CategoriesHistorical Sites By 0iwmp

Petra City – The Red Rose City

Petra city is one of the largest historic and archaeological sites in the world. It is situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea in the south of Jordan.

It is also known as the red rose city, due to most of its buildings were established by using red stones. This city is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, as UNESCO described Petra city as one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage.

Petra is the Greek name of this city which means the rock or the rocky site, but its original name is Raqmu.

The history of PetraThe great history of this city began at the beginning of the 4th century BC with the Nabataeans as they took it as a capital for their kingdom. They controlled a huge tract of the Middle East from the Levant to the northern Arabian Peninsula.

It is thought that the Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who exploited the strategic location of this city as it is located close to trade routes. They had skills in harvesting rainwater, agriculture, and stone carving.

Later, the Nabataean kingdom was occupied by the Romans during the first century BC. After that, the trade of the Nabataeans began to wane.

The tourist destinations in Petra Petra is famous for its rock-cut buildings, as it is half-built, half-carved into the rock, as well water conduit system. The buildings of Petra vary between the Nabataean and Greco-Roman architectural styles.

Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) The most famous building in this city is Al-Khazneh structure. Al-Khazneh is an Arabic word meaning treasury. It is believed that Al-Khazneh is dedicated to being the mausoleum of Nabataean king Aretas IV.

Al-Khazneh is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World since 2007. You can reach Al-Khazneh through a gorge called the Siq.

Egypt Vacation Tours team allows visiting this red rose city from different cities in Egypt as Taba, Dahab, and Sharm El Sheikh.

CategoriesSightseeing By 0iwmp

Bab Al Nasr in Fatimid Cairo

Bab Al Nasr is one of the most famous sightseeing in Islamic Cairo. It is one of the rare examples of military architecture in the Islamic world before the Crusades.

Bab Al Nasr is an Arabic name for this gate, meaning Gate of Victory in the English language.

The historyBab Al Nasr was constructed by Jawhar al‑Siqilli during his foundation of Fatimid Cairo city. It was constructed by brick. But the current gate was built by the vizier, Badr al‑Jamali, in 480 AH/1087 AD during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al‑Mustansir Billah, and named it Bab al‑‘Izz, meaning the gate of glory or power. He founded this new gate from stone to be more protective.

Later, Napoleon Bonaparte, during his campaign in Egypt, named this gate with the name of its officer, who was responsible for its security as Thomas-Prosper Jullien.

Despite this, the inhabitants use the original name, which is the gate of victory that has remained in use to this day.

It is one of the eight gates of Fatimid Cairo, located on the northern wall. Only three gates remain, Bab Zuwayla, Bab Al Futuh, and Bab Al Nasr.  It opens onto al‑Gamaliya Street.

The design It consists of two great square stone towers linked by a shelf. This shelf has small windows allowing soldiers to pour boiling oil on invaders, as well defensive rooms with arrow slits.

The gate holds an inscription written in Kufic calligraphy dating the year of construction of this gate and its official name.

The gate and towers distinguish with their decorations, as they hold a series of shields. It is thought that it refers to the protective role of the Fatimid fortifications representing the protector of the city, as well the victory as it is said that Bab Al Nasr or Gate of Victory was called with this name because it was used for entering the soldiers when comeback victorious from their wars.

CategoriesSightseeing By 0iwmp

Bab Al Futuh in El Moez Street

It is one of the most famous sightseeing in Islamic Cairo and El Moez Street. It is one of the rare examples of military architecture in the Islamic world. Bab Al Futuh is an Arabic name for this gate, meaning Gate of Conquests in the English language.

The History It was constructed by Jawhar al‑Siqilli during his foundation of Cairo city. But the current gate was built by the vizier, Badr al‑Jamali, in 480 AH/1087 AD during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph al Mustansir Billah and named it Bab al-Iqbal or Gate of Prosperity.

It is one of the eight gates of Fatimid Cairo, located on the northern wall. It opens onto El Moez Street and leads to Bab Zuwayla at its southern wall. Only three gates remain, Bab Zuwayla, Bab Al Futuh, and Bab Al Nasr.

It is said that Bab Al Futuh or Gate of Conquests was called with this name because this gate was used by soldiers when they were going out on a military campaign.

The DesignThis gate consists of two rounded towers. Those towers are linked by a stone shelf. This stone shelf has small windows allowing soldiers to pour boiling oil on invaders, as well defensive rooms with arrow slits. The gate is covered in vegetable and geometric decorations.

The towers of this gate have inscriptions for names of the commanders of the French expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte for documenting their usage of those forts during their campaign.

The Mausoleum of Sidi Hassan El Zouk is located behind Bab Al Futuh. It dates back to the Mamluk period. This mausoleum is famous for an Egyptian say that is (El Zouk did not go out of Egypt) as it is said that Hassan El Zouk was a pious man helping people resolve disputes. But one day, he was annoyed by the many conflicts and decided to leave Egypt. Suddenly, he died at the gate of Cairo, Bab Al Futuh, and was buried where he died.

CategoriesMuseums By 0iwmp

The Nubian Museum in Aswan

The Nubian Museum, also known as the International Museum of Nubia, is one of the most important archaeological museums in Egypt. It is located in Aswan city. It was opened to the public on November 23, 1997.

The history of the Nubian Museum The Nubian Museum was constructed by UNESCO during their International Campaign in Aswan to save the Nubian monuments as Abu Simbel Temples and Philae Temple after the building of the High Dam in the 1960s. Its construction was a part of the UNESCO project for building the Nubian Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo, Fustat.

The Nubian Museum building The museum has an area of 50,000 square meters, 7,000 of them are dedicated to the building of the museum, while the rest area is devoted to gardens and other public spaces, as the museum has a theatre holding Nubian dances.

The museum building consists of two floors. The museum was designed by the architect Mahmoud El-Hakim. This design refers to traditional Nubian village architecture, and it was built by local sandstone and pink granite.

The Nubian Museum displayThe museum concept is dedicated to displaying the development of the Nubian culture and civilization, the land of the gold as it was named in the ancient Egyptian language.

It houses three thousand objects ranging from prehistoric times to the Islamic periods, as well objects displaying the Nubian and Aswan heritage. These collections are exhibited inside the museum building and outdoor in the garden. These collections were discovered by UNESCO during their project to save the Nubian monuments.

Some of the masterpieces displayed in the museum are a skeleton dating back to the prehistoric period, crowns and jewelry made of silver, and an anthropology exhibition displaying customs and traditions of the Nubian community.

CategoriesSightseeing By 0iwmp

The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Tulun

Ahmad Ibn Tulun Mosque is one of the landmarks in Islamic Cairo. It is located on Jebal Yashkur in Al-Saliba Street or Cross Street. It is beside Gayer Anderson Museum or Bayt Al-Kritliyya.

Ahmad Ibn Tulun

Ahmad Ibn Tulun was an Abbasid governor who began the Tulunid dynasty and founded a new administrative capital that was al-Qata’i. Ahmad Ibn Tulun established the first independent state in Egypt during the Islamic periods.

Ibn Tulun Mosque

Ibn Tulun Mosque was constructed by Ahmad Ibn Tulun in 263 AH / 876 AD and completed in 266 AH / 879 AD for asserting his independence as a ruler of Egypt from the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. The mosque is the only remaining building from al-Qata’I city.

This mosque is considered the second oldest mosque in Egypt after Amr Ibn Al As mosque, as well as it is the biggest mosque in Egypt as it was built on six acres and a half-acre.

Ibn Tulun decided to found this mosque by fired brick and on the top of Jebal Yashkur, a mountain in al-Qata’I city, to not burn or drown.

The architectural layout of this mosque was built on the traditional plan for congregational mosques, as it consists of four riwaqs and an open courtyard in the center of the mosque. This courtyard houses a water fountain surmounted by a dome and supported by marble columns.

The minaret of the mosque is one of the landmarks. It was supposed to be built on the same design as the minaret of the Abbasid mosque in Samarra in Iraq. This minaret of Samarra takes the spiral shape. You will be able to climb this minaret of Ibn Tulun Mosque and enjoy a fabulous view Al-Saliba Street and its monuments.

The mosque distinguishes with its windows made of stucco and designed with geometric and foliation forms, as there are no two windows are alike.

CategoriesSightseeing By 0iwmp

The Bent Pyramid of Dahshur

The Bent Pyramid of Dahshur was the second of three pyramids constructed by King Snefru, the red Pyramid and Meidum pyramid. It is considered an important step in the development of the construction of pyramids in ancient Egypt.

King Snefru King Snefru is the founder of the 4th dynasty, the old kingdom. Also, he is the father of King Khufu, who owns the Great Pyramid of Giza Plateau. His main wife was queen Hetepheres I, who also is the mother of King Khufu.

The Bent Pyramid It is called the bent pyramid because of its broken lines due to a change of angle during the construction. It was an engineering issue in the design of the pyramid, as the construction of the pyramid started with an angle of 55 degrees, but in the middle of the pyramid, this angle had to be changed to be 43 degrees due to an overload in stones resulting in instability that posing a danger to the inner chambers of the pyramid.

The Bent Pyramid can be considered as a transition phase between the step pyramid of King Djoser at Saqqara and reaching the true pyramid as the red pyramid.

This angle of 43 degrees became the used angle in the construction of later pyramids as the red pyramid and the Great Pyramid of King Khufu at Giza Plateau.

The bent pyramid still has remains of its limestone casing that referring to how the pyramids looked like with their limestone casing.

The plan of The Bent Pyramid This pyramid has two entrances, the first entrance on the north side, while the second one on the west side. There are wooden stairs newly added for the northern entrance.

Both of those entrances lead to chambers with a corbelled roof. The chamber of the northern entrance is built below ground level, while the chamber of the western entrance is built at a higher level in the body of the pyramid.

CategoriesSightseeing By 0iwmp

The Red Pyramid of Dahshur

The Red Pyramid of Dahshur was the third one constructed by King Snefru, after the Bent Pyramid and Meidum pyramid. It is the highest pyramid in Dahshur.

King Snefru King Snefru is the founder of the 4th dynasty, the old kingdom. Also, he is the father of King Khufu, who owns the Great Pyramid of Giza Plateau. His main wife was queen Hetepheres I, who also is the mother of King Khufu.

The construction of the Red Pyramid The establishment of this pyramid might begin in the 13th year of King Sneferu’s reign and took 10 years to be completed. The Red Pyramid is called red due to using a red stone in its construction.

The Red Pyramid is the first true or complete pyramid in ancient Egyptian history, as after the failure in the construction of the Bent pyramid and Meidum pyramid to be complete pyramids, the ancient Egyptian engineers corrected their mistakes and be aware of the correct angle to reach the true pyramid, what is 43 degrees.

It is thought that 43 degrees were the angle that was used by the ancient Egyptian engineers in building the top part of the Bent pyramid; also it was approved by those engineers for building the later pyramids in the ancient Egyptian civilization.

The Red Pyramid is 341 feet tall, so it is considered the third-largest ancient Egyptian pyramid after the pyramids of Kings Khufu and Khafre at Giza Plateau.

The plan of this Red Pyramid The entrance of the pyramid is located on the northern side. This entrance leads to a passageway. Then there is a gallery, leading into a chamber with a corbelled roof, Then there is another passage leading to a second chamber, This chamber houses another passageway leading to the third chamber, which is believed that it is the burial chamber.

CategoriesMuseums By 0iwmp

The Coptic Museum in Coptic Cairo

The Coptic Museum contains the largest collection of Coptic collections in the whole world. It is located in the Coptic Cairo inside the Babylon Fortress and beside the hanging church, the Cave Church, and Ben Ezra Synagogue.

The history of The Museum This museum was opened to the public in 1910 by the efforts of Marcus Simaika Pasha, as he was interested in the preservation of Coptic heritage. He collected these collections by himself by buying the Coptic artifacts and architectural elements from older churches.

In 1939, the Service of Antiquities decided to transfer the Christian collection exhibited in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to be displayed in the Coptic Museum. Automatically, all discovered Christian artifacts are transferred to the Coptic Museum.

This museum consists of two buildings linked by a bridge. The first building was established by Marcus Simaika Pasha in 1910, while the second was added later in 1947.

It can be noticed that the facade of the Coptic Museum is identical to the facade of Al Aqmar Mosque in Moez St.

The museum collection: The building of the museum contains two floors housing various Coptic collections. These collections display the Coptic history in Egypt, as Christianity began in Egypt by Saint Mark when he visited Alexandria in the 1st Century AD. As well, these collections show how the Christian community lived in Egypt.

The museum objects reflects the merger that happened between Coptic art and the art in other civilizations as the ancient Egyptian art (as the collection of Kom Abou Billou site), Greco-Roman art, Byzantine art, and Ottoman art.

The museum display is divided into:

  • Stones and frescoes section:this section houses religious scenes and stone drawings from monasteries and churches. These scenes were drawn by tempra style.
  • The development of Coptic writing and manuscripts section: This section exhibits bibles written on deerskin in the Coptic and Arabic languages from the 11th to the 13th Century.
  • Fabrics and textiles section: it contains the clothes of monks decorated with crosses and drawings of the Virgin and the Christ.
  • Icons section:this section has a wide collection of Coptic icons from different periods with different themes and decorations. Icon is a Greek word meaning a picture that may be a drawing of saints or other religious scenes.
  • Wooden works section: this section contains several wooden works as doors and chairs brought from churches.
  • Metal section: it displays a large amount of silver and gold Coptic coins.
  • Pottery and glass section: it displays a lot of pottery and glass objects reflecting the Coptic community and history in Egypt.

For a quick visit to the Coptic Museum, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched a virtual tour for the Coptic Museum, You will be able to check it via this link.  The Coptic Museum virtual tour

CategoriesMuseums By 0iwmp

Kafr El Sheikh Museum in Kafr El Sheikh

Among the events of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for opening new museums in Egypt, the Ministry was opened three museums in one day, on October 31, 2020. These museums are The Royal Carriages Museum, Kafr El Sheikh Museum, and Sharm El Sheikh Museum. It is located in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate.

The history of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate: Kafr El Sheikh Governorate played an important role during the ancient Egyptian civilization, as Kafr El Sheikh Governorate houses Bhutto, the capital of Lower Egypt, before united ancient Egypt by King Menes or Narmer. After that, King Narmer started the 1st dynasty and created the first capital of united ancient Egypt, Memphis. This city is also known as Tell Al-Faraeen.

Kafr El Sheikh Museum The idea of establishing a museum in Kafr El Sheikh is back in 1993 and the project of constructing it began in 2002,This Museum displays the history of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate by exhibiting collections that have been discovered in Kafr El Sheikh Governorate at the Great Bhutto Cemetery and the temple area.  These collections are classified into three halls.

The display in the museum is divided into:

  • The conflict between the god Horus and the god Seth, as there is a unique statue for the Falcon of the god Horus. This statue matches the Edfu temple statue.
  • The history of Sakha city, the city where the Holy Family be hosted during their journey in Egypt.
  • The archaeological sites that Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate has been contained.
  • The history of science during different historical periods in medicine, veterinary, and pharmacy fields.
  • The Islamic and cultural heritage of Kafr Sheikh Governorate that considered the third heritage city in Egypt after Cairo and Rasheed. The museum presents the heritage of Kafr Sheikh by displaying the Islamic heritage of the city of Fuwah.
CategoriesSightseeing By 0iwmp

Bab Zuweila – Islamic Cairo

Bab Zuweila is one of the most famous sightseeing in Islamic Cairo and El Moez Street. This gate is associated with great historical events.

The history of Bab Zuweila It was constructed by Jawhar al Siqilli during his foundation of Cairo city in 358 AH/969 AD and renovated by the vizier Badr al‑Jamali in 480 AH/1092 AD.

It is one of the eight gates of Fatimid Cairo, located on the southern wall. It overlooks El Moez Street leading to Bab al‑Futuh at its northern wall. Only three gates remain, Bab Zuweila, Bab al‑Futuh, and Bab al-Nasr.

This gate was associated with great historical events, as it witnessed the end of Mamluk rule in Egypt, as in 922 AH/1517 AD, Selim I, the Ottoman Sultan, hanged Tuman Bay, the last Mamluk Sultan.

The design of Bab Zuweila It is a gate containing two round towers; each tower has rooms for guard soldiers. Between these towers, there is the entrance and the door that was made from tin and silver plated.

Those semicircular towers are with two twin minarets. These two minarets were added in 818 AH/1415 AD when the Mamluk Sultan al‑Mu’ayyad Shaykh built his mosque next to Bab Zuweila. Sultan al‑Mu’ayyad Shaykh added these minarets upon the towers to appear higher and reduce construction costs.

The construction of this mosque has a story. This place was originally for a prison where Al-Mu’ayyad Shaykh was a prison accusing falsehood in a murder case. During his imprisonment, he asked the god if he gets out of this problem safely and became the ruler, he will transfer this prison to a mosque.

The names of Bab Zuweila This gate takes its name from a Zuwayla barbarian tribe, who came with Jawhar al‑Siqilli and stayed in this place,It is also known as Bawabbat al‑Mitwalli.  Al‑Mitwalli is an Arabic word meaning the one who in charge of, as the mitwalli al‑hesba or the official in charge of finances and tax collection was based in front of Bab Zuweila.