Tourist Attractions & Monuments Egypt

Here you are at one of Egypt's most famous sites, and you're in for a thrill...
Jean-François Champollion wrote: "At last I went to the palace, or rather the city of monuments, at Karnak. There appeared to me all the magnificence of the Pharaohs, all that men have imagined and executed of the greatest. (...) All that I had admired with enthusiasm on the left bank, seemed to me miserable in comparison with the gigantic conceptions with which I was surrounded... Suffice it to say that we in Europe are no more than Lilliputians, and that no people, ancient or modern, has conceived the art of architecture on so sublime a scale, so broad, so grandiose, as did the ancient Egyptians."

Its grandiose dimensions (around 1.5 km long and 700 m wide) and the tangle of its buildings make it look more like a city than a simple temple! The temple was the world's largest religious complex, and the site originated on a sacred spot, the sacred hill, from which, according to the ancient Egyptians, the world was built. Several pharaohs sought to build temples in their own image, and the complex was extended many times. Recent developments have sought to restore the relationship between the first pylon and the Theban mountain; the trees have been cut down, and in their place an immense pavement of polished granite has been laid...

Karnak as a whole, vast, dense and bushy, cannot be revealed at a glance. In itself, it would deserve a place that would exceed the limits of this guide. For this reason, we strongly advise amateurs to enlist the services of a qualified guide. As for the others, they should let their gaze linger on these innumerable wonders as they please, without trying to see and understand everything, as this is impossible in just one or a few hours.

The temple is made up of several distinctsections: Montu (in ruins) to the north, Mut to the south and, between the two, the great temple of Amun, by far the most interesting part.

In front of the first pylon, preceded by sphinxes, was the original landing stage, of which two ramps remain. This first pylon, never completed, was one of the last constructions undertaken at Karnak. All the pylons you'll come across on your way were, at one time or another, the outer limits of the complex, which were constantly being extended.

In the main courtyard, on your left, the small temple of Sety II is dedicated to the Amun-Mut-Khonsu triad, which at the time of its construction was outside the enclosure. To the right is the temple of Ramses III, with some very realistic bas-reliefs on the walls.

Oncepast the second pylon , a forest of 134 columns appears. It's a titanic work, begun under Amenophis III. This pharaoh was responsible for the erection of the twelve columns of the central nave (23 m high and with capitals able to accommodate more than forty people standing!). Successive kings, notably Seti ^I and Ramses II, completed the beautiful edifice. The hall (102 m x 53 m) originally had a ceiling.

Between the third and fourth pylons lies the court of Amenophis III. Only one of the four obelisks, once in place, remains. Turning right, you enter a courtyard known as "the hiding place", where phenomenal quantities of stone and bronze statuettes (over ten thousand in all) were found, deposited there by the priests. It was unthinkable to destroy a representation of a god or his son, Pharaoh. The next courtyard contains the base of an impressively large obelisk, measuring 3.20 m on each side (Hatshepsut's obelisk measures "only" 2.60 m). To your left, against the backdrop of the sound and light stages, the greenish waters of the sacred lake, where ritual navigations took place, shimmer. You can't help but stop in front of the large scarab carved into the granite, dedicated to the god Atoum-Khepri.

Beyond the fourth pylon, an obelisk erected by Queen Hatshepsut towers 30 m above the surrounding buildings. Originally, there were two obelisks, their tops covered in gold.

Beyond the sixth and final pylon, a small courtyard gives access to the sanctuary, preceded by two imposing pink granite pillars decorated with the emblems of Lower and Upper Egypt.

The sanctuary, also in granite, was built quite late under Philip Arrhidaios (323). It served as a resting place for sacred boats. The next courtyard (former site of the primitive sanctuary, of which nothing remains) leads to the festival hall of Thoutmes III. Transformed into a church by the Christians, one of its few pillars still bears traces of ancient paintings. The best-known of the solar halls is the "botanical garden", with its exotic flowers and animals.

Adjacent to the northern enclosure is the small temple of Ptah built by Thutmes III, one of whose three sanctuaries houses a black granite statue of Sekhmet.

The great temple of Abu Simbel was the brainchild of Ramses II. It took almost 20 years to build it out of the rock, and from it emerged this major architectural masterpiece of antiquity. It is dedicated to Amun-Ra, the most powerful god of the Theban cult, to Ra-Harakhty, who dominates the Heliopolitan cult, to Ptah, the center of the Memphis cult, and to Ramses II, the deified god.

