Sightseeing

Throughout history, Aswan was famous for its granite quarry that was used by the ancient Egyptians for constructing several buildings during the ancient Egyptian civilization, like the valley temple of king Chephren and two obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut in Karnak Complex. This quarry of granite houses a unique monument that is the unfinished obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut dating back to the 18th dynasty, New kingdom.  It is one of the most important tourist attractions in Aswan.

The Importance of the Unfinished Obelisk This obelisk was made from the red granite of the Aswan quarry. It is 42 meters high to be the longest in Egypt and nearly 1100 tons. The researchers believe that this obelisk was carved to be placed in Karnak Complex.

This obelisk was abandoned and not completed because of appearing cracks in its body during the cutting, as the scratches of the workers’ tools can still be seen clearly on the obelisk body and ochre-colored lines marking where they were working.

This obelisk is considered as a witness to the accuracy and ability of the ancient Egyptians in dealing with giant granite stones and how they cut and established their obelisks, as the bottom side of the obelisk is still attached to the bedrock.

As, they made very small holes directly out of bedrock all along the line of desired detachment. After that, they put the wooden pegs in these holes, then submerged them with water to expand, causing detaching the body of the obelisk.

Why did the ancient Egyptians use to build obelisks? Obelisks are tall and slender monuments. It has four straight sides, taking the pyramidal shape at the top. These four sides are full of inscriptions.

Obelisks had a great role during the 5^th dynasty, old kingdom, as it was put inside the temples of Ra, so it was known as a sacred symbol of the cult of the sun. Also, they are a symbol of the Pn-pn that is referring to the primeval hill where the creation of the world began.

The Catacombs of Kom el-Shuqafa are considered the first catacombs in the whole world. It is a complex of impressively decorated tombs dating back to the Roman period. It is located in the district of Karmouz to the east of Alexandria.

The Kom el Shoqafa is its Arabic name, meaning in the English language the mound or hill of potsherds, referring to the broken dishes and plates that was found in this place. Also, the word Catacomb means a rock-cut tomb around a well.

This place is considered an open museum, as, besides tombs, there are several Roman monuments as the fountain and the bathtub.

The Catacombs of Alexandria This Catacomb was discovered by chance in 1900 when a donkey fell in the well. It is one of the most important examples referring to the fusion between ancient Egyptian art and Greco-Roman art.

The Catacomb originally belonged to a wealthy Roman family who started to use it for burial in the middle of the 2nd century AD. Later, the catacomb was expanded to be a public cemetery.

It consists of 3 floors housing rock-cut tombs in the 1st and 2nd levels, but the 3rd is completely underwater. These two levels can be accessed by a central spiral staircase to a depth of 35 meters around a well.

When you descend the catacomb, you can see a circular hall with a vaulted ceiling called the rotunda. This hall contained 5 busts (now these busts are displayed in the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria).

After that, you will move to the Triclinium hall, where the visitors of the tomb were taking some rest after descending the stairs of the tomb. This hall supports by 4 pillars and contains 3 benches, taking the shape of the letter U. It is thought that this hall was used by the visitors of the tomb for eating food.

Then there is another hall containing bones for horses. It is called Holy Horses Hall, as it is believed that these horses were used in horse racing.

Finally, there is the main shrine of this catacomb. There are 2 statues, their features combining between the ancient Egyptian and Greco-Roman arts. It is thought that these statues belonging to the original owners of the catacomb.

The Tomb of Tigrane The Tomb of Tigrane is situated a few meters away from the main catacombs. It dates back to the 1st century A.D. and was discovered in 1952. It is famous for its wall paintings executed in the Hellenistic style.

You Can enjoy a virtual tour to the Catacombs via the virtual tours of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The Catacombs of Alexandria

Pompey Pillar is one of the most famous attractions in Alexandria. It is considered the longest column in Egypt, as it is about 27 meters long. It was constructed in 292 AD by the trustee of Alexandria, Postumus.

This pillar or column is divided into 3 parts. The first part is its base that has inscriptions of names of ancient Egyptian Kings, referring to that this stone was reused. The second one is the body of the column taking a circular cylindrical shape and made of red granite from Aswan. Then the crown. Al-Maqrizi wrote about this crown that he heard the Alexandrians said that this crown allowing 22 persons to sit on it and having their food.

