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You are here: Home / Archives for temples

Photo: Ram Sphinxes

July 22, 2011 By Jillian

Like something out of a Hollywood production, these mytical statues lined the entrance to the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt.  Part ram, part lion, the sphinxes can probably be attributed to Rameses II, whose cartouche is inscribed in their paws.  The “Way of the Rams”, these sphinxes are no longer in their original position, having been moved around the site by various Pharoahs, who all felt the need to inscribe their name.  There were probably several more sphinxes on site, but like so many things, climate and looters have had their way with them.

When we arrived at Karnak Temple, we were accosted by men offering guide services.  It wasn’t until we were buying our ticket that a man approached us with what he called the “student special.”  We laughed, but took him up on his offer.  His tour was better than our guidebook, but not perhaps as in depth as the $20 tour would have been!  We took this photo upon entering the processional walkway to the temple complex.  As you can see, some of the sphinxes are in better shape than others.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

Statues at Kernak Temple, Luxor, Egypt

IF YOU GO: Luxor is a very touristy town, so be prepared for lots of “special price for a special lady” wheeling and dealing.  We had wonderful accomodation near the train station.  There are tons of sites in Luxor and in the end we decide to take a tour to cover the ground with a group.  The tour was worth the while, as our guide was knowledgable and made the sites more interesting than had we been alone.  If you’re headed to the Middle East, I’d suggest looking into Nile Cruises as well, which often start or end in Luxor.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: ancient egypt, luxor, temples

Photo: Temples of Naqa

June 15, 2011 By Jillian

Close your eyes for a moment.  You’re driving along a newly paved tarmac road, eyes peeled for a “road” into the desert.  There is literally nothing in sight save for some overhead powerlines.  Your map indicates you make a right past the powerlines, but alas it isn’t to scale so you’re not really sure.  You see some tire tracks into the desert and after discussion decide to follow.  After a few hundred meters its clear you’re following some sort of path and you continue per your directions for nearly 20 kilometers.  Besides a few desert shrubs there’s nothing.  Eventually, just as you think you’re about to be lost in the desert, for the only road- the one you just turned off of- doesn’t show on your GPS, you see a sign.  Naqa to the right, Musawarat to the left.  You go right and after 10 more kilometers you see a concrete building like a mirage in the sand.  As you pull up your car stalls, the guard comes out to greet you.  You make small talk, pay your fee and decide that perhaps the car problem is that its too hot.  The temperature is well over 100 F.  As you approach the ruins you hear the tinkling of bells.  Goats and a few sheperds crowd around a watering hole, pulling out precious buckets of liquid.

Few walls remain, but those that do are intricately carved with religious figures and stories.  Ancient lion sculptures line a forgotten path to the main temple and despite the beating sun and scortching temperatures you are drawn to just “be” at the site.

This photo is from the ruins at Naqa, Sudan.  In the middle of the desert, Naqa was certainly one of the most atmospheric places we’ve ever traveled to.  Actually all of Sudan was incredible, check out our posts from Sudan.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

etchings at Naqa

 

IF YOU GO: Be sure to read our African visa guide before attempting to get a Sudanese visa, it can be a difficult process but there are some valuable tips we’ve shared to make things run smoother.   Sudan is an incredible country, but due to ongoing political problems we were only able to travel in the North.  You should absolutely check the latest travel warnings before embarking on a trip to Sudan and even better, try to contact people in the country for the best information.  If you’re looking to explore the desert somewhere a bit easier logistically, you might want to look into holidays to Dubai.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: desert, ruins, temples

Aswan: Welcome to Egypt

May 31, 2010 By Danny

When we arrived in Aswan we had spent the prior night sleeping on the deck of the ferry and both nights before that sleeping in the desert. We did manage to change our undies but having a shower in the middle of the Sahara was out of the question. We smelled, our skin was dry and cracked, and we wanted nothing other than ice cream, Doritos, running water, and maybe some air conditioning. I know that sounds pathetic, but truly we needed a “break”.

We found all of this and a good bit more as well. Ahh, welcome to Egypt.

Once our basic needs were seen to (which took a solid 24 hours to accomplish) we began to play tourist again. Any trip to Aswan will instantly inundate you with the loss of ancient Nubia. Nubia is the region that stretches from upper Egypt all the way to Khartoum. When the Aswan High Dam was built, creating Lake Nasser, much of the area was flooded and it took a rather substantial international effort to literally lift and remove the archaeological wonders of Nubia, like temples and tombs, to higher ground. The most amazing part to me was that this all took place in the middle of the Cold War with assistance coming from both halves of that equation.

One of those saved temples was the Temple of Isis, which easily dwarfed any site we had visited in The Sudan right off the bat. We decided to go to the sound and light show at Philie (the temple’s other name) and although the ‘show’ was extremely cheesy we enjoyed seeing the grandeur of the temple. All through The Sudan, sites were basically left as they had been found a couple hundred years ago with walls missing and collapsed columns, seeing this temple completely restored and covered in lights was really impressive. It was also nice to learn why we experienced blackouts in the cities of northern Sudan around 8pm from time to time.

Aswan overall was a complete breath of fresh air for us. There were modern comforts, a beautiful Nile view from our hotel room. A pool to swim in on our roof instead of the river itself. Wifi, Doritos, ice cream, running water, and souvenirs for sale all made us feel quite happy to be back in civilization a but also quite disappointed to be through with The Sudan, most likely for good.

IF YOU GO: Plenty of cheap accommodation along the waterfront as most people visit Aswan as part of a cruise from Luxor. Street food is cheaper than eating in the restaurants along the river but if you want a beer you have no choice. The Nubian Museum and Isis Temple are the two main attractions in town but many go to Aswan to be whisked away further south to see the gigantic Abu Simbel very near to the Sudanese border. These trips often leave as early as 3am and as we’d seen Abu Simbel from our ferry as we crossed into Egypt we opted for some sleep instead.

Filed Under: Africa, Egypt, Headline, Middle East Tagged With: ruins, temples, tourism

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