Saturday, 22 March 2014
Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Egypt sport holidays
What Kind of Sports?
Egypt isn’t all about dead Pharaohs and holy
lands. You can also find luxury tours that
highlight sports! In fact, ancient Egypt was very into sports even thousands of
years ago. Some of the most common sports back in the day included gymnastics,
javelin throwing, swimming, rowing, weight lifting and marathon running. These
sports are still represented today by way of resorts that feature gyms, sports
courts, swimming pools and diving centers.
Scuba Diving and Golfing
You can find many guided tours that showcase scuba diving
activities for the whole family, whether you are a beginning or experienced
swimmer. There are also numerous golf courses, such as the Mena House Golf
Course, and the Royal Valley at Luxor, as well as tennis courts at the finest
luxury hotels.
An even better region of Egypt for sports and private tours is Dahab. Though originally a Bedouin village, Dahab has evolved into a tourist-friendly paradisiacal area for scuba divers and windsurfers. It is well liked because of its high winds and very modern facilities. Along with surfing and diving, the area also gives you the opportunity to go mountain biking, kite surfing and sailing.
Hurghada is a very popular city and offers more water sports, golf and even casinos than most other Egyptian cities.
Many tourists state that though you can rent diving equipment from your hotel or diving center, you may want to bring your own snorkel and mask for hygienic reasons. After all, thousands of people have put their face and lips on these rented items, which might make you feel a bit germophobic! Tourists are also advised to bring sun block and light clothing.
An even better region of Egypt for sports and private tours is Dahab. Though originally a Bedouin village, Dahab has evolved into a tourist-friendly paradisiacal area for scuba divers and windsurfers. It is well liked because of its high winds and very modern facilities. Along with surfing and diving, the area also gives you the opportunity to go mountain biking, kite surfing and sailing.
Hurghada is a very popular city and offers more water sports, golf and even casinos than most other Egyptian cities.
Many tourists state that though you can rent diving equipment from your hotel or diving center, you may want to bring your own snorkel and mask for hygienic reasons. After all, thousands of people have put their face and lips on these rented items, which might make you feel a bit germophobic! Tourists are also advised to bring sun block and light clothing.
Camel Riding...
Another popular activity is camel riding, a
popular though unofficial “sport” that many tourists love, given the rarity of
a camel in western civilization.
Fishing and Trekking
Fishing is certainly an exciting sport and most
areas along the Nile River will accommodate your for fishing activities, as
well as Lake Nasser just south of the city of Aswan. While the Nile River is
the best river for fishing, the Red Sea is the best location for scuba diving.
Last but not least, check out Sinai. Though this isolated region is mainly for
historical value, trekking land tours are still tremendous fun.
There are numerous budget tours and more expensive day tours that cater to your love of sports. Egypt’s charms may be in its history, but it certainly brings a thrill to active vacationers who want to play as hard as they work.
There are numerous budget tours and more expensive day tours that cater to your love of sports. Egypt’s charms may be in its history, but it certainly brings a thrill to active vacationers who want to play as hard as they work.
Look At Egypt Tours (REAL EGYPT): EGYPT DESERT SAFARI
Look At Egypt Tours (REAL EGYPT): EGYPT DESERT SAFARI: White Desert Safari Camping Egypt White Desert Safari Tours 2 days/1 night Day 1: White desert Departure from Cairo at 7:30 am for...
EGYPT DESERT SAFARI
White Desert Safari Camping
Egypt White Desert Safari Tours
2 days/1 night
Day 1: White desert
Departure from Cairo at 7:30 am for a 365 km trip to Baharia
Oasis, lunch in Baharia Oasis Proceed to visit the wonderful area the white
desert passing from Mushroom valley and ice cream valley you will be able to
take sunset photos from the new white desert and have barbeques dinner with
Bedouin tea over night in a camp.
Day 2:
Enjoy the light Breakfast after the sunrise, driving by jeep
to cross the sand dunes towards the black desert to visit the divided mountain
then driving towards el Zogag mountain. The top of this mountain has a very
nice view to all of the black desert after that depart the black desert then
drive to visit the crystal mountain.
Drive back to Cairo.
