Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

It’s evident that ancient Egyptians cared about how they looked just like the rest of us do today, and of course hair was a major concern to them, just like it is for any one of us today. As everything they did with style and flamboyance, so did their headdress, which too was of major significance to the Egyptians. And elaborate hair styles were not confined to royalty even the working labor class flaunted some very interesting hairdos.

Although hair length was not limited to one gender or other, both men and women adopted a wide range of hair styles, ranging from a shaven head to long flowing locks, which to some archeologists was misleading, so was the fact that individuals with a shaven head were automatically assumed to have held religious office which too proved to be misguiding.

Hair styles have always marked different periods in modern time as fashion statements; this was true over the course of history, as Egyptian hairstyles varied over the ages. Evidence of these styles is provided by surviving wigs, inscriptions, tomb scenes and statuary. During the Old Kingdom, men and women alike kept their hair basically short and simple, although there were variations in style. Young girls wore their hair in a pony-tail, down the center of their back, weighed down with an ornament or metal disc or the end of the tail was curled naturally or encouraged to do so by hair irons, which have been found in excavations.

However, in the New Kingdom women wore their hair long or used wigs. Hair was decorated with flowers and ribbons; a favorite was a lotus blossom. Also used for decoration were coronets and diadems made of gold, turquoise, garnet, and even malachite beads, but poorer people decorated their hair with petals and berries which they used to hold their hair back. Headbands or ivory and metal hairpins were also used to hold the hair in place. But to attach wigs or hair extensions Egyptians sometimes used beads to keep them in place.

Children wore a special hairstyle during ancient Egyptian history, called the “side-lock.” The hair was shaved off except for a long lock of hair left on the side of the head. This was sketched on hieroglyphic as a symbol for depicting a child or a youth. Both girls and boys wore this style until the onset of puberty. Children decorated their hair with amulets of small fish, presumably to protect them from the dangers of the Nile. Children sometimes used hair-rings or clasps.

Priests had to shave every third day because they needed to avoid the danger of lice or any other uncleanness to conduct rituals. They were required to keep their entire body cleanly shaven and that included eyebrows and lashes.

Near El Deir El Bahari in Luxor excavations have revealed a factory for manufacturing wigs out of natural hair or fibers. Besides being popular and worn by men, women and children, with all their variety, they were a headdress worn on special occasions, such as ceremonies and banquets. If the hair was not dark enough, thick enough or plenty enough, Egyptians preferred to flaunt a wig or risk not being beautiful enough to appear in public! As much as washing their hair regularly was a routine for Egyptians, they were very fussy about caring for their wigs! Wigs were usually made from human hair, sheep’s wool or vegetable fibers. The more it looked like real hair, the more expensive it was and the more it was sought after. Of course the ones made completely from human hair were the most expensive and Egyptians used emollients and oils made from vegetable or animal fat to properly care for and make the wigs last longer.

Egyptians loved coloring their hair as much as the next modern-day fashion conscious person, and certainly something had to be done about hiding gray hair, so “henna” was used. The leaves of the henna shrub are used to make the henna paste that produces a red-orange dye that bonds to protein and so was used to dye hands, nails and hair. In fact henna is still used to date for its vibrant red color and its excellent gray-hair coverage.

Although wigs were popular and saved face for men who were balding, the matter was not taken lightly, balding that is. There were many potions and remedies to stimulate hair growth, the most popular being chopped lettuce patches that were applied to balding spots. The things that people do to keep with the fashion goes back beyond time, back to the roots of humanity!

About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours (more…)

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

Just as Cleopatra sailed down the Nile in her luxurious royal barge, the bank along the river Nile probably looks the same for that many years. A timeless picturesque scene, life has not changed much over the years. Buffaloes and cows grazing, farmers working the land by hand, women washing cloths on the waters edge, children fishing or jumping into the water, waving and screaming at the passing boats. Egrets fly over the water surface alongside the boat and a kingfisher hovers, ready to dive down into the water to catch a fish. As an important migratory stopover between Africa and Europe, the banks of the Nile are the perfect place for bird-watching. Lining the banks are date palms, willows, acacias, mimosa and sycamore trees.

The river Nile, the source of all creation, life and beauty, is the life-line of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and the unending source of sustenance to its people. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that ‘Egypt was the gift of the Nile.’ Sailing by the serene beauty on a Nile cruise ship, with all the luxuries of royalty of a Pharaonic barge, is a once in a life time experience. With all the facilities of a land based hotel, Nile cruise ships are fully air-conditioned, with a small swimming pool, bars, restaurants, shops, private baths and TVs.

The large sliding window of the cabin room opens directly on to the waters of the river emphasizing the closeness of nature even further. I can never tire of gazing out at the life on the Nile as it drifts by, and the single-sailed feluccas, that remind me of giant butterflies. My personal favorite is the sun-deck, especially during the early hours of the cool morning breeze.

During the actual motion of the Nile cruise ship there is little sense of motion, so even within the smallest cabin room there is no danger of any seasickness. With an all inclusive package, you can enjoy three meals a day with all the transportation to the tours and temples. A typical cruise will include visits to the Luxor Museum, the magnificent Temple of Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon on Luxor. In Esna the Temple of Esna and at Edfu, there is the Temple of Horus. At Kom Ombo, there is the temple of Sobek, the crocodile god associated with fertility; it is directly on the edge of the Nile where crocodiles were fed red meat in ancient times.