Different Names to This Pillar Pompey’s Pillar is a misleading name. It is believed that when the Roman General Pompey fled to Alexandria from Rome, Ptolemy XII murdered him and his head was put on the top of the column, but that is not true and this pillar has nothing to do with Pompey.

Arab called it masts pillar because they thought that it looks like the masts of the ships.

The closest to the right name, according to an inscription written beside the column, is Diocletian Pillar. This text refers to the trustee of Alexandria, Postumus, who built this pillar in gratitude for the Roman Emperor Diocletian as there was a famine in the city so Diocletian ordered that a portion of the wheat be sent to Rome annually be given to the Alexandrians. As well, he exempted them from paying taxes during these hard times.

Besides the pillar, there are two sphinxes and an open museum displaying what was discovered in the Serapeum, dedicated to Alexandria’s patron god, Serapis.

Throughout ancient history, Alexandria was known as a center for learning and melting different cultures because it houses the library of Alexandria or Bibliotheca Alexandrina the most famous destination for students in the ancient world.

It is important to be referred that there are two libraries of Alexandria libraries (the ancient library of Alexandria – the modern library of Alexandria).

The ancient Bibliotheca Alexandrina During the Ptolemaic period, Ptolemy II built the ancient Alexandria Library. This library contained many books in different specialties, so it became the main destination of many science students in the ancient world. It is said that it houses about 700,000 books, as it contained books from the ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations, as well as, the library obligated its scholars to leave a copy of their writings in the library. This led to making this library very rich with books in several specialties and from different cultures.

Some of its students were Euclid and Archimedes. This library was divided into three parts the original library or the Muses, the smaller library, and the book store.

It was a public library, in contrast to the libraries of temples at that time, which were accessed only for priests of temples.

Unfortunately, the ancient Library of Alexandria was destroyed during the attack of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII against Ptolemy XIII in 48 BC, where the ships in Alexandria port were burned by Caesar and this fire spread to the library.

The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina was built on the 16th of October 2002 when Lotfy Dowidar and the Egyptian Government asked UNESCO to revive the ancient Library of Alexandria.

The library is surrounded by a great wall, decorated with the letters and signs of 120 languages, referring to the wealth of knowledge in that building.  This wall is made of the granite of Aswan.

This library is much more than a library, as it houses:Four Museums:
• The Antiquities Museum
  It is considered the first archeological museum to be situated within a library. The museum collection displays the ancient history of Egypt from the ancient Egyptian civilization to the Roman period. Part of the museum collection is displayed under the water of the Mediterranean Sea.
  The museum texts are written in three languages (English, Arabic, and French).
• The Manuscripts Museum
  This museum distinguishes with housing the largest collection of digital manuscripts in the whole world. It provides digital access to more than 6,000 rare books, maps, and documents.
• The Sadat Museum
  This museum contains many personal belongings of the Egyptian president Anwar Al Sadat, as his Nobel Prize medal and his military robe stained with blood, which he wore on the day of his assassination.
• The History of Science Museum

Also, six specialized libraries:
• The Arts and Multimedia Library/li>
• The Taha Hussein Library for the visually-impaired

  This library is named with Taha Hussein Library because its materials are specially designed for blind and visually impaired people. These materials enable them to read books.

• The Children’s Library
• The Young People’s Library
• The Exchange and Archive Section
• The Rare Books and Special Collections Library

Also it contains:
• The Planetarium Science Center
• Culturama: It is a patented nine-screen interactive technology created by the Egyptian Center for Documentation of Cultural and Natural Heritage (CULTNAT) in 2007. Culturama allows the library to inform information that could never have been displayed by traditional displaying methods. Culturama exhibits three times from Egyptian history (Ancient Egyptian Period – Highlights of Islamic Civilization – Modern Egypt).

The new library of Alexandria seeks to revive the old library approach, as it is dedicated to recapturing the spirit of openness, spreading culture, and acting as a public research center.

Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue is one of the most important Jewish sightseeing in Alexandria and Egypt. Finally, it reopens its doors for the public on Jan 10th, 2020after many years of restoration.

The history of Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue It was established in 1881, after the Patriarch of Alexandria, gifted a plot of land that belonged to the Church for its construction. It is considered one of the largest Jewish Synagogue in the Middle East.

It was bombed by the French during their invasion of Egypt in 1798. But in 1850, the members of the Muhammad Ali family restored and reconstructed it.

In 2017 the Egyptian government announced a project to restore the synagogue in a growing movement of keeping its Jewish heritage alive. Finally, it reopens its doors for the public on Jan 10th, 2020after many years of restoration.

Let’s go on a tour inside Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue The structure is built in the basilical style. It consists of two floors accommodating 700 worshipers, one of them is dedicated to women. This synagogue distinguishes with housing an ancient library containing 63 leather and paper scrolls copies of the Torah (Old Testament) and unique books back to the 15th century.

There is a small platform used for sermons lies in front of the sanctuary. The marble sanctuary is situated on the east side of the synagogue.

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Baron Empain Palace is the most famous landmark of Heliopolis, the city of the sun. This palace suffered from neglect for many years until the Ministry of Antiquities bought, received it from its owners, and began to restore it in 2007. The restoration work finished, and the palace is opened on Jun 29, 2020.

But before talking about this great palace, we should first talk about the owner or the founder of it, Baron Edward Empain. 

Let me introduce Baron Edward Empain to you.  He was a Belgian engineer and businessman. Empain is not a part of his name. It is a title. Baron Edward was awarded this title by the king of France due to his efforts in the establishment of the Paris metro. 

He came to Egypt in 1894 and adored it, so he decided to stay in it and asked the Egyptian government to build a new city in the desert, It became Heliopolis city. He founded this whole city with the help of Ernst Jasper, the Belgian architect. Additionally, he built the first tram in Cairo to connect between Cairo city and Heliopolis.

Baron Empain died on July 22, 1929, in Belgium, though was buried in Egypt in Basilica Church as he willed. 

Now, let’s go to visit Baron Empain Palace

Baron Edward Empain got help from Alexandre Marcel, the French engineer, in the construction of this palace. 

The first thing you will see is its amazing garden. It fills with several statues taking the Indian and Cambodian style. This garden houses the building founded by the reinforced concrete structure that was a new thing in Egypt at that time. 

Let go inside the palace.

The palace consists of four floors: 

 – The basement

 – The first floor contains three rooms. The middle one is decorated with the Indian and Cambodian style, but another two rooms are decorated with the European style. 

 – The second floor contains four bedrooms, including bathrooms. 

 – The roof was used in holding the concerts and parties. 

Now is the time for legends

It is said that this palace has a legend in every corner of it

– One of the stories says that the palace tower rotates to offer a 360-degree view of the surrounding area to follow the sun.

– Baron Edward Empain used magical tricks during the construction of the palace. 

– Baron Edward Empain killed Alexandre Marcel and buried his corpse in the garden of the palace.

All of these stories and more link with this palace due to the neglect it suffered for many years.

Enjoy discovering this unique landmark with Egypt Vacation Tours day tours. 

Salah El-Din Citadel or Cairo Citadel is built by Salah El-Din Al-Ayoubi, the founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty in 1176 to be a fortress and seat of rule for nearly 700 years. It stopped being the seat of the rule when Khedive Ismail transferred it to Abdeen Palace in 1874.

Salah El-Din Al-Ayoubi decided to construct this citadel on Mokattam hills for use this strategic position allowing him to expose the whole city and made it difficult to attack. In 1976, UNESCO considered it one of the heritage sites in Islamic Cairo.

This citadel houses several museums as the National Military Museum and the Police Museum and mosques as Sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque, Mosque of Suleiman Pasha El Khadim, and Muhammad Ali Mosque.

Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque It was built in the Mamluk period in 1318. It distinguishes with its green Dom.

Muhammad Ali Mosque Muhammad Ali Pasha began its construction in 1830, but it was completed in 1857 by Said Pasha, son of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Muhammad Ali Pasha willed to be buried in this mosque so you can see his cemetery inside the mosque.

