The Hyksos Invasion

Around 1720-1710 BCE, Egypt began to be invaded by a people "of obscure race",
who became known as the Hyk-Sos, "shepherd kings".
Some of the Hyksos may have been Hurrian or Hittite, but no firm evidence has been discovered to confirm their origins fully. They were by no means the first Asiatics to settle in Egypt, prompting some to suggest that there was no major battle, just a steady influx of settlers who worked themselves into positions of power while retaining their own cultural differences. Evidence from the excavation at Tell el-Dab'a, confirms that the settlement was constantly evolving and changing as the new cultures adapted to the Egyptian way of life. Settlements discovered in Tell el-Ajjul (southern Palestinian), Ebla (Syrian) and Byblos (Lebanon) share many characteristics with the settlement at Tell el Dab'a.
These Hyksos melted easily into Egyptian society at first; eventually they became very powerful,
and finally, in a coup, they came to rule the whole of Northern Egypt,
imposing one of their people as the legitimate Pharaoh.
They were able to accomplish this because they took advantage of a time when the dynasty of Pharaohs came to an end, because the Pharaoh had no son to succeed him.
This was usually the sign of the end of a dynasty and the beginning of another,
During the Hyksos rule of Lower Egypt, they established their capital in the city of Avaris in the Delta,
and the legitimate line of Pharaohs had to move to Thebes (now Luxor) in the South, ruling only over Upper Egypt.
The Hyksos brought with them knowledge of bronze weapons, chariots and composite bows. But it is not clear that they were required to use this military know-how to take control of upper Egypt.
The Hyksos Pharaohs were always desperate to prove their (non-existent, really)
legitimacy, and furious because the true secrets of king-making were never delivered to them. They adopted traditional Egyptian
names, and yet curious ones; Apophis (Apepi) for example is the other name of Seth, the evil brother who slew Osiris.

As for the legitimate line of Pharaohs, it goes without saying that they dreamed of reconquering Lower Egypt ,until the time of Seqenenre Tao I and II and their sons, who realized the dream .
Kamose's son , "Ahmose I" probably became ruler of Egypt around 1550 B.C. He was about the age of 10 when he came to the throne, and he ruled for a period of about 25 years .
In any event, by now it was the reign of Kamose's son "Ahmose I", and he offered no compromise. On his stella, Ahmose I proclaims that he chased the Hyksos out of Egypt, and as far east as the Euphrates river.

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Temple of Philae (Aswan), Egypt

The Philae Temple dedicated to the Goddess Isis in Upper Egypt is situated in one of the most idyllic settings in Egypt although this is more from necessity than by natural design. After the building of the first Aswan Dam, rising waters used to lap around the Temple, submerging it for half the year. During that time, tourists would still visit the Temple, catching sight of the shadows beneath the translucent water.

Once work began on the new Aswan High Dam, it became apparent that the temple would be lost forever. UNESCO and the Egyptian authorities organised a huge operation to relocate the Temple to the nearby Aglika Island, which, similarly to Abu Simbel, was landscaped to match the original site. The new location is set amid volcanic outcrops, perched beautifully on the deep blue lake, however, it no longer faces Biga Island (sacred to Osiris), from where the Temples holiness derived.
Most people visit Philae on day tours from Aswan, either using taxis or minibuses.

The Cult of Isis
Of all the cults of ancient Egypt, none endured longer or spread further than the worship of the goddess Isis. As the consort of Osiris, she civilised the world by instituting marriage and teaching women the domestic arts. As an enchantress, she collected the dismembered fragments of his body and briefly revived him to conceive a son, Horus, using her magic to help him defeat the evil Seth and restore the pine order. As pharaohs identified themselves with Horus, the living King, so Isis was their pine mother – a role which inevitably associated her with Hathor, the two goddesses being conflated in the Late Period. By this time Isis was the Great Mother of All Gods and Nature, Goddess of Ten Thousand Names, of women, purity and sexuality.
By a process of identification with other goddesses around the Mediterranean, Isis-worship eventually spread throughout the Roman Empire (moving as far as modern-day Hungary). The nurturing, forgiving, loving Isis was Christianity’s chief rival between the third and the fifth centuries. Many scholars believe that the cult of the Virgin Mary was Christianity’s attempt to wean converts away from Isis and early Coptic art identifies one with the other, Horus with Jesus, and the Christian cross with the pharaonic ankh.

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About Hurghada

Hurghada is a city located on the Red Sea coast in Red Sea Governorate of Egypt, with around 40 kilometers of coastline on the Red Sea. The resort city is the second largest city on the Red Sea coast in Egypt and one of the fastest evolving tourism spot in the country of Egypt. With its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches, tourism is the major industry in the city of Hurghada and in the recent times the city has seen plenty of luxury and deluxe hotels and resorts.
The town of Hurghada is mainly famous for its breathtaking natural beaches and wide variety of water sports activities that can be performed here from windsurfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, andjetskis, but, above all, snorkeling and diving. The unique underwater gardens offshore are some of the finest in the world, justifiably famous amongst divers. The coastal town is also a popular for its nightlife and also sometimes known as the party town particularly among Europeans.

Hurghada as Honeymoon Destination (Romantic Getaway)

Honeymoon in Hurghada is all about beaches, water sports activities, exotic marine life sights and exciting nightlife. It is an ideal destination for those newlywed couples who want to spend their honeymoon around some exotic and breathtaking beaches with plenty of water sports activities options. Hurghada honeymoon is not much about travelling from one place to another as there are not much sightseeing options but it is about spending some quality romantic time with your beloved partner exploring the breathtaking natural beaches and make your honeymoon even more exciting by indulging in some of the most adventurous and exciting water sports activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing etc.
There are plenty of beautiful and secluded islands near Hurghada which offer all kinds of fun and excitement such as a day trip to Giftun Island for snorkeling and a fish barbecue, or view the Red Sea from a submarine is an enjoyable experience while on your honeymoon in Hurghada. When you’re not in the sea you can shop in the boutiques, relax in the luxury holiday villages or visit the Roman Mons Porphyrites (mountain of porphyry) remains at nearby Gebel Abu Dukhan (Father of Smoke). Day-trips or safaris to explore the Red Sea Mountains by camel or jeep are also available. The town of Hurghada is also known for its exciting nightlife and there are plenty of clubs, bars and discs where you can just hang around with your partner and experience the beach nightlife.

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"Bast or Bastet" one of Ancient Egypt Goddesses

Do you ever find yourself thinking about how you would rather be lounging around somewhere else, engaging in something luxurious? Bastet would always and forever encourage you to do so. She is the Egyptian cat Goddess of passion, pleasure,and the sun to name just a few. She loves to dance, and remembers to never take things too seriously. Who wouldn’t want her around? Especially if she can help you with love issues as well as self doubt obstacles. She has that special nocturnal cat vision, that allows her all seeing eyes to see through the darkness in physical circumstances and emotional ones, so we can become our true selves. Bast herself is one strong and loving personality, which attracted her many followers. She was worshiped around 3,000 B.C.E, and was known for her protectiveness of households and of women. Her worshipers of Ancient Egypt attended her shrine in Baubastis, that was made of pink granite and was considered to be one of the most beautiful temples in the world. The temple grounds also held Bast’s cat followers who were mummified within the cemetery in her honor.

Bast, is more than any other of the Egyptian goddesses was perceived as a protector and friend oAs a gentler, more benevolent, evolution of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet, her violent and bloody sister who could bring plagues, the goddess Bast could be invoked to prevent the spread of illness.

 Consistent with her cat-like image and her status as a fertility goddess, Bast was associated with childbirth, perhaps because of the mother cat's continuous production of litters and the loving way she fiercely defends and cares for her kittens.

As a gentler, more benevolent, evolution of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet, her violent and bloody sister who could bring plagues, the goddess Bast could be invoked to prevent the spread of illness.


Most households contained a small statue of Bast as a form of household protection . . . The All-Seeing Eye, to ward off thieves. . . as the Cat Goddess, to keep the house free of snakes. . . and as the healer to ward off infectious diseases.

Does this goddess sound like a gal that the phrase "sex kitten" would be invented for? Hardly! But, of course, there is more to the story than we've told so far :

For starters, one of the oldest versions of the goddess Bast was known by the name 'Pasht', from which our word passion was derived. (And from which the English term "Puss" may have arisen.)

Her name itself shares the hieroglyph of a bas-jar, a large pottery jar, usually filled with expensive perfume, a valuable commodity in a hot climate. Indeed, her son Nefertem, a sun god, became the Egyptian god of alchemy and perfume .

About Her Cult

  Cult Center: Bubastis (Nile delta) 

 
Do what Bastet would want you to do and party it up!

Rituals honoring Bast included light-heated barge processions and orgiastic ceremonies. Her cult can be traced back to about 3,200 BCE, and she became a national deity when Bubastis became the capital of Egypt circa 950 BCE.

The rituals performed in her temples, designed for healing, protection, and insuring fertility, were decidedly sensual, full of music and dancing The priestesses of Bast, dressed in "her color" which was red, and were the first "strippers", famous for their erotic dancing.

