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  • Al-Hakim be Aamr Ellah Mosque

    Mosque of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah

    Al-Hakim Amr Allah Mosque, located on Al-Moez Street in Old Cairo, is a prominent Fatimid landmark and the fourth oldest surviving mosque in Egypt. Built in 380 AH during Al-Aziz Billah's reign, it was completed by his son in 403 AH (1012-1013 AD), making it the second largest mosque in Cairo after Ahmed Ibn Tulun Mosque. The mosque's name was attributed to him. The mosque, measuring 12005 meters in length and 113 meters in width, has two minarets at its sea front, surrounded by pyramid-shaped bases. The upper cubes are slightly backwards, and an octagonal minaret protrudes from each of the upper cubes.

  • Visit Queen Nefertari’s Tomb

    Tomb of Queen Nefertari

    There were also the great queens of the New Kingdom (1550-1090 BC) Nefertiti, the wife of Akhenaten (1371-1355 BC), and Nefertari, one of the celebrated eight wives of Ramses II (c. 1279-c. 1213 BC). While Nefertiti is more popular for the exquisite portrait bust of her that is located in Berlin, Nefertari is famous mostly for her large burial site situated in the Valley of the Queens.

  • tomb of Tutankhamun | Tutankhamun tomb discovery | king tut tomb pictures

    Tomb of Tutankhamun

    The Valley of the Kings, located on the Nile River's west bank near Thebes, served as a cemetery for pharaohs during the New Kingdom of Ancient Egyptians from 1539 to 1075 BC. The 20,000 square meter rocky valley houses 27 royal tombs from the 18th, 19th, and 20th Egyptian dynasties, which have been discovered to this day. Pharaoh Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut, was the last Eighteenth Dynasty Pharaoh from 1334 to 1325 B.C. He is famous for his intact tomb and treasures, unmarked grave, and premature death due to broken bones. His minister married his widow after his death.

  • the Virgin Mary’s tree.

    The Tree of Virgin Mary in Matareya

    The Coptic Orthodox Church commemorates the Feast of the Entry of the Holy Family into Egypt, a minor liturgical feast. It commemorates St. Joseph the Carpenter's obedience to an angel's command to take the child and his mother to Egypt, marking the entry of the Holy Family into the land of Egypt. The prayers begin on the eve of the liturgical day. The Maryam Tree Mazar, a significant tourist attraction in Egypt, is home to the Holy Family and has undergone significant development and renovations to maintain its historical significance.

  • Biography of Ahmad ibn Tulun

    Biography of Ahmad ibn Tulun

    Ahmad ibn Tulun's Turkish roots trace back to his father, who was a slave of Noah ibn Asad, the governor of Bukhara. Asad freed him, and Caliph Al-Ma'mun admired him. He was enrolled in the caliphate court and eventually became the head of the caliph's guard. Ahmad bin Tulun, born on September 20, 835 AD, in Baghdad, the capital of the caliphate, was well-cared for by his father, who taught him military arts, jurisprudence, hadith, and hadith, and encouraged him to learn from scholars and read the Qur'an.

  • Al Qusayr, Egypt | Al Quseir history

    Historical Background | Quseir Town

    The city of Al-Qusair is located on the western shore of the Red Sea in Egypt, 140 km south of Hurghada, and one of the most important villages of the city is Hamrawin village, with an area of 7,636 km², while its population is 50,023 people. Al-Qusayr, named after a fort that protected the nation during ancient Pharaonic, Roman, and other empires, was a hub for gold procurement by Pharaohs. Built by Sultan Selim I during the Ottoman period, the fortress remains intact.

The Alabaster Sphinx of Memphis

Information About Memphis's Alabaster Sphinx

  • 05 16, 2023

Memphis is the very first Egyptian city and one of the first cities in the world. Founded in 3200 BC, before the four ancient cities of Ur and Babylon and well before Rome and Jerusalem, yet unlike Rome and Jerusalem, Memphis did not survive into modern times. It lies 30 km south of Cairo.

Memphis was founded by the legendary Narmer, a native of Upper Egypt. Narmer conquered the Nile delta and was the first to unify the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. Narmer was an administrator as well as a warrior, and realized that he would have a hard time governing the two kingdoms of Upper Egypt. So he founded this city at the junction of two countries.  Its privileged position on the west bank of the Nile, between the cultivated area and the desert plateau, and just above the Nile delta, 30 km south of Cairo, was the key to its power. From there, it was easy to keep an eye on the comings and goings between Lower and Upper Egypt.

The name of this place was first Inb Hedj, in hieroglyphic, meaning the white wall, due to a limestone wall. The White Wall was erected by Pharaoh Pepi I, the 3rd pharaoh of the 6th pharaonic dynasty, around the 24th century BC. Memphis is the Greek pronunciation of the Egyptian expression Men Nefer, meaning stable beauty. Memphis is also known as Hat Ka Ptah, meaning temple of the spirit of Ptah, the oldest sanctuary dedicated to the god Ptah, of creative forces. Following linguistic modifications, this expression gave rise to the name of Egypt as we know it today.

Founded by Pharaoh Narmer (Menes in Greek) in the 4th millennium BC. It was Pharaoh Djeser, founder of the Old Pharaonic Empire, who gave Memphis all its lustre by having splendid necropolises built nearby, including his tomb, the famous step pyramid of Saqqarah. Memphis was a religious center, home in particular to the sanctuary of its mythical founder, the god Ptah, where the coronation ritual was performed as a token of the legitimacy of power. 

It was also a major administrative center, and above all the residence of the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom, who built their tombs nearby. Memphis was home to an important river port, perhaps the first in ancient Egypt. Alluvial deposits and sandbanks did not permit the establishment of ports on the coast until the Greco-Roman period. Specialized in the manufacture of weapons, it was the country's arsenal.
 

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Egypt Tours FAQ

Read top Egypt tours FAQs

Memphis was the ancient capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom period. It is located near the modern-day city of Cairo but is primarily known for its archaeological sites, including the ruins of temples, statues, and other ancient structures. However, there is no specific sphinx made of alabaster associated with Memphis.

A long time ago, people in Egypt gave presents to a big statue called the Great Sphinx because they believed it would help them have a good harvest. But one person got very angry and broke the nose off the statue. He was punished for breaking something that was important to the people.

The Alabaster Sphinx of Memphis measures approximately 8 meters (26 feet) in length and stands about 4 meters (13 feet) tall. It is carved from a single block of alabaster stone and weighs an estimated 80 tons.

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