Egyptian princess tomb discovered

Egypt’s antiquities minister announced on Friday the discovery of a princess’s tomb dating from the fifth dynasty (around 2500 BC) in the Abu Sir region south of Cairo.

“We have discovered the antechamber to Princess Shert Nebti’s tomb which contains four limestone pillars,” Mohamed Ibrahim said.

The pillars “have hieroglyphic inscriptions giving the princess’s name and her titles, which include ‘the daughter of the king Men Salbo and his lover venerated before God the all-powerful,’” he added.

Ibrahim said that the Czech Institute of Egyptology’s mission, funded by the Charles University of Prague and directed by Miroslav Bartas, had made the discovery.

“The discovery of this tomb marks the beginning of a new era in the history of the sepulchers at Abu Sir and Saqqara,” Ibrahim said.

The Czech team also excavated a corridor in the southeast of the antechamber, which leads off to four other tombs, two of which have already been discovered separately.

The two tombs belonged to high-ranking officials including a “grand upholder of the law” and an “inspector of the servants of the palace,” according to their inscriptions. They date from the fifth pharaonic dynasty.

The discoveries have all been made during the excavation season, which began in October, said Usama al-Shini, director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities for Giza.

The corridor contains four limestone sarcophagi that contain statuettes of a man, a man accompanied by his son, and two men with a woman.

Reference:
Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

New Egyptian Pyramids Found by Google Earth

Two possible pyramid complexes might have been found in Egypt, according to a Google Earth satellite imagery survey.

Located about 90 miles apart, the sites contain unusual grouping of mounds with intriguing features and orientations, said satellite archaeology researcher Angela Micol of Maiden, N.C.

One site in Upper Egypt, just 12 miles from the city of Abu Sidhum along the Nile, features four mounds each with a larger, triangular-shaped plateau.

The two larger mounds at this site are approximately 250 feet in width, with two smaller mounds approximately 100 feet in width.

NEWS: Egyptian Pyramids Found With NASA Satellite

The site complex is arranged in a very clear formation with the large mound extending a width of approximately 620 feet — almost three times the size of the Great Pyramid.

“Upon closer examination of the formation, this

Two possible pyramid complexes might have been found in Egypt, according to a Google Earth satellite imagery survey.

Located about 90 miles apart, the sites contain unusual grouping of mounds with intriguing features and orientations, said satellite archaeology researcher Angela Micol of Maiden, N.C.

One site in Upper Egypt, just 12 miles from the city of Abu Sidhum along the Nile, features four mounds each with a larger, triangular-shaped plateau.

The two larger mounds at this site are approximately 250 feet in width, with two smaller mounds approximately 100 feet in width.

appears to have a very flat top and a curiously symmetrical triangular shape that has been heavily eroded with time,” Micol wrote in her website Google Earth Anomalies.

Intriguingly, when zooming in on the top of the triangular formation, two circular, 20-foot-wide features appear almost in the very center of the triangle.

Some 90 miles north near the Fayoum oasis, the second possible pyramid complex contains a four-sided, truncated mound that is approximately 150 feet wide.

Reference : 
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

Up to 3,000 tourists witness the Illumination of Ramses II statue at Abu Simbel, 2012

Up to 3,000 tourists witnessed on Wednesday 22/2/2012 the celebration of the more than 3000-year phenomena of the sun falling perpendicular on the face of King Ramses II statue at the city of Abu Simbel, in southern Egypt.

The perpendicularity of the Sun’s rays penetrating the Great Temple to the inner sanctum to illuminate the face of King Ramses II, started at 06:22 am and ended in 06:53 am (local time) inside the sanctuary at the great city of Abu Simbel.

It is believed that the axis of the temple was positioned by the ancient Egyptian architects in such a way that on October 22 and February 22 (61 days before and 61 days after the Winter Solstice) the sun rays illuminate the sculpture on the back wall, except for the statue of Ptah, the god connected with the underworld, who always remained in the dark.

