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Egypt 2024
  • Linda Frandsen

Egypt 2024

A 19-day adventure by Linda Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 16, 2024
    Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen
    Cairo Marriott Hotel
    Cairo Marriott Hotel

    Cairo

    November 16, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Cairo, perhaps to take one last stroll through the historic city. With plenty of time on your hands, you might wish to check out one of the invigorating local spas, visit the nearby Museum of Islamic Ceramics, or just relax in your room before we regroup later for dinner.Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen
    Sarcophagus LidStatue of a Kneeling KingSeated Statue of King KhasekhemStatue of a QueenKneeling Statue of HetepdiefSeated Statue of King Djoser. Oldest known life-size statueTriads of KingMenkaure, the goddess Hathor, and the Theban-nome god/the jackal-nome goddessRelief of King Sahure with superimposed Coptic inscription

    Egyptian Museum

    November 16, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 81 °F

    The world-renowned Egyptian Museum, home to the greatest Pharaonic treasures in the world. The museum’s vast exhibits will lend context to our later discoveries as we trace the history of Egypt from Cheops to Cleopatra. After our guided tour, there will be time to reflect on Egypt’s illustrious pharaohs or wander the museum’s side rooms to glimpse the daily lives of the ancient Egyptians.

    The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is situated on the northeast of the centrally located Tahrir Square. It is one of the largest museums in the world, and the first national museum in the Middle East. It is actually the fifth building to house Egyptian antiquities, and has had a long and illustrious history until today.
    The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (EMC) is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, housing over 170,000 artefacts. It has the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities in the world.
    The Museum’s exhibits span the Pre-Dynastic Period till the Graeco-Roman Era (c. 5500 BC - AD 364).    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen
    False Door of Shepsi, Prophet of Horus over seer of the scribesHead of King UserkafSeated Statues of Rahotep and NofretPainted Relief from Tomb Wall Depicting a Sports CompetitionSeated ScribePainted Limestone Head of Queen Hatshepsut

    Egyptian Museum 1

    November 16, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    False Door of Shepsi, Prophet of Horus Overseer of the Scribes
    A statue of Shepsi was placed in front of this false door. The deceased’s statue was an important cult place because visitors made offerings of food and drinks in front of it. The statue bears some of the titles of Shepsi incised on the base: royal acquantance, scribe of the divine book of Ptah, Shepsi.

    Head of King Userkaf
    Userkaf was the first king of the 5th Dynasty under whose reign the cult of the sun god Ra began to gain unprecedented importance. He chose to build a new type of temple, dedicated to the cult of the sun, at Abusir, a few kilometers north of Saqqara. He was the first king to initiate building activity at Abusir. This statue head, found in his sun-temple, represents him wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt. When it was discovered, it was first attributed to the goddess Neith of Sais.

    Seated Statues of Rahotep and Nofret
    Rahotep and his consort Nofret represented seated on white cube-shaped thrones. Painted onto the back of the thrones are the couple’s names and titles in black hieroglyphs. Rahotep is identified as ‘king’s son, of his body, Rahotep.’ Combined with the location of Rahotep’s tomb north of king Sneferu’s, this suggests that he was Sneferu’s son, and the brother of Khufu, the owner of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Nofret is identified as an acquaintance, demonstrating her closeness to the king. The statues show personal traits conveyed in a traditional way. Rahotep and Nofret are depicted as youthful, the idealized form they wanted foe eternity, but still showing physical characteristics, celebrating their individuality.

    Painted Relief from Tomb Wall Depicting a Sports Competition
    The private tombs of the Old Kingdom frequently contained scenes of daily life, games, and sports. This relief shows a sporting fight between boatmen aboard three small boats on a river full of water lilies.