Muhammad Ali Mosque is also known as the Alabaster Mosque due to its walls are coated with alabaster. It was established in the Turkish style, as the mosque is divided into two parts. The first part is the courtyard, while the second is the house of prayer. Also, it distinguishes with its domes and minarets taking the pencil shape. Some opinions believe that this mosque is similar to the blue mosque belonging to Sultan Ahmed in Turkey.

Enjoy visiting Salah El-Din Citadel and Islamic Cairo sightseeing with Egypt Vacation Tours experts.

Khan El khalili Bazaar is the most famous souq, It was built in the Mamluk period as a center of trade.

Also, it includes workshops for the Egyptian artisans, who create and produce traditional crafts and souvenirs.

Let’s know about the history of this bazaar When the Fatimids founded Cairo city, they divided it into two sections. The first one contained the eastern royal palace, while the second houses the western royal palace. Today, the location of Khan El-Khalili Bazaar is the southern end of the eastern Fatimid Palace.

Dajaharks Al-Khalili founded this bazaar in the 14th century, so it is called El khalili Bazaar.

The design of the bazaar was multi-storied structures. The bazaar centered around an inner peristyle courtyard, where traders could store their merchandise, while the upper levels were used for housing.

The bazaar contains several coffeehouses, shops, and restaurants. The most famous traditional Arabic coffee there is El Fishawi. In this coffee, the Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz spent a lot of time.

Enjoy your time in this fabulous bazaar and buy a unique souvenir making you do not forget this unique tour with Egypt Vacation Tours team.

El Moez Street or El Moez li-Din Allah al-Fatimi Street is one of the oldest streets in Cairo city. It was founded within the construction of Cairo city during the Fatimid period under the caliph Al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah.

El Moez St. runs from the north, where the gate of Bab al-Futuh to the south, where the gate of Bab Zuweila. Both entrances were established by the vizier Badr al-Jamali in the 11th century when he rebuilt some buildings in Cairo city, including its walls. Its length is approx. one kilometer long, which makes it considered one of the longest streets in the walled city.

The vital role of this street made people were building in it souqs as Khan El khalili Bazaar, religious buildings as Al-Hakim Mosque, and charitable buildings as Madrasa of Barquq. These buildings date back to different Islamic periods such as the Abbasid, Fatimid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods.

Let’s go on a tour in El Moez Street to see some of its sightseeing
• Madrasa of Barquq: This complex contains a mosque, a mausoleum, and a school. This school or madrasa (in the Arabic language) was for teaching the four Islamic schools.
• Al-Hakim Mosque:It lies beside the gate of Bab al-Futuh in the north of Cairo city. This mosque originally built by Al-Aziz, the father of Al-Hakim, but Al-Hakim completed it, so the mosque is called Al-Hakim Mosque.

  

• Sabil of Sulayman Agha al-Silahdar: This sabil is a good example for displaying how people used to drink in old times while walking around the street.

  

Discover more attractions of El Moez St. with Egypt Vacation Tours experts by submitting on our day tours.

Cairo Tower lies on Gezira Island in the River Nile. It is considered one of the most famous modern monuments in Cairo, Egypt.

It was founded in 1961 during the Gamal Abdel Nasser period and was designed by the Egyptian architect Naoum Shebib. This design is inspired by the lotus plant, one of the most important plants in ancient Egyptian civilization. Its tall is 187 M, which makes it considered the tallest building in Egypt.

Let take a tour inside the tower The tower consists of 16 floors. Take the elevator to reach the last floor at 45 seconds. It is advised to go up to the tower, where you will find a circular observation deck and a revolving restaurant allowing you to see the attractions of Cairo, the city of the thousand minarets, and enjoy taking photos during fabulous sunset.

Cairo Tower Today The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Egyptian government launched the initiative to illuminate the Egyptian sightseeing as the great pyramid of Cheops in Giza plateau and Cairo Tower to send a message for the whole world. This message contains (Stay Home – Stay Save). This message aims to urge people to stay at their homes to reduce the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19 and protect themselves from it.

Visit Cairo Tower and enjoy seeing Cairo sightseeing from the above with Egypt Vacation Tours