World Tourism

الشّامل في مدونات اللغة العربية: جديد التدوين العربي

2010-05-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

مدونه للمناطق السياحيه

http://tourism-100.blogspot.com/

"Emerald Green" of the most important tourist attractions of the European

2010-05-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Bridge to meet in the Irish capital Dublin

Dublin: The Irish capital of the most important European tourist attractions, featuring renaissance hotel addition to the calm and romantic atmosphere and the economic boom that made this country's most notable success stories in the European Union.

And "Dublin" is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and its largest city, located Dublin near the halfway point of the east coast of Ireland at the mouth of river meets at the center of the territory of Dublin, and since the Middle Ages, the term "territory Dublin" a substitute for the term "province of Dublin," while the term " Dublin area "great city and all the remaining provinces, and the population of Dublin 495.781 in the 2002 census.

Less than twenty years, Ireland was a developing country lacks the distinctive services, but today the most important tourist centers of the world both for the Europeans or Americans who are descendants large numbers of assets Irishman.

Said Geraldine Egan, Director of Marketing and Development of the Tourism Authority of Ireland: "The capital of the Irish" Dublin "should become a strong competitor to London for Arab tourists, particularly the fact that Ireland currently enjoy the appealing elements are particularly great for the GCC."

Egan noted in a statement reported in the "life" of London that "Dublin" had already become the most important tourist capitals of Europe where Ireland is characterized by a high level of tourism services as well as the atmosphere of the economic boom enjoyed by.

She Egan that the Irish tourism has developed new plans in order to attract tourists Gulf which is intended to London to spend a period of time also here to enjoy the ambience is different from Britain, especially because the Irish people is characterized by Btabaa many are close to the Arabs, there is a family atmosphere intimate character and the relatively conservative and opening up the complete cultures and other peoples.

She added: that the number of Arab tourists no more than a year ranging from 5 thousand to 7 thousand people, noting that this does not reflect the volume of the distinguished relations between the Arab world and Ireland.

It was Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister, was keen this year to do a tour of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at the head of a delegation of 140 business leaders, banks and investors to work to expand and strengthen economic relations with the region.

Linked to "Dublin" regular flights for about 5 to 6 times a week with Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the Irish Tourism Board organized the first tour to the delegation of journalists from the UAE in May (May) and was designed to attract Gulf tourists.

The flowing river "fibrous" quietly and meekness on the "Dublin" in order to acquire more of the beauty and romantic scenery and because of the small size of Ireland it you could visit rural areas beautifully nestled within a period not exceeding half an hour only, and moreover it you can in less than an hour to up to the beach to enjoy the special of sophistication.

Because of the large number of rainfall in Ireland most of the year it became known as the "Emerald Green", which Tbhrk charm and nature scenery.

It is noteworthy that the Irish capital are also renowned for the atmosphere of cultural famous, has given birth to Ireland, the most prominent writers, poets and novelists such as George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce and Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and Yeats, as well as to provide scientific and technological disciplines and literature, as well as medical studies that match what is available in the most prestigious medical schools in Britain .

Photographs of a landmark Turkey

2010-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Travel Guide to Turkey (information and pictures and names of the famous areas)

2010-05-09T13:13:00.002-07:00

Tatiliya:
Amusement covered salary .. and an hour from Istanbul on the other side to him, there is a Mall (on our report .. cheaper than the rest of the malls)
: BAZAARS Old markets: BAZAARS

1- kapali carashi - kapali carashi also called Bayazid or Baiazet ..
It is a market for an old Zhm, antiques, carpets and leather jackets of the skin and bags of fake brands, there is by 4000 to replace Menttgah is great .. busy ..
.. Dates: 8 and a half am to 7 pm It is closed on Sunday ..
2-:misir charshisi 2 - the Egyptian market: misir charshisi
Market selling spices, sweets and antiques ....

