egypt.

Located within the southwestern corners of the unique pronaos is the solitary column that by no means echoes the conjugation of these temples.  At this juncture, there are various scenes that depict the process of sanitization of the King, along with his coronation as well as his sanctification of this Temple.  In addition the temple ceiling has various astronomical images.

Furthermore, the hypostyle hall of the temple has papyrus capitals made on the various columns.  At this point, there is a register of the various scared places that are located in Egypt, also the gods of the central towns as well as the local festivals and national festivals.

Early Stories

Some believe that the curse came into its effect only with this tomb, but in reality, its first awareness was recognize in 1821 where a author in his book, The Mummy, mentions about an angry mummy who threatens the hero of the book.

Talking about a clearer picture, in 1869, Louisa May Alcott wrote a book on the curse wherein a surveyor uses a gilded mummy as a source of light for the pyramid’s interior. He finds some seeds there that he takes back to his home where his fiancee plants it for grotesque flowers. On the day of their wedding upon inhaling the scent, she goes into coma symbolizing the living mummy.

Beliefs Associated with the Realities

Talking about some personal experiences, in the 1970’s, a policeman protecting the Tutankhamun’s gold mask said that he could experience a mild stroke due to the curse.

Among the famous people who died, the first one was Lord Carnarvon who faced this lost due to a mosquito bite at the excavation site. All kinds of events were noticed supporting the curse. Died within few weeks, Carnarvon had received a public warning of facing terrible results for entering the sealed tomb by the novelist Mari Corelli. Further, at the moment of his death, the lights of Cairo suddenly went off, though it is common, and his dog, Susie, bawled and died simultaneously. Adding to the curse coming out as the reality, an inscription on the Anubis shrine, a jackal on a pedestal in the tomb’s Treasury mentioned:

“It is I who hinder the sand from choking the secret chamber. I am for the protection of the deceased.”

Following, many other unpredicted deaths followed stimulating the curse’s effect – all associated with the Tutankhamun’s tomb. After five months, Carnarvon’s younger brother died suddenly. Another death was that of pet of the tomb’s founder – Howard Carter, which was bird put to death on the day of opening of the tomb due to cobra. This was seen as the result of anger of the cobra, the Goddess of Wadjet, who was the protector of the pharaohs and could be seen on the brow of the king emitting fire at the adversary.

Despite all this, surprisingly, many people lived long after directing been associated with the tomb, especially Howard Carter, who had found the tomb. If the curse was true, don’t you think he should die early even before Lord Carnarvon?

The Intentions of the Pharaohs

The ancient Egyptians took great care of the tombs and so to avoid any loot, they set up deadly fungal spores before closing the tombs. In addition, they might have introduced bacteria, mould, and unsafe gases for protection and to discourage robbers, as these would result in immediate deaths.

The Real Note…

I believe that the curse is actually a boon for the pharaohs and to the current Egypt. This is because one of the earnest desires of the Pharaohs was that they should be remembered well and that for the Egypt, it has promised a permanent tourism.

A Rock art site, recently discovered in Western Gilf Kebir has created ripples of enthusiasm in hearts of rock art enthusiasts and its popularity is bringing tourist to this desert from far and wide. The paintings and engravings are well done and so well preserved, totally amazing and astonishing site, under a large semi circular shelter. It’s more amazing and larger the Wadi Sora.

Few words are nothing and there it may takes volumes to cover the rock art, of this art site, but to put it simply the pictures of rock art of Western Gilf Kebir,  its superb job of showing what the life, animals and living was of those ancient and primitive era.

A very fascinating carving or painting was of negative of handprints, it was so unique, you will feel like putting your palm on it and check out the size difference, but that’s not right and how much it is of value and more over its importance. There were few headless animals, although the symbolism is not much clear about what it is trying depict, much like Wadi Sora, all these are paintings and engravings, rather a combination of all these methods is making those figures. Over all the painting and the rock art is very detailed and intricate and everything is very well sheltered. The art is no neat and so well done, with such primitive tools, it is very much remarkable and hats off to the artist of those era and all these done without even charging a million of dollars or hoping of auctioning it at Sotheby’ s.