At Aswan the sites to see include a visit to the Aswan High Dam, Lake Nasser, the Unfinished Obelisk. The Temple of Philae is on one of the most romantic and beautiful site on Earth. It had become the center point to the worship of the cult of the goddess Isis. Optional is a relaxing felucca trip to the Botanical Island and a visit to a Nubian village as you float past the Elephantine Island and the Agha Khan Mausoleum.The cruises range from a quick, three-night cruise usually departing from Aswan to Luxor, to a moderate four-night cruise usually departing from Luxor to Aswan. The seven-night cruise either starts from Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor, this trip is for those who seek full relaxation.

Besides the day visits these cruise ships have active night life including cocktail parties, Nubian shows, belly dancers and whirling tanoura dancers, there is even a night where guests have a dress up parties putting on traditional Egyptian costumes. The meals onboard most Nile cruisers are usually buffet style and include a variety of international and local cuisine.

The best time to book your Nile cruise is between October and mid April, when the weather is cool and the locks along the Nile at Esna are all open. These locks will be closed around mid April because of the water levels. However there are cruise boats operating all year round, but due to the closed locks, cruise operators will arrange boats on either side of the locks, and a transfer must be made between boats. Although a visit to the Pyramids and the Sphinx maybe the pinnacle of your trip to Egypt, there is nothing like floating down the Nile on a cruise boat, truly an unforgettable and magical experience.

About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

Being one of the first civilizations of history, literature and art have always been an integral part of the Ancient Egyptian Culture. The oldest Egyptian text is the Pyramid Text (the mythology and rituals carved around the tombs of rulers). And during the Greco-Roman period (332 BC–AD 639), Egyptian literature was translated into other languages, giving us the Rosetta Stone, which became the key to unlocking the mysteries of Egyptian writing to modern scholars. During the Christian era, Egypt was the main source of ascetic literature in the Coptic language and under Islam, Egypt continued to be a great source of literature but in the Arabic language. Through out time modern society and culture in Egypt have become a mixture of the layers of history. And here are a few of the people who added richness to this complex mix.

The 1988 Nobel Prize winner for literature, Naguib Mahfouz, is one of the most outstanding novelists in modern Arabic literature. A large number of his novels have been translated into many foreign languages. He was born in 1911 in the old quarter of Cairo, El-Gamaliyya, which has set the stage for many of his novels. For over more than a century, and since his first novel in 1939 he has since written 32 novels an 13 collections of short stories, the most famous being, “El Bedaya Wal Nehaya” (The Beginning and the End) and “The Harafish”. Through his ability to present both a critical view of the very local society to which he belonged, that of modern Cairo, and a more universal perception of the troubles of man in the modern age, Mahfouz has gained this great literary appeal both in the Arab and international world.

Abdel Halim Hafez is among the most popular artists in the Arab world. Not only did he have a magical romantic voice, that entranced the crowds, but they loved him on the big screen too. He was born on the 12 of June 1929, in the small town of Halawat, in the Nile Delta. By the age of 5 both his parents had passed away, so he moved to live with relatives in Cairo, where he graduated from the Academy of Arabic Music in Cairo. Abdel Halim may have recorded many albums, but much of his work is only available from live recordings as he was mainly a live performer, and during the war years he contributed the proceeds of many of his concerts to the Egyptian Government. In March of 1977 he died in London, UK from Bilharzia which he had contracted as a child. It is estimated that the crowd that followed the funeral procession was about 100,000, one of the largest crowds at a funeral ever in Egypt.

Fathy Salama was born in Shobra (Harlem of Cairo) on March 27, 1969. This Grammy (Best Contemporary World Music Album) and BBC Award winner started playing the piano at the age of six and by age thirteen was gigging in Cairo’s clubs. Traveling to Europe and to New York to learn jazz with great artists as Barry Harris, Sun Ra and Pat Patrick, his music creations link together modern music and the music of the Orient. Through his group Sharkiat, Fathy has made many hits in the 80’s and has won two prizes for his film sound tracks for Fallen Angels Paradise and Signs of April.

In 1953, Omar El-Sharif became an over night screen idol with his first role in the Egyptian film, Sira’ Fil Wadi (The Blazing Sun). He first started working in his father’s successful lumber company, then converting to Islam and marring renowned actress Faten Hamama in 1955. He starred in a total of 22 films from 1954-1961, before his first debut in an English language film “Lawrence of Arabia” in 1962. Omar El-Sharif’s best remembered role is David Lean’s “Doctor Zhivago”, where his son Tarek Sharif appeared as Yuri at the age of 8. Omar El-Sharif is fluent in Arabic, English, Greek and French and can also speak some Italian and Turkish. He has been nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor, and a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor, Most Promising Newcomer award and in November 2005 was honored with a UNESCO medal in recognition of his significant contributions to world film and cultural diversity.