The Sun’s rays reach 60 meters into the sacred inner sanctuary of the temple to illuminate the face of the statue, announcing the start of the planting season for the ancient Egyptian. For 29 minutes the sun shines on the holy statues of Ramses II, Amon Ra (the sun god), and Ra-Harakhty, god of the rising sun.

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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

The Tourism Minister Inaugurated a Marina for The Special Needs

 

Egyptian Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour today inaugurated the first marina for people with special needs in the Middle East and North Africa.

The inauguration comes during World Tourism Day festivities in Aswan, Upper Egypt.

This marina is a turning point for Egyptian tourism as it works toward meeting the needs of all tourism demands, and it provides the means for comfort, said Abdel Nour.

“Egypt will launch Nile cruisers from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan; the Nile crusiers will have a powerful impact in reviving Egyptian tourism.”

“The Amarco Nile Cruise Company resumed this project despite the halt in Nile cruises,” said the company’s CEO Mohammed Othman, adding that the company expects an improvement in the future.

The new marina costs about seven million EGP (U.S. $1.17 million) and construction is expected to take one year. The project provides full-service for special needs tourists, including transport from Aswan Airport to the marina, Othman said.

“The project also includes a floating hotel with a special escalator,” he added.

The floating hotel will have two royal suites, each of which is 116 meters. There will be four main suites measuring 76 meters and 48 suites measuring 38 meters.

The hotel will also have a conference hall large enough to hold 350 people, a health club, a gym and other 5-star level equipment.

“This new project will help activate tourism for people with special needs from all over the world, roughly 750 million people in the Arab and European world,” Othman added.

Thirty-five million such people exist in the Middle East, according to recent statistics from the World Tourism Organization.

Deputy Chairman of Amarco Kamar Samir today assured the return of Nile cruises from Cairo to Aswan.

First Assistant to the Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou, Tourism Ministry’s Advisor to the Ambassador Helmy Bedir, other leaders in the Tourism Ministry and leaders in the Union and Tourism sector attended the inauguration.

Reference : egypt4tours.net
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

Egypt will be the first Arab Country Partner in the ITB Berlin 2012.

Egyptian tourism will be witnessing a prime event during 2012, as Egypt has been named Country Partner in the ITB Berlin 2012, which will take place during the period from March 7th to March 11th, 2012. Egypt will be the first Arab Country to be hosted as a Country Partner in the ITB Berlin.

The ITB Berlin hosts around 17,000 visitors, and is considered the largest international congregation for experts in the tourism industry. This prime event provides Egypt with an ideal platform and a unique opportunity to present its diverse touristic portfolio, which makes it one of the world’s most attractive holiday destinations all year round to the German and international markets.In 2011 and during the first months of 2012, the Egyptian Tourism Authority has, and will promote Egypt as a country partner in the ITB Berlin in all exhibitions and international forums, such as the IMEX held in Germany in May 2011, and the WTM held in London in November 2011. Besides, a promotional campaign for the event is set on the official website of the Egyptian Tourism Authority” egypt.travel” and also through various social networks.

Furthermore, the Egyptian Tourism Office in Frankfurt has been participating in all important events taking place in the various cities of Germany, especially the Tutankhamen exhibition in Wiesbaden held in June 2011, the World Equestrian Festival held in August 2011, the Berlin International Economics Conference held in September 2011, the Global Forum for the Development and Enhancement of Communication between the air carriers and airports in October 2011, as well as, the 4th Annual Golf Tournament, initiated in Germany and was ended in Hurghada, Egypt, with a closing ceremony at Habo Temple in Luxor in December 2011, in the presence of a huge media coverage. The Egyptian Tourism Office in Frankfurt, also exploited all major events held by the German Chamber of Commerce to promote this event, as well as other cultural activities across Germany.