    Seated Scribe
    The Egyptian title for scribe is ‘sesh’. Scribes recorded the stocks of foods, court proceedings, wills, and other legal documents, tax records,and all of the things that happened in everyday life. Scribes were near the top of the social pyramid. The statue shows an unknown scribe in the traditional position in ancient Egyptian art—seated in a cross-legged pose, with a papyrus scroll over his knees. The right hand was intended to grip a stylus or reed and is balanced over the open papyrus in the act of writing.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen
    Statue of King Akhenaten and his wife Kiya(?)Baboon StatueHawkSacred Ram

    Egyptian Museum 2

    November 16, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Statue of King Akhenaten and his wife Kiya(?)
    Although the statue is unfinished, it is on of the masterpieces of this period. It depicts King Akhenaten holding his second wife Kiya (?) on his knee. The king sits on a stool wearing the blue crown (Khepresh), while his wife wears a wig and has her head turned affectionately towards her husband. This statue portrays a moment that was represented only in the Amara period.

    Baboon Statue
    A limestone statue of a squatting baboon. Baboons were sacred to both the god Thoth and the sun god. They were associated with solar dieties because in nature baboons rise up and greet the sun with upraised arms and cries, which led the ancient Egyptians to believe that they were praising the sun god, Re.

    Hawk
    This giant Hawk is actually hollow and once contained raptor mummies. He was inscribed with texts, which are obscured under the heavy coating of sacred oils that were poured over the image on ritual occasions. Hawks, falcons, and eagles were all associated with different aspects of Re, the solar god.

    Sacred Ram
    This mummy belongs to a ram that was worshipped as the incarnation of the god Khnum at Elephantine. The head and foreparts are adorned in painted and gilded cartonnage, and it is crowned with a wooden area crown. Amulets were scattered over the body. It was completely eviscerated, and the body cavity was filled with linen. The condition of the skeleton indicates it died when it was very old.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen
    Shows Pyramid Entrance Discovered in 1700

    Great Pyramids

    November 17, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Drive to Giza to behold the Great Pyramids, including the greatest of them all—the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Khufu. The only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid was built for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and was the world’s tallest man-made structure for more than 4,000 years. We can ponder another mystery for the ages at the Sphinx, enigmatic guardian of the Giza Plateau.

    The Great Pyramid of Giza[a] is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Built c. 2600 BC,[3] over a period of about 27 years,[4] the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only wonder that has remained largely intact. It is the most famous monument of the Giza pyramid complex, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Memphis and its Necropolis".[5] It is situated at the northeastern end of the line of the three main pyramids at Giza.

    Initially standing at 146.6 metres (481 feet), the Great Pyramid was the world's tallest human-made structure for more than 3,800 years. Over time, most of the smooth white limestone casing was removed, which lowered the pyramid's height to the current 138.5 metres (454.4 ft); what is seen today is the underlying core structure. The base was measured to be about 230.3 metres (755.6 ft) square, giving a volume of roughly 2.6 million cubic metres (92 million cubic feet), which includes an internal hillock.[6] The dimensions of the pyramid were 280 royal cubits (146.7 m; 481.4 ft) high, a base length of 440 cubits (230.6 m; 756.4 ft), with a seked of ⁠5+ 1/2 palms (a slope of 51°50'40").

    The Great Pyramid was built by quarrying an estimated 2.3 million large blocks, weighing 6 million tonnes in total. The majority of the stones are not uniform in size or shape, and are only roughly dressed.[7] The outside layers were bound together by mortar. Primarily local limestone from the Giza Plateau was used for its construction. Other blocks were imported by boat on the Nile: white limestone from Tura for the casing, and blocks of granite from Aswan, weighing up to 80 tonnes, for the "King's Chamber" structure.[8]

    There are three known chambers inside of the Great Pyramid. The lowest was cut into the bedrock, upon which the pyramid was built, but remained unfinished. The so-called[9] Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber, which contain a granite sarcophagus, are above ground, within the pyramid structure. Hemiunu, Khufu's vizier, is believed by some to be the architect of the Great Pyramid.[10] Many varying scientific and alternative hypotheses attempt to explain the exact construction techniques, but, as is the case for other such structures, there is no definite consensus.