Umm Kalthum (1904-1975) is one of the most famous Arab singers of the 20th century. She was known for her powerful, pure voice and her moving renditions of both neoclassical and colloquial Egyptian lyrics. After the Egyptian defeat in the Six-Day War (1967), Umm Kulthum toured the Arab world on behalf of Egypt, donating the proceeds from her concerts to the Egyptian government. During her career, Umm Kulthum recorded more than 300 songs and made 6 motion-picture musicals. She became associated with President Gamal Adel Nasser, and in many interviews and avenues to the public she has promoted both the Egyptian and Arab culture.

Youssef Chahine born in 1926 in Alexandria to a Christian family established himself from the start as a director with an independent mind, ready to challenge authority. All his films have adopted some controversy or other, whether it be criticizing U.S foreign policy or Egyptian/ Arab social issues. He has been recognized on the international scene as early as 1951, where he was invited to the Cannes Film Festival and in 1978 won a Silver Bear at Berlin for his film “Alexandria…Why?”. Chahine has also received the 50th Annual Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. He has made more than 40 films, the last “This is Chaos” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2007. Chahine died this August at the age of 82 after several weeks in coma.

Since 1942, and in her pursuit of free studies in art Inji Eflaton, participated in the exhibition of the “Art and Freedom Group”. At the time modern Egyptian art, was conformed by bonds of academism and formalism and this was the first society to attempt to free art from its bonds. Starting March 1952, she had her first of 28 solo exhibitions in Egypt and world wide, including Rome, Venice, Paris, Dresden, Warsaw, Moscow, Prague, New Delhi, San Paolo and Kuwait. Inji Eflaton who died in 1989, received from the French Ministry of Culture, in 1986 a medal of merit called “Cavalier of the Arts and Literature”.

Taha Hussein (1898- 1973) was born to a lower middle-class rural family and lost his eye sight at a very early age. His father was keen on giving Taha the best in education, he was among the first to join and graduate with a Ph.D from the, then newly founded university. He received a scholarship to France and was the first Egyptian to obtain a BA from Montpellier University, and then a Ph.D. from the Sorbonne on Ibn Khaldoun (the fourteenth century Arab thinker). Taha Hussein became one of the leaders of the Arab culture renaissance, through his powerful will, craving for knowledge and his ability to challenge the established values.

About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

He died 3,300 years ago and we know that he was 19 years of age when he did. We know that he came to the throne at the age of 9 and was too young to have made his own decisions, and that they were made for him by Aye, his vizier and Horemheb, the commander-in-chief of his army. We think he was Akhenaton’s son not from the famous Nefertiti but from Kiya a minor wife. He may have had a brother Smenkhkare, or as some think he could have been is father after all. He did have six half-sisters from Akhenaton and Nefertiti (if Akhenaton was his father really!). He was married to his probably half-sister Ankhesenamun and had twin girls who were stillborn and buried with him in the tomb. But even Ankhesenamun’s fate is unknown, as she was made to marry Aye after her husband’s death then just disappeared out of existence.

We know that Tutankhamun was the King that brought back the old religion after the revolution of Akhenaton, who banned the worship of Amun in favor of the one god Aten (Atenism), which was represented by “the disk of the Sun”. This gained him instant popularity with the priests and the people, so he was a loved king! Contrary to what was concluded that he was buried in haste, clues have shown that the mummification process and burial took their due course.

For some reason when Horemheb came to power he deleted all evidence of existence of his predecessors Akhenaten, Neferneferuaten, Smenkhkare, Tutankhamun, and Aye who were erased from the official lists of Pharaohs which instead reported that Amenhotep III was immediately succeeded by Horemheb. This may have been a way for Horemheb to delete all trace of Atenism and of any pharaoh associated with it from historical record. Akhenaten’s name never appeared on any of the king lists compiled by later Pharaohs and it was not until the late 19th century that his identity was re-discovered and the surviving traces of his reign were unearthed by archaeologists.

Before Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s intact tomb in 1922 the world had never heard of King Tutankhamun and the discovery led to a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt. Since then his burial mask has become synonymous with all of Egyptian history. But at the time of discovery Carter and his team basically dismantled the corpse while looking for amulets and other jewelry. The mummy’s head was removed and nearly every major joint severed, furthermore, many of its parts present at the original examination are now missing. But then if Carter hadn’t cut the mummy free from the hardened resin that cemented it fast in the wooden coffin, thieves would certainly ripped it apart to remove the gold.

Archaeology has significantly changed over the years, back then it was more important to discover and collect treasures, not paying enough or any attention to details of life and the intriguing mysteries of death, even if that meant leaving the antiquities badly damaged or in a critical state.

Since 1926, the mummy has been X-rayed three times: first in 1968 by a group from the University of Liverpool led by Dr. R. G. Harrison, then in 1978 by a group from the University of Michigan, and finally in 2005 a team of Egyptian scientists led by Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass, who conducted a CT scan on the mummy, acquiring 1,700 three dimensional images during the 15 minute scan.

