The best trip in life is that you find a long-lost feeling in a strange place, and you have gained this touch.
Egypt was once one of the four ancient civilizations of the dream. A unified slave state in 3100 BC; conquered by the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Macedonian, and Roman empires from the 11th to 1st centuries BC; incorporated into the Eastern Roman Empire in the 4th-7th centuries AD; and an Arab invasion in the mid-7th century AD, becoming part of the Arab Empire and continuing to this day. Its existence has always been full of historical and cultural colors.
↑ Sphinx
I am very fortunate to be able to step on this land one day, learn about the history of this place, and follow me to see the amazing Egyptian culture
geographical location
Located in the east of North Africa, Egypt's territory includes the Sinai Peninsula east of the Suez Canal and the southwestern tip of Asia, which is a land transportation fortress between Asia and Africa, and a shortcut to the sea route between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The most unique thing about Egypt is the geographical location of this land.
↑ Nile (Aswan section)
The birthplace of ancient Egyptian civilization, the Nile, which existed like a mother's life, is the only freshwater resource here. At night, you can lie on the deck of the cruise ship and count the stars. Gusts of the evening wind of the Nile, accompanied by ancient songs, hovering over the Nile...
↑ Nubians
Most of Egypt is a low plateau at an altitude of 100-700 meters, with hilly mountains along the Red Sea coast and the Sinai Peninsula. Deserts and semi-deserts account for 95% of the country. The Western Libyan Desert, which accounts for two-thirds of the country's area, and part of the Sahara Desert. To the east, there are the Arabian Deserts, with bare rocky mounds of the Boulder Desert River.
↑ Sahara Desert
Life in the desert is lonely, as Sanmao wrote: "Long enclosed in this town with only one street, like a man with a broken leg, and living in an alley without an exit, the same days, no excessive happiness, no sorrow." ”
↑ Silhouette of the Bedouin living environment
The sunset of the Sahara Desert is indeed an endless loneliness. Even if there are more and more tourists, only the figures that rush by are left. Just like the Bedouin people who live here, they have spent their lives weaving and living with the desert. Just like the warp and weft on the loom, every horse is woven over the years, and the color is a monotonous appearance.
Egyptian cuisine
Egypt is an extremely water-scarce country. How dehydrated is it? The tour guide told us that the only way to distinguish between the poor and the rich in Egypt was to see whose home had greenery.
When we went to Egypt, we also followed the customs and received only one bottle of mineral water every day. Dry and hot weather, there is no excess water in the body, and it is also a luxury to want to sweat. However, strangely enough, in such a dry place with little water, the food is particularly salty!
(Ha Mama Hamaam)
Hamaam is a very traditional egyptian dish, that is, roasted pigeon, first wheat, rice, spices and even crushed lamb liver stuffed in the body of the pigeon, and then grilled with charcoal, with meat and bone to eat together, fat and lean, crisp and delicious, deeply loved by Egyptians. Egyptian men love to enjoy this dish very much, saying that it is a symbol of strength. This statement is also impossible to understand.
In such a hot country, the temperature can reach more than 40 degrees in the middle of the winter, but it is pregnant with Egypt's number one sweet drink - sugarcane juice.
(Enthusiastic hand over sugarcane juice)
Although it is hot, the water quality and soil quality of Egypt are very good, and the white sugarcane produced is very good, and it is specially used to make sucrose. Squeezed into drinking juice, the taste is also sweet but not greasy. A glass of sugarcane juice pours into the heart, just like the enthusiasm that overflows on the face. The simplest smile is the most innocent expression.
Although Egypt has a world-famous resort in Hurghada on the Red Sea, seafood is a luxury for local residents. Seafood salvaged from the local area is expensive, and Egyptians are not blessed to enjoy it, and only European travelers who come here can taste fresh. Most of the seafood that is truly served by Egyptians is imported from China.
A bowl of fresh seafood soup containing a whole crab, various types of shellfish and shrimp. And the staple food, of course, is indispensable to the Egyptian characteristics - a whole grilled fish. The traditional Egyptian way of cooking is unique, but it can perfectly wrap the food. Perhaps this is the same as the country of Egypt, with a rough surface and a delicate inside.
At night, we did not abide by the agreement not to go out at night, and broke into the city of this night. Like the locals, I sat in a roadside coffee shop.
The coffee shop here does not have a wide variety of coffees, only 2 drinks: Egyptian coffee and lemon mint tea. Egyptian coffee in white cups, only about half a cup is liquid, the rest are solid. Pretending to be calm, he took a sip of coffee, full of dusty smell... Thanks to local friends who have told us that in this great country, it is not surprising that you see anything.
Such small shops are all over the streets. Even in the middle of the rolling red dust road, the dust that flutters in the sky is only a modification. Vaguely see the cozy lifting of the coffee cup. Perhaps, the life of the Egyptians is stored in this small cup of coffee
Khan Harley Market
In the heart of the old city of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, there is a market called Khan Khalili, which has been the largest and most important market in Cairo for hundreds of years. The shops here have a strong Arabian flair, and many have a long history, dating back to the 14th century. It is a popular place for travelers from all over the world, and it is a pleasure to visit here.
The bustling crowd is a part of life, and it is a part of life. The merchants on both sides of the street, enthusiastically holding out their hands to you.
pyramid
Buildings that shake ancient and modern times like the Great Wall of China must belong to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The 10 pyramids of Giza in Egypt are one of the Seven Wonders of Antiquity. Towering above the desert on both sides of the Nile, they are the tallest architectural achievement of the ancient Egyptian period.
↑ Pyramids of Giza
The triangular building was as authoritative as the sun god in ancient Egyptian history. Only the Egyptian pharaohs who were high above could enjoy the path to rebirth in the afterlife. The spikes pierce into the blue sky, like a staircase.
Egyptian temples
If the beautiful Nile is like a long bead chain on Egypt, it is a thousand-year-old temple that carries Egypt's splendid ancient civilization, and it is a jewel on the bead chain. There were many temples built in Egypt because they believed in reincarnation, the afterlife. It seems to be searching, more like waiting, wandering.
"With a charming face, I have seduced thousands of sentient beings. I don't know that I already have a person in my heart, but I can only miss it endlessly. The orb you gave me, I carry with me, only because I can see your figure. ”
Even King Ramses II, who has won the world's reputation, has lived for more than 90 years, and he cannot give up this attachment in this worldly dust, and he and his wife are on the road of reincarnation, guarding each other.
Abu Simbel Temple
Abu Simbel is located on the west bank of the Nile, about 300 km upstream of Aswan. Construction of the temple complex began around 1284 BC and took about 20 years until 1264 BC.
This magnificent building is known as the "Temple of Ramses, the beloved of Amun", and was one of the six stone temples built in Nubia by Ramses II for his most beloved wife, Nefertari, during his reign.
The Grand Temple is dedicated to Ramses II, the sun god, and other gods. At the entrance to the temple is a seated statue of Ramses II, one of the four statues broken.
The Temple of Abu Simbel and its carvings are a display of the supreme power of the pharaoh, so the pharaoh's face is solemnly majestic and realistic. Legend has it that standing in front of the temple in the evening, the sound of the pharaoh's whining can be heard, adding a touch of mystery to it.
Temple of Konompo
Kon Ompo, an important defensive point on the banks of the middle reaches of the Nile, has the only symmetrical double temple in Egypt, which enshrines Horus, the eagle head of the god of justice, and Sobek, the crocodile head of the god of creation.
According to the tour guide, here is a synthesis of two temples, the ancient temple has a history of 5,000 years, and the last Ptolemaic dynasty in ancient Egypt, on the basis of the original ancient temple, spent nearly 300 years to build the temple, there are nearly 3,000 years of history, after the Roman rule after the pharaonic dynasty, this temple has been under construction, so this temple is a mixture of ancient Egypt and Greco-Roman style.
Temple of Edfu
Depart Cononpo and follow the Nile and continue our ancient Egyptian journey along the Nile Temples. Located on the west bank of the Nile, 123 km from Aswan is the Edford Temple, the best city on the Nile. The Nile flooded without causing it damage, and the Temple of Edfu is the best-preserved temple in Egypt.
The temple is dedicated to Horus, the god of the sky with an eagle head, so the Temple of Edfu is also called the Temple of Horus. The wall carvings on the western inner wall of the temple depict the great war between the two gods - according to Egyptian mythology, Seth killed Osiris, who brought civilization to the Egyptians, Osiris's son Horus, in revenge for his father, fought set in Idfu, and finally Horus succeeded in killing Seth, so Edef became a place of worship for Horus; and the Egyptians celebrated Horus's victory over Seth every year.
Today's Temple of Edfu, the inner chambers were badly destroyed. The Arabs invaded Egypt, and in order to imprison and dominate the mind, all religions other than Islam were destroyed. However, they did not expect that this heavy mark left in history would not be eroded by any long river.
Karnak Temple
Next up is the largest temple in Egypt, the Karnak Temple. The karnak temple gives people the feeling of exaggeration, not to mention the huge and heavy tower gate, the statue is tall and tall, even the 134 columns in the multi-pillar hall, the height is 22 meters, and each "blooming" lotus pillar can stand more than 100 people.
The most amazing thing is the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, which is 30 meters high and weighs 320 tons, and it is not known how it separated from the mountain mass of Aswan and how it was erected at the Karnak Temple.
In the morning, the red sunlight seems to come from the obelisk in the Karnak Temple. Light climbed through the tall tower gates, first the large lotus columns "blooming" in the red-colored multi-pillar hall, and then projected on the temple of Ramses III. Predictably, in a few moments, the sunlight will move to the neatly arranged sphinx head—one of the incarnations of Amun-Ray, and under each sphinx stands a small pharaoh, who looks from a distance as if he were receiving god's blessing.
Great Egypt, Historic Egypt! There are still many areas that we haven't explored and haven't explored, so we'll see you next time if we have the chance!