السوق المصري

Note:
Must be wary of theft in these areas as a result of congestion .. and preferably ten or go before the morning where congestion is less ..
Also do not need to haggle when you buy in this market .. where you can get the item at half price

Museums: Topkapi palace
Museum contains the Ottoman sultans and their belongings gone .. And some of the weapons, along with weapons and purposes of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the companions ..
2 - military museum Turkish name Ascri Mzee ... (open from 9 5 lane, but Aaerd music from 3 Lane 4 is closed on Monday and Tuesday
3 - Palace of Dolma Dolma Bahjat or Bahji:
Built in the 19 th century the Ottoman Sultan .. open from 9 am to 4 pm will be closed on Monday and Tuesday,
The palace is very beautiful and the surrounding area also has a nice and wonderful, you must go in the morning because the ticket carried out and to engage in groups (the museum is located near the Hilton) and the Asaker standing and fixed .. (I have to remember the camera)
http://www.guide-martine.com/istanbul_8.asp reached with the times, visit museums
Mosques:
Trkih in large mosque
Including the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue music Blue Mosque) mosque when the secretary Nuno Aya Sofya mosque

Medical Kabi Topkapi

ايا صوفيا

Military Museum

Dolma Bahgat

Tabkabi
Malls and shopping: the right Niswan
1 - Ak Center (ak merker shopping mall) is located in the area which levent of the most famous malls in Turkey ..
2 - carousel shopping amll
Karesol Mall area Bakr Cui .. close to the airport area. Mmoum Mall Mitros and shops.
3 - profile shopping mall.
4 - Gallery Mall, a place to ski (one of the oldest malls WMP and supported large).
5 - Osmanbey osmanbey .. the shops. Specials Street Rumeli (Rumeli Jadisi), near the Hilton. Right in the wholesale market traders
6 - Metro Mall in the area levent
The Asian side of Istanbul:
1 - Carrefour Mall (located in the area Pkalh Cui)
2 - capital Mall.
3 - Baghdad Street (bagdat caddesi). Contains the same stores and malls Coffees (Zara - Marx - Laura Ashley - to Oevton ... Christine Dior, etc. ..)
Note about malls: There is no mention moles moles sync to the big grocers, such as real Rfor and moles may be large or small and a large number .. There is a large mall located in the Carrefour in Asia (Maazkr name), but think a club close to the joyful Fener ..
_ Areas that always remember to tourists. Island Princesses (Buick Ada) where there are cars. And that of the movement of vehicles. (Basic logic and Rihtha Map sweet, but if your child was in horses and wagons, and ride on Khatrkm Alfieri bot).

Bursa:
One of the beautiful cities in Turkey and non-Stylha from Istanbul (their people good and simple and to the regions that are always visited by the Arabs)
Streets full of shops connected to the Silk Market (Khan cone, or cone Han), a market where old and sweet shops Alchilat, head scarves and colorful shawls .. and the coffee adorned with beautiful small mosque.'s Side and shops and shawarma Aloscrim. In the same region together Silk Market is an old mosque has a habit or tourists.
Under the street markets exist (I mean, what Chqahon get off the street under... ) .

Bursa mosque near the Silk Market
Everything is connected in part.
There are also garden Luna Park: From the features of Bursa. A big garden where all the theme parks, trees and the lake and boats. And full of shops and Aloscrim Algahaoi and a number of restaurants. Where Aloscrim to Eetmtt and where to reviewing dissolved Halaskreb by Asatin, and where one Izg Eastern dance Alascrim a mask and loves Tsorunh.
Luna Park

First formed, or Dag Yelwa COPD: Mount Trouhon his Baltlfrick. It is possible to Trouhon his car (but takes an hour and sweeter cable car) the place where forest and views of the sweet and the atmosphere cool and clean Alhau, get together and the restaurant offers meat and vegetables and bread for the barbecue .. And the small shops where Krawic. Conclusion: the place Ksth

The big tree (Tarihi trees): tree, which is historical. The restaurant. Libby me think Amaaha.
Waterfalls (Chilal shelal): waterfalls overlooking the beautiful scenery and the atmosphere, Brad and the places to Choi and drinking tea

Look to the People I Msourtha Ichaelon in the text of the river
Moles of Bursa:
1 - Zafar (exhale) Plaza: Mall of the irregular shape because he read down the street like two parts.
2 - as the Centre (as merkez): Mall malls just like the rest of the shops insole Juati sweet. The place for skiing. What I advise you to eat from restaurants in the mall. But there are side Mall McDonald's.
3 - Its Carrefour Mall about 10 Dqaig about the stock is similar to moles of Istanbul.
4 - There is not a real grocery Mall because it Dkakinh Shui and restaurants, but if Bgito Trouhon large supermarkets।

Site for Bursa
http://www.ankertravel.net/location.asp?_lctn=40

Beatify area:
Five hours away from Bursa, one of the most beautiful natural areas is a lake around mountains, overlooking the lake 3 hotels for those who want to stay overnight and barbecuing on the banks of the lake. You can stay overnight there for two days or 3।

And there are many areas that did not visit her, such as Trojans and remote archaeological sites in the middle of Turkey

History of Turkey

2010-05-06T18:37:00.001-07:00

There's a lot of history here. The easiest way to deal with it in a digestible format seems to be to give a chronology of the major events to begin with. We're going to use that as a framework to hang bits and pieces on later.