    The funerary complex around the pyramid consisted of two mortuary temples connected by a causeway (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile); tombs for the immediate family and court of Khufu, including three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives; an even smaller "satellite pyramid"; and five buried solar barques.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen
    probably Ptolemy II/probably Arsinoe IIStela of King PeribsenKing KhafreKing Amenemhat IIIKing Amenemhat IIIKing TutankhamenHorus and King Nectanebo IIHigh Priest Ramessesnakht

    Grand Egyptian Museum

    November 17, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Ptolemaic king (probably Ptolemy II) was recovered from the Mediterranean Sea bed. The Ptolemaic dynasty were Greek rulers descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals, who later became Ptolemy I. They often portrayed themselves in Egyptian style, with Egyptian clothing and worshiping locals. These colossal statues were found in front of the Great Temple of Amun.

    The statue of a Ptolemaic queen (probably Arsinoe II) was recovered from the Mediterranean Sea bed. Queens had important political and religious roles during this period. Statues of king sans queens were erected in most temples throughput Egypt. Ptolemaic queens were promoted to goddesses after their deaths, and Arsinoe II was known as protector of sailors.

    Peribsen chose the god Seth in his animal form instead of the usual falcon gold Horus to sit on the serekhs of his funerary stelae. This change might reflect the politics behind early Egyptian kingship.

    With nemes headcloth, ureaus snake, royal beard and pleated kilt, King Khafre sits on a throne decorated with lotus and papyrus flowers tied together to represent Upper and Lower Egypt. The inscriptions describe him as ‘Great and Perfect god, Beautiful Falcon, Son of Re, Master of Appearances.

    King Amenemhat III
    The seated stature was found in the mortuary temple which was part of King Amenemhat III’s pyramid complex in Hawara. His large ears perhaps express the king’s willingness to listen to his people, rather than reflect his appearance in real life.

    King Tutankhamen
    These two statues were found buried at Karnak. They probably once stood on either side of a doorway somewhere in the temple. King Tutankhamen restored temples and ordered new cult statues for his ‘father’ the god Amun. The king is shown in a gesture of prayer.

    Horus and King Nectanebo II
    The falcon Horus was the god of kingship,and the king was a living form of Horus on earth. A small figure of king Nectanebo II stands between this large bird’s feet.

    Royal Symbols
    Special signs and objects identified kings. These included cartouches around their names, crowns, often with rearing Uranus snakes, scepters, false beards and bull’s tails.

    High Priest Ramessesnakht
    This statue of Ramessesnakht, High Priest of Amun, was dedicated at Karnak temple by his son High Priest of Amun Nesamun. Ramessesnakht is show as a scribe protected by a baboon, the symbol of Thoth, god of writing, wisdom, magic, and the moon.

    High Priests
    The role of high priest was both powerful and influential. The high priests of Amun at Thebes controlled huge treasuries and estates. By the end of the New Kingdom they controlled Upper Egypt, with some even using the title king.

    Stela
    Stela is an upright stone or column typically bearing a commemorative inscription or relief design, often serving as a gravestone.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen

    Controversial Topic of Laws

    November 17, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 68 °F

    Join a local woman to discuss the Controversial Topic of laws protecting women's rights in Egypt versus the reality of traditional women's roles. Egypt has made progress toward gender equality in recent years. But while many laws have been put in place to protect and strengthen women's rights at home and in the workplace, the reality is more complex. In many local communities, these laws are doing little to change longstanding traditional roles for women in Egyptian society. We will meet a local Egyptian woman who give us an overview of new laws the Egyptian government has put in place to enforce women's rights and how these laws are having little impact in many local communities. She'll share her personal story and tell us about the obstacles many women still face in communities that are resisting women's independence.Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen

    Aswan High Dam

    November 18, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Set along an enchanting stretch of the Nile, Aswan is an ancient frontier town where life glides by as gently as the canvas-sailed feluccas that drift past the tropical islands dotting the river’s sapphire waters. Along the way, we’ll make a stop at the Aswan High Dam, whose 1971 construction created the massive Lake Nasser.

    Lunch: At a local restaurant.

    Afternoon: We'll arrive in Aswan, and check into our hotel.

