Middle East

The Giza Necropolis, the largest in ancient Egypt, is located on the Giza plateau, west of the town of the same name and about twenty kilometers from Cairo. In it are the famous pyramids built by the pharaohs of the fourth dynasty (more than 4,000 years ago): the pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), also known as the Great Pyramid is the largest and most important of all, considered a of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world; the pyramid of Jafra (Kefren), the second largest in Egypt after Cheops and currently the only one that still retains a small part of its ancient white limestone coating on top; and the pyramid of Menkaura (Micerino), the smallest of the set but no less interesting for that. Next to the pyramids there are other minor subsidiary constructions, funerary temples, piers, processional causeways and pits containing ceremonial solar boats were dug; The Great Sphinx of Giza was also carved into the rock of the plateau.The pyramids were built to house the remains of the deceased pharaohs who ruled Ancient Egypt. It was believed that a part of the pharaoh's spirit, his ka, remained with his corpse. Proper care of the remains was necessary so that the "former pharaoh could carry out his new duties as king of the dead." It is theorized that the pyramid not only served as a tomb for the pharaoh, but also as a storage pit for various items he would need in the afterlife. "The people of Ancient Egypt believed that death on Earth was the beginning of a journey to the other world." The embalmed body of the king was buried under or inside the pyramid to protect him and allow his transformation and ascension to the afterlife.

It contains the largest collection in the world on ancient Egypt, with more than 120,000 objects. Located in Tahir square. It was inaugurated on November 15, 1902, and experienced great growth from 1922, with the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter. 

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. Inside it is the Christian quarter, Coptic quarter. Located in the old part of the city, crossed by narrow streets and with many churches such as:   Church of Santa María: Dates from the 4th century, known as the Hanging Church , is the oldest Christian temple in the city.   Church of San Sergio: Dating from the 5th century, built on a cave, which, according to tradition, housed the Holy Family .   Chapel of Santa Bárbara.   Church and Monastery of Saint George. Here is also the Ben-Ezra Synagogue (7th century), the oldest in Egypt, and the Babylonian fortress.

It is located on the Muzzattam hill. It was the refuge of all rulers from Saladin in the 12th century to Mehmet Ali in the 19th century.The fortress and walls on the east side were built by Saladin in 1176, and was enlarged to the west, where the Sultan Hassan Mosque and the main gate are located. In the southern part are the palaces: this area was enlarged by Mehmet Ali, who built the Alabaster mosque, completely covered with this material both inside and outside and which he decorated with marble and engravings on stucco. It consists of a large central dome supported by four columns and other smaller domes around it. It has two Ottoman-style minarets, a large courtyard with a fountain for ablutions, and a turret with a clock that, curiously, never worked.

It is the oldest in the city, built in 879, and the one in the best state of preservation. Ordered to be erected by General Ahmad Ibn Tulun, it became a benchmark in the East and one of the most important of the time. It occupies 2.4 hectares and the only part that has been significantly restored is the mihrab, but maintaining original elements such as arches, supports and the general configuration.

Also known as “the Alabaster Mosque” due to the material that covers the lower part of this construction. It was built between the years 1830 and 1848. It is located on a high point of the Citadel of Cairo. In it rest the remains of Muhammad Ali, whose government constituted a time of modernization of the country. The minarets of the monumental building glow at night.

It was built by two pharaohs, Amenhotep III and Ramses II during the New Kingdom. It was linked to the Temple of Karnak by the Avenue of the Sphinxes, a drome flanked by statues of sphinxes and rams. It consisted of dromos, two large obelisks and two large seated statues, formerly the pylons of the monarch Ramses II. It has a large patio, processional colonnade, atrium, hypostyle room, birth chamber, offering room, vestibule, boat sanctuary and several other sanctuaries.

It is the largest temple in Egypt, the enclosure has a perimeter of 2,400 meters. It is the largest known religious center in the world. The main temple was dedicated to the worship of the God Amun. It is the third most visited place in the country. It is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The Valley of the Kings (in Arabic, Wadi Abwāb Al-Muluk (وادي أبواب الملوك): Valley of the Gates of the Kings) is an ancient Egyptian necropolis, near Luxor, where the tombs of most of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (18th, 19th and 20th dynasties), and some of their pets. It was popularly known by the Egyptians as Tasekhet-ma'at (Great Field). It is part of the complex called Ancient Thebes with its necropolis, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1979. It is located in the desert area (Desheret, the "Red Land") on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), in the heart of the Necropolis.The valley is dominated by the pyramid-shaped hill that the Egyptians called Dehenet-Imenet, "the Summit of the West", currently el-Qurn; there lived the goddess cobra Meretseger, "She who loves silence", protector of the necropolis. This natural pyramid and the hypogea of the Valley are reminiscent of the ancient burials in the great pyramids of Memphis.On the other hand, the place is mystically related to the great temples of Thebes, on the eastern bank of the Nile. a straight line from the Karnak temple to the west, after crossing the river reaches Deir el-Bahari with the Hatshepsut temple and finally the Valley of the Kings, thus materializing the duality east-west characteristic of Egyptian cosmology: the east, place of the birth of the sun, it is the seat of life, the fertile "Black Earth" (Kemet), territory of Horus, god of balance and order, creator of Egyptian civilization; on the contrary, the west, where the sun sets, is the barren, desert "Red Land", domain of Seth the lord of the underworld and god of the dead.

It is located to the southwest of the Valley of the Kings, in front of Luxor, on the west bank of the Nile, and it is a smaller place and with a type of rock of worse quality than that of the Valley of the Kings. Queens and princesses of the 19th and 20th dynasties were buried here, although some from earlier times have also been found.

The Colossi of Memnon are two gigantic stone statues that represent Pharaoh Amenhotep III and presided over his mortuary temple. They are located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, near Medinet Habu and south of the great Theban necropolises. The two twin statues show a calm Amenhotep III, with his hands resting on his knees and his gaze directed towards the east, towards the Nile River and the rising Sun. Two smaller figures, located next to the throne, represent his wife Tiy and his mother Mutemuia; the side panels show a bas-relief allegory of the god of the annual flood, Hapy.The statues are carved from large blocks of quartzite, specially brought from Giza and from the el-Gabal el-Ahmar quarry, near present-day Cairo. Although both statues are quite damaged, it is believed that they were identical, but with different inscriptions.The original function of the colossi was to preside over the first entrance of the three existing pylons in the funerary complex of Amenhotep III : an immense construction carried out during the life of the pharaoh, where he was worshiped as a god on Earth. In its time, it was the largest and most opulent temple in Ancient Egypt, even the Karnak temple was smaller in size and so were other later temples.

It is located in the city of Medinat Habu, west of Luxor. The enclosure contains more than 7,000 square meters of walls decorated with reliefs that illustrate the advent and fall of the Sea Peoples during the reign of Ramses III.