Alexandria (Alex), City of in Egypt

The Building of Alexandria

The second largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern ; its ambience and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country although it is actually only 225 km. from Cairo.

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria became the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolized by Pharos, the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Alexandria was also the center of learning in the ancient world. But ancient Alexandria declined, and when Napoleon landed, he found a sparsely populated fishing village.

From the 19th century Alexandria took a new role, as a focus for Egypt's commercial and maritime expansion. This Alexandria has been immortalized by writers such as E-M- Forster and Cavafy. Generations of immigrants from Greece, Italy and the Levant settled here and made the city synonymous with commerce, cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture.

Alexandria is a city to explore at random. It's as important to enjoy the atmosphere as it is to see the sights.

Old Alexandria

Dinocrates built the Heptastadion, the causeway between Pharos and the mainland. This divided the harbors into the Western and Eastern. The Eastern harbor was really where the old harbor from the Middle Ages was located.

Of modern Alexandria, the oldest section is along the causeway which links what was once Pharos island with the mainland and includes the districts of Gumrok (the oldest dating to about the 16th century and known as the customs district) Anfushi, and Ras el-Tin (Cape of Figs). The latter two districts date to about the period of Mohammed Ali (1805-49). Collectively, these districts are known to westerners as the Turkish Quarter. They have had a number of ups and downs over the years, particularly due to the plague during the 17th century. The area forms somewhat of a T-shape, dividing the Eastern Harbor from the Western Harbor.

This section of Alexandria is known to us more from books then what we may actually see in the area. Where the Pharos Lighthouse once stood, is now occupied by the Fort of Quit Bay (1) out on the area that circles up around the top of Eastern Harbor forming the eastern section of the top of the T. Heading south from the Fort of Quit Bay, we come to the stunning Abu El-Abbas Mosque (2). West of this is the Anfushi Tombs (3), some of the oldest in Alexandria and well worth a visit.

Central Alexandria

The Underwater Discoveries Relatively new discoveries in the Eastern Harbor involve two different sites. Around Fort Qaitbey the site has unearthed hundreds of objects, including what experts believe are the remains of the Pharos Lighthouse, one of the ancient wonders of the world In the south east part of the harbor archaeologists have apparently found the Royal Quarters, including granite columns and fabulous statues, including one of Isis and a sphinx with a head thought to be that of Cleopatra's father. There may vary well be an underwater exhibit in the future.

Heading towards the mainland past the Abu El-Abbas Mosque and connecting with Shari Faransa street leads to the Suq district. Just before entering the district one finds the interesting little Terbana Mosque (4). In the Suq district (5), one finds Alexandria's only surviving wakalas, which is a part of the El-Shorbagi Mosque complex founded in 1757. This was also the area where Alexandria's Jewish community lived, but most have now migrated to Israel. Different areas have specialized in different goods and one may find all manner of products from jewelry to Medicinal plants (Suq El-Magharba) to Bedouin clothing (Suq El-Libia).

Continuing down Faransa one passes Midan Tahrir (6) and the street turns into Salah Salem, and finally connects with Al-Horreya.

However, Midan Tahrir, popularly called Manshiya, has considerable history. The areas was once home to Diplomats and known as Place Des Consuls, but after the statue of Mohammed Ali was placed here in 1873 the name was changed to Midan Mohammed Ali. In 1882, it was bombarded by the British and all but destroyed. The Alexandria Stock Exchange was once located here, and it was from the midan that Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal.

The street named Al-Horreya (Tariq abd el-Nasser) which transverses the area from east to west was in ancient times the Canopic Way with the Gate of the Sun at the eastern end and the Gate of the Moon at the western end. At that time, there were probably columns lining the road. The main north to south street, now Sharia el-Nebi Daniel, ran from the East Harbor all the way to Lake Harbor on Lake Mariout.