    After some free time to settle in, we’ll gather together for a discovery walk through Aswan’s bustling spice market. We’ll hunt for bargains at a colorful bazaar of aromatic spices, Nubian crafts, embroidered galabayas (traditional Egyptian garments), and more, before heading over to a local restaurant for dinner.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen
    Birth House

    Temple of Philae

    November 18, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Take a boat to the island temple of Philae, center of the cult of the goddess Isis. Similar to the plight of Abu Simbel, this temple complex was moved in order to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Our discoveries include the Temple of Isis, with its courtyards flanked by granite lions and walls covered in ancient gods and goddesses; and Trajan’s Kiosk, with its 14 majestic stone pillars.

    The Philae temple complex is an island-based temple complex in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Egypt.

    Birth House
    The Birth House (mammisi in Coptic) was a standard feature of Graeco-Roman Period temples. They are usually small separate temples located in front of the main temple for celebrating the birth of a child of the main deity of the temple, and where their Celtic rituals were conducted. This mammisi was dedicated to the birth of the god Horus, son of Isis. On the innermost wall of this small temple’s sanctuary is a scene depicting the myth of Horus, where he is shown an infant. Horus is being nursed by his mother Isis in the marshes of the Delta, where the two of them are hiding from Seth, the murderer of his father Osiris.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen

    Softel Old Cataract Hotel

    November 18, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    The Old Cataract opened its doors in January of 1900. Built the previous year by British entrepreneur Thomas Cook, the iconic hotel set on the banks of
    the Nile overlooking Elephantine Island has hosted countless
    luminaries over the past century—everyone from Tsar Nicholas II
    and the Aga Khan to Winston Churchill and Lady Diana. And while
    Dame Agatha Christie penned chapters of Death on the Nile both at
    the Winter Palace and the Old Cataract, the mystery author’s true
    inspiration was the Old Cataract, where she would sip cocktails
    on the terrace while residing here for an entire year in 1937. Many
    scenes from the 1978 film version of Death on the Nile were also
    shot at the Old Cataract Hotel.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen

    Abu Simbel

    November 20, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 100 °F

    Travel overland to Abu Simbel for an overnight stay. Upon arrival, we’ll explore the ancient relics and structures for which the area is known. We’ll see this ancient wonder fully intact, with its huge guardian statues and elaborate depictions of famous battles on the inner walls of Ramses’ Temple. It has been said that this famed king was something of a narcissist—we’ll see ample evidence of that here in the sheer number of objects depicting him, including a mammoth statue in which his head appears to support the weight of the entire temple. The massive colossi of Ramses II were an expression of Egypt’s might and its dominance over the Nubian kingdom.

    When Lake Nasser was created as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam, some 100,000 Nubians were displaced. Not only did the High Dam’s construction upend the lives of Nubians, but it appeared that the massive temples of Abu Simbel—hewn out of the solid cliff in the 13th century B.C.—were doomed to vanish beneath the rising waters of Lake Nasser. But the entire complex was cut into 1,036 blocks (weighing eleven tons each), and thanks to the labor of 25,000 workers over three years, was moved 200 feet up the cliffs and safely re-established above the new water level.

    Abu Simbel is a temple built by Ramesses II (c. 1279-1213 B.C.E.) in ancient Nubia, where he wished to demonstrate his power and his divine nature. Four colossal (65 feet/20 meters high) statues of him sit in pairs flanking the entrance.

    The four colossal statues of Ramses in front of the main temple are spectacular examples of ancient Egyptian art. By means of a complex engineering feat in the 1960s, the temples were salvaged from the rising waters of the Nile River caused by erection of the Aswan High Dam.    Read more

  • Linda FrandsenEgypt 2024Linda Frandsen

    Biblical Pharaohs

    November 20, 2024 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Ramesses II (c. 1279–1213 BC): Ramesses II, or Ramesses the Great, is the most common figure for the Exodus pharaoh as Rameses is mentioned in the Bible as a place name (see Genesis 47:11, Exodus 1:11, Numbers 33:3, etc) and because of other lines of contextual evidence.

    Pharaoh Sesostris I is notably famous in Biblical history for being the Pharaoh King whom appointed Joseph over Egypt. Pharaoh Sesostris I granted Joseph much power during his reign.    Read more

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