First day started off at Cairo, modern day oasis. In morning I reached there, couldn’t wait to see the old Cairo museum. I had reservation done at hotel, not that expensive but room was decent enough to just keep luggage as I had already planned what to do and not to do. After checking and getting freshen up, through hotel I got a cab to see old Cairo. It was fun and exciting, to travel through the city in rusty cab, looking outside the window, few men wearing their traditional robes and sucking flavored hookah on the streets pavement, the old buildings giving perfect sense of old Arabic look. As I had overnight train journey from Cairo to Luxor so wanted to take rest before continuing.

The train journey was quite and comfortable, second-class compartment was not bad at all. The journey was posh and scenic, with air-conditioned compartments, fresh linen, clean wash basin, good dinner, and wake up service, all that you could ask for. In morning at five, I reached at Luxor so it was anyways too early to check, as I had nothing to do, I saw horse carriage outside the hotel. I enquired to the hotel staff and while talking they suggested to checkout the Karnak as there is plenty of time to check into hotel. So I had already completed my beauty sleep so decided to hop onto the carriage go for little sightseeing. Karnak is a vast area with ruins of temples, chapels, pylons and other buildings, but the main attraction is the Great Temple of Amen and huge structure. It’s around two point five kilometers from the north of Luxor, it didn’t take us much time to reach there. It was great to wander through these ruins and some of the structures are so massive in size that you would like an ant in front of it. The karnak temple at luxor.

What fascinated me about Luxor is that, at east bank of River Nile, from where sun rises, its filled by the temples of Amun, Mut, Khonsu, and largely known as Karnak and on the west bank, you will find number of tombs and pyramids, with only logic behind is that, it is thought to be burial place as sun sets there. Then other sights are Aswan, the Aswan Dam, and the important temples (especially Edfu) south of Luxor. To travel here, my hotel staff arranged transportation in minibus with other five to sox tourists holidays. You will get know their experience here and might get tips on traveling.

The area around the Luxor is full of man made structure you can’t missed to see. But try to start your sightseeing in the early morning and finish it off till noon. So you could come back and relax in Luxor for rest of the day, watching dusty children and mud made huts, the whole environment will take you back to Arabian Nights. At times when you get time, rent a bike and visit every nook and corners of the city. I met a woman who showed here hut proudly with pigeons and hens on display in her house. It was couldn’t understand her language but she was happy showing me around her house.

Egypt at time might look frightening but its nothings to worry. To visit here, if you are planning, then book in advance for rooms or in scorching heat period most of the hotel rooms lie vacant. A single cot at hostel will cost two dollars and room with shower, fan, and balcony will cost you twenty dollars. At hundred dollars, you will get good resort with swimming pool and good service. Cabs are pretty cheap and comfortable to travel in noon for sightseeing as each sight is at distance. Agree on a price before departing in a cab or you will e sorry later. Try to bargain, wherever you could, try talking out with hotel staff or guide for good price of the commodities to being something back home, I bought an arty cloth with my name embroidered on it. It’s Awesome!

Take care of your eating habit there as heat might get you and your body, so always carry bottles of water with you. Wear light colored clothes and carry hat with you. Here you will find many people asking for Baksheesh, means tip for their service but do not give more if they ask for. Kids will run around you asking for gifts so carry small amount of change as it’s difficult to get change from hotels. Anyways you will need it all the time for Baksheesh…!

Luxor is great place to explore tombs and temples at west and east banks of River Nile. The best part about journey was the felucca ride on Nile River in the evening. Sailing in the boat and watching sunset and its red rays falling on the water, making way for the stars to come, wow, it was just amazing to end each day on that boat!

The Carnatic

The Carnatic, built in 1862, is a vessel 90 meters long with vapor engine and quadrangle-fixed sails. This massive mechanism sailed mostly amid China, Bombay, and Suez and was owned by Peninsula and Oriental Steamship Navigation Company (currently known as P&O). Earlier, when Suez Canal was under construction, people and goods passing through Indian Ocean were unburdened at Alexandria. There, they boarded a new vessel to Suez Canal to end their journey. On 13th Sept, 1869, this gigantic vessel submerged in the ocean with 34 voyagers, tons of copper sheets, cotton bales, Royal Mail, and currency coins, which was recovered later same year.