The early X-rays raised alarms that the deceased was murdered. But did the young pharaoh die from a blow to the head? Well …..apparently not!! After the detailed CT scans taken recently King Tut died of natural causes. Although some Egyptologists and amateur sleuths have long speculated that a stealthy foe murdered Tut by attacking him from behind, the evidence is all circumstantial, with very little reason to believe that murder was the primary scenario.
So lets look at evidence just a tad-bit closer. Among claims that King Tut may have died of the Black Plague (which had appeared at the time), of lung disease, poison or even a brain tumor, the major allegation of a fatal blow to the back of the head have all proved futile.

The damage to the skull that raised cahoots has proven to be due to damage by the embalmers during the mummification process or carelessness of the Carter team. What was actually determined, though speculation, but the most agreed on, is the fact that there was a fracture found on the left leg of the mummy, which did not show evidence of healing, meaning that it was received just before death.

And again from what we learnt of his life painted on the walls of his burial chamber, like all Pharaohs, King Tutankhamun studied reading, writing, mathematics, geology, astronomy, a foreign language and for fun and relaxation he learnt, archery, wrestling and how to drive a chariot. But as it seems he had a deep infatuation with hunting, which may have been the root cause of his demise. Whatever caused the fractured thigh bone is likely to have also caused an open wound that was serious enough to cause an infection, fever and death. Although the break itself would not have been life-threatening, but gangrene caused by a badly broken leg was the most likely culprit. So was it a hunting accident that brought the end to a Dynasty of Kings? We may never know.

Many questions have yet to be answered about the life and death of the Boy-King, and may even remain a mystery buried under the sands of time like many still unsolved mysteries of the Valley of the Kings.

About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

Was it a natural death or was he murdered? After almost 3,000 years and with very little evidence and so many conspiracy theories it’s hard to determine exactly how the boy-king died! 28 years ago after X-rays were taken of his mummy by the anatomy department of the University of Liverpool everyone was convinced that Tutankhamun died of unnatural causes, presumably a blow to the back of the head.

The main suspect was Aye, his vizier in conspiracy with Horemheb, the commander-in-chief of the army. Seeming to gain from the king’s death, Aye succeeded, ruling Egypt for 4 years before he died and was then succeeded by Horemheb. Both were powerful men who were present during the reign of King Tut. But they both would have had no reason to murder him since he was young and did not hold much authority and they were probably making the decisions any way. And as it happened, Tutankhamun had no enemies; he was loved by the priests and the population because he was the one to re-establish the religion of Amun-Re after the death of his heretic father Akhenaten, who outlawed it, replacing it with the monotheistic worship of Aten.

Tutankhamun belonged to the Eighteenth dynasty and ruled Egypt at a time of turbulence. Originally Tutankhaten, meaning the “Living Image of Aten”, was changed when he came to power to Tutankhamun, meaning the “Living Image of Amun”. Tutankhamun was the son of Akhenaten also known as Amenhotep ΙV, and his minor wife Queen Kiya. He came to reign at the age of 9 and at the age of 13 married Ankhesenamun, who was probably his half-sister, as it is recorded that Ankhesenamun as one of the six daughters of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. At the age of 19 the king died suddenly and was buried in a crammed tomb in the “Valley of the Kings”, now known as Al-Amarna. The Valley of the Kings was declared a World Heritage Site in 1927, it lies on the west bank just across the Nile from Thebes (modern Luxor), and is the valley where, for 500 years, tombs for kings of the New Kingdom were constructed.

KV62 (the tomb of Tutankhamun) was first discovered, by the British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, who came upon it by chance. The tomb remains the only royal Egyptian tomb discovered in modern times virtually intact. The rubble that concealed the tomb and its occupant protected it for over 30 centuries, preserving its treasures from grave robbers of antiquity who looted so many other tombs. His tomb was robbed at least twice in antiquity, but from the items taken (including perishable oils and perfumes) and the evidence of restoration of the tomb after the intrusions, it is clear that these robberies took place within several months at most of the initial burial.

The tomb of Tutankhamun consists of 3 chambers within which is crammed thousands of masterpieces of jewelry, furniture, and art objects. Over 5000 artifacts, the treasures included four nested boxes, or shrines, of gilded wood, then three mummy-shaped coffins (two gilded and one of solid gold) all inside a red quartzite sarcophagus. But the most significant finding was the mummy of King Tut himself, with a stunning mask of gold covering his head and shoulders. More so this was a first in modern history, the discovery of the mummy of an Egyptian king, lying intact in his original burial furniture.

To remove the jewelry and amulets from the body, Carter and his team had to cut up the mummy into various pieces: the arms and legs were detached, the torso cut in half and the head was severed. Hot knives were used to remove it from the golden mask to which it was cemented by hardened embalming resin. This had taken its toll on the mummy’s condition and is one of the reasons why it is difficult to conclude how Tutankhamun died exactly.

King Tutankhamun still rests in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, in a temperature-controlled glass case. But his world tour “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” back from London this August, is currently touring the U.S.A, starting this 15th of November it will be at the Atlanta Civic Center through to May of 2009. The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. The tour’s proceeds will help raise money to preserve Egypt’s treasures, including the construction of the new Cairo museum (the GEM) which is expected to house 100,000 exhibits making it larger than the British Museum.

