A temple (from the Latin ‘templum’) is a structure usually built for the purpose of, and always dedicated to, religious or spiritual activities including prayer, meditation, sacrifice and worship. The templum was a sacred precinct defined by a priest (or augur) as the dwelling place of a god or gods and the structure built there...Read More
Alexandria (/ˌælɪɡˈzændriə/ or /-ˈzɑːnd-/al-ʾIskandariyya; Egyptian Eskendereyya; Coptic: ⲣⲁⲕⲟϯ Rakodī; Greek: Αλεξάνδρεια Alexandria) is the second-largest city in Egypt and a major economic center. With a population of 5,200,000, Alexandria is the largest city on the Mediterranean, the sixth-largest city in the Arab world and the ninth-largest in Africa. The city extends about 40 km (25...Read More
The “Rose City” is a honeycomb of hand-hewn caves, temples, and tombs carved from blushing pink sandstone in the high desert of Jordan some 2,000 years ago. Hidden by time and shifting sand, Petra tells of a lost civilization. Little is known about the Nabateans—a nomadic desert people whose kingdom rose up from these cliffs...Read More
Thutmose III, (died 1426 BCE), king (reigned 1479–26 BCE) of the 18th dynasty, often regarded as the greatest of the rulers of ancient Egypt. Thutmose III was a skilled warrior who brought the Egyptian empire to the zenith of its power by conquering all of Syria, crossing the Euphrates (see Tigris-Euphrates river system) to defeat...Read More
Of the three ancient Egyptian structures on the site, one, the funerary temple of King Mentuhotep II (built c. 1970 BCE), has lost much of its superstructure. The second, the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut (built c. 1470 BCE), was uncovered (1894–96) beneath the monastery ruins and subsequently underwent partial restoration. A fuller restoration of...Read More
Constructed at Saqqara about 4,700 years ago, the Step Pyramid of Djoser was the first pyramid the Egyptians built. Djoser, sometimes spelled Zoser (though he was actually called Netjerykhet), was a king of Egypt’s third dynasty. The planning of the pyramid has been attributed to Imhotep, a vizier who would later be deified for his...Read More
A tomb is an enclosed space for the repository of the remains of the dead. Traditionally tombs have been located in caves, underground, or in structures designed specifically for the purpose of containing the remains of deceased human beings and, often, their possessions, loved ones, or, as at the tomb known as `The Great Death...Read More
Memphis was one of the oldest and most important cities in ancient Egypt, located at the entrance to the Nile River Valley near the Giza plateau. It served as the capital of ancient Egypt and an important religious cult center. The original name of the city was Hiku-Ptah (also Hut-Ka-Ptah) but it was later known...Read More
The Old Kingdom of Egypt (c. 2613-2181 BCE) is also known as the ‘Age of the Pyramids’ or ‘Age of the Pyramid Builders’ as it includes the great 4th Dynasty when King Sneferu perfected the art of pyramid building and the pyramids of Giza were constructed under the kings Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. The historical...Read More
Egyptian civilization has flourished continuously since prehistoric times. While the civilization’s rulers, writing, natural climate, religion and borders have changed many times over the millennia, Egypt still exists as a modern-day country. The civilization has always been strongly connected with other parts of the world, bringing in and exporting goods, religions, food, people and ideas....Read More