Just south of the intersection of Al Horreya and el-Nebi Daniel was the site traditionally thought to be the burial place of Alexander the Great, but that has not been located, and may in fact be beneath the Mosque of Nebi Daniel (7) or in a nearby Greek necropolis. The famous Alexandria Library was probably nearby. However, the only real antiquities site that can be viewed in the area is Kom el-Dikka (8), a small Roman theater that has been excavated. Nearby is also a bath house of the era. To the east is the Antiques District where dealers sell antiquities, books, old weapons and furniture. Here is also the Attarine Mosque, which was once a church dedicated to Athanasius.

Further south along the tramway is Pompey's pillar (9) and nearby the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa (10).

Wondering along el-Nebi Daniel are several other attrations, including the French Cultural Center, and nearby the Eliahu Hanabi Synagague (11), which is the only active synagogue in Alexandria and houses the combined treasures of the seven former Alexandrian synagogues.

Back to the north on el-Nebi Daniel, next to the harbor where Ramla station is now located at Midan Saad Zaghlul was the location of the Caesareum (12). This was a magnificent temple begun by Cleopatra for her lover Antony and subsequently completed by their enemy Octavian, though none of this remains.in situ. Nearby is the well known Cecil Hotel, built in 1930, Smerset Maugham stayed here, as did Winston Churchill, and the British Secret Service one maintained a suite for their operations.

Midan Saad Zaghlul (13) is the entertainment heart and nerve center of Alexandria. here, as terminals and train stations provide a backdrop for cinemas, restaurants and night spots. It was the setting of Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet and the famous Alexandria coffee houses. The square is dominated by an impressive monument dedicated to Saad Zaghlul, a former national leader.

The Greek Quarter and Bab Rosetta District

Back on Al Horreya heading east, as we pass the Graeco-Roman Museum (a notable museum well worth a visit) we move into the Greek Quarter of Alexandria, one of the most beautiful residential districts. The wonderful old villas include the massive Miclavez building, which is opposite the Town Hall and nearby the Adda Complex built in 1929. This is where the wealthy Greeks lived at the turn of the century, and the streets are still named after the Ptolemic, Pharaonic, Abbasid and Fatimid rulers. Further east is the Greek Orthodox patriarchate andthe Church of St. Saba.

Further east, Al Horreya opens into a beautiful green area known as the Shallalat Gardens, which was once the fortification of Bab Rosetta. But in 1905, Alexandria created a garden area here with waterfalls and the only Alexandria cistern which can be viewed. This cistern is an example of those which once dotted Alexandria providing fresh water to her inhabitants.

The Corniche

The Corniche is doted with Casinos built on stilts and rows of beach huts. The avenue here did not always exists, for until the 20th century, the areas remained fortified by a five mile long wall with towers which had protected the city since the 13th Century. In the early 1900s, a strip of land with a width of about 100 years was reclaimed from the sea, and the area became popular with beach goers. That is no longer the case, but it remains a lively area of Alexandria.

On the western end of the Corniche near Silsila where the New Alexandria Library is being constructed is the Shatby Tombs which are said to be the oldest in Alexandria. Nearer the San Stefano area across the tram tracks is also the Royal Jewelry Museum.

The Mahmudiya Canal

A walk along the Mahmudiya Canal brings one face to face with the working class and industrial districts of Alexandria, and is pleasant along the old paved road bordered by the canal and sycamore trees. South of the Greek district along the canal is the Antoniadis Gardens, which seep with history. Here, the poet Callimachus lived and taught, and in 640 AD, Pompilius prvented the King of Syria from capturing Alexandria. But less than a year later, Amr Ibn el-As camped here, before taking the city. The well known Water Traffic Circle is also in the area.

Here one finds the Zoological Gardens, the small Museum of Natural History and the Fine Arts Museum in the Moharrem Bey area, and a Rose Garden. The beautiful public gardens extend into the surrounding area where the Antoniadis Palace is located, and there is even a nearby Roman tomb.

El-Muntaza

Muntaza Gardens

This area along the coast about 15 miles east of Alexandrias old district along the Corniche is where many of the modern Alexandrian hotels are located, as well as one of the elegant heritage hotels. Khedive Abbas II built the Salamlik as a residence. Here also is the magnificent Montaza Palace.