The politico-religious significance of this temple is monumental, as if Pharaoh wanted to bring together here the three Egyptian cults, each of which had its hour of glory. He himself, by divinizing himself, as is his right since he is the successor to Ra, who was succeeded by Shu, then Gheb, then Osiris, then Horus, then Pharaoh, whose cycle continues up to him, son of Seti ^I, of the ^19th dynasty, victorious in so many victories over his enemies, and builder of so many temples dedicated to the cult of his successor, Ra.

The temple's façade is preceded by 4 monumental statues of Ramses II seated, accompanied by his beloved wife, Nefertari, his mother, Mouttouy, and his sons and daughters. They reach heights of over 20 m. In the niche surmounting the temple entrance, the falcon-headed Ra-Harakhty stands erect, surmounted by the solar globe. A frieze of baboons completes the upper part of the façade.

A short corridor leads into the first hypostyle hall, supported by eight Osirid statues in the guise of Ramses II. On the left, they wear the white crown of Upper Egypt, on the right the double crown of the united country. The walls magnify royal victories, particularly that of Qadesh over the Hittites.

This leads into a second hypostyle hall with 4 square pillars, where Pharaoh presents offerings to the major deities of the Egyptian pantheon. A vestibule follows this hall into the sanctuary, where four seated statues stand impassively awaiting today's visitor, the priest of Amun in Pharaoh's time. These are the three major gods of the three cults and that of Ramses II.

Various chambers cut into the rock expand the ten-room temple, decorated with bas-reliefs in different colors. The axis of the temple doorway to the sanctuary was designed so that the sun would strike the statues on October 22 and February 22 of each year to celebrate festivities dear to Ramses II.

You can also visit the modern structure that backs onto the temple, which was cut up and assembled here when it was moved prior to the construction of the Aswan Dam. The contrast is interesting.

The façade of the temple dedicated to Hathor and Ramses II's wife, Nefertari, once again expresses the desire to show the closeness of Pharaoh and the gods, but this time by elevating the royal wife to an unusual level. While Pharaoh is represented four times on the façade by monumental Osirid statues wearing the double crown, Nefertari is given two statues of the same height, whereas she was usually depicted smaller, in accordance with the canons of Egyptian statuary. In the large temple next door, Pharaoh's mother, sons and daughters are represented by statues no taller than their parents' hips.

The interior of the temple consists of a hypostyle hall supported by six pillars with hathoric capitals. On the walls, the royal wife offers gifts to the goddess, who takes on the features of either a woman or a cow, notably on a boat when Nefertari offers her papyrus. The ceiling is adorned with two different sets of royal epithets. On the left, the queen is described as follows: "The King of Upper and Lower Egypt Usermastra Setepenra, his beloved, the royal wife Nefertari Meremut, beloved of Hathor, endowed with life". The vestibule is accessed via three doors, and leads to two side chambers and the sanctuary, where a statue of Hathor in the guise of a cow emerging from the mountain is enthroned in its niche.

St. Catherine's Monastery, also known as the Monastery of the Transfiguration, is a magnificent complex perched at 1,570 m above sea level. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the oldest monasteries in the world still in use, and certainly one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. Almost all of its walls date back to its construction, ordered by Emperor Justinian (in 527). The monastery was intended to protect hermits from looters. The architect Ailisios, in charge of the work, chose a site where a chapel marked the location of the bush-ardent. To avoid destroying it, he incorporated it into the construction of a new church and protected the whole complex with a powerful wall 2.6 m thick, thus creating both a monastery and a fortress. It is said that Ailisios was condemned to death and executed for not placing the monastery on top of Mount Moses. His choice proved wise, however, as the monastery withstood looting, wear and tear and earthquakes. Two hundred families from Macedonia, Romania, Egypt and Arabia were dispatched to protect the monks and provide the stewardship. From the ^8th and ^9th centuries onwards, the descendants of these families converted en masse to Islam, and today form a very specific and localized tribe, the Jebelyeh (mountain people). Although Muslim, they recognize the spiritual authority of the Archbishop of Sainte-Catherine.