7500 BC	First Stone age settlements at Çatalhüyük
1900-1300 BC	Hittite Empire with Hattusas as capital, contemporary with ancient Egypt and Babylon
1250 BC	The Trojan war and the fall of Troy
1200-700 BC	Migration of Greeks to Aegean coastal regions. Establishment of the Phrygian, Ionian, Lycian, Lydian, Carian and Pamphylian Kingdoms. The East of Turkey is the home of the Urartians
700 BC	Homer is born in Izmir (Smyrna). Aegean Hellenism begins
546 BC	Cyrus the Great leads the Persians into Anatolia
334 BC	Alexander the Great drives out the Persians
130 BC	The Romans incorporate Anatolia as the province of Asia, controlled from Ephesus (Efes)
40 BC	Antioch sees the marriage of Antony and Cleopatra
47-57 AD	St. Paul spreads Christianity and a community at Antioch is established
313	Roman Empire adopts Christianity
330	Constantine lays out the boundaries of his new capital, Constantinople
527-65	Glory of Byzantium under Justinian
638-718	Muslim Arabs besiege Constantinople
1054	Greek and Roman Churches split over theology
1071-1243	Rise and rule of the Selcuk Turks in Anatolia, Konya is their capital
1096-1204	The Crusades, marking the beginning of the end for Byzantium, a fascinating period in Byzantine history
1288	Ottoman Empire appears in Bursa
1453	The fall of Constantinople - the birth of Istanbul
1520-66	Suleyman the Magnificent sits on the Ottoman throne controlling a huge and powerful empire
1682-1725	Peter the Great initiates Russo-Turkish rivalry
1854	Crimean war
1909	Abdul Hamid, the last of an unbroken line of Ottoman sultans is deposed
1914	Turkey allies with Germany in the first world war
1915	Gallipoli
1919	Ataturk leads resistance to the allied plan to carve up Turkey
1923	Foundation of the modern Republic of Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Many things happen all at once
1938	Ataturk dies in Istanbul's Dolmabahce palace
1939-45	Turkey manages to remain neutral during the second world war
1946	Charter membership of the UN
1952	Turkey joins NATO
1960	Military coup, successive governments ineffective
1964	Associate member status of EU
1974	Cyprus crisis
1980	Kanan Evren leads military coup. 3 years of military government
1983	Turgut Ozal elected prime Minister
1985-90	Full EU membership for Turkey impeded by Cypriot issue and questions over human rights record
1991-93	Suleyman Demirel elected Prime Minister, inflation at 70%
1993-96	Demirel President, Tansu Ciller Prime Minister, Turkey joins EU Customs Union
1997-98	5 attempts at forming coalition governments, Islamic Welfare party disbanded, reforms as Virtue and is the largest single party in parliament. Military intervenes to prevent Islamicists forming governments. 75th Anniversary of the Turkish Republic (and 15th of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) celebrated.

Islamic History

2010-05-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

In or about the year 570 the child who would be named Muhammad and who would become the Prophet of one of the world's great religions, Islam, was born into a family belonging to a clan of Quraysh, the ruling tribe of Mecca, a city in the Hijaz region of northwestern Arabia.

Originally the site of the Ka'bah, a shrine of ancient origins, Mecca had with the decline of southern Arabia (see Chapter l ) become an important center of sixth-century trade with such powers as the Sassanians, Byzantines, and Ethiopians. As a result the city was dominated by powerful merchant families among whom the men of Quraysh were preeminent.

Muhammad's father, 'Abd Allah ibn'Abd al-Muttalib, died before the boy was born; his mother, Aminah, died when he was six. The orphan was consigned to the care of his grandfather, the head of the clan of Hashim. After the death of his grandfather, Muhammad was raised by his uncle, Abu Talib. As was customary, Muhammad as a child was sent to live for a year or two with a Bedouin family. This custom, followed until recently by noble families of Mecca, Medina, Tayif, and other towns of the Hijaz, had important implications for Muhammad. In addition to enduring the hardships of desert life, he acquired a taste for the rich language so loved by the Arabs, whose speech was their proudest art, and learned the patience and forbearance of the herdsmen, whose life of solitude he first shared and then came to understand and appreciate.