Western Desert Safari Tour 2
El Bahariya Oasis - Black & White Desert
3 days/2 night
Day 1: El Baharia Oasis
Depart
from Cairo for a 4 hour drive (385 km) to the old town of El Baharia Oasis
Bawiti. Overnight in hotel.
Day 2: White desert
After
breakfast full day tour at El Baharia Oasis monuments. Visit the Museum of
Golden mummies the temple of Alexander the Great, Ain El Maftella and the tomb
of Bannintue, and the crystal mountain. Lunch then drive back to White Desert
to enjoy the fabulous landscapes of sand dunes, the wind carved chalk cliff and
see the transformation of black and white desert.
Overnight camping at the white desert.
Overnight camping at the white desert.
Day 3:
Breakfast
then transfer back to Cairo
Western Desert Safari Tour 4
- Cairo
- Alexandria
- Siwa
- Bahariya
- Farafra
- Cairo
- 6 days/5 night
·
Day 1:
·
Early pick up and
transfer from Cairo to Alexandria to start full day tour visiting the Greco
Roman museum, Catacomb of Kom El Shoqafa, the Montazah Gardens and Alexandria
library.
Overnight in Alexandria.
Overnight in Alexandria.
·
Day 2:
Day 2:
·
After breakfast, we leave
Alexandria behind, we arrive to Alamein 60-km. There we visit the WWII Museum and
the war memorial. (Lunch en route) Moving on, we pass by Marsa Matruh. Upon
reaching Siwa 300-km, we tour the old Siwan village of Shali, Dinner.
Overnight Camping.
Overnight Camping.
·
Day 3:
Day 3:
·
After breakfast drive to
Dakhla Oasis and on the way pass by the Farafra to reach Dakhla Oasis. On the
way visit the picturesque village of El Qasr and Deir El Hagar. Visit the Roman
burial Ground of Mozawaka then drive to the painted rock at the yallew desert
to enjoy the camel rock.
Overnight camping.
Overnight camping.
·
Day 4:
Day 4:
·
After breakfast we head
off road on a 450-km journey to Bahariya Oasis. We pass by Bahrein, Nawemisa
and Sitra Oases. Lunch en route, we pass through magnificent sand dunes of the
Great Sand Sea. Upon reaching Bahariya oasis, we check in our hotel, after dinner
we go off road to bathe in the hot spring under the stars,
Overnight camping.
Overnight camping.
·
Day 5:
Day 5:
·
After breakfast, we tour
the city; visit the temple of Alexander the great, the tombs of the nobles, the
golden mummies and the English mountain. Lunch en route, on reaching the White
Desert 160-km on/off road, we start exploring the formations, the wind carved
sculptors that resemble both human and animal faces. We explore the formations
that resemble the surface of a different planet.
Dinner, Overnight Camping in Farafra.
Dinner, Overnight Camping in Farafra.
·
Day 6:
Day 6:
·
After breakfast we go
on/off road to the black desert and the dune area. We start our climb of a
50meter dune. On route to Bahariya we visit the crystal mountain and the area
of the wonders with the desert roses and the arch. After lunch we head towards Cairo
370-km.
Egypt day tour
Egypt Day Tours, Egypt Sight Seeing
Tours and Excursions
·
Half Day Tour Pyramids.
·
Private tour Memphis and
Sakkara.
·
Private Tour of Egyptian
Museum, Giza Pyramids and Sphinx.
·
Private tour Memphis
Sakkara the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx.
·
Private tour Egyptian
Musuem, Citadel, and Bazaars.
·
Private Tour of Sultan
Hassan, Bazaars and Citadel of Salah el Din.
·
Private Tour of Coptic
Cairo - The Hanging Church, Abu Serga and Ben Ezra.
·
Private Day tour
Alexandria.
·
Over day Trip from Cairo
to visit Luxor By Air.
·
Private Day Tour to
Fayoum.
·
Private tour to Pharaonic
Village.
·
Cairo sound and light
Show the Pyramids Plateau.
·
Dinner Cruise with belly
dancer and folklore show.
·
Cairo City Tour by Bus
and River Nile motor boat.
·
Full Day High Dam,
Unfinished Oblisk, Philae Temple.
·
Abu Simbel Temple Tour by
Plane.
·
Abu Simble Tour by Bus.
·
Sound & Light Show at
Philae Temple.