Throughout their existence, edicts (some signed by august hands, such as those of the Prophet Mohammed or General Bonaparte, to name but the most famous) have protected the monks, and only the Bedouins have had any difficulty in respecting them. The greatest threat came from Egypt in the ^11th century, when the Caliph Hakim came to the valley with the intention of razing the monastery to the ground. This fanatical ruler had already destroyed numerous Christian buildings. This time, however, he gave up in extremis, in exchange for a mosque to be built on the monastery's grounds. During the Egyptian campaign, Bonaparte had some parts of the enclosure restored, including the north-facing wall. The opening of an entrance door eliminated the need for the wooden elevator that had previously been the only means of access inside the walls. The wooden gallows and pulley are still visible.

Around a third of the building is open to the public. You'll see the basilica, the oldest parts of which date back to the ^6th century. In addition to its 12 massive granite columns representing the 12 apostles, it is rich in superb icons... The Transfiguration Mosaic is remarkable: created in memory of Justinian's wife, its 500,000 pieces date back to the ^6th century. Pierre Loti described his moving visit thus: "The two leaves of a cedar door carved 1,300 years ago are opened before us, and we enter into the astonishment of this unique place in the world... The view, at first, is dazzled and disconcerted by the profusion of chandeliers, silver lamps... One feels plunged into a naïve and magnificent past, so distant and yet so present that it worries the mind..."

The burning bush is located outside the church, in front of the apse. In 2000, Pope John Paul II paid his first visit to Coptic Orthodox lands. The chapel of the bush-ardent, located behind the church choir, is considered the most sacred place in the entire monastery. The altar is erected on the roots of the bush, making it the most sacred place in the monastery. Like Moses, you must take off your shoes before entering.

What you won't be able to see: the treasure trove of gifts from devotees (gold chalices, candlesticks, bishop's crosses and crosses...); the mosque, refectory, icon collection... (there are said to be over 2,000); the library, considered the second largest in the world after the Vatican in terms of manuscripts and incunabula. It contains over 32,000 manuscripts, most of them written or copied by the monks of the monastery over the centuries (visit available on request). In order to preserve its archives, the Monastery has undertaken the digitization of all its documents. Don't be surprised if you don't hear the nine bells donated by the Russian Church: they only ring on feast days. Every day, a wooden bell punctuates the day.

The monastery's community is made up of around twenty monks, under the leadership of their abbot, whose particularity in the Orthodox world is that he is autocephalous (an independent head). Indeed, since an imperial decree gave them this privilege, the monastery's abbot is subject to no higher jurisdiction than his own. Belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church, whose patriarch has, in principle, no authority over the monastery's abbot.

An ossuary is located outside the enclosure. These are the remains of the monks who died in the monastery. So as not to waste the little arable land they had, the monks had only a very small cemetery. They were buried here and, a few decades later, their bones were deposited in this room. The ossuary was closed to visitors in 2020.

According to the religions of the Book, it was perched on the summit of this mountain that Moses received the Tables of the Law. Some climb it out of faith, whether Christian or Jewish, while others do it for the sheer pleasure of it. Whatever your motivation, the steep path to the summit is breathtakingly beautiful and the final panorama breathtaking. Allow between 2 and 3 hours for the climb. Sunrise and sunset are two particularly famous and... crowd-pleasing moments. For many, it remains a unique experience, but you won't be alone. You can also sleep under the stars at the top of Mount Moses, bearing in mind that it's very cold in winter and snow is not uncommon. Beware of falling on steps made slippery by frost. In summer, many people spend the night at the summit, making it necessary to "mark" your place, but the atmosphere remains friendly and relaxed. In high season, those who prefer a quieter pace will prefer to make the ascent mid-morning, when the site deserted by visitors has regained its calm and natural splendor. Remember to bring enough water, however, as the thermometer climbs very quickly.

For the first part of the ascent, you can choose between two paths that meet 20 minutes from the summit: either the camel track (gently sloping, up to the junction), which is customary on the way up, or the steps (around 300), which are best taken on the way down. In both cases, the path is clear and marked by plastic bottles (on the right, a little to the rear of the monastery, the route of the steps; straight ahead, on a wide strip of earth, the camel trail). At the top is a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity and a mosque built over the grotto in which Moses stayed for 40 days. To the north, in the foreground, the Freiah massif and, much further back, the immense Tih plateau, so feared by the Bedouins for its lack of water. To the east, the Gulf of Aqaba and, on a clear day, the foothills of Saudi Arabia, another world. To the south-west, the huge, superb mass of Mount Sainte-Catherine (2,637 m). You may even catch a glimpse of the chapel on the horizon.

There is one precondition for this climb: you must be accompanied by a local guide. If you're carrying a heavy load, you can also hire a camel.