About the year 590, Muhammad, then in his twenties, entered the service of a widow named Khadijah as a merchant actively engaged with trading caravans to the north. Sometime later Muhammad married Khadijah, by whom he had two sons - who did not survive - and four daughters.

During this period of his life Muhammad traveled widely. Then, in his forties he began to retire to meditate in a cave on Mount Hira outside of Mecca, where the first of the great events of Islam took place. One day, as he sat in the cave, he heard a voice, later identified as that of the Angel Gabriel, which ordered him to:

Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of blood.

Three times Muhammad pleaded his inability to do so, but each time the command was repeated. Finally, Muhammad recited the words of what are now the first five verses of the 96th surah or chapter of the Quran - words which proclaim God the Creator of man and the Source of all knowledge.

At first Muhammad divulged his experience only to his wife and his immediate circle. But as more revelations enjoined him to proclaim the oneness of God universally, his following grew, at first among the poor and the slaves, but later also among the most prominent men of Mecca. The revelations he received at this time and those he did so later are all incorporated in the Quran, the Scripture of Islam.

Photo: The sun rises over Jabal al-Rahmah, the Mount of Mercy, where Muhammad in his farewell sermon told the assembled Muslims, "I have delivered God's message to you and left you with a clear command: the Book of God and the practice of His Prophet. If you hold fast to this you will never go astray."

Not everyone accepted God's message transmitted through Muhammad. Even in his own clan there were those who rejected his teachings, and many merchants actively opposed the message. The opposition, however, merely served to sharpen Muhammad's sense of mission and his understanding of exactly how Islam differed from paganism. The belief in the unity of God was paramount in Islam; from this all else followed. The verses of the Quran stress God's uniqueness, warn those who deny it of impending punishment, and proclaim His unbounded compassion to those who submit to His will. They affirm the Last Judgment, when God, the Judge, will weigh in the balance the faith and works of each man, rewarding the faithful and punishing the transgressor. Because the Quran rejected polytheism and emphasized man's moral responsibility, in powerful images, it presented a grave challenge to the worldly Meccans.

The battle of Benguela ends the Egyptian-Algerian football feud

2010-05-06T05:40:00.000-07:00

Downtown Cairo, People watching the game in a street cafe

Before last night's game, I took a flu medication-induced rest - and dreamt that Egypt won 4-0 against Algeria. I shared my subconscious' prediction with friends - and I have a time-stamped Tweet to prove it! - and was met by nervous laughs ahead of a difficult game with a staunch adversary.

And win we did. 4-nil, as predicted, with three players expelled from the Algerian team, including its goalkeeper - it was almost too embarrassing to gloat.
Emphasis on 'almost'.

Mind you, like most of the people who took the streets I am a 'light' football aficionado, and have only a passing interest in the local league. But also like most of them I've been following the Egyptian selection's course in the African Cup of Nations currently being held in Angola, and yesterday's game had an unmistakable taste of vendetta - mainly because, as those who follow African football, Egypt has endured a painful defeat and lost its ticket to the World Cup this summer to Algeria in a tie-breaker held in Sudan's Umm-Durman stadium, which earned itself the nickname, in both Egyptian and Algerian media, of "the battle of Umm-Durman".

The days before the game were surprisingly calm, especially if you compare it to the frantic, electric, and eventually violent ambiance that preceded and immediately followed the last Algeria-Egypt game in November, during the World cup qualifiers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attempted to coordinate with its Algerian counterpart. A nervous League of Arab States declaration reminded of "the fraternal relations between the two countries".

This past week then it was almost a hushed, worried murmur that went around Cairo when Algeria gloriously defeated Cote d'Ivoire on January 24th to qualify to the semi-finals - overcoming a one-goal handicap to dominate in overtime, leaving the Ivorians - and the Egyptians - in disbelief.

But the Egyptian media remained suprisingly quiet - it was later made public that an official directive was issued by Egyptian Information minister Anas Al-Fiqi during his meeting on Tuesday the 24th of January with the heads of state-controlled television channels. He afterward issued a declaration asking the press and widely-watched privately-owned satellite television networks and channels, who played an unmistakable part in inflaming emotions during the November matches, to keep emotions down, emphasizing "the necessity for the media to handle the Egypt-Algeria game in a balanced, quiet and objective fashion, and to not allow emotions to draw us away from objectivity and professionalism, and to address it from a national standpoint and view it as a sporting, not a political event".