·
Half Day Botanical Garden
and Elephantine Island.
·
Half Day Tour Aswan -
Nubian Museum.
·
Half Day Tour Aswan to
Kalabsha Temple.
·
Sound and Light Show At
Abu Simbel.
·
Private Half Day West
Bank Tour.
·
Private Half Day East
Bank Tour.
·
Private Half Day Tour of
Luxor Museum.
·
Luxor Sound and Light
Show - Karnak Temple.
·
Hot Air Balloon over the
West Bank.
·
Half Day tour by bus to
Dendara.
·
Full Day Nile Cruise to
Dendra.
·
Full Day sightseeing
Abydos & Dandara.
·
Under Water trip by
Sindbad Submarine.
·
Glass Bottom sea cruise.
·
Bedouin BBQ dinner.
·
Morning Desert Safari
Trip by Quad bike.
·
City tour Hurghada.
·
Fantasia 1001 Show at Alf
Leila we Leila.
·
Giftun Island Full Day
snorkeling trip.
·
Full Day trip from
Hurghada to Luxor by Car.
·
Group Day trip from Hurghada
to Luxor by Bus.
·
Overnight trip to luxor.
·
Over Day trip from
Hurghada to Cairo by Bus Features: ( Egyptian Museum and the pyramids of Giza).
·
Private day tour from
Hurghada to Cairo Features: (Egyptian Museum, the pyramids).
·
Day Trip From Hurghada to
Cairo (Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, Khan El Khalili) by Plane.
·
Over Night Trip from
Hurghada to Cairo by Bus.
·
Tiran Island snorkeling
cruise.
·
Snorkeling Cruise to Ras
Mohamed.
·
Full day snorkeling trip
to Shark’s Bay.
·
Full day excursion to
Nuweiba colored canyon.
·
Glass boat excursion.
·
Sun rise Moses Mountain
& St. Catherine Monastery.
·
Camel Ride & Bedouin
Tea.
·
Camel Safari with
Optional Bedouin Dinner.
·
Quad Biking in the
Egyptian Desert.
·
Over day trip from Sharm
El Sheik to Cairo By Plane Features: (Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum, Khan El
Khalili).
·
Private Tour to Cairo by
Bus.
·
Private full day tour to
Petra in Jordan.
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
mummies of ancient Egypt
The methods of embalming, or treating the dead body, that the ancient Egyptians used is called mummification. Using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay. It was important in their religion to preserve the dead body in as life-like a manner as possible. So successful were they that today we can view the mummified body of an Egyptian and have a good idea of what he or she looked like in life, 3000 years ago.
Mummification was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history. The earliest mummies from prehistoric times probably were accidental. By chance, dry sand and air (since Egypt has almost no measurable rainfall) preserved some bodies buried in shallow pits dug into the sand. About 2600 B.C., during the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties, Egyptians probably began to mummify the dead intentionally. The practice continued and developed for well over 2,000 years, into the Roman Period (ca. 30 B.C. - A.D. 364). Within any one period the quality of the mummification varied, depending on the price paid for it. The best prepared and preserved mummies are from the Eighteenth through the Twentieth Dynasties of the New Kingdom (ca. 1570 - 1075 B.C.) and include those of Tutankhamen and other well-known pharaohs. It is the general process of this period that shall be described here.
Process
The mummification process took seventy days. Special priests worked as embalmers, treating and wrapping the body. Beyond knowing the correct rituals and prayers to be performed at various stages, the priests also needed a detailed knowledge of human anatomy. The first step in the process was the removal of all internal parts that might decay rapidly. The brain was removed by carefully inserting special hooked instruments up through the nostrils in order to pull out bits of brain tissue. It was a delicate operation, one which could easily disfigure the face. The embalmers then removed the organs of the abdomen and chest through a cut usually made on the left side of the abdomen. They left only the heart in place, believing it to be the center of a person's being and intelligence. The other organs were preserved separately, with the stomach, liver, lungs, and intestines placed in special boxes or jars today called canopic jars. These were buried with the mummy. In later mummies, the organs were treated, wrapped, and replaced within the body. Even so, unused canopic jars continued to be part of the burial ritual.
The embalmers next removed all moisture from the body. This they did by covering the body with natron, a type of salt which has great drying properties, and by placing additional natron packets inside the body. When the body had dried out completely, embalmers removed the internal packets and lightly washed the natron off the body. The result was a very dried-out but recognizable human form. To make the mummy seem even more life-like, sunken areas of the body were filled out with linen and other materials and false eyes were added.
Next the wrapping began. Each mummy needed hundreds of yards of linen. The priests carefully wound the long strips of linen around the body, sometimes even wrapping each finger and toe separately before wrapping the entire hand or foot. In order to protect the dead from mishap, amulets were placed among the wrappings and prayers and magical words written on some of the linen strips. Often the priests placed a mask of the person's face between the layers of head bandages. At several stages the form was coated with warm resin and the wrapping resumed once again. At last the priests wrapped the final cloth or shroud in place and secured it with linen strips. The mummy was complete.
The priests preparing the mummy were not the only ones busy during this time. Although the tomb preparation usually had begun long before the person's actual death, now there was a deadline, and craftsmen, workers, and artists worked quickly. There was much to be placed in the tomb that a person would need in the Afterlife. Furniture and statuettes were readied; wall paintings of religious or daily scenes were prepared; and lists of food or prayers finished. Through a magical process, these models, pictures, and lists would become the real thing when needed in the Afterlife. Everything was now ready for the funeral.
The priests preparing the mummy were not the only ones busy during this time. Although the tomb preparation usually had begun long before the person's actual death, now there was a deadline, and craftsmen, workers, and artists worked quickly. There was much to be placed in the tomb that a person would need in the Afterlife. Furniture and statuettes were readied; wall paintings of religious or daily scenes were prepared; and lists of food or prayers finished. Through a magical process, these models, pictures, and lists would become the real thing when needed in the Afterlife. Everything was now ready for the funeral.
As part of the funeral, priests performed special religious rites at the tomb's entrance. The most important part of the ceremony was called the "Opening of the Mouth". A priest touched various parts of the mummy with a special instrument to "open" those parts of the body to the senses enjoyed in life and needed in the Afterlife. By touching the instrument to the mouth, the dead person could now speak and eat. He was now ready for his journey to the Afterlife. The mummy was placed in his coffin, or coffins, in the burial chamber and the entrance sealed up.
Such elaborate burial practices might suggest that the Egyptians were preoccupied with thoughts of death. On the contrary, they began early to make plans for their death because of their great love of life. They could think of no life better than the present, and they wanted to be sure it would continue after death.
But why preserve the body? The Egyptians believed that the mummified body was the home for this soul or spirit. If the body was destroyed, the spirit might be lost. The idea of "spirit" was complex involving really three spirits: the ka, ba, and akh. The ka, a "double" of the person, would remain in the tomb and needed the offerings and objects there. The ba, or "soul", was free to fly out of the tomb and return to it. And it was the akh, perhaps translated as "spirit", which had to travel through the Underworld to the Final Judgment and entrance to the Afterlife. To the Egyptian, all three were essential.
Who Was Mummified
After death, the pharaohs of Egypt usually were mummified and buried in elaborate tombs. Members of the nobility and officials also often received the same treatment, and occasionally, common people. However, the process was an expensive one, beyond the means of many.
For religious reasons, some animals were also mummified. The sacred bulls from the early dynasties had their own cemetery at Sakkara. Baboons, cats, birds, and crocodiles, which also had great religious significance, were sometimes mummified, especially in the later dynasties.
The Study of Mummies Today
Ancient writers, modern scientists, and the mummies themselves all help us better understand the Egyptian mummification process and the culture in which it existed. Much of what we know about the actual process is based on the writings of early historians such as Herodotus who carefully recorded the process during his travels to Egypt around 450 B.C. Present-day archaeologists and other specialists are adding to this knowledge. The development of x-rays now makes it possible to x-ray mummies without destroying the elaborate outer wrappings. By studying the x-rays or performing autopsies on unwrapped bodies, experts are learning more about diseases suffered by the Egyptians and their medical treatment. A better idea of average height and life span comes from studying the bones. By learning their age at death, the order and dates of the Egyptian kings becomes a little clearer. Even ties of kinship in the royal line can be suggested by the striking similarities or dissimilarities in the skulls of pharaohs that followed one another. Dead now for thousands of years, the mummy continues to speak to us.
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