Many festivals were held in her honor, and they tended to be quite rowdy affairs. During the major festival, thousands of men and women (children weren't invited) traveled on barges down the river to Baubastis, drinking and partying mightily.

With loud music, women shaking their rattles, others gyrating in dance, and some lifting their skirts while making lewd comments to the townspeople lined up on the riverbank to watch the procession, the feasts of Bast may have been a precursor to the Mardi Gras and Carnivale. Some think that it is even the basis for the word "floats" that describe the decorated rides in a parade. 

 

In Egypt male cats were called Mau and females Mait. Cats knew the words to vanquish the powers of darkness and would whisper them to people who loved and befriended them. The black was believed to carry particularly potent magical powers.

The Greeks identified Bast with Artemis. Artemis (or Diana) often appeared in cat form. The legend of cats having nine lives probably stems from Artemis as the mother of the nine muses or from the nine primal great Deities of Egypt; a male and female pair for each of the 4 elements plus their mother.



In the temple at Per-Bast some cats were found to have been mummified and buried, many next to their owners. More than 300,000 mummified cats were discovered when Bast's temple at Per-Bast was excavated. 

 

When she wasn’t being worshiped for the exquisite goddess she is, she would ride with her father Ra, the sun god, in his chariot to pull the sun across the sky. She lived a life of ease and luxury, but always made sure to help her fellow Egyptians by giving them fertile crops to plant, and water to fill the rivers. So in this case she is also a fertility goddess.

With all these attributes, also came her addiction to love. This wasn’t a negative addiction, mind you, but Bast had a way with both men and women. She had many lovers and affairs, all involving her special ingredient of seductive passion.

A very playful goddess, but also very motherly and on her guard about those whom she loved. This intense warrior side came in handy when she found her father in danger of the god Apep, who was his largest enemy. Ra’s followers tried everything they could to protect him, but in the end it was his daughter Bast who killed Apep within the darkest hour of the night with her all-seeing cat eyes, that shone as brightly as the moon itself. 

History, Mythology and Facts about Bastet

 Micerino the name of the builder of the third pyramid al Giza also built a Temple in Bubastis dedicated to Bastet.

Bastet became a national deity when Bubastis became the capital of Egypt circa 950 BCE and gained importance as a commercial and trading center and place of ritualistic celebration

Denderah in Upper Egypt was sometimes known as the "Southern Bubastis". 

Evidence from tomb paintings suggests that the ancient Egyptians hunted with their cats, who were apparently trained to retrieve prey.

  More than 300,000 mummified cats were discovered when the temple of Bastet at Per-Bast was excavated.

 
The Greeks identified Bast with Artemis. Artemis (or Diana) often appeared in cat form. The legend of cats having nine lives probably stems from Artemis as the mother of the nine muses or from the nine primal great Deities of Egypt; a male and female pair for each of the 4 elements plus their mother.

  The cult of Bastet was officially banned by Roman imperial decree in 390 AD.

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Temple of Medinat Habu - Luxor Egypt

The great mortuary temple of Ramses III dominates the site at Medinat Habu.  Second in size only to Karnak, the main pylon and well-preserved wall carvings record military campaigns against the sea peoples and depict bound captives from Syria, Nubia, Palestine, and other border countries.  Vivid colors on columns and ceilings are quite well preserved.  A ceremonial palace complex is adjacent.  Tickets available at the West Bank kiosk.  Open daily from 6:00 am to 5 :00 pm.

Nile Cruise

Egyptraveluxe Nile_cruise make the trip between Luxor and Aswan Cities at the South of Egypt. There are 3 different Nile Cruise Programs. The first program is 3 Nights / 4 Days Aswan - Luxor Program. In this Program you start the trip from Aswan City. You visit Aswan City then the Nile Cruise Sail to Luxor. On the Way the Nile Cruise Stops at Kom Ombo City to visit Kom Ombo Temple and at Edfu City to visit Edfu Temple. At the End thee Nile cruises Arrive to Luxor. In Luxor you visit the West Bank of Luxor. This is the Normal 3 Nights / 4 Days Nile Cruise program. However there are very few Nile Cruises that make this Program in reverse order. You Start from Luxor City and you End at Aswan. The second program is the 4 Nights / 5 Days Luxor - Aswan Program. The Difference between this program and the 3 Nights program is that you visit the East Bank of Luxor City (Karnak & Luxor Temples) and you get an Extra Felucca Ride in Aswan. This Program starts from Luxor and Ends at Aswan. However there are also very few Nile Cruises that make it in reverse order from Aswan to Luxor. In our Opinion this is the Ideal Program for a Nile cruise Trip. The Third program is the 7 Nights / 8 Days Luxor / Aswan / Luxor program. In This program you make the same tours as 4 Nights program. Very few Nile Cruises add sailing to Dendara to visit Dendara Temple. In our opinion this is very long Trip. A lot of people get bored from this 7 Nights Trip. We recommend that clients take a 4 Nights Nile Cruise program and save their money to do something else in the other 3 Nights.
Please Note:
* Programs may be changed without prior notice due to navigational circumstances. * Programs may change in sequence but not in visits.