SIWA EGYPT

Desicription

With a population of about 23,000, Siwa, the most inaccessible of all Egypt's oasis until very recently, is also one of the most fascinating, lying some 60 feet below sea level.. On the edge of the Great Sand Sea, its rich history includes a visit from Alexander the Great to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 BC. Archaeologists, such as Liana Souvaltsis implied that the great military leader was burried here, but no real evidence has come from this. The King of Persia lead a 50,000 man army to the area to distroy the oracle, but the entire army was lost in the desert.

The area has a nice climate, chilly in winter, hot in the summer and moderate in the spring and autumn. Lake Siwa to the west of the town of is a large, saltwater lake.

Egypt Nile Cruises

A first time visitor to Egypt who wants a classical (pharaonic antiquities) experience would do well to book a Nile cruise. Of course modern airlines shuttle tourists to the southern region of Egypt, but historically the Nile cruise was really the only way to visit the temples and tombs located along this stretch of the river. It is still a popular means of visiting upper Egypt and has many advantages to other means of travel.

First of all, it is very nice to unpack and once and have your hotel travel with you, rather than the hectic routine that accompanies the stop and go itineraries of air and land tours. But besides the more relaxed mode of travel, there are other significant advantages. Nile cruises often visit a wider variety of antiquities along the banks of the river. But equally important, they also allow the tourist to gain a prospective of the rural Egypt, where people live much the same way they did even thousands of years ago, in mudbrick homes, tending their fields with wooden plows and moving produce via donkey. It is a wonderful experience to sit on a shaded deck of a floating hotel, sipping an iced beverage while watching 5,000 years of culture slowly drift by

Nile cruises may very considerably, but typical Nile cruises are either three, four or seven nights. The shorter tours usually operate between Luxor and Aswan, while the longer cruises travel further north to Dendera, often offering day tours overland to more remote locations. Therefore, a fairly complete 14 day tour of Egypt might include several days around Cairo, seeing the pyramids, museums and other antiquities, a short flight to Abu Simbel in the very southern part of Egypt surrounding a seven day Nile Cruise

The usual cruise is aboard a Nile cruiser, often referred to as a floating hotel. Indeed, the better boats have most the accommodations of a land based hotel, including small swimming pools, hot tubs, exercise rooms, nightclubs, good restaurants, stores and even small libraries. Depending on what one is willing to pay, rooms may be very utilitarian and small, or larger than some land based hotel rooms. Some boats even have suites available. Better boats will always have private baths, air conditioning, and TVs. It is common for there to be video movies each night, and some boats are equipped with cameras allowing passengers to view the countryside from their TV. Floating hotels also offer various entertainment. Many of the boats have dance areas with disco or even live entertainment, and most offer a variety of nightly shows. These might include cocktail parties, Nubian shows, belly dancers and whirling dervish, plays and even dress up parties where guests don traditional apparel. Like land hotels, meals onboard most Nile cruisers are usually buffet style and include hot and cold food along with a variety of international and local cuisine. Most all boats have good modern water filtration, which is fine for showering, but it is still recommended to drink bottled water, which the boat will have aboard.

The usual cruise is aboard a Nile cruiser, often referred to as a floating hotel. Indeed, the better boats have most the accommodations of a land based hotel, including small swimming pools, hot tubs, exercise rooms, nightclubs, good restaurants, stores and even small libraries. Depending on what one is willing to pay, rooms may be very utilitarian and small, or larger than some land based hotel rooms. Some boats even have suites available. Better boats will always have private baths, air conditioning, and TVs. It is common for there to be video movies each night, and some boats are equipped with cameras allowing passengers to view the countryside from their TV. Floating hotels also offer various entertainment. Many of the boats have dance areas with disco or even live entertainment, and most offer a variety of nightly shows. These might include cocktail parties, Nubian shows, belly dancers and whirling dervish, plays and even dress up parties where guests don traditional apparel. Like land hotels, meals onboard most Nile cruisers are usually buffet style and include hot and cold food along with a variety of international and local cuisine. Most all boats have good modern water filtration, which is fine for showering, but it is still recommended to drink bottled water, which the boat will have aboard.