Over and above, intensive advertising campaigns, aiming the Trade sector, were launched in major German publications specialized in tourism and travel, as well as, organizing a number of trips for major German tour operators and travel agents, perhaps the most important was a trip in cooperation with the Turkish Airlines in Germany and with Sun Express for charter flights.

In terms of advertisement aiming the public, the Egyptian Tourism office in Frankfurt prepared an intensive campaign to cover the fair before, during and after, using all traditional and non-traditional means of advertising to support Egypt’s media presence, starting January 2012.

Also, The Egyptian Tourism Authority will be organizing several events, in Egypt and Germany, to promote this important occasion, which includes a press conference on the 20th of December to announce the event, and will also sponsor a number of artistic events such as the concert of Sama3 Band to be held in January in one of the churches in Berlin, whereby a message of love and peace will be sent from Egypt to the whole world. A second press conference will be held in Berlin in February 2012 to promote Egypt as a key partner in ITB, besides other cultural and artistic events, confirming Egypt’s presence as a prime touristic destination.

On another note, Egypt’s Pavillion will be held at Hall No. 23A of the International Congress Center in Berlin in an area covering 2526 m² with the participation of 120 travel agencies and hotels. The “Unique Fusion “and “All-Round Welcome” will be the main themes further expressed through the design of the Egyptian Hall where the Ankh iconic symbol of life, one of the Pharaonic icons of ancient Egypt will be the consistent visual cue for Brand Egypt in the ITB, over and above exhibiting touristic products in Egypt and a model of an Egyptian bazaar will be set, displaying handicrafts products and folkloric activities, to reflect the true Egyptian spirit, offering tourists a unique and lively experience of an old Egyptian souk.

The event will also witness the launch of the new advertising campaign, “We Are Egypt,” a message of peace and hospitality sent by the people of Egypt to the whole world, inviting them for an unforgettable experience.

 

Reference :AMEinfo.com
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

Crocodile museum to open in Aswan, Egypt

The first “Museum of Crocodiles” will open this month in front of the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan, a busy tourist area on the East bank of the Nile, southern Egypt.

 

Forty mummified crocodiles of ranging in size from 1.5m long to almost of five metres long will be exhibited, according to Egypt’s tourism authority.

The museum, which is opening in time for Aswan’s National Day in January, will also feature statues of Sobek, known by Ancient Egyptians as ‘the crocodile god’.

 

Reference :HotelierMiddleEast.com
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

Egypt’s Sinai peninsula Has the Potential to be a Show Case in Human and Resource Development for the New Egypt.

Sinai’s 1,000km shore line offers a window to two great seas, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Its mountainous

Monastery which was built by Emperor Justinian and considered the oldest populated monastery in the world and is currently the home for fifteen monks. Its library is the most ancient in Christianity. Catherine (or Katrin) is an Egyptian Coptic martyr from Alexandria who died in the late 4th century defending her church against the invading Romans. central-southern area has two peaks of 2,300 and 2,600m. One mountain has a great religious significant to Muslims, Christians and Jews; Mount Sinai where God talked to Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments near the Burning Bush.
Sinai includes another site of great religious significance. Stand at the foot of Mount Sinai is the famous St. Catherine

Human settlements in Sinai date back to 5,000 – 7,000 BC. Ancient Egyptians used widely Sinai’s turquoise and copper deposits in an advanced technology for their daily life and for their tombs and temples.