Here I’ve compiled Egyptraveluxe photos from the tour into one set, and hopefully it captures the depth of rich history lining the Nile in Egypt
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Laurence and Henry's Big Adventure....through Egypt

Walking amongst the 5000 year old structures of the Giza Plateau is truly a humbling experience. This ancient burial ground of the great pharaohs of ancient Egypt have stood the test of time and truly the last remaining Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The massive Great Pyramid stands almost 760 feet tall and was the tallest structure in the world until the 19 century. This monument to the Pharaoh Korfu is estimated to contain over two million blocks weighing an average of 2.5 tonnes is an engineering masterpiece. Next to this pyramid is the pyramid of Khafre son of Khofu, slightly smaller but still has some of the polished limestone at the apex of the pyramid. Flanked by a smaller one for the grandson of Khofu, Menkaure. We were fortunate enough to be able to enter the Pyramid of Khafre and climb through a narrow shaft to the burial chamber in the center of this solid stone structure. The entire Giza Plateau area is covered with smaller monuments and tombs dedicated to the wives of the three great pharaohs for whom they were built. But most notable is the amazing Sphinx, which is the earliest known monument of sculpture in ancient Egypt. And of course our visit to this amazing land of Egypt would not be complete without a camel ride around the pyramids. 

We also ventured to the area called Saqqara, which is one of the richest archaeological sites in all of Egypt to visit the amazing step pyramid. This step pyramid was built for the ruler King Dojeser in 27 century BC.

After a chaotic road trip through the maniac streets of Cairo we made our way to the train station and boarded an overnight train down the Nile to Aswan. We soon discovered that an overnight sleeper train in Egypt is much different that the ones in Europe. But it was a great adventure and we arrived safe and sound and to our tour guide’s surprise even on time. 

In Aswan we checked into our floating hotel SemiRamses 1, a first class Nile river boat with views from every room and an amazing roof top deck with a pool. This is to be hour home for the next four days, life is tough. 

Aswan is Egypt’s southern most city and situated at the base of the two great dams of the Nile, the Aswan Dam and the High Dam (3rd largest in the world). The smaller dam the Aswan dam built in 1902 and the much larger High Dam was built in 1971 were built to regulate the flow of the Nile to control the annual floods and provide the country with power. These two great dams created the massive Lake Nasser which reaches far into the Sudan, but flooded great historical sites in its making.

 

One of these historical sites was the Temple of Philae, which was moved in its entirety just prior to the opening of the dams to a new location 200 meters to the east on higher ground. This massive temple dedicated to the cult of Isis has both Ancient Egyptian and Roman-Greco influences, with massive columns built around a pylon styled temple. Here we explored through the site and viewed the countless hieroglyphs, viewed the delicate carved sandstone walls and stood in awe at the colors still visible on some of the carvings. 

 The land between Aswan and the country of Sudan is the land of the Nubian people. Here were fortunate enough to have visited a Nubian village with its brightly colored homes and camels on the streets. We spent some time inside a Nubian home with its stuffed crocodile over the door, sand floor and of course the pet baby crocodiles in the middle of the house. We had tea, smoked a sheesha, got tattoos and held the crocodile. And the day ended with a cruise down the Nile on the roof of a small boat at sunset, viewing the palm trees and sand dunes reach down to this great river, could life get any better. 

And life did get better, the next day we were at the amazing temple of Abu Simbel at sunrise. After a 3:30 wake-up call we were on a 5:00 am #flight to the southernmost point of Lake Nasser, to view the sunrise over the dessert. The early rise was well worth it as the massive statues at the entrance to the Temple are breathtaking. The great Temple of Abu Simbel and the smaller Temple of Hathor were built to honor Ramses II and his wife Nefertari in 13 BC. The four large colossal statues of Ramses seated in different stages of his life create the facade to an amazing temple. This temple and adjoining mountain had to be moved for the creation of the High Dam and the entire site was moved in 1960 to higher ground. This Temple was designed to impress as well as frighten the enemies coming up the Nile into Egypt, and it is still doing that today.