TEMPLES ALONG THE NILE
Egypt is rightly known for the magnificence of its temples, several of which took 1,000 years to complete. The temple at Karnak is a real jumble of styles but is breathtaking in its size. You could drop in a half-dozen of the major cathedrals in Europe and still have space left. It was constructed over a 1,300-year period, and because ideas evolved over time, it has a jerry-built feel to it. It was the most crowded place we visited on the trip.
Here and in other temples along the Nile we saw examples of pharaohs trying to get rid of the records of their predecessors. One, Tuthmosis, had all references to the first female king, Hatshepsut, excised from the walls. Hatshepsut was Tuthmosis’ stepmother, and she disappeared mysteriously from history after 22 years of peaceful rule. Tuthmosis promptly proceeded to go to war and double the size of his kingdom.
The Temple of Isis was to be flooded by the lower Aswan Dam, and had to be moved to a higher nearby island.
Years later, when Christians took over the area, they were not too happy with some of the flesh shown on the bas-reliefs. They did a fair amount of chipping away on arms and legs. The Christians couldn’t conceive of these as historically significant markings but instead saw them as abominations or competition.
Temple of Hatshepsut, the Woman King
There are many temples along the Nile. This one is for the god Horus. Pharaohs visited these temples regularly to engage in rituals.
Our guide warned us not to even look at what the hawkers on the streets outside the tombs and temples had to offer; the peddlers would attach themselves to us like glue.
I found it difficult to be that rude — especially because they have ways to attract your attention, such as offering a handshake, asking a question or handing a passer-by something and refusing to take it back. If you have no interest in the object, the price drops rapidly. Their invasive behavior makes it difficult to shop even when you might be interested.
Even the shoeshine boy turned out to have a con. The price he quoted before he started multiplied by more than 12 times when he started on the second shoe because he decided to use a "special polish" without asking. It was obvious he had just the one can of black polish. He seemed surprised when I got angry.
Horse-drawn carts are a popular and scenic way of getting around and usually cost about $2.50. The problem is that if you pay ahead of time, the driver might stop on the way and demand more money or force you to get out. It has been explained to these people that this is not good for the tourist business. Salaries are so low, however, that they are willing to chance angry tourists in order make a few more bucks.
Since the murder of 58 tourists in 1997 at the Temple of Hatshepsut across from Luxor, Egyptian security has become tight. There are frequent roadblocks, manned by army personnel, and at the tourist sites there are vanloads of soldiers equipped with automatic rifles. The security must be working, because there haven’t been any terrorist incidents for some years.
Final notes: We found the guides well-trained and concerned about our welfare. In the summer, it is very hot and you need lots of water; however, the temperature seems significantly less as soon as you step into the shade of a temple wall.
There are light and sound shows at the temples, which we were told by other tourists were good. Guides will likely take you out early in the morning, let you rest during the hottest part of the day and go again later in the day when the sun has lost some of its power.
On the steps of the Temple of Hatshepsut