Sinai was, and still is used as an east-west land route between Asia and North Africa. Sinai provided routes to millions of travelers to the Muslim Holy sites in Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina, especially at the time of Hajj.
Sinai was invaded by ancient Asian tribes and most recently by Britain, France and Israel in 1956 and by Israel again in 1967. It was threatened by the Crusaders and by the Moguls. In all cases, Egyptians manage to liberate Sinai from foreign invaders, to end any threats and even to liberate other countries in Asia in the process as was the case of liberating Palestine, Syria and Iraq from the Crusaders and the Moguls.
Sinai is an area of great zoological importance, its fauna is an intriguing assemblage of African, Asian and European and its wildlife is both fascinating and rare. It is the home for many rare animals including the Sinai Leopard.
Sinai has the potential to be the world’s leading example for using alternative energy sources to satisfy its needs. Both solar and wind power generation can be the highest per capita. It has an average of over 10 hours of daily sunlight over the whole year, one of the highest in the world. Its average wind speed per year is over 25km per hour. Also dams can be built to make use of seasons of heavy rain in hydraulic power generation.
Agriculture and integrated farming, and a fishing industry can provide jobs for millions of workers from the Nile Valley. Sinai can provide the country with its needs in vegetables, fruits, fish, honey and meat and become a world leading exporter of these products. It is ideal for growing wheat, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, apples, oranges, mangoes, figs, olive and date. It has an average rainfall in the mountainous central-southern region of 300 millimeters, enough to form plenty of underground springs.  It has several unique plants and shrubs which are used to cure many diseases, a well-known fact to the local Bedouin community. Its mangrove ecosystem can be studied and duplicated throughout the peninsula and related industries can be established.
The Mediterranean north coast can accommodate a California-style IT silicon oasis dotted with software and hardware design houses and research centers. The northern city of El-Arish, Sinai’s largest city with some 100,000 inhabitants can be the first to turn into the Great El-Arish Area (GEA) with modern schools, hospitals and universities competing with

the best in the region. The city can be a great seaside summer resort with its sandy beaches and great expanse of palm trees. It can also house the world’s largest historical and culture center for Bedouin and nomadic life.
The South Red Sea shores are suitable for an all-year tourist industry which, with a massive promotion campaign, can become one of the top 10 tourist destinations in the world. It has what it takes; history, sunshine, mild temperature most of the year, sandy beaches, rich coral reefs, mountains and natural protectorates at both land and sea which are second to none. Sothern Sinai can attract millions of tourists while protecting Sinai’s natural environment, heritage and culture.
I invite readers interested in the development of Sinai to contribute and/or attend the first international conference on Sinai for New Egypt which will be held in Cairo at The American University of Cairo near Tahrir Square, just before the first anniversary of the January 25 revolution.

Reference :The Egyptian Gazette
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

The Last Secret Door of Great Pyramid will be opened in 2012

The secret gates at the heart of the Great Pyramid may be opened for the first time in 2012, a British robot company believes – solving a mystery that has puzzled archaeologists since 1872.

‘We’re still waiting for permission to return to the pyramid,’ Whitehead told Mail Online today. ‘In the meantime, we have been working on enhancing the robot.’

‘The main plan is to carefully survey and document the shafts, to gather as much information as possible to allow archaeologists to determine their purpose.  We also still plan to look beyond the blocking stones at the ends of the shafts, if it is safe and practical to do so.’

Scoutek UK had already begun exploring behind the gates earlier this year – and produced the first-ever images from behind the gates using a ‘micro snake’ robot. But the exploration was halted by the recent unrest in Egypt.

Expedition leader Shaun Whitehead said, ‘I’m very confident we can resume work in 2012.’

Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities stopped granting permits for research such as the Djedi robotic exploration of the Great Pyramid.

But it has recently started granting permits again.

The expedition is named Djedi after the magician who Khufu consulted while building the pyramid. It is a joint project founded by Dr Ng from Hong Kong University, and Scoutek UK, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, Dassault Systèmes in France and the University of Leeds.

The four narrow shafts deep inside the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid have puzzled archaeologists ever since they were first found in 1872.

The shafts are just eight inches across – and thus can’t be explored by human explorers. Many experts believe that the shaft was designed to provide an ‘exit’ for the Pharaoh’s spirit into.

The pyramid is the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing, and is thought to have been built as a tomb for Pharoah Khufu, who ruled in the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty and died in 2566 BC.

Khufu had the Great Pyramid of Giza built as a monumental tomb, inside of which are tomb chambers, ante-rooms, chambers, ventilation shafts and access tunnels.