To explore the Carnatic, move 17-28 meters from the port. The two halves of this vessel rests in such a manner, damaged part is concealed, that it seems integral and unharmed. Underwater, it seems like the sturdy Carnatic is clutched by the vivid, beautiful coral encrustations, making it a magnificent sight for the divers. Not much damaged, the shipwreck is quite safe to explore while swimming through various levels of the ship. Shallow section of the wreck is suitable for beginners, whereas professional divers can reach the seabed.

The Tile Wreck (the Marcus or The Chrisoula K)

A 98-meter long cargo ship launched in 1954, The Chrisoula K, was sailing from Italy to Jeddah in 1981 to ship huge amount of patio-style tiles, when it hit the bottom of Abu Nuhas Reef and submerged in the water within seconds. The accident was a total loss as nothing could be recovered later on. However, the crew and the captain were salvaged by the crisis unit sent by neighboring naval base. The identity of this wreck is still under scrutiny and is sometimes identified as “Chrisoula K” and many times as “the Marcus” because an analogous ship built in Gemany and owned by Greece, sunk in Abu Nuhas in 1978.

The major part of the wreck stands straight in the reef, whereas the stern, rudder, and the propeller lie deep down 26 meters. Divers can effortlessly swim through the ship engine and the cargo, where the tile packs are still untouched. The visibility of this wreck is quite trouble free and can be seen at once, which is quite a remarkable panorama for divers. The surrounding vivid coral beds provide a picturesque site. Snorkeling here is permitted only when the water is low.

The Giannis D

Giannis D was built in Japan in 1969. It is measured 99 meters in length and had a diesel engine. This vessel was sailing from Croatia toward Saudi Arabia and Yemen in April 1983 carrying wood. The extremely serene weather that morning generated no surfs which made the reef imperceptible to the navigators. After the accident, the Giannis D was floating for a couple of weeks until a storm hit the reef, cracking the ship in two parts. Divers can watch the ship in three parts, the stern, the remnants of amidships, and the bow. The deepest tip of this wreck stretches at 24 meters, while the highest point, A-frame floor Granty crane, lies just underneath the surface. You can easily access the engine room and watch some wood cargo. Due to these wooden sightings, this wreck is also known as ‘timber wreck’. This wreck is quite suitable for neophyte divers.

The Lentil Boat (Seastar or Kimon M)

This was a diesel-powered, refrigerated vessel, 121 meters long, and built in 1952. She became a part of the easternmost wreckage of Abu Nuhas in Dec 1978, when she was cruising to Mumbai from a diminutive Iskenderun Port in Turkey, carrying lentil cargo. A similar Greek vessel named Seastar submerged in this reef, hence Kimon M is sometimes misapprehended as Seastar. The deepest point is at 32 meters and comprises of the rudder and the propeller. It is quite hazardous for divers to swim around because the metal sheets of the wreck are on the verge of disintegrating. It was a sturdy vessel when built. However, it depreciated in quality since last 30 years.

The wreck is not dived frequently. Very professional divers can reach the deepest core of the shipwreck, provided the water is calm.

It the biggest place of pilgrimage and covers about 200 acres 1.5km by 0.8km. It is a sacred place of Amon alone which covers 61 acres. The temple of Amon is situated in the heart of Kanrak. There are many several smaller temples and sacred lake. When you enter the Kanark you will find the ram headed Sphinxes which were built to serve as protection to temple. There are 20 rams on each side which extends from the small harbor to the 1st Pylon, and when you cross the 1st pylon you will find a big court about 100m long and 80m wide including rows and columns. It was built by the 22nd Dynasty. This open court has 21m high huge column and that is known as kiosk of Taharga who was ruler during the 25th Dynasty. This column from the left side of colonnade has 10 more sub columns. While on the left side of the main court there are 3 chapels, known as “Triad of Thebes” which was built by King Seti II. On the right side is the Temple of Ramses III, and this temple consists of one more pylon, open court, Hypostyle hall and a Sanctuary.

The 2nd Pylon of the 18th Dynasty built by Horemheb is now damaged badly but it was completed by the founder of the 19th Dynasty completed it. The Great Hypostyle Hall which passes from the 2nd Pylon is 103m in length and 52m in width, and it contains 134 papyrus columns and each of them is 22m in height and 3.5m in diameter respectively. The huge number of columns was constructed by King Seti I and that was 22 columns in 14rows. The laterals are smaller than the ceiling in the centre as it allows light into the spot, and is Processional Avenue of the Triad during the festival of the Opet. All the scenes on this antique Hypostyle Hall shows the King Seti I making offerings to Gods. While if you face on the other southern wall the scenes of Rames II are carved making offerings and worshipping the Gods and Triad and Thebes. After passing from the 3rd Pylon you will find a huge rectangular court which is called the court of Tuthmosis I. In this court of there are 2 obelisks erected and this was the main entrance of the Temple during the time of Tuthmosis I. The weight of single obelisks is 19m high and around 310 tons in weight.

