Return to the land of pharaohs

The protests are over, and time may be right to make a trip to the land of the Nile, pyramids and mummies

Of late, Egypthas been innews for allthe wrongreasons. But itisn't easy toignore the art, architectureand history of the country.Here are some places that area must in any itinerary.

Pyramids of Giza, Sphinxand Cairo Museum:
Any trip to Cairo is incompletewithout a visit to the Pyramidsof Giza and the Cairo Museum,which hosts the most importantcollection of Egyptian artin the world. The latter madenews recently, when protestersdemanding EgyptianPresident Mubarak's removal,vandalised some mummiespresent inside the museum.

On the other hand, getting aglimpse of the former is notdifficult. The story behind theconstruction of these magnificenttombs is fascinating.Ancient Egyptians believed inthe afterlife. To them, thepharaoh (king) was the incarnationof God. Once thepharaoh died, a pyramid wascreated as a 'mortuary temple'.Here, the royal priestsconducted long rites ofembalming the king's body,along with hisfavourite possessions, andfinally buried in the form of amummy. The chamber wassealed and every passagewayblocked to ensure that no onedisturbed the king as he madehis final ascent to the sun, andwas officially reunited withGod. The three GreatPyramids of Giza belong to thekings Khufu, Khafre andMenkaure.

There is also a 21-metrehigh and 73-metre long Sphinxat the same site. The humanheadedlion, built in the likenessof Khafre, keeps a watchover the pyramids.

The Valley of the Kings:
Getting here means a tripdeep in the desert. During thetime of the pyramids, the tombalong with the mortuary templewas the focal point forkings. With the Pharaohs thatcame later, grandeur took abackseat. Instead, imposingmortuaries rose up at the edgeof the desert and the tomb,now smaller, but yet a temple,was jealously guarded fromthe outside world. The Valleyof the Kings is an arid, harshplace. The funerary complexspreads over a vast area andsometimes, deep in theground. To get to the varioustombs, one needsto cover a large distance. It isnot very well known but a ticketbought can only get youinside five tombs. So one alsoneeds to be well-informed andpick the right chambers, assome tombs are bare whileothers offer glimpses of thegrandeur that was once presentthere, including beautifulcoloured carvings that tell thestory of the Pharaohs, tales ofthe Gods and rites performedin that era.

The sarcophagus chamberof Tutankhamen, which yieldedimmense treasures of artand archaeology, was foundhere.

Abu Simbel
In the heart of the Nubianterritory and almost at theEgypt-Sudan border lies oneof Egypt's most beautiful temples:Abu Simbel. Gettingthere takes about five hoursfrom Cairo. The temple, in theory,is dedicated to the GodsAmon-Ra, Harmakes andPtah, but actually glorifies itscreator King Ramses II, TheGreat. The rising waters ofLake Nasser once threatenedthe temple and many wereworried that it would foreverdisappear. But a massiveworldwide rescue operationlater, aided by several countries,along with the use oftechnology, succeeded in savingthe temple after someunbelievable levels of dismantlementand reconstruction.

The beauty of the placecomes alive about 65 metresinto the monument and in theheart of the structure. Here, ina small room, sit the statues ofthe deified Ramses II, with theGods Amon-Ra, Harmakesand Ptah. The precise calculationsused to build the templecan be marvelled at twice ayear, when an event called themiracle of the sun takes place.At this time, the sun penetratesthe entire length of thetemple and floods the statueswith light. However, no lightfalls on Ptah,as he is the God of Darkness.This miracle lasts for only fiveminutes, but thousands makethe journey to catch it yearafter year.

Alexandria
This port city offers a completelydifferent aspect ofEgypt. Built by Alexander theGreat, who consecrated himselfas Pharaoh, the architecturehere, with its Greek influences,is different from anythingelse in Egypt. The city isrenowned for the GreatLighthouse or Pharos and thefortress of Kaitbay.

A few days in Egypt isn'tenough. But visiting theseplaces is the first step in gettingto know this land better.

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