Egypt has always fascinated the world by its history and cultural wealth. If you’ve always dreamed of traveling there, but don’t know where to start, here is a selection of 4 sacred sites that we loved exploring.
1 - The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
The Temple of Hatchepsut is located in Deir el-Bihari, close to Luxor, on the edges of the Nile. Built into the cliff and made up of three terraces, it is one of ancient Egypt’s most beautiful temples. Hatchepsut is depicted as a man – she was the 3rd woman to become pharaoh throughout ancient Egyptian history and the first to have full powers as such. She managed to stay on the throne until her death.
2- The Precinct of Amun-Re
Located in Karnak, it is an homage to the god Amon in his solar form “Amon-Re”. Alone, the precinct is 250000 sqm and is Karnak’s largest structure. Built on an east-west axis, perpendicular to the Nile, it used to be connected to the river through a bypass channel and an artificial pool. The wharf extends into a dromos, a ceremonial walkway, lined by crisosphynxes.
The Temple of Horus
The falcon god’s temple, located in Edfou, is the Lagide dynasty’s largest temple and Egypt’s second after Karnak. The temple was nearly entirely covered in sand until the mid XIXth century : the village of Edfou stretched partly over the temple’s roof. It is only in 1859 that the temple was uncovered.
4- The Nile
Legend says that the sun god Re would embark on the Nile each day before disappearing into the horizon. Come night, he would switch boats and commence his journey on the underground Nile. He would have to go through 12 doors (representing the night’s 12 hours) and face Apophis, the snake god. After having managed to protect the kingdom of the living, he would come back to life as the sun would rise.