The directives which were both lauded, for their necessity, and severely criticized for the abhorrent intervention it represents in the editorial choices of supposedly private independent press and television. They nevertheless seemingly abided by the ban on inflammatory comments, and it was quite entertaining to watch the most virulent commentators, such as Amr Adib, being restrained by their co-hosts.

Even flags were far less ubiquitous that in past November. But for most everyone, winning the semi-final against Algeria seemed to be the end and purpose of the team's presence in Angola - that it was merely the semi-final to the championship game took a definite backseat.

On the Algerian side, there were no apparent such restrictions on the media and the most extreme press remained true to itself, but there too was far less displays of populism, an attitude boosted by confidence from their previous win against this very Egyptian team, as well as their excellent performance during the African cup until then.

This confidence may have turned into overconfidence and cost the Algerian team dearly, leading to a stinging defeat that shook the Algerian nets four times, and an increase of rough play that led to a flurry of yellow and red cards fall on the Algerians who only played with their full squad for the first 38 minutes - and ultimately finished the game with 8 men on the field.

Egyptians took the streets en masse until dawn as expected, creating those 3 AM traffic jams only Cairenes are capable of. The spoke of 'regained honour' and that 'winning this game was worth more than the entire championship'. Even the President's son, Alaa Mubarak - who was very vocal in November - called-in live on several television networks with the same message of congratulations and sentiment of vindication.

But everyone also kept a worried eye on the reaction of the Algerian and Egyptian fans in Angola, as the epicenter of violence after the November match was neither in Cairo or Algiers but immediately outside the Sudanese stadium. There were reasons to worry, too - the Algerian government and private companies had sponsored airline tickets, slashing prices from 200,000 Algerian dinars ($2759) to 60,000 dinars ($827) for 1000 fans, while Egypt sent one plane-load - reportedly 150 persons - to cheer the national team.
Worries also ran high on the situation in Algeria, due to the presence of a large Egyptian expat community and substantial investments that had been attacked and set on fire by angry mobs in November.
Throughout the night after the game however, despite widespread popular and press anger directed mainly at the referee of the game, no incidents have been declared - the only match-related police intervention in Algeria took place in girls' dorm at Constantine university to separate a post-game all-Algerian brawl. In France, police arrested one angry Algerian fan in Marseille. Algerian commentaries nevertheless were keen on pointing out that "there's a World Cup to focus on" - a not-so-subtle jab at the Egyptians.

Now vindicated, Egyptians have a remarkable 4-nil score to rub in the Algerians' faces. Likewise, Algerians only need hint at their World Cup qualification to infuriate the most stoic of Egyptian fans. In effect, it's an equilibrium of fan terror that leads to the burial of the hatchet.

Until the next big match? When that one takes place, I'll make sure I'm also under flu medication. It seems to work.

In the mean time, Egyptians should focus on the Cup's final game against Ghana on Sunday, in a bid to win their third consecutive title and seventh altogether.

Nashville is Country music

2010-05-06T05:38:00.001-07:00

Country music is synonymous with Tennessee's state capital, the rapidly growing city of Nashville, where the strains of the guitar and accordion are big business, drawing millions of fans to the city every year. Dozens of famous names in the music world have been nourished in Nashville since 1925 when the legendary 'Grand Ole Opry' went on the air, broadcasting weekly shows touting the talents of up and coming singers. It all began in the downtown Ryman Auditorium, originally a church, which became the music hall where the likes of Dolly Parton and Roy Acuff first strutted their stuff.

Visitors still come today to visit Opryland, the resort that incorporates the new Grand Ole Opry, northeast of the city. Daily shows are presented here, and just around the corner is the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Fans also flock to the area known as The District, crammed with nightclubs, bars and restaurants where country music reigns supreme. Everyone, country music fan or not, cannot fail to leave Nashville with their toes tapping!

Berlin with many museums

2010-05-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

For most of the latter part of the 20th century, Berlin has stood as a symbol of the division between East and West, split by the infamous fortified wall erected to separate the socialist sector from the democratic district. When the Berlin Wall was pulled down in 1990 the city discovered that it suddenly had two of everything, most notably two very distinct societies separated both socially and economically. The past decade has seen Berlin embracing unification and rebuilding itself as a modern European capital.

More than 100 streets have been reconnected, and signs of the Wall's existence have all but disappeared. Years of division are still reflected in the new city's architecture, however, with a modern city of skyscrapers, retail centres and urban developments in the West contrasting with most of the pre-War city that remains in the East.

