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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.

Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi, or Al Mursi Abu Al Abbas Mosque as the people of Alexandria use to call it, is one of the most famous mosques and Islamic monuments in Alexandria. The mosque is located in the Anfushi neighborhood of Alexandria, close to the Citadel of Qaitbay.

Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi was a Andalusi Sufi. He lived during the 13th century in the Andalusia region of Spain and was born to a wealthy family. In 1242, he traveled with his family to Tunisia.

Then he moved to Alexandria in Egypt to study jurisprudence and religion, as it was a popular destination of many Muslim scholars at the time, and lived almost 43 years there. He lived in Alexandria as a scholar and teacher till his death in 1286. He was buried in a small building there.

There is an annual festival held in Alexandria on the 5th of July for celebrating the birth of Al Mursi Abu Al Abbas.

The history of the mosque The mosque was constructed in 1307 when El Sheikh Zein El Din, one of the richest traders of Alexandria, visited the building where Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi was buried and wanted to develop this mausoleum in honor of Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi.

The current building was redesigned and reconstructed in 1929 by Eugenio Valzania and Mario Rossi as it appears very influenced by the architecture of old Cairo buildings. Then, King Farouq I built the Midan el Masged or Mosque Square.

The mosque has two entrances in the north and the east. Also, it has a minaret with Ayoubids design standing on the southern side. As well, the ceiling is decorated with arabesque and has four unique domes.

The mosque is built on the tomb of Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi as he was buried there.

Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi’s tomb became one of the destinations of many Muslims during their pilgrimage to Mecca as they pass in Alexandria on their way from Egypt and Morocco.

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.

Esna city was one of the most prestigious cities in ancient Egyptian history and the Greco-Roman period. Esna city houses many historical destinations, but the most important temple there is Esna Temple.

Who is the god Khnum? The god Khnum is one the most major gods in ancient Egyptian myths, as it is believed that he is the god of creation. Khnum appears in ram-headed with a human body or a lion body, as the avenue of rams in Karnak Complex.

The history of Esna Temple The establishment of the temple started from King Tuthmosis III reign in the 18th dynasty, New kingdom. The construction of the temple was completed during the Greco-Roman period.

The temple appears in a hall of columns with 24 pillars taking the shape of lotus floral and palm. On both sides of the entrance of the temple, there are chambers by the priests of the temple as storerooms.

Most of the depictions in the temple show the Roman Emperors giving offerings to the god Khnum and other gods and goddess of the temple, as Neith, Heka, Satet, and Menheyet.

This temple was considered a sacred place in ancient Egyptian civilization, as there were strict rules for entering the temple like dressing linen clothes, washing the hands with natron salt, and cutting the fingernails and toenails.

In addition, Esna city is famous for its barrage bridges and Esna lock that was built on the Nile River by the British in 1906.

Faiyum Governorate is considered one of the most significant and diverse tourist destinations in Egypt. It distinguishes with its natural beauty, historical, and cultural importance at the same time. Faiyum contains most of the tourism types, as it houses historical attractions dating back to the pre-dynastic period, ancient Egyptian civilization, Ptolemaic, and Roman times. Besides, its scenic nature reserves as Wadi El Rayan and the Valley of the Whales or Wadi El Hitan. Also, it includes rare types of flora and fauna.  In addition, the Heritage attractions like Tunis Village.

Tunis Village or Izbat Tunis lies in the western-most part of the Faiyum Governorate. It overlooks the southwestern part of Qarun Lake. It is considered one of the most important heritage tourism destinations and fabulous sightseeing in Egypt. This village is famous for pottery making, reflecting the Tunis community.

The role of Evelyne Porret in changing the lifestyle of the community of Izbat Tunis The history of this village started with a small house built on a hill. This house is owned by Mohammed Ibrahim Wali and his Tunisian wife. It was a small community depending on farming.

In 1962, the Egyptian poet Sayed Hegab and his wife, Evelyne Porret came to Tunis Village. Evelyne Porret was a Swiss potter. She noticed that this village is populated by farmers. Those farmers saw the potteries of Evelyne Porret and admired them. So in the 1960s, she decided to collaborate with the Egyptian architect Wissa Wassef, who has trusted the artistic of Tunis village.

Then in the 1980s, she established a Pottery School for advancement in this community, satisfying their desire and developing their skills. As a result of community efforts and Evelyne Porret, this village became a heritage tourism destination.

Over the last thirty years, Tunis Village attracts many famous foreign and Egyptian artists, painters, and architects to live in it and build their own houses there. No doubt that the surrounding environment has an essential effect on this success, as the village surrounds by wonderful green gardens along the shores of Lake Qarun providing tranquility. This makes many tourists visiting Tunis Village for relaxing and enjoying this natural beauty. That leads to establish hotels and restaurants in the village to accommodate those tourists.

The Festival of Pottery For encouraging community production, Tunis Village holds a social occasion every year by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and the Fayoum Tourism Authority for pulling in tourists, especially those interested in cultural and human heritage. This fest is called Tunis Pottery Festival. This celebration of pottery and handcrafts began in December 2011.

Through the fest, there are some habits is occurred as desert safaris and horse riding, and watching a bird on the shores of Lake Qarun joined by guides.

The success of the Pottery School gained fame until Evelyne Porret founded several exhibitions in Cairo and abroad of Egypt, in the Gulf Area, and Europe.

The Valley of the Queens is located on the western bank of Luxor city. This valley was dedicated for burying the wives of kings, who were buried in the Valley of the Kings.

This valley was discovered by Schiaparelli in 1904. It houses almost 81 tombs for queens, princes, princesses, and several members of the nobility of the new kingdom, the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.  It was known in ancient Egyptian language with Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning “the place of beauty”.

The first queen buried in the valley was the princess Ahmose, the daughter of Queen Sitdjehuti and King Seqenenre Tao, who was killed in the wars of liberation against the Hyksos.

The main reason for choosing this place to be the Valley of Queens is unknown, but there are some opinions said that:

• Because this place is close to the Valley of the Kings, as in previous dynasties, queens were buried inside the royal complex, but in the Valley of the Queens, the tombs are separated.
• Also, it is close to Deir el-Medina or the village of workers, who work in the Valley of the Kings.
• There is a chamber dedicated to the goddess Hathor in this place.

The design of these tombs begins with a small chamber, a long narrow corridor with several side rooms, then the burial chamber at the end of the tomb. Its tombs were decorated with religious scenes and books of the other world, which are still impressively preserved.

Tomb of Queen Nefertari The tomb of Queen Nefertari or the tomb QV66 is one of the most fabulous tombs in the valley.  Nefertari was the beloved wife of Ramesses II. It was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904. This tomb distinguishes with its well-preserved depictions. When you visit this tomb, you will see poetry written by king Ramesses II for queen Nefertari in the burial chamber.

The tomb of the prince Khaemwaset Also, the tomb of the prince Khaemwaset is one of the most beautiful tombs in the Valley of Queens. Khaemwaset is the son of king Ramesses III. In this tomb, you will be able to notice the father’s care for his son, as king Ramesses III depicted while he is helping his son in crossing the gates and skipping the obstacles of the afterworld due to the young age of his son in front of several gods.