About the Author:

Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

A tour in Cairo would probably include dinner on a boat floating smoothly down the Nile, the deep dark waters lite up, reflecting back the lights of Cairo by night. Sounds enchanting and mesmerizing, well it defiantly is. But on a trip like this that won’t be the only sight to spellbind you. The program would also include, among other things, a belly dancer and a tanoura dancer (an Egyptian folk dance derived from the Sufi religion) as entertainment.

And after a visit to the Pyramids, the Citadel and the enormous Egyptian Museum of Antiquity, you’ll probably go home impressed. But that’s just the tip of the ice berg. A people whose ancestors left behind a culture that has always captivated the world, and who over time have been exposed to a myriad of invasions by foreign cultures, must have more to show, and they do!

There are quiet a number of places with significant cultural importance, and an endless list of annual festivals and exhibitions, but we’ll only mention the most popular ones.

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquity displays 136,000 items with a couple of hundred thousand others in its basement store room, making it home to the most expensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world. With the new Grand Egyptian Museum being built near the Pyramids area, many more of these stored items will finally be displayed and get the attention and glory they deserve.

The old Khedive Opera House or Royal Opera House was built in November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971. Seventeen years later on October 10, 1988 the National Cultural Center (Cairo Opera House) was built with the help of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), making Egypt the soul country in the region with two opera houses built within one century. The Cairo Opera House has recently hosted concerts by the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and Bolshoi Theatre of the Republic of Belarus.

A not too known place of historical interest is The Cairo Geniza. The Geniza holds almost 200,000 Jewish manuscripts. These have been found at the Ben Ezra Synagogue (built in 882) in Fostat (now Old Cairo), the Basatin Cemetery east of Fostat and some were bought in Cairo in the late 19th century. These documents date back from 870 to 1880 AD.

Not to be missed are the beautiful gardens of Al Azhar Park. The sunset over the panoramic view of the old city of Cairo is an unforgettable site from one of its green hills. The park has running streams, waterfalls, restaurants, Islamic archways and lush landscaped gardens. Al Azhar Park is located near Darb Al-Ahmar district. It was a gift to Cairo from His Highness the Aga Khan, as his ancestors were the Fatimids who founded the city of Cairo in 969. During the development of the park parts of a 12th century Ayyubid wall was discovered, which has led to a major project for the restorations of several mosques, palaces and historic houses.

Erected on the same site as the ancient library, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in October 2002. The main reading room is striking with its glass-paneled roof that resembles a sundial. The library has shelving space for eight million books, with the main reading room covering 70,000 m² on eleven cascading levels. The complex also houses a conference center; specialized libraries for the blind, for young people, and for children; three museums; four art galleries; a planetarium; and a manuscript restoration laboratory.

With the building of the Aswan Dam, the UNESCO attempted to salvage and recover many temples and reallocate them to higher grounds. A large quantity of artifacts was saves and was finally displayed at the beautiful Nubian Museum. The architecture of the Museum and the building walls were intended to evoke traditional Nubian village architecture, as it was along the Nubian Nile before the region was flooded by Lake Nasser.

As-Sawi Water Wheel (in arabic Saqiyet As-Sawi), is a popular cultural center. Located in Zamalek, the center hosts theatrical, musical and cinema performances, plastic art galleries, seminars and training courses. It has become a doorway to unknown artists finding a place on Cairo’s culture scene. Holding awareness campaigns (2008 being “The Year of the Minds”) it’s intent is to protect the freedom of thought and the freedom to enjoy culture.

About the Author:
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

By 1983, the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs realized the importance of protecting Egypt’s rich heritage and its diversity of ecosystems, in turn started declaring locations as protected areas, which are now collectively known as Parks Egypt. In 1994 the (NCS) Nature Conservation Sector was established and given the responsibility of managing Parks Egypt. The NCS is entrusted with implementing policies, programs, studies and other actions that ensure compliance with the nation’s habitat and species protection legislation as well as Egypt’s commitment to the relevant international conventions. By 2007 more than 14% (27 protected areas) of Egypt was protected under the NCS, with plans to further accommodate all of Egypt’s natural habitats and ecosystems. The expectation that by the year 2017, a total of 40 protected areas, which is around 17% of the country, will be protected and managed by the NCS.

To conserve these ecosystems and habitats, the species of flora and fauna have to be safeguarded, to maintain the sustainability of the area. In Egypt, the fairly low number of species and the relatively large number of eco-zones and habitats makes the preservation of both especially important. Likewise the indigenous people are an integral part of these ecosystems. Their knowledge and tradition are an important part of Egypt’s cultural heritage, which have become threatened by modern intrusions of expanding civilization. Being able to create revenue to fund for the management of these protectores and to create business for its indigenous people, conserves not only this unique culture and knowledge but the nature as well, through traditional means and ethics.

Among the largest of these protectores is the Nabq Managed Resource Protected Area. Nabq is about 35 km north of Sharm El Sheikh and 500 km from Cairo. About halfway between Naama Bay and Dahab, Nabq lies at the narrowest part of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the second of the five protected areas of South Sinai. It is the largest coastal park in the area stretching over 600 square kilometers and shelters a variety of ecosystems. It was established in 1992 to protect the coral reefs, wild life and the mangroves.