For nearly 30 years the Wall sealed off the imposing Brandenburg Gate from the West, but now traffic passes through it freely. Similarly Alexanderplatz, which was one of the main centres of 1920s Berlin, and later post-war East Germany, has once again become one of the city's focal centres. The site of the infamous Check Point Charlie with its threatening monitoring tower erected to ensure no one crossed over from East to West, is now a museum, and while the tower no longer stands, visitors can see the East Side Gallery, a surviving chunk of the real Wall, now decorated by local artists.

Berlin is once again a vibrant centre for the arts, with many museums, galleries and theatres. At the Kulturforum visitors will find a number of impressive museums and concert venues from the spectacular Berliner Philharmonie concert hall to the complex's Picture Gallery, which houses a vast collection of European paintings from the 13th to 18th centuries.

Berlin still boasts a fantastic nightlife, and while tastes have changed since the height of the cabaret halls of the 1920s and 30s, there is a vast array of venues catering to all tastes. Berlin's calendar is also packed with festivals and parties from the Christopher Street Day gay and lesbian parade in June to the massive Love Parade dance party in July and the Jazz Fest Berlin in November.

Giza Pyramids

2010-05-05T17:24:00.001-07:00

Panoramic view of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Photo Jochen Bihn.
See these and many more photos in our Giza Photo Gallery.

Dramatic sky over the Great Pyramids of Giza. Photo: SAsqrd.

A timeless desert scene at the Giza Pyramids. Photo: Jef Maion.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu. Photo Romsrini.

The Pyramid of Khafre. Photo Jochen Bihn.

Closer look at the Pyramid of Khafre. Photo Gary Ku.

The Pyramid of Menkaure. Photo Romsrini.

A sound and light show at the Giza Pyramids. Photo Albert Siersema.

Satellite view of the Giza Pyramids. Image © Google Earth.

Orion's Belt - could this be the inspiration for the Pyramids' layout?

A camel smiles for the camera at the Great Pyramids.
Photo Jason Wesley Upton.

Map

Satellite

Hybrid

Location map and aerial view of Giza Pyramids. For a larger interactive view, see our Giza Map.

The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving Ancient Wonder of the World and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the modern world. They are some of the oldest sacred sites in our index and certainly among of the most impressive. (The Great Sphinx of Giza has a separate article.)

Although it is clear the pyramids were used for the burial of pharaohs, the construction, date, and possible symbolism of the Giza pyramids are still not entirely understood.

This mystery only adds to the attractiveness of these ancient wonders and many modern people still regard Giza as a spiritual place. A number of fascinating theories have been offered to explain the "mystery of the pyramids," one of which is summarized below.

Giza is the most important site on earth for many New Age followers, who are drawn by the pyramids' mysteries and ancient origins. Since 1990, private groups have been allowed into the Great Pyramid, and the majority of these have been seekers of the mystical aspects of the site. But even the most skeptical visitor cannot help but be awed by the great age, grand scale and harmonic mathematics of the pyramids of Giza.

History

The Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest single building ever constructed. Originally 479 ft (146 m) in height, it still stands at an awe-inspiring 449 ft (137 m). Most of its height loss is due to the stripping of its original smooth limestone casing.

When the Greek historian Herodotus visited Giza in about 450 BC, he was told by Egyptian priests that the Great Pyramid had been built for the pharaoh Khufu (Cheops to the Greeks), who was the second king of the Fourth Dynasty (c.2575–c. 2465 BC).

The priests told Herodotus that the Great Pyramid had taken 400,000 men 20 years to build, working in three-month shifts of 100,000 men at a time. This is not implausible, but archaeologists now tend to believe a more limited workforce may have occupied the site without the need for shifts. Perhaps as few as 20,000 workers, with an accompanying support staff (bakers, physicians, priests, etc.), would have been adequate to the task.

The Great Pyramid was made of 2.3 million stone blocks, weighing from 2 to 15 tons each. When completed, the Great Pyramid of Khufu weighed 6 million tons, the weight of all Europe's cathedrals put together! The pyramid was also the tallest structure in the world for thousands of years, until it was surpassed by the spires of England's Lincoln Cathedral around 1300 AD.

The second-largest pyramid of Giza was built for Khufu's son Khafre (Chephren), who became the fourth king of the Fourth Dynasty after the death of his short-lived elder brother and died c.2532 BC. Although many of his relatives were hastily buried in cheap tombs, the Pyramid of Khafre is almost as vast as the Great Pyramid of his father.

