Abu Simbel

In November 2001, mere months after the deadly attacks in New York on 9/11, Otto Schmalz and his wife embarked on a journey to Egypt. With security being more stringent and fewer travellers venturing outside of their homelands, tourism in Egypt was down ninety percent, which made it easier to get a close look at the breath-taking monuments and temples. For fourteen days, Otto and his tour companions cruised the Nile for nine days as well as toured the remainder by bus and visited many temples along and away from that great river. It was an eye-opening experience to discover how advanced the ancient Egyptian empires were thousands of years ago. Rather than channelling their strength and ambition to conquering the world, the powerful Egyptians put their energies into building structures and artwork with their bare hands that had not been equaled anywhere else. From the massive pylons at the Luxor Temple to Abu Simbel and the Great Sphinx at Giza, Otto describes in detail the historical significance of the sites he visited during this incredible journey. He also relates his interesting interactions with the people (and some animals) that he came in contact with, from his knowledgeable tour guide to security guards to his colourful travel mates. To Abu Simbel and Back whisks the reader away to ancient Egypt and hopefully leaves them wanting to visit this incredible country in person.

The temples of Abu Simbel have fascinated travelers since they became known to the Western world in the nineteenth century. And since the 1960s when the rising waters created by the Aswan High Dam threatened to engulf the site, visitors' imaginations have been captivated by the elaborate international rescue operation, described by the author as ''a great moment that no one will ever forget: the most advanced technology of the twentieth century was used to save one of the most amazing achievements of a civilization that preceeded it by 3,300 years.'' Prepared by one of the world's best-known Egyptologists, Dr. Zahi Hawass, this lavishly illustrated book is the ideal companion on a visit to the unique monuments of Abu Simbel.

With exhaustive information, superb full-colour photography, and detailed illustrations and accurate maps, the New Millennium Collection is perfect for those who want to know more about the history and art of the regions, cities, and monuments they visit

In this lucidly written, beautifully illustrated book, Nigel Fletcher-Jones places the lower Nubian temples--from Philae in the north to Abu Simbel in the South--in their historical context, telling the story of the discovery of the Abu Simbel temples, and why and how they were moved, explaining what the Nubian temples teach us about ancient Egypt, which gods and goddesses were worshiped there, and the place of Ramesses II in the long line of ancient Egyptian kings and queens. Includes over 80 new photographs, diagrams, and maps.

A visit to the remote and imposing temples of Abu Simbel in Egypt’s far south, is incomplete without enjoying the performance of the spectacular Sound & Light Show of music, historical narration, and lights and images played out on the ancient stones themselves. These new, full-color presentations serve as the ideal record—or foretaste—of the Sound & Light experience, with a historical introduction by internationally renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, and the complete script of the show, accompanied by over 60 beautiful photographs of the light show, the monuments themselves, and the ancient sites of the surrounding region.

Find out what happened to two ancient Egyptian temples that sat high on a hill above the Nile River.

Provides practical advice on planning a trip to Egypt; describes points of interest in each section of the country; and includes information on restaurants, nightspots, shops, and lodging.

To travelers, Egypt is a place of dreams: a country whose lifeblood is a mighty river, flowing from the heart of Africa. Along the fertile fringe of its banks an astonishing civilization raised spectacular monuments that our modern minds can hardly encompass. For centuries this past dominated travelers' minds - yet the present and its great buildings too engaged their interest and admiration and gave them pleasure. The experience of Egypt has over the centuries inspired travelers to write of what they saw and tried to understand. These travelers' observations are part of the history of modern Egypt, for seeing ourselves through others' eyes helps us to understand ourselves. The compilers of this anthology have selected records of travelers from many countries and cultures over many centuries, and, mainly using the Nile for a pathway, here offer these travelers' observations on the many facets of Egypt. The collection includes extracts from the writings of Herodotus, Strabo, Ibn Hawkal, al-Muqaddasi, Pierre Loti, Rudyard Kipling, Florence Nightingale, and many more.