Uncovering The Hidden Gems
Luxor
Characterized as the world’s greatest open-air museum,Luxor is home to a large number of monuments. Deep rooted in the history of Egypt, the capital of Luxor governorate holds a range of temples. It also holds the ruins of the Karnak and Luxor temples, as well as the below listed historical sightseeing that play a key role in the narrative of Egyptian history. Also known as the ‘city of 100 gates’ – Luxor is the religious hotbed of Egypt and features a range of temples with a myriad landscape sprawling across rivers, deserts and ancient ruins. The Sound and Light shows are a must-watch and so are the West Bank Necropolis sites. A breathtaking experience steeped in the history of Egypt, Luxor is sure to charm you with it’s vintage vibes.
Aswan
Unparalleled in local cuisine and its rich cultural heritage is what makes Aswan a favorite amongst travel-lovers. Its myriad landscapes range from the most mesmerizing temples of Abu Simbel and Philae to peaceful boat rides to Elephantine, heart-warming sights of the botanical garden and the iconic obelisk. Experience life like a local in the Nubian villages. The best and some of the most picturesque views can be witnessed from here, which makes Aswan the most sought-after city in Egypt. Lose yourself in the beauty of the tranquil waters flowing through amber desert and granite rocks. A treasure trove of Egyptian history awaits to be explored
Per vero inermis no, duo debet causae voluptaria ex. Vim iisque quaeque impedit eu, equidem interesset.
Predynastic period
Predynastic Egypt a typical Naqada II jar decorated with gazelles (Predynastic Period)
In Predynastic and Early Dynastic times, the Egyptian climate was much less arid than it is today. Large regions of Egypt were covered in treed savanna and traversed by herds of grazing ungulates. Foliage and fauna were far more prolific in all environs, and the Nile region supported large populations of waterfowl. Hunting would have been common for Egyptians, and this is also the period when many animals were first domesticated.
By about 5500 BC, small tribes living in the Nile valley had developed into a series of cultures demonstrating firm control of agriculture and animal husbandry, and identifiable by their pottery and personal items, such as combs, bracelets, and beads. The largest of these early cultures in upper (Southern) Egypt was the Badarian culture, which probably originated in the Western Desert; it was known for its high-quality ceramics, stone tools, and its use of copper.
The Badari was followed by the Naqada culture: the Naqada I (Amratian), the Naqada II (Gerzeh), and Naqada III (Semainean). These brought a number of technological improvements. As early as the Naqada I Period, predynastic Egyptians imported obsidian from Ethiopia, used to shape blades and other objects from flakes. Mutual trade with the Levant was established during Naqada II (c. 3600–3350 BC); this period was also the beginning of trade with Mesopotamia, which continued into the early dynastic period and beyond.
Over a period of about 1,000 years, the Naqada culture developed from a few small farming communities into a powerful civilization whose leaders were in complete control of the people and resources of the Nile valley. Establishing a power center at Nekhen (in Greek, Hierakonpolis), and later at Abydos, Naqada III leaders expanded their control of Egypt northwards along the Nile.[17] They also traded with Nubia to the south, the oases of the western desert to the west, and the cultures of the eastern Mediterranean and Near East to the east.
The Naqada culture manufactured a diverse selection of material goods, reflective of the increasing power and wealth of the elite, as well as societal personal-use items, which included combs, small statuary, painted pottery, high quality decorative stone vases, cosmetic palettes, and jewelry made of gold, lapis, and ivory. They also developed a ceramic glaze known as faience, which was used well into the Roman Period to decorate cups, amulets, and figurines. During the last predynastic phase, the Naqada culture began using written symbols that eventually were developed into a full system of hieroglyphs for writing the ancient Egyptian language.
Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150–2686 BC)
The Early Dynastic Period was approximately contemporary to the early Sumerian–Akkadian civilization of Mesopotamia and of ancient Elam. The third-century BC Egyptian priest Manetho grouped the long line of kings from Menes to his own time into 30 dynasties, a system still used today. He began his official history with the king named “Meni” (or Menes in Greek), who was believed to have united the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt.
The Narmer Palette depicts the unification of the Two Lands.
The transition to a unified state happened more gradually than ancient Egyptian writers represented, and there is no contemporary record of Menes. Some scholars now believe, however, that the mythical Menes may have been the king Narmer, who is depicted wearing royal regalia on the ceremonial Narmer Palette, in a symbolic act of unification. In the Early Dynastic Period, which began about 3000 BC, the first of the Dynastic kings solidified control over lower Egypt by establishing a capital at Memphis, from which he could control the labor force and agriculture of the fertile delta region, as well as the lucrative and critical trade routes to the Levant. The increasing power and wealth of the kings during the early dynastic period was reflected in their elaborate mastaba tombs and mortuary cult structures at Abydos, which were used to celebrate the deified king after his death. The strong institution of kingship developed by the kings served to legitimize state control over the land, labor, and resources that were essential to the survival and growth of ancient Egyptian civilization.
This image displays The Narmer Palette depicts
the unification of the Two Lands.
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