Egypt Highlights

There are many things to see in Cairo – the pyramids, the museums, the mosques, etc. Here are a few highlights that mark the classics of Cairo:

Copyright 2007 Helen Wang

The Egyptian Museum is a must-see for anyone who visits Egypt for the first time. It exhibits more than 120,000 artifacts throughout history. The most impressive exhibition is the items from King Tut’s tomb, which is the most complete pharaonic tomb ever found. Through viewing the burial treasures, I got a glimpse of Egypt’s glorious ancient civilization.

Copyright 2007 Helen Wang

About thirty miles south of Cairo is Memphis – the first capital of Egypt established in 3100 BC, when the North and South Egypt was first united as one country. Today, not much is left of this once “prosperous city and cosmopolitan center” except a small museum where a broken statue of Ramses II is laid to rest.

Copyright 2007 Helen Wang

Not too far from Memphis is Saqqara, also known as “city of the dead.” It was a burial site for the kings and queens of Egypt for over 3,000 years. An important monument in Saqqara is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the prototype for the Great Pyramid and other pyramids in Egypt. The knowledge of building pyramids was developed by the architect Imhotep almost five thousand years ago. Not before, nor since, have such structures been created.

Copyright 2007 Helen Wang

Another monument of Cairo is The Citadel – home to Egypt’s rulers for 700 years. The centerpiece of The Citadel is a Turkish style mosque dedicated to Mohammed Ali, an Albanian who ruled Egypt in the 19^th century. Unfortunately, Egypt’s glorious civilization was followed by waves of foreign invasions. In the past two thousand years, Egypt has been ruled by many foreigners such as Persians, Greeks, Romans, Turks, etc., until 1952 when it finally declared its sovereignty again.

Copyright 2007 Helen Wang

I really like Alexandria – a city 200 kilometers north of Cairo on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. The city has many historic sites and legendary stories, such as Queen Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, her marriage to the most powerful man of the Roman Empire Julius Caesar, and her Romeo-and-Juliet-type love story with Mark Antony. I am fascinated and intrigued to learn more….