Moving from the court of Tuthmosis you will see the 4th Pylon, which was also built by Tuthmosis I and beyond this court there is a rectangular colonnade which was also built by him. There are another 2 obelisks which were built by the Queen Hatshepsut, in which one of is still standing in its original position and it weight 322 tons and 29.5m in height and made from red granite. Tuthmoses III built a high long wall after the death of Queen Hatshepsut to hide these 2 obelisks.  Tuthomosis I again built the 5th Pylon which is damaged so Tuthmosis III built two small rooms near the 5th Pylon. After reaching the 6th Pylon which was built by Tuthmosis III you will see a room which was known as Ancestral Room and the original Sanctuary was built by him. This Ancestral room was again rebuilt by Philip Arrhidaeus the half brother of Alexander the Great. The Sanctuary was made of granite and was dedicated to Amon Ra. While passing through the Sanctuary you will see a court which takes you to the time of Middle Kingdom. This courtyard is badly damaged now and this was the site of old temple which is the origin of Karnak Temple.

This Karnak Temple is a small complex of Temples with 10 pylons and one of the most sacred attractive destinations of the world. After visiting the holy Amon Ra at Karnak you should not forget to visit the Sacred Lake which is 80m in length and 40m in width. It will take you to the time of Tuthmosis III. There is scarab near the Sacred Lake. This scarab was known as Khebry and it is the symbol of Sun God. The Scarab is one of the biggest Scarabs of ancient Egyptian civilization.

You can also enjoy an incredible sound and light show at Karnak Temple. There are special light and sound shows in different temples in Egypt which are the most excellent happenings for the tourists.

Luxor to Karnak Temple

The finest option to reach the Karnak temple is from the city of Luxor. It is located in the Upper Egypt in the province of Qena. It is the old city of Thebes and was the capital of Ancient Egypt. Early Arab travelers liked this city for its monuments they spread around the city and gave it name as Luxor means “The palaces”. Luxor is one of the most well-liked cities in the Egypt. All the major travel agencies and tourist offices are located in this city.

You can reach Luxor by Air, Train or Bus. Luxor International Airport is located 6km east from the centre of the city. This International Airport has services for domestic airlines also. Many European Countries are directly connected with Luxor. Egypt Air has daily flights from Cairo to Luxor which costs around $250 and approximately 50 minutes to reach, but booking tickets early is advisable.

If you are planning to go by train than Luxor railway station is located in El-Mahata Square. Trains from Luxor to Cairo and Luxor to Aswan as well as from other southern cities are very frequent. The road route to reach Luxor is also easy, but it is very time consuming.

Temperature in Luxor is can reach up to 40-50 c during summer. The weather is fairly hot around the year. Many people prefer to visit Egypt in winter.

Accommodation in Luxor

There are many hotels in Luxor according to the type of budget. The hotels are from 2 stars to 5 stars deluxe. The Winter Palace hotel is the most expensive located in Luxor Temple which is surrounded by shopping area and Egypt Air office.

Places to visit in Luxor

It takes 4 days to visit Luxor properly, it has monuments on both the east and west side of the city.

Places on the East side

• The Museum of Luxor
• Luxor Temple
• The Mummification Museum
• Karnak Temple

Places on the West side

• Valley of the Kings
• Valley of the Queens
• Valley of the Nobles
• The Colossi of Memnon
• Hatshepsut Temple of Deir El-Bahri
• Medinat Habu Temple of Rames III
• The Ramesseum
• Temple of Esna

This temple was first observed by J.L.Burckhardt in the year 1813, while he looked over the mountain and saw this beautiful and unique site. He was about to leave the area via Nile River when he saw this site. These two temples are of Ramesses II and dedicated to Re-Harakhte and to wife, Nefertari and she dedicated to God Hathor. This is the must see site for the tourists. This site requires a trip from the Nile. As the north and south sides of the temple are surrounded by the brick walls which occupies a place between the sandstones, cliffs and the river. It was also cut into the face of the cliff which is a rock cut terrace. It is fixed with the flight of steps which are plane in the middle, which stood a row of hawks and statues of Rames in various forms. There are four seated figures of Ramses. These statues of faces are built at the height of 100 feet and 119 feet wide. There are very eye catchy statues on top of the pylon where baboons are place and spread their hands towards the rising sun. It was said that baboons are helping the sun God Ra to beat the darkness of night which are sacred to worship of rising sun.