Karnak in Thebes (Modern Luxor)

In ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten, it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two thirds of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, evidenced by the stupendous buildings at Karnak. Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. The Temple of Karnak is actually three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometers north of Luxor, Egypt situated on 100 ha (247 acres) of land. Karnak is actually the sites modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places".

This vast complex was built and enlarged over a thirteen hundred year period. The three main temples of Mut, Montu and Amun are enclosed by enormous brick walls. The Open Air Museum is located to the north of the first courtyard, across from the Sacred Lake. The main complex, The Temple of Amun, is situated in the center of the entire complex. The Temple of Monthu is to the north of the Temple of Amun, and next to it, on the inside of the enclosure wall is the Temple of Ptah, while the Temple of Mut is to the south. There is also the small Temple dedicated to Khonsu, and next to it, an even smaller Temple of Opet. Actually, there are a number of smaller temples and chapels spread about Karnak, such as the Temple of Osiris Hek-Djet (Heqadjet), which is actually inside the enclosure wall of the Temple of Amun

In the Great Temple of Amun, the Second Pylon of Karnak was built by Ramesses II. The Ptolemies did some extensive repairing and some new building on the center section. Curiously enough, they left the columns and the facade of the First Pylon unfinished and left the mud-brick ramp where it was at. The reason for the work being left unfinished is not clear.

The Hypostyle Hall is found after passing through the Second Pylon. The hall is considered to be one of the world's greatest architectural masterpieces. Construction began during Ramesses I's reign. He was the king who founded the Nineteenth Dynasty and was king for only one year. The work continued under Seti I (1306 - 1290 BC). Seti I also built the Temple of Abydos and many other temples. The hall was completed by Seti I's son, Ramesses II. The effects that are produced inside the hall are much different than they were originally. The huge architraves are not above the capitals that tower above. Toward the center of the hall several architraves and windows that have stone latticework still remain.

This small area can give one an idea of the builders' intent for the lighting effects. Some imagination is required here to appreciate what it must have looked like. The walls, ceilings and columns are painted with the natural earth tones. The light that was allowed in originally kept most of the hall in shadows. The hall ceiling was 82 feet high and was supported by 12 papyrus columns. The columns are made of sandstone and set in two rows of six. Each row is flanked on either side by 7 rows of columns that are 42 feet (12.8m) high.  Each row has 9 columns, however the inner rows have 7 columns. The reliefs throughout the hall contain symbolism of Creation. The reliefs in the northern half are from the time period of Seti I and are obviously better done than those done by his son Ramesses II, which are in the southern half. Ramesses II's reliefs are cut much deeper than those of Seti's. This gives a much more dramatic light and shadow effect.

Plan of Karnak - Click on the Area You Wish to Explore

The outer walls of the Hypostyle Hall are covered with scenes of battle. Again, Seti I is to the north and Ramesses II is to the south. The scenes have long since lost their color that was painted and the outlines of the scenes have been blurred by the centuries of wind and sun. It is unsure whether the scenes of battle are based on historical fact or of ritual significance. It is thought that when the battle details are very precise, real events are most likely involved. Seti's battles take place in Lebanon, southern Palestine and Syria. The southern walls of Ramesses II  have hieroglyphic texts which actually record details of the Hittite king and Ramesses II signing a peace treaty in the twenty-first year of Ramesses reign. This is the first evidence found for a formal diplomatic agreement and is certainly historical

The Transverse Hall lies beyond the rear wall of the Hypostyle Hall. The wall is mostly ruined. With the Transverse Hall is a partially reconstructed Third Pylon of Amenhotep (Amenophis) III. The Transverse Hall has remains of the earliest sections of the Karnak complex that are still in existence.