Khafre's pyramid actually looks taller than the Great Pyramid of Khufu because it stands on a slightly higher part of the plateau, it has a steeper angle, and it is the only one with a smooth limestone cap. Khafre's pyramid measures 707 ft (216 m) on each side and was originally 471 ft (143 m) high; its limestone and granite blocks weigh about 2.5 tons each.

Like the Great Pyramid, Khafre's Pyramid included five boat pits (with no boats), together with mortuary and valley temples and a connecting causeway some 430 yards long carved out of the living rock. The burial chamber, which is underground, contains a red granite sarcophagus with its lid. Next to this is a square cavity that presumably once held the chest containing the pharaoh's insides. The Great Sphinx, near Khafre's pyramid, is believed to be a royal portrait of Khafre.

The southernmost and last of the pyramids to be built was the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus), son of Khafre and the fifth king of the Fourth Dynasty. Each side measures 356 ft (109 m), and the structure's completed height was 218 ft (66 m).

In addition to these three monuments, small pyramids were built for three of Khufu's wives and a series of flat-topped pyramids for the remains of his favorite children. At the end of a long causeway lined with minor tombs of court officials, a mortuary temple was built just to mummify the pharoah's body.

Like all pharonic tombs, the burial chambers of the pyramids were packed with all the necessities for the next life: furniture, statues of servants (to be enlivened by an incantation when needed), and boats.

The question of how the pyramids were built has not yet found a definitive answer. Herodotus reported that the base was laid, then the great blocks (each weighing about seven tons) were levered into place, a step at a time up all 203 steps. But this cannot be done, as demonstrated by a Japanese attempt at a duplicate in the 1980s. The most plausible explanation is that the Egyptians employed a sloping and encircling embankment of brick, earth, and sand, which was increased in height and in length as the pyramid rose; stone blocks were hauled up the ramp by means of sledges, rollers, and levers.

The pyramids have impressively withstood the ravages of time, but not of grave robbers. They emptied the pyramids of their valuables in ancient times. In 1818 an Italian entered the burial chamber of Khafre with a hydraulic ram, but the gold and other treasures were long gone.

A Gateway to the Stars?

The positioning of the three pyramids of Giza is a bit surprising. They are not quite in a straight line, clustered around the largest one, or grouped in any kind of expected symmetrical way. The proposed explanation of most Egyptologists is that this had something to do with the terrain at Giza or it was simply the way the construction worked out.

In the early 1990s, Belgian engineer Robert Bauval noticed that the odd arrangement of the Giza pyramids is remarkably similar to that of the three stars of Orion's belt in the well-known constellation. This seemed to Bauval to be more than a coincidence, in light of the fact that the constellation Orion was sacred to the Egyptians. They believed it to be the home of the god Osiris and thought the shape of the constellation resembled him.

Among the many fascinating features of the Giza pyramids are the four airshafts in the north and south faces of the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid, and the two in the Queen's Chamber beneath it. Bauval calculated that in 2500 BC, the southern vent would have pointed directly at Orion and the southern airshaft in the Queen's Chamber would have pointed at the star Sirius, which was sacred to Osiris' consort Isis.

Bauval theorized that the vent was intended to be a channel to direct the pharaoh's soul to Orion, where he would become a god. Many scientists have dismissed Bauval's ideas, yet they certainly remain intriguing and continue to generate a great deal of discusssion. You can read more about it in the links listed at the end of this article.

Another interesting observation is that the Great Pyramid is perfectly aligned to true north, south, east and west. This has led to speculation about an astrological meaning to its position. A number of theories have been advanced concerning occult meanings, secret codes or prophecies derived from the

Karnak Temple, Luxor

2010-05-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

Detailed map of Karnak Temple with aerial imagery (click to enlarge).
Image © Sacred Destinations and Google Earth.

Orion shines over the Avenue of the Sphinxes. Photo Robert Fraser.

Morning conversations at Karnak. Photo © Kevin Day.

The Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. Photo © Richard Beck.

Morning light on the columns of Karnak. Photo © Kevin Day.

Statues of rulers and gods at Karnak Temple. Photo © Richard Beck.

The Avenue of the Sphinxes by day. Photo Tim O'Brien.

Map

Satellite

Hybrid

Location map and aerial view of Karnak Temple. For a larger interactive view, see our Luxor Map.

