Monuments of Ancient Egypt

The majority of ancient Egypt monuments were built during the pharaohic era, though they sit alongside expressions of other cultures. For example, Sphinxes and Colossi exist near amphitheatres, Greco-Roman columns, temples etc.

The Great Sphinx Located in Giza

Similar to the arm-less Venus de Milo, the nose-less Great Sphinx has long since become recognized for its lack of a nose. Guarding the revered entrance to the Great Giza Pyramids, the lion-bodied, human-headed Sphinx is the oldest mythical stone sculpture in Egypt. Ironically, it is also the most recognizable. It was impressively made, originally carved from one huge piece of limestone bedrock and covered in plaster and paint. Sands, water, and winds of the Giza Plateau have worn away at the exterior of the Great Sphinx, which once wore the royal beard of a Pharaoh. Part of this beard can be viewed at the British Museum in London and the rest can be seen in the Egyptian Museum at Cairo-a must while on trips to Cairo.

You may not know this, but the Sphinx was originally built by and in the image of Pharaoh Kefren—though it was named by the Greeks with a nod to their riddle-adoring mythological character.

The Valley of the Kings in Thebes

The Valley of the Kings guards its secrets well. After the grandness of the earlier pharaoh's pyramids proved to inspire theft by grave robbers, from the 18th to the 20th Dynasties a total of 26 Pharaohs chose to have their tombs built in the valley. Far from reach, the tombs of Tutankhamun, Tuthmosis III, and Ramses the Great were carved deep into the mountains of this impressive necropolis. There are many fascinating tombs worth seeing on tours of Egypt in the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Nobles, too.

Luxor Tours and Colossi of Memnon

The first visible ruins on tours to Luxor by ferry are the Colossi of Memnon. According to recent discoveries Amenhotep III's funerary temple was more spectacular than the complex of Karnak and the Colossi of Memnon are now all that's left. Now faceless, these two giants stand with their back to the mountain in front of the first pylon. They were built to represent the sovereignty of the Pharaoh sitting on his throne. Though none of it remains, the funerary complex was the largest located on the west bank.

The Colossus of Ramses the Great in Memphis

A giant statue of Ramses II is now housed in a museum, which many that go on Egyptian tours like to visit.

The Ramesseum in Luxor

The Ramesseum is the funerary temple of Ramses II, which has lost much of its grandeur over the centuries. Poets once sang of its grandeur, but it has since been pillaged and has not survived the years well. However, something about the crumbled columns and thorn-covered trees creates a moving image when light first hits this site at sunrise, moving over the broken pieces of the statue of Ramses II as it lies in the ground. It is calculated that the statue once measured at least 17 m high and weighed close to 1,000 tons—definitely worth seeing when you travel to Ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egypt Monuments of the Graeco-Roman Era:

From the time of Alexander the Great in 332 BC to Cleopatra's death by suicide in 30 BC, the Greeks forced Egypt into the spotlight during their 3.5 century reign under the Ptolomeic Dynasty. Unlike typical colonialists Ptolemaic rulers embraced Egyptian design and culture, continuing to work on the great accomplishments of those that preceded them. Their greatest achievement was the sparkling jewel of ancient times, Alexandria. The ancient library of Alexandra was a place of enlightenment and the long-gone Caesareum was a symbol of sophistication. When Cleopatra committed suicide, Octavian took Egypt under Roman reign. The Romans continued the work of the Greeks, adhering to their traditions until 394 AD when Christianity brought forth the Coptic era and buried Ancient Egypt. If you travel to Alexandria with America Israel Travel you will be able to witness these monuments firsthand.

Roman Amphitheatre or Kom-el-Dikkah in Alexandria

The Roman Amphitheatre was discovered buried under rubble. Found below a Napoleonic era fort, it is the only circular Roman theatre in all of Egypt that we know of. Tours to Egypt should definitely stop at a site like this. Tour Alexandria and see the Kom-el-Dikkah yourself!

Pompey´s Pillar

Pompey´s Pillar stands 25 m high and is made of solid, red granite. It is a majestic, solitary structure that´s base is Greek in nature and inscribed while its top possesses a Romanesque capital. Ironically, Pompey's Pillar has nothing to do with Pompey as it was built to honor Emperor Diocletian in 292 AD. Should you travel with America Israel Travel, this may be a stop during your Egypt travel.

The Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa

Carved out of mountain bedrock during the 2nd century, Kom ash-Shuqqafa is recognized as the largest burial place in Ancient Egypt with 3 below-ground stories, which accommodate over 300 dead. Though the lowest level is submerged, a spiral staircase provides access to the first two levels. These levels house a banquet hall or triclinium for funerary feasts and the main tomb, which combines an eclectic meld of Greek, Egyptian, and Roman symbolism.