The park provides unique and extremely diverse landscapes and habitats, from the high mountains in the North, to rolling dune systems of the South, to the rich coral environment where the desert meets the sea. The park is known to be home to 134 plant species, 6 of them are found only in Nabq, and 86 are perennial. The coast of Nabq is said to be fringed by 4.8 km of mangrove forests. This mangrove which is composed of just one species of tree, Avicennia marina, is very fragile and worth protecting because of the important role it plays in the survival of the wild life surrounding the bay. If you are a nature enthusiast, bring along binoculars to observe a variety of birds and animals that live on the park. The park attracts birds holding an important ecological role either as a migratory stop, or as breeding grounds. Species that frequent the area include the Heron (both white and grey), Ospreys, Spoonbill and even storks. Also Nabq is home to a variety of animal and marine species, finding sufficient food and shelter. One of the largest populations of gazelles in southern Sinai is often seen at sunset in the vicinity of the dunes. Nubian ibex can be found in the mountain areas and hyraxes thrive in Wadi Khereiza (one of numerous wadis, or valleys in the park.)

The mangrove stand at Nabq fronts the shoreline at the mouth of Wadi Kidd, which runs far into the center of southern Sinai’s mountains. Near the top of Wadi Kidd is the lush oasis of Ain Kidd, boasting many date palms, and toward the bottom of the wadi is mangroves, dune growth, and wild life. Wadi Kidd is one of the Sinai’s most abundantly watered wadis, supporting prolific vegetation all along its length, which explains the abundant presence of vegetation and wild life. They are sustained by the periodic valley flooding following heavy rains. The wadi also provides a supply of fresh water to local populations, and is an important grazing area for Bedouin sheep and goatherds.

The mangroves‘ root system, allow the species to adapted and tolerate their saline surroundings. Their remarkable aerial roots that appear as leafless branches sticking out of the ground around each tree help aerate its submerged roots. They act as a barrier that holds back most of the salts from the seawater. The excess salt that has been absorbed by the root is then removed in the form of salt crystals on the underside of each leaf. The shallow calm waters around the trees form a haven for crustaceans and small fish playing an important role as their breeding and nursing grounds, in turn attracting an extraordinarily varied population of bird life.

At the far end of the bay is an old shipwreck, which provides for a unique and rare diving site. Known to the locals as “Al Gharaqna” (in English “the drowned”), the site can be accessed from the shore, walking knee-deep through the water with suitable shoes, to aid walking over the stretch of shells and endless starfish. The coral reefs of Nabq are rich, virtually untouched and rarely dived areas stretching the entire length of the coast. Possessing a diverse coral population, small and large fish alike, and sea grass beds, the reefs here are different from those of Ras Mohammed National Park. Marine life that can be seen includes turtles, huge variety of pipefish, jacks, wrasse, groupers, stonefish, lionfish, moray eels and seahorses.

The wadi also supports a number of Bedouin tribes who depend on the natural resources of the area, which provides for their fresh water for drinking and for the goatherds. In the late 20th century many of these tribes gave up their nomadic way of life and settled in the wadi, building hut villages along its coast although some still consider it only as a summer retreat. Bedouin population is centered in the Khreiza and Al Gharqana villages. Their knowledge of the area and its plant and animal life has been employed to protect the park. The NCS has committed to a programme that fully integrates the resident Bedouins in all aspects of its area management strategy. As the Bedouins are legendary for their hospitality they are the ones to provide for all the touristic services in the park. These will include catering services at the visitor centre, guide services, provision of camels for access to areas closed to vehicles (all desert areas are considered fragile and off track driving is prohibited), maintenance, visitor interpretation, operation of camping areas (camping is allowed in designated areas but there are several hotels in South Nabq and along the Gulf of Aqaba), selling handmade necklaces and oriental dress and other activities of mutual benefit. Most of them are familiar with many foreign languages due to their continuous contact with tourists.

About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

With Global Warming becoming an eminent threat there is growing awareness to going green. The need to save mother Earth, conserving its resources to share with future generations as live experiences and not stories of the past. Warning calls by Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio for preserving the only planet we have is more than a cause but a need for it to be a way of life.

Every bearing of our lives is going eco-friendly, from energy saving light bulbs and carpooling to eco-friendly pajamas and hair spray. Since the late 1980s the increase in environmental awareness and the obligation to protect eco-systems, gave birth to ecotourism, responsible tourism or also called sustainable tourism.

For centuries only 6% of Egypt’s land has been frequented by tourists, seeking the historical aspects that have been overemphasized through novels & chronicles. With the remaining 94% considered lifeless, barren wastelands. These areas included three magnificent deserts (the Sinai Desert, the Eastern Desert and the Western Desert), mangroves, lakes, mountains and 2,700 km (1,678 m) of unspoiled coastlines. Since the evolution of ecotourism and the demand to explore and enjoy this hidden side of Egypt, there has been a demand for more environmentally conscious eco-lodges, and higher maintenance and preservation over natural protectores.