There are series of halls and rooms which extends up to 185 feet from the entrance, in the sacred cave, which is located inside the temple. The first hall is 54 feet wide and 58 feet deep which has two rows of osirid and 30 feet statues of Ramses. The north side wears the white crown of Upper Egypt while the south side wears the Double Crown of Lower Egypt. You will see three doors on the west end of the main hall. The side doors leads towards the lateral chambers, the central door faces a room of four square pillars. From this central room there is a doorway and beyond that the statues of Gods Prah, Amun-Ra, Ramses II and Re-Horakhte are located. You can also attend fabulous light show at phile temple, which is scheduled on different days and time.

Reach the temple of Simbel from Aswan

Aswan is the biggest and 3rd largest city of the Upper Egypt, and one of the famous and favorite places of the tourists. Aswan is the major production of aluminum and iron and a stop for cruise boats as most of the Nile cruises pass sail between Aswan and Luxor. Aswan is a very good place for shopping and a huge market of fresh spices. The city came into limelight after the construction of Huge Dam. Aswan mostly consists of Nubians and local tribes of Kenzo. The word Aswan is divided from the ancient Egyptian word Swan, which means the market. It is located on the main trading route between Egypt and southern lands where the trade of gold and ivory was carried at that time. Aswan is also a major source of granite, sandstone and quartzite which were used in construction of monuments around the Egypt. God Khoum was the God of the city in ancient Egypt but later on the Goddess Isis which was treated as Goddess of magic and maternity became the God and people built a temple named Philae for her. Aswan city has a very hot climate throughout the year, as it is located in north towards the tropic of caner. Proper care should be taken like covering the head and frequently drinking of water while visiting Aswan.

Egypt Air is the best option for you if you are planning to fly for Aswan. It has daily flights and takes 70 minutes from Cairo. Aswan airport is the most refined international airport in the Upper Egypt. Aswan airport is located 15km to the south west of the city. If you want to travel by train to Aswan you can reach the Aswan station which is located in the center. The trains run from Cairo or Luxor. These are sleeper trains which reasonable rates.

Lavish Nile cruises are also available for the visitors from Luxor to Aswan. It is the usual cruise and a good option for those who want to enjoy the blue pools, clubs, restaurants, book stores and libraries. A Nile cruise also includes cocktail parties, Nubin shows and belly dancers for the tourists. There are different packages in the Nile Cruise which offer different facilities. You can also enjoy the option of Feluccas a traditional boat which should be taken for several hours to get the original Egyptian Nile experience. Multi day feluccas are also available for the tourists. The cruise business almost closes down in the month of April because of raising water levels of Nile River. Mid October to May is the best time to visit Aswan, when the weather is cool and you will be able to enjoy more sites in this weather. However you can peacefully visit in summer if you are able to beat the heat. Egypt is cheap and affordable, and there is no limit of money for the visitors to bring. Bank receipts are required if you are carrying more than EGP 5000. The present value of Egyptian currency is 6.2 pounds per dollar.  Passport and visa are required for the foreigners expect for some Middle Eastern countries.

Accommodation in Aswan

There are very good hotels in Aswan with highest quality if standards and services. The local people in Aswan city are very helpful and friendly. The Old Cataract Hotel is among the most famous hotels of Aswan and is one of the most expensive hotels today. The famous people and guests from different countries take accommodation in this hotel. The book “Death of the Nile” was written by Agatha Christie while she was in her stay at this hotel.

Places to visit in Aswan

This city is very rich in unique monuments and temples you can visit these sites while your visit to this rich archaeological city.

• The Temple of Edfu
• The Temple of kom Ombo
• Philae Temple
• The Unfinished Obelisk
• The High Dam
• The Tomb Chapels of the Nobles
• The Botanical Island (Eleplantine Island)