Leaving the hypostyle hall through the third pylon you come to a narrow court where there once stood several obelisks. One of the obelisks was erected by Tuthmosis I (1504 - 1492 BC) who was the father of Hatshepsut. This obelisk stands 70 feet (21.3m) tall and weighs about 143 tons. During the centuries between Tuthmosis I and Ramesses VI, the kings of the time did more than their share of destroying and dismantling. This obelisk was never touched. The original inscription was left in its place. However, two kings did add their inscription on either side of the  original. Beyond this obelisk is the only remaining Obelisk of Hatshepsut (1473-1458 BC). It is 97 feet (29.6m) high and weighs approximately 320 tons. Besides the Lateran obelisk in Rome, this is the tallest standing obelisk. The one in Rome is 101 feet (30.7m) high. Hatshepsut was a woman who dared to challenge the tradition of male kingship. She died from undisclosed causes after imposing her will for a time. After her death, her name and memory suffered attempted systematic obliteration. The inscription on the obelisk says, "O ye people who see this monument in years to come and speak of that which I have made, beware lest you say, 'I know not why it was done'. I did it because I wished to make a gift for my father Amun, and to gild them with electrum

Tuthmosis III (1479-1425 BC) was Hatshepsut's successor. When he came to power, he built a high wall around her obelisk. This wall hid the lower two-thirds but left the upper towering above. It has been thought that this was an easier and cheaper way of destroying her memory than actually tearing it down and removing  it. If Tuthmosis III had really wanted to destroy the obelisk, he would have certainly torn it down and removed it. Perhaps that was another reason  for his building the wall. The top of the obelisk was visible for 50 miles (80 km). The pink granite for the obelisk was quarried at Aswan, which is several hundred miles south of Karnak. The stone was moved several miles over to the river and shipped down to Thebes. The setting of the stone is shown on reliefs as the pharaoh raising it with a single rope tied to its upper extremity. This is most probably symbolic, but may have been done this way with several hundreds of people pulling together. To the south of the standing obelisk is its companion which has fallen. It was also made of a single block of granite but is broken now.

The Sixth Pylon, which was built by Tuthmosis III, leads into a Hall of Records in which the king recorded his tributes. Very little remains of this archive beyond two granite pillars. Just beyond these pillars lies the Holy of Holies or sanctuary. Originally it was the oldest part of the temple. The present sanctuary was built by the brother of Alexander the Great, Philip Arrhidaeus (323-316 BC) who was the King of Macedonia. The present sanctuary was built on the site of the earlier sanctuary built by Tuthmosis III. The present sanctuary contains blocks from the Tuthmosis sanctuary and still contain Tuthmosis' inscriptions. The sanctuary is built in two sections.

The Karnak Temples are open from 6:30 am until 5:30 pm in winter and from 6 am to 6 pm during summer. Admission is LE 65 for foreigners, LE 35 for foreign students. Visiting the open-air museum, to the left of the second pylon, costs an extra LE 10. The museum contains a collection of statuary that was found throughout the temple complex. The ticket has to be purchased at the main Karnak ticket kiosk. Karnak takes at least a half of a day just to walk around its many precincts and years to come to know it well.  There is also a Sound and Light Show at Karnak.  The show starts with a historical introduction covering the birth of the great city of Thebes and erection of the Karnak temple. The show also narrates the glorious achievements of some great Pharaohs. The Spectators listen to a magnificent and poetic description of the artistic treasures and great legacy which the Karnak temple encloses

Taba

Taba has been a caravan route since the 14th century, serving as a meeting of borders between Jordan, Israel and the whole of Egypt as well as overlooking Saudi Arabia.  With its warm weather, idyllic beaches and convenient location, Taba is a great place for leisure and adventure seekers alike. 

Taba has been a much disputed area of Sinai between Egypt in Israel.  It has changed hands several times but has ended up back in Egypt's possession.  The first occupation by Israel was between 1956-1957.  Israel occupied Taba again 10 years later, in 1967 and finally argued for possession during peace negociations after the Yom-Kippur War, however the commission charged with solving the dispute sided in Egypt's favor.

Taba is located at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, part of the Red Sea, and is accessible by road from any major city in Egypt including Cairo and Sharm El-Sheihk, as well as from Eilat in Israel.  There is a ferry service from Aqaba, Jordan, which is currently closed due to safety concerns, and commercial, as well as charter flights, from various international airports.

