Dr.Azmy

The Ramesseum is located on the west bank of the Nile River in Luxor city. Although the rest of the temple is considered remains, it is one of the most important destinations for lovers of King Ramesses II. This temple is dedicated to King Ramesses II as his funerary temple and the god Amun-Ra.

The Ramesseum plan: Unlike the other well-preserved structures of King Ramesses II in other temples as Karnak Complex and Luxor temple, most of his funerary temple, the Ramesseum temple, is in ruins today.

• Like other temples in ancient Egypt, the entrance of this temple began with the pylon, but it was collapsed. This pylon was decorated with the inscription for the Kadesh battle.
• Then there is the first open courtyard that has nothing remains but a colonnaded hall. This hall houses the remains of a colossal statue to King Ramesses II. This statue has an exciting story, which we will tell you later.
• Then the great hypostyle hall, there are 29 columns that are still standing.
• Then the second courtyard. It is in better condition, as you will be able to recognize two rows of statues for king Ramesses II representing him in Osiris form.
• Then there is the second hypostyle hall. It contains 8 columns in the form of papyrus. This hall distinguishes with a special inscription that represents astronomical scenes.

Also, there are depictions of giving offerings to several gods and the sacred boat of Amon Ra. In addition, a unique scene, as king Ramesses II appears sitting in front of the god Thoth and the goddess Seshat and they are writing his name on the leaves of the tree of life to wish him a long life.

In addition, there is a scene for king Ramesses II sitting in front of the Triad of Thebes. Below this scene, there is a depiction for the sons of the king.

• Finally, at the end of the temple, there are many rooms. Among these rooms, there are the library, the storerooms of the temple, and the sanctuary or the holy of holies, that is dedicated to the god Amun-Ra and King Ramesses II.

The names of the Ramesseum:

• The first name was given to this temple was during the Greek period when they linked between the northern statue of king Amenhotep III and their hero Memnon, They considered the Ramesseum as Memnonium or the tomb of Memnon.
• Nowadays, the temple is known by the name of Ramesseum that is given to the temple by Champollion, who deciphered hieroglyphics through the Rosetta stone.

There is a legend linked with the remains of the fallen colossal statue of King Ramesses II, which in the first open courtyard, as classical visitors called it Ozymandias. These fallen remains inspired the English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley to write a poem and linked in it between the statue and their hero Ozymandias.

The Madinat Habu is the place where king Ramesses III decided to build his funerary temple. It is located on the western bank of the Nile River in Luxor city.

We know from inscriptions at sandstone quarries in Jabal Al-Silsila (north of Kom Ombo) that King Ramesses III ordered 300 workers to cut stones for constructed Habu temple from this quarry.

The design of Habu temple 1 – There is a massive wall surrounding the temple complex. This wall has an unusual gate called the pavilion gate. This gate distinguishes with its unique style, as it takes the style of the Syrian migdol fortresses. On this gate, there are depictions showing king Ramesses III in his wars in Syria.

2 – After passing through the open court, you will reach the pylon of the temple. Also, on the pylon, there are scenes for king Ramesses III in battles, as he appears smiting his enemies in front of the ancient Egyptian gods.

On the back of one of the two towers of the pylon, the king is depicted while he was in his journey and hunted the oxen.

3 – Then you will enter the first open court. The walls of this court are decorated with scenes depicting the wars against Syria and Libya.

4 – Then the second open court. It houses scenes depicting religious feasts, as the feasts of the gods Sokker (the god of the underworld) and the god Min (the god of fertility). In these festivals, the king appears giving offerings to the ancient Egyptian gods.  Later in the Christian times, this court was transferred to be a church.

5 – The first Hypostyle: there was an earthquake that occurred in 27 B.C. that caused damage to this court. This court is surrounded by 16 shrines.

• The first shrine is dedicated to King Ramesses III.
• The second shrine is dedicated to the god Ptah.
• The fourth shrine is dedicated to the boat of the god Sokker.
• The seventh shrine is dedicated to the sacred boat of the god Amon Ra.
• The fourteenth shrine is dedicated to the sacred boat of King Ramesses II.
• The fifteenth shrine is dedicated to the divine boat of the god Montho.
• While the other shrines are used as a store for the temple supplies.

The second and the third Hypostyle halls are similar, as they contain 8 papyrus columns in 2 rows.

At the end of the third hypostyle hall, there is the holy of the holies of the temple, as there are three gates leads to the main god of Thebes (Amon Ra – Mut – Khonso).

The Great Sphinx of Giza Plateau is one of the landmarks of Giza Plateau. It belongs to king Chephren or Khafre, the founder of the second pyramid at Giza Plateau. The Great Sphinx was carved directly out of the bedrock and was made of one single piece of limestone in Giza Plateau. It dates back to the fourth dynasty, the old kingdom. There is a temple in front of the statue called the Sphinx Temple.

There are many questions about who destroyed the nose of the sphinx. There was opinions said that Napoleon who destroyed during his campaign in Egypt, but the researches proved that the Egyptian historian al-Maqrīzī wrote in the 15th century that the nose was destroyed by Sa’im al-Dahr.

What does the word of sphinx mean? The Sphinx is a mythical creature taking the shape of the human head and lion’s body. The word Sphinx is a Greek word derived from the ancient Egyptian word (Ssp Ankh), meaning the living image. So we can say that the Sphinx statues are a metaphor for the physical and mental power of the living king, as the physical power can be noticed in the lion’s body, while the mental power can be noticed in the human head of the king himself who wearing the royal headdress.

While in the Arabic language, it is called Abu Al Hol. It is thought that it is derived from the ancient Egyptian word (Pr hol), meaning the house of the lion, or it is called by the Arab, meaning father of terror.

The Dream Stela The Great Sphinx has captured the imagination of travelers and explorers for millennia, even in ancient Egyptian times, as it became a symbol of the sun god.

There is a Stela was discovered in front of the Great Sphinx is called the dream Stela belonging to king Tuthmosis IV dating back to the 18th dynasty, New kingdom.  It is an inscribed granite slab.

King Thutmose IV put this Stela between its front paws of the Great Sphinx due to a sacred deal between him and the Sphinx when he was a prince; as he claimed that he saw the god in his dream and the god said to him if he removed the sand buried the Sphinx up to its shoulders, he would be the king. That was political propaganda for the king, and he documented that on this Stela.

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.