Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Where to see the Wonders of Egypt

By Henry D Chester


Tourists have been heading to Egypt to see its wonders for a very long time in deed. It shows just how ancient the Pyramids and the Valley of Kings are that the Ancient Greeks and Romans visited there for sightseeing purposes - they were, after all, two thousands years old back then, as old as the Roman and Greek wonders are to us now. It's kind of mind-blowing, and typical of the truly vast expanse of history that Egypt's great wonders cover.

Alexandria has a number of great historical features. It was a city founded on the spot where Alexander the Great's conquests ended, and as such showed Greek architecture at its best. In the ancient world it held one of the seven wonders - the great lighthouse of Alexandria, which was said to be visible 300km away, but sadly fell into ruin, and also the greatest library in the world, which was unfortunately burnt down in the early middle ages, taking from us some works of incredible value. But enough sad stories - there's still a great deal that survives in Alexandria, including incredible catacombs for the tomb raider in you, and the beautiful Quaytbay Fortress.

Many tourists know the wonder of Cairo. It's a city which beautifully blends modern comfort with incredible historical sites. Heading a taxi-ride's distance out of Cairo brings you in touch with the best known of tourist attractions: The Pyramids. The site at Giza is incredibly old, with pyramids dating back 4000 years. You might not be able to climb on the structures themselves, but the area is very tourist friendly. You might even get a camel ride out of it if you're lucky.

Another place of similar historical wealth to Giza is the Valley of the Kings. Here you'll find the wonders of a network of temples and tombs which housed great kings of the ancient world. It's famously the site where Toutenkamon's relics were unearthed by Howard Carter, and you can still enter a limited number of tombs today.

So it's easy to see why Egypt is renowned for places of interest. Just make sure you've got plenty of space for pictures.




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