Karnak Temple is a vast temple complex in Luxor dedicated primarily to Amun and dating from as early as 2000 BC. It is an impressive sight, and second only to the Great Pyramids in popularity.

History

After a century of foreign occupation, the New Kingdom (1550-1150 BC) of Egypt emerged, with its capital at Thebes. The captial city was embellished with grandiose temples worthy of the majesty of the pharaohs, the greatest being Karnak.

The temple complex of Karnak, dedicated to the Pharoah Amun, was the center of his worship and of his wife Mut and their son Khons. Each of them had a "precinct" (area) in the temple complex, the greatest and largest belonging to Amun. There was also a precinct for Montu, the falcon-headed local god.

Construction on the Karnak temple complex began in the 16th century BC and continued into the Greco-Roman period - a period of up to 1300 years of construction. Around 30 successive pharoahs added their own touches to the complex: a new temple, shrine, or pylon and carved detailed hieroglyphic inscriptions.

When the pharoah Akhenaton abandoned the traditional worship of Amun and took up the worship of Aten, the sun god, he built a temple to Aten at Karnak. But after his death, the Theban priests destroyed all signs of sun worship at Karnak and elsewhere.

What to See

The Karnak temple complex is huge, covering a site almost a mile by two miles in area. There are over 25 temples and chapels in the complex, including separate shrines for the three boats that took the statues of the gods on their annual trip on the flooding Nile. Sanctuaries, obelisks, and groups of columns all feature accounts of the heroic deeds of the sponsoring pharoah.

The key difference between Karnak and most of the other temples and sites in Egypt is the length of time over which it was developed and used. Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings, enabling it to reach a size, complexity and diversity not seen elsewhere. Few of the individual features of Karnak are unique, but the sheer size and number of features makes it one of the most impressive temple complexes in Egypt.

The Karnak complex includes several of the finest examples of ancient Egyptian design and architecture. Among them are the Hypostyle Hall, considered one of the world’s great architectural achievements. It is filled with 134 enormous pillars, the highest 70 feet tall, and each about 45 feet around. The hall covers an area of 64,586 sq ft.

The most spectacular of the temples at Karnak is the Temple of Amun (Amun’s Precinct), the only section open to the public. This is entered via the Avenue of the Sphinxes, or Sacred Way, that once stretched the two miles from Karnak to Luxor Temple.

The Obelisk of Thutmose I, a 22m (71ft) monument, is the only one of four original obelisks that is still standing.

Getting There

The vast majority of tourists visit Karnak Temple as part of an organised coach tour, but it is also possible to take a public minibus (25pt) from Luxor Bus Station, or hire a taxi or caleche (horse and cart) - both officially priced at £E10 - from the center of Luxor.

AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL INFORMATION

2010-05-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Leisure and Tourist Attractions in Australia

Australia has a wide range of both natural and manmade tourist attractions. From National Parks and Tropical Rainforests to Galleries and Museums, as well as a range of short activities.

There are thousands of attractions listed on Australian Explorer, with hundreds more experiences and tours listed within their own separate categories.

To make life easy, Australian Explorer has segmented Australia by both State and Territory and by Major Cities.

If you are looking for tourist attractions in major cities the links on the left will take you directly to the information you require.

If you require information about tourist attractions within a specific State or Territory, the 'STATES & TERRITORIES' links on the left will take you to a table of contents for your area of choice.

Australian Capital Territory Tourist Attractions

Australian Capital Territory offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within Australian Capital Territory (ACT) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Canberra, the capital of Australian Capital Territory, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Canberra:

New South Wales Tourist Attractions

New South Wales offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within New South Wales (NSW) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Sydney:

Northern Territory Tourist Attractions

Northern Territory offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within Northern Territory (NT) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Darwin, the capital of Northern Territory, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Darwin:

Queensland Tourist Attractions

Queensland offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within Queensland (QLD) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Brisbane:

South Australia Tourist Attractions

South Australia offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within South Australia (SA) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Adelaide:

Tasmania Tourist Attractions

Tasmania offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within Tasmania (TAS) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Hobart:

Victoria Tourist Tourist Attractions

Victoria offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within Victoria (VIC) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Melbourne:

Western Australia Tourist Attractions

Western Australia offers a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors to and from Australia. To view the full list of tourist attraction destinations within Western Australia (WA) click on the following link:

If you are visiting Perth, the capital of Western Australia, click on the following link to view the various tourist attractions in and around Perth: