egypt 4: the nile cruise

Posted on April 27, 1999 by Rama Arya

“Hail to thee, O Nile, that issues from the earth
and comes to keep Egypt alive! …
… O Nile, verdant art thou,
who makes man and cattle to live!”

~ Translated from ‘Hymn to the Nile’ written for an Inundation Festival held at Thebes some 3,600 years ago

“Egypt is the Gift of the River”, said Herodotus, the Greek Historian in the 5th Century BC. Rightfully so. Kingdoms came and went, dynasties rose and fell. But the Nile continued, steadfastly, year in and year out, with its rise and ebb to irrigate, fertilise and nourish a civilisation that endured 3,000 years of history. Continue reading →

egypt 3: ramses II the great’s temples of abu simbel

Posted on April 26, 1999 by Rama Arya

Colossal statues of Ramses II flank the facade of the Great Temple of Abu Simbel

“On the sand
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies …
And on the pedestal these words appear:
‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’”

~ Extract from the poem ‘Ozymandias’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley, an English Poet in the 19th Century. The poem was inspired by a statue of Ramses II in the Ramesseum, Ramses II’s funerary temple in Luxor

Ancient Egypt had many remarkable pharaohs. However, one stands out above all others. Ramses II the ‘Great’. A king of kings who is still remembered 3,300 years after his death. A man whose mummy lies in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, a silent smile playing around his lips, somehow aware that he had achieved the sustaining principle of Egyptian civilisation—everlasting life. Continue reading →

egypt 2: pyramids of saqqara and giza

Posted on April 25, 1999 by Rama Arya

Memphis and Saqqara

The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara

Memphis, the capital of the Old Kingdom (2686-2160 BC) was a magnificent city and important, both as a commercial hub, as well as a cult centre for the god Ptah, creator of the universe. The temple of Ptah was Memphis’ most impressive building. Unfortunately, it was destroyed a long time ago like other temples dating back to the time as they were then made of mud-bricks. Memphis today is a pleasant open air museum; the main attractions a colossal statue of Ramses II as a young king and a New Kingdom sphinx.

Two kilometres from Memphis, in the bleak golden dunes of the desert, lies the necropolis of Saqqara, the burial ground of the Old Kingdom pharaohs and nobles. Continue reading →

egypt 1: pyramids, houses of eternity

Posted on April 23, 1999 by Rama Arya

“Oh Atum, what is my duration of life,”
the deceased king asked the creator-god.
“Thou art destined for millions of millions of years,
a lifetime of millions,” the deity replied.

~ Extract from an ancient Egyptian religious text

Continue reading →