1. Tourist attractions - Egypt
World Geography
Tourist attractions - Egypt

2. Presentation aims
By the end of this presentation you should be able to
Locate tourist attractions in Egypt using a map
Describe the features and characteristics of tourist attractions in Egypt

3. Tourist attractions in Egypt
Three of the most well known tourist attractions in Egypt are:
Pyramids of Giza
The Sphinx
Egyptian Antiquities Museum
Abu Simbel
These can be located on the map on the following slide

4. Egyptian Antiquities Museum
Map of Egypt
Egyptian Antiquities Museum
Pyramids of Giza
The Sphinx
Abu Simbel

5. Pyramids and the Sphinx
The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are two of the most well known tourist attractions in the world
They are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only ancient wonder that still remains

6. Pyramids of Giza The three main pyramids at the site are:
The Great Pyramid of Cheops
The Pyramid of Chephren
The Pyramid of Mycerinus

7. The Great Pyramid of Cheops
The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest pyramid in the world
It is 140 metres high
It is made of approximately 2 million blocks of stone, weighing about 2300kg each
It was built between 2589 and 2566 BC by the fifth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu
This pyramid is sometimes referred to as “The Great Pyramid of Khufu”
There is a restricted number of visitors allowed to visit this Pyramid
Recently a boat has been found at the bottom of this pyramid

8. The Pyramid of Chephren
The Pyramid of Chepren appears bigger than the Great Pyramid of Cheops, however it was in fact built on higher ground than Cheops
Built by Khufu’s son, Khafre, it was discovered in 1818
Its imposing size is what has made this pyramid famous - the size of the base of the pyramid was once 216 square metres (2325 square feet)
It is located South West of the Great Pyramid
The Pyramid of Chephren is known as the Second Pyramid, and also known as The Pyramid of Khaefra”
This pyramid used to have a limestone outer casing which gave the pyramid a dazzling look; the remnants can still be seen

9. The Pyramid of Mycerinus
The Pyramid of Mycerinus, known as the third Pyramid, stands 67 metres (220ft) high
This pyramid was initiated by Khafre’s successor, Menkaure, who died before its completion
This pyramid has a granite lower outer casing
This pyramid is also known as “The Pyramid of Menkaura”

10. The Sphinx
Located at the entrance to the Great Pyramid, visitors will find the famous Sphinx, (Abu el-Hol is the Arabic name)
It was carved from a single remaining block of sandstone leftover from the Great Pyramid over 4500 years ago
It is a statue with a man’s head attached to a lion’s body
The nose of the Sphinx was destroyed

11. Pyramids of Giza
At the bottom of the Great Pyramid of Giza are three smaller pyramids called “The Queen’s Tombs”
There is a spectacular sound and light show every evening at Giza which adds another dimension to the already mysterious site

12. Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
Opening times
Daily 7.00am – 4.00 pm
Admission fee
Site: EUR40/NZD70 adult,
EUR20/NZD35 student
In Egyptian currency (Egyptian pounds) the price for adults is 20L.E.
To enter the pyramids there is an additional cost: EUR40/NZD70 adult, EUR20/NZD35 student

13. Abu Simbel
One of the most famous archaeological sites in Egypt is Abu Simbel
It is located high above the western banks of the Nile River, south of Aswan in southern Egypt

14. Abu Simbel
There are two temples at the site built on the orders of Pharaoh Ramses II (1304 – 1237 BC)
This temple is referred to as “Abu Simbel” and has four 20m high statues of Ramses II
The smaller temple was built in honour of Ramses’ wife, Queen Nefertari and is dedicated to the wife of the Sun God
It is sometimes referred to as “The Temple of Hathor”

15. Abu Simbel
A massive conservation effort was mounted in the late 1960s as the building of the Aswan Dam caused the water levels of Lake Nasser to rise and endangered the temples
There was an immediate threat to the archaeological treasures of the site
Abu Simbel’s cultural importance was recognised by UNESCO and on that basis an international campaign proceeded to protect the site for its cultural importance

16. Abu Simbel The Sacrarium is at the end of the Temple of Abu Simbel
There are four statues: Harmakhis, Ramses II, Amon Ra, Ptah (God of Darkness)
Twice a year at the solstaces the sun penetrates the entire length of the temple and floods the statues of Amon Ra, Harmakhis and Ramses
This lights the statues for about 5 minutes and Ptah is never struck by the rays of the sun
This is called “The miracle of the sun”
Taken from “Abu Simbel”, published by Bonechi 2003

17. Abu Simbel Opening Times Admission Fee (approximate)
Daily 6.00am – 4.00pm (winter)
Daily 6.00am – 5.00pm (summer)
Admission Fee (approximate)
Ramses II Temple: EUR20/NZD35
Nefertari Temple: EUR10/NZD17

18. Egyptian Antiquities Museum
Located in Cairo, the Egyptian Antiquities Museum is a must see tourist attraction for any visitor to Egypt
Amongst the 107 halls, visitors can see mummified pharaohs and thousands of ancient artifacts in a collection that originated in 1895

19. Egyptian Antiquities Museum
The most famous exhibit is the treasures from the tomb of the boy-king, Tutankhamun
Amongst the collection visitors can see
The God like golden mask of Tutankhamun
Over 1700 objects including pottery, jewellery, decorative pieces, sculpture, furniture, written documents, vases and accessories and tomb equipment

20. Egyptian Antiquities Museum
Opening times
Daily 9.00am – 5.00pm
Admission fees
EUR20/NZD35 adult
EUR10/NZD17 student
There is a fee to take a camera into the museum
There is also a fee to see the Mummies

21. Summary This presentation has covered
Locating tourist attractions in Egypt using a map
Describing the features and characteristics of tourist attractions in Egypt

22. End of presentation

23. References Ministry of Tourism (UK) - http://www.interoz.com/egypt
Egyptian Museum -
Abu Simbel (English Edition) Bonechi, 2003