There are three main chambers: The King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Chamber and the Grand Gallery.

The King’s Chamber has two shafts connected to outside, but two tunnels from the Queen’s Chamber deep inside the widest part of the pyramid have two stone doors.

Some experts now believe this may indicate a secret chamber, further still within the pyramid.

 It is not the first time robots have been used within the pyramid to gather evidence about the inner depths of the structure.

In 1993 a robot discovered a small door set with metal pins, the first time any metal had been found inside the pyramid, igniting speculation that the pins were keys or door handles.

In 2002 a different robot filmed a small chamber blocked by a stone after managing to drill through the first stone block.

The latest robot, built by UK company Scoutek, is a ‘micro-snake’ armed with a camera, designed to explore small spaces.

Designer Whitehead also worked on sensors for the Beagle 2 Mars exploration craft.

The door which still puzzles experts can be seen to be polished, thanks to the bendy camera, marking it out as an important part of the structure rather than simply as something to stop debris entering the chamber, says camera designer Shaun Whitehead.

Egyptologist Kate Spence of Cambridge University says the tunnels may purely be symbolic and relate to the stars.

Although she is not involved directly in the study of the Giza pyramid, Spence does not believe there is a further, hidden chamber behind the door, suggesting instead that the shafts could have been built to allow the Pharoah’s spirit to cross to the afterlife.

Reference : Dailymail
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

The exhibition of Tutankhamen will be held in Japan for $7 million

 

General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Antiquities released a decision to newly appointed Minister of Interior take over the Ministry of Antiquities, concerning their consent to hold the Tutankhamen exhibition in Japan.

The council released an order for the transfer of the monument along with the head of the museum sector, media coordinator and four journalists by the end of December.

The exhibition will be held for a year in two cities in Japan for the benefit of U.S. $7 million.

This decision was made is contrary to the decision of the Head of Department of Foreign Exhibitions of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, who prepared a document a few months ago recommending to refuse the exhibition to be held in Japan.

the Supreme Council of Antiquities considered the bad weather in Japan, including the previous tsunami and the current nuclear leak from nuclear energy stations.

The opening of the exhibition was discussed again during the period when Mohamed Abdel Fatah was the head of the General Secretariat of the Council. Abdel Fatah agreed to the previous recommendation concerning refusing the opening of the exhibition in Japan. The current secretariat of the council Mostafa Amin decided to hold the exhibition in Japan after the environmental state in Japan stabilized.

The Japanese Company is organizing the exhibition and promised to choose the most secure cities in Japan. The exhibition will be held for a year, six months in Tokyo city and six months in Osaka city. The exhibition will be held in Japan with the benefit of U.S. $7 million.

The exhibition includes 131 rare ancient pieces from King Tutankhamen’s collection. It will be transferred from Australia to Japan in two trips, the first on December 14 and the second on December 15.

Youm7 was told there is a team of archeologists in Australia counting the pieces and covering it to be transferred. The council received a total sum estimated at U.S. $40 million from the exhibition.

Reference : youm7.com
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955

Red Sea, Hurghada Hosts 9th World Cup of Billiards

Hurghada hosts 9th world cup of billiards

The Red Sea town of Hurghada will today open the ninth World Cup of Billiards.

The championship, organized by the Akhbar al-Youm Institution, will run from December 4 until December 10 at the Sunrise Garden Beach Hotel, under the auspices of Red Sea governor Mahmoud Essam.

The Egyptian Federation of Billiards will supervise the championship. The European Union selected Egypt as the host after its strong showing in previous tournaments.

Roughly 128 players from 22 countries will participate. Among those engaged include: Germany, Belgium, Turkey, the Netherlands, France, Korea, Japan, Colombia, Ecuador, Sweden and Denmark.

French Kazumi television will broadcast the tournament and the ceremony on December 12.

Reference : youm7.com
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Memphis Tours Egypt since 1955