But what exactly is meant by ecotourism? As defined by the world’s oldest and largest ecotourism organization and the global source of knowledge and advocacy in ecotourism, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) states that it is:

Experiencing the fastest growth of all sub-sectors in the tourism industry, this popularity represents a change in tourist perceptions, increased environmental awareness, and a desire to explore natural environments. Such changes have become as much a statement affirming one’s social identity, educational sophistication, and disposable income as it has about preserving the Amazon rainforest or the Caribbean reef for posterity. And for ecotourism to be successful certain guidelines and principles must be followed:
· minimize impact
· build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
· provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
· provide direct financial benefits for conservation
· provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
· raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climate

The concepts of ecotourism maybe obvious in that they need to minimize the negative economic, environmental and social impacts, while preserving and improving the condition of the local people and their heritage. These very concepts are often used as a marketing tool to promote tourism which is related to nature. These greenwashing habits (disinformation by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image) only use labels like “green” and “eco-friendly”, to mislead tourists and manipulate their concern for the environment. So just because a hotel is located on a splendid landscape does not mean it’s eco-friendly until it fulfills its obligations, behaving in an environmentally responsible way.

This may have been happening in Hurgada and Sharm el Sheik, but in recent years legislation has been enforced by the Egyptian Affairs Agency to prevent new development from destroying the coastline, coral reefs or tidal flats. Becoming the major focus of investment by the Egyptian government and the World Bank to protect what is left of the unique heritage that was once plagues by thoughtless development.

Since the hosting of Sustainable Tourism Egypt (STE) 2003, the International Conference on Tourism Development in Environmentally Sensitive Areas there has been major endeavors and strategic plans to conserve and protect the unique, abundant natural treasure of Egypt’s heritage. There is also concern for these protected areas to pay their way to generate revenue that can be use to fund for the management of its conservation. Moreover to provide the residence of these areas with additional income and establish community businesses.

In the wake of the declaration of Wadi El-Hitan as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO, there are more restrictions to number of visitors and stricter enforcemnt on regulation and guidelines to protectores. In the Nabq protected area, there are rehabilitation initiatives to recover its sensitive eco-systems. The largest mangrove stand in the Gulf of Aqaba and the northernmost mangroves in the Indian Ocean/Red Sea area front the shoreline of Nabq, making it the largest coastal park, at 600 km2 of protected area of outstanding natural beauty sheltering a variety of ecosystems.

There has been a campaign to crack down on hunting in Egypt in the Siwa Oasis and around Lake Nasser, Egypt’s primary water reservoir. Furthermore, there have been negotiations with government authorities to reduce the bureaucratic restrictions on deep desert tours and safaris. The numerous bureaucratic obstacles and procedures are time consuming but these problems are not experienced by tourists, as they are taken care of before their arrival.

The location of the Stromer’s Tidal Giant dinosaur in Bahariya Oasis is now under protection as farmers are trying to use the land for agricultural purposes and presently, there is a focus on saving the Petrified Forest protectorate east of Cairo, as there have been attempts to initiate urban development projects in the area. The selling of the Red Sea’s protected Giftun Island was successfully halted. The Egyptian government rejected the proposal for a multi-million development plan and an international campaign “Save Giftun” helped rise public awareness to preserve Egypt’s heritage.

Efforts to save the Spinner dolphins of the Gulf of Samadi (in the vicinity of the town of Marsa Alam in the Red Sea) have been also successful. The Samadi is a horseshoe-shaped reef that forms a shallow lagoon in the center, and constitutes an important natural habitat for spinner dolphins, where tourists get the magical opportunity to swim with wild, free, friendly dolphins.

21 km north of Hurgada, is the first independent touristic town. El Gouna (or Lagoon) has its own electricity plant, a sewage treatment plant, roads, lagoons, and has installed satellite phones, a transportation network, two marinas, a Nubian-style village, an airport, a hospital and an international school. More investors are being encouraged to build eco-lodges in protected areas such as the Red Sea’s Wadi El-Gemal, and Qarit Umm Al-Sagheer, north of Siwa. The government and developers have significant roles to play in adopting and implementing environmentally sound policies and practices to avoid the degradation of the natural heritage of Egypt for the sake of current and future generations alike.

About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
—————————————————————–
Egypt Tours

Copyright © EgyptHasItAll.com

In 1962, while searching for fish in the Alexandria harbor, a young diver discovered fragments of an immense statue on the seafloor. To verify the young man’s report Egyptian naval divers and experts from Alexandria’s Greco-Roman Museum were called to the area. The piece that the young diver found, measuring 6 meters (20 feet) in length was confirmed to be a mere fragment of the colossal statue of Poseidon (the lord of the waves).

But the area was off limits to scientific investigation because it was a military zone. It wasn’t until 1994 that a team of scuba diving archaeologists were sent in to actually explore the area. Littering the seafloor, over an area of 5.5 acres, were remains that included sphinxes, columns, capitals, colossi and fragments of inscribed obelisks. This made the site one of the largest archaeological sites in the Mediterranean.

Scientists believed that these fragments were in fact the remains of The Pharos, the great lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven vanished Wonders of the Ancient World. The Pharos was the last to be built, and the last to disappear.

The Pharos Lighthouse stood on the eastern tip of the ancient island of Pharos in the harbor of Alexandria. The island was linked to the mainland by a man made wall called the Heptastadion, which was made of solid granite and extended the length of seven stadiums.