If coming from Eilat, you will be issued a 14 day tourist visa that is valid only for the Sinai region.  The border crossing, open 24 hours, is an easy walk, if coming on foot.  There are always local Bedouins waiting to take tourist in mini vans to various destinations, but they tend to be overpriced.  Many of the  hotels have shuttles to escort you to Taba.

Many people visiting Taba, come to experience the serene beaches and fantastic hotels that Taba has to offer.  All inclusive resorts, which generally include restaurants, shops and even casinos, are a specialty but low budget options are also available for those searching for a deal.  Adventure sports such as diving, snorkeling, hiking, quad, and of course camel rides are all possible and arranged by most hotels in the area.

Other tourist attractions in the area include the Colored Canyon, St. Catherine's, Saladin Fortress and Taba Heights.  These are all short day trips fromTaba that are popular and easily reached

Therapeutic Tourism

Egypt's tourist products are now so diverse that it has become a year round destination from many countries. Besides archeological and religious tourism, there are sea resorts, international conferences and exhibitions, incentive travel, art, cultural, sport festival and shopping tourism. 

Therapeutic tourism is an obvious outcrop of the tourist product diversification policy. Egypt possesses a wide range of rich physical features, including many hot springs. According to scientific research, clay found in these springs has therapeutic properties that can cure numerous bone, skin, kidney, respiratory diseases and other problems. Also, the Red Sea water with its chemical composition and abundance of coral reefs helps to cure various forms of psoriasis.

Socrates Recommended Therapy in Egypt

The therapeutic property of Egypt's climate has been mentioned since the Greek era. Socrates, the founder of climatic physiotherapy, referred to this fact in his famous papers entitled "Egypt and Climatic Therapy". He advised people to go to Egypt and enjoy its warm weather and refreshing sea breeze. Following his advise, tourists have been coming to Egypt for hundreds of years for cures to ailments often caused by Europe's colder, more humid climate.

Therapeutic Tourist Sites

Tourist sites offering curative services in Egypt include Helwan, Hurghada, the Fayoum Oases, Aswan, Sinai, and Safaga on the Red Sea coast, among others.

Aswan, Sand Bathing and Further South

A few days ago, the German expert (Bedouno Sanouni) arrived to Egypt to undertake scientific research. He wanted to measure the "radon" element in some tourist areas, such as Aswan, to decide whether they are proper for curing many diseases such as rheumatism. Dr.  Magdi Michael, supervisor of the Isis resort in Aswan, states that since Pharaonic time, Aswan was known for its environmental therapy, as scenes from at the Kom Ombo temple reveal.

Aswan's dry weather is ideal for enjoying sand bathing during the period from May to September. Sand bathing is useful for curing various diseases such as rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis. In Aswan, many hotels have physiotherapy centers manned by efficient and highly trained staff experienced in various types of massage therapy. Moreover, rheumatoid patients can be treated in hot sands surrounding the mountains. The calm and beautiful landscape and pollution free environment also contribute to speedy recovery. Aswan, clear sunshine all the year round together with extremely dry weather provide an ideal atmosphere for curing rheumatism and bronchial asthma.

Further south, Abu Simbel, with its high rate of ultraviolet rays and a low humidity rate during the period from December to March, also provide a congenial environment for treatment of these diseases.

The Nubians in this region still practice traditional medicine, particularly herbal treatments. They use a plant called "Halef al'Bar", in treating common colds, "Damsisa" in treating urinary tracts diseases and baked and ground pomegranate peels in treating dysentery.

New Valley's Curative Springs and Herbs

Another therapeutic tourist center is the New Valley with an abundance of hot springs and sand with curative properties in addition to medicinal herbs. This area also has a typically dry climate. Here, hot water wells and springs linked to swimming pools have a temperature ranging from 35 to 45c all the year round. These wells provide therapy for common colds, rheumatism and some skin diseases such as psoriasis.

In addition, medicinal herbs are randomly spread out all over the New Valley. "Al'Sekran" can be used for extracting anesthetic materials for surgeries. "Jujube" (Karkade) is used to cure high blood pressure, especially when caused by nervous stress.

The Red Sea and Treatment of Psoriasis

On the Red Sea coast, Marsa Alam and Safaga are well known sites for therapeutic tourism. Safaga in particular is said to be one of the best locations in the world for curing psoriasis.

Safaga's potential health benefits were recently in the media spotlight when a group of scientists from the National Research Centre (NRC) found that it helps in the treatment of psoriasis (a chronic skin disease of which the cause remains unknown) and rheumatoid arthritis (a chronic, progressive form of arthritis causing inflammation in the joints). According to the NRC research team, there are several natural factors in Safaga which make it so appropriate for therapy. The high mountains act as a natural barrier against wind and sand storms. The air is thus free of any suspended grime that could divert and absorb ultraviolet rays -- essential in treating psoriasis. The curve of the bay accounts for the calm sea, which reflects UV rays further.

Due to the abundance of coral reefs, the water is 35 % saltier than in other seas, which greatly helps in psoriasis treatment. More salt, as evidenced in the Dead Sea, also means less gravity. This is thought to improve blood circulation. The balance in saline concentration inside and outside the body also affects the therapy positively, according to the NRC.

Sand in the area has also been found to contain radioactive elements and minerals effective in rheumatoid therapy. Analysis also showed the soil to contain black sand, which is useful in curing acute and chronic arthritis, rheumatism and skin inflammations.

Those suffering from rheumatoid ailments are buried in the black sand, with the exception of the head, stomach and chest, twice a day, after sunrise and before sunset. Treatment lasts about a month.

Psoriasis patients, on the other hand, bathe in the sea and lie in the sun, also twice a day. The duration of exposure to the sun is prescribed by the therapist and a patient should see rapid improvement in about a month, depending on the case. In acute cases, patients are asked to repeat the course of treatment.

Other Sites for Curing Rheumatism and Renal Diseases

siwa oasis Gabal Takrour (Mount Takrour) and Hamamat Cleopatra (Cleopatra's Bath) are the most important sites for therapeutic tourism.

Siwa Oasis enjoys numerous properties that place it at the top of the list of these sites recommended for therapeutic tourism. It is distinguished by a calm, clear environment and mild temperature. By boiling the deep subterranean pollution free mineral water a treatment is available for treating renal stones.

Gabal al Takrour is important for the tourists to Siwa in treating Rheumatism and general weakness by burring the patient in hot sands surrounding the mountain.

Old Helwan and its Sulfuric Springs

The Helwan area just south of Cairo enjoys a unique geographical location and unique water springs of incomparable properties to any mineral water around the world. It has been famous for these springs for many years. Moreover Ain es'Seera natural clay contains natural medicinal components that help cure all kinds of rheumatism. Helwan's all year round warm weather is also suitable for the treatment of numerous diseases. Helwan Sulfuric center for rheumatism and physio therapy was established to provide therapeutically treatment of: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, neuritis, neuralgia, myopathy, neuropsyctric diseases such as chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma, skin diseases such as scabies, eczema, acne and psoriasis, bone fracture union, joint stiffness, peripheral circulatory disturbances, and other diseases.

Oyoun Mossa and Hammam Pharaon in Sinai

Oyoun Mossa (Moses springs) and Hammam Pharaon (Pharaoh's bath) are some of the most important sites for therapeutic tourism in the Sinai. This area with its sulfuric properties drew the attention of the early French expeditions. It has the highest rate of sulfuric water known to the world.

In addition, it enjoys dry weather and warm sands. Hammam Pharaon is a group of hot sulfuric water springs extending l km along the Suez Gulf. It is suitable for treatment of rheumatism. On top of these springs, there lies a carved rocky cave that natives use as a hot bathe, created by utilizing the high temperature caused by hot sulfuric water below the cave.

The Oyoun Mossa area comprises twelve springs, situated in the extreme north of the eastern side of the Suez Gulf. Here, visitors are often overwhelmed by a sense of spiritual comfort.

Few people today realize the significance of Egypt's therapeutic past. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Egypt was almost as important to European travelers as a health destination as it was for classical antiquity tours. They still come, and they are still cured of many ailments by Egypt's hot, dry climate and numerous natural hot springs.

