An Overview

The long and rich history of Egypt has given rise to numerous magnificent ancient relics. If you love exploring the past and learning about unique historical events and religious beliefs then Egypt is the place for you. All throughout the country there are temples, monuments, pyramids and other landmarks. Many of these have been preserved, with larger structures being open to the public through tours. Smaller artifacts can be found in the countless museums dotting the country.

Abydos Temple

Once the epicenter of the cult worship of Osiris, Seti I raised the glorious temple here dedicated to the Egyptian god. Abydos was Ancient Egypt's most important burial center. Although the archaeology site here is vast, the main tourist attraction most people center their visit around is the beautiful Temple of Seti I. Abydos is much less visited than the temples of Luxor and the Nile temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo farther south, but for travelers interested in the Pharaonic era's artistry, the vibrantly colored wall and ceiling paintings, as well as the sculpted column work of the Temple of Seti I, are a highlight of a Nile journey and shouldn't be missed. The Abydos consists of 7 parts: the Temple of Seti I, First Courtyard, Second Courtyard, First Hypostyle Hall, Second Hypostyle Hall, Sanctuaries, and the Temple South Wing.

The Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx

Egypt's most famed and feted structures, these ancient tombs of kings guarded by the serene Sphinx have wowed spectators for centuries. Giza's Great Pyramid (also called the Pyramid of Cheops) is not only this ancient site's most famous monument but one of the most well-known monuments in the world. It was built by the Pharaoh Khufu (commonly called by its Greek transliteration of Cheops) and was known to the ancient Egyptians as Ekhet Khufu ("Horizon of Khufu"). The non-claustrophobic can venture into the pyramid's bowels, although there isn't much to see once inside the dank, narrow corridors. The entrance is by a passage on the northern side of the pyramid, which was cut by tomb robbers some 15 meters below the original entrance. This narrow tunnel leads into the Grand Gallery, a long passage that is a marvel of skillful masonry. Beyond this is the Tomb Chamber containing the open, empty granite sarcophagus, which once would have contained Khufu's mummy.

The Abu Simbel

The colossal stone statues that grace the facade are Pharaoh Ramses II's attempt to achieve immortality. It has worked. Today, visitors here still crane their necks in disbelief at the behemoth temples just as the pharaoh's subjects would have done when the temples were first raised. Although today, the entire Forecourt in front of the temple is open, originally it would have been enclosed on the north and south by brick walls, while the east side of the court would have been open, looking on to the Nile. From the Forecourt, a flight of steps leads you up to the Terrace in front of the temple. If you look to the right and left, just before the ramp, you'll see two recesses, which probably contained basins for ritual ablutions. In the recesses are stelae depicting Ramses II making offerings. Along the front of the Terrace is a decorative frieze portraying representatives of many different people making obeisance to the pharaoh. In front of the balustrade, which has a dedicatory inscription running along its entire length, are figures of falcons alternating with small statues of Ramses II. The figures at the south end of the balustrade were probably destroyed by the collapse of the upper part of the second of the colossi figures.

Created by: Jenna Orlando, Pryor Middle School