Although the Pharos was depicted on coins, terracotta, Roman mosaics and small models of it were also available, none is particularly precise and as the ancient writers left few detailed descriptions, the Pharos still remains somewhat of an enigma. Even at the time the structure was so famous and the connection of the name with the function became so strong that the word “pharos” means ‘lighthouse, beacon’ in English, becoming the etymological origin of the word in Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Bulgarian and Swedish.

Construction of the Lighthouse was commissioned by Ptolemy Ι Soter, a general of Alexander the Great and his first successor to ruling Egypt. It was completed in the 3rd century BC, and was inaugurated during the reign of his son, Ptolemy ΙΙ Philadelphos around 285 BC. The Lighthouse’s designer was a Greek, Sostratus of Cnidus. Proud of his work, he wanted his name carved onto the building, but he was forbidden to do so by Ptolemy ΙΙ, who wanted his to be the only name on the building. Sostratus managed to get around this by having the dedication:

chiseled into the foundation, which was then covered with plaster, Ptolemy’s name was then carved into the plaster. Over time the plaster chipped away leaving only Sostratus’ dedication.

The monumental building was constructed in three stages: The lower was a square section with a central core, a middle octagonal section, and a top cylindrical section. The entrance was up a long vaulted ramp. A large spiral staircase led up to around 50 chambers and was probably used by beasts of burden to carry firewood up to the third tier where a fire, acting as the light source, burned on the summit.

In order for the Pharos to withstand the harsh pounding of the sea, the base tier rested on massive blocks of red granite. These granite blocks and the walls of the Lighthouse were strengthened not by using mortar to join them together but by molten lead to reinforce the structure. The edifice was probably so strong it survived for almost 2 millennia (until the mid-14th century AD), serving as a beacon to sailors approaching the coast of Egypt. The source of light was believed to be a mirror, which reflected the sunlight during the day and a fire which guided sailors at night.

Made of stone and covered in white marble, the building stood about 120m (400 ft) high, an equivalent to a 40-story modern building. This made it the first lighthouse in the world and the tallest man-made structure on Earth for centuries. In 1183 this is how it was described by an Arab traveler Ibn Jubayr: “Description of it falls short, the eyes fail to comprehend it, and words are inadequate, so vast is the spectacle.”

Supposedly a colossal statue of Poseidon surmounted the top of the Pharos but it disappeared over time. What was certain was that the statues found at the foot of the Lighthouse, were portraits of King Ptolemy ΙΙ. Roman coins depicting the Pharos, show a statue of a triton at each of the building’s four corners. But what actually makes for a mystery, is that the amount of complete statues discovered (some 26 sphinxes of different size, age and material), and that they were found to come from earlier eras than the lighthouse. This could lead to the speculation of a number of things. The statues used in the construction of the Pharos were recycles from older buildings, mostly coming from the Nile Delta and Heliopolis (which was destroyed at the time of the Greek Ptolemies). Some scientists also believe that the Pharos was part of a great complex, and that it may have had a more significant civic and religious function; that not all the statues surmounted the building, but may have stood on a lower level.

The Pharos was not built in a purely Greek style as so often portrayed, simply because the Greeks had no experience in building with granite plus they would have had to use local labor. 20 km (12 miles) east of Alexandria, in the town of Abu Qir, to this day stands a scaled-down replica of the Pharos at just 20 meters (66 ft) high. Known as Burg el-Arab, it too was constructed during the reign of Ptolemy ΙΙ (285-246 BC), although its mid-section was hexagonal (contrary to the octagonal mid-section of the Pharos). The architectural significance of the three-stage design of the Pharos is further reflected centuries later in the design of the minarets in many early Islamic mosques.

Apparently the Lighthouse was such a spectacle at the time it became a touristic attraction. Food was sold to visitors at the observation platform at the top of the first level. And for those who wanted to make the additional climb to a balcony at the top of the octagonal tower were rewarded with an impressive view, as it was probably 90m (300 ft) above the sea. There were few places in the ancient world where a person could ascend a man-made tower to get such a perspective.

Earthquakes finally got the better of the Pharos Lighthouse. Recorded by classic and Arab writers were twenty-two earthquakes of significant strength that shook Alexandria. Restorations undertaken by Arab rulers, the last to be ordered by the famous Sultan, Salah el-Din (Saladin) allowed the Lighthouse to survive into the 14th century. The Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta, visiting Alexandria in 1326, recorded that he was able to climb the ramp to the entrance of the Pharos, but on his return in 1349, this was impossible as the lighthouse was already in ruins.

On the 8th of August, 1303, a violent earthquake brought an end to what remained standing of the Seventh wonder of the ancient world. A century later the Mamluk Sultan Qait Bey built a fort on the site of the Pharos, which still stands there today. Some of the fallen masonry was incorporated in the building of the fort.

Aired on February 27, 2007 the Nova program chronicled the underwater discovery of the fabled Pharos lighthouse. There are plans to make this archeological site assessable to amateur divers to experience the beauty of these antiquities underwater. And until they do, this link will take you to a series of videos on the Nova site, to watch the extensive efforts undertaken to map the underwater site and recover some of its treasures out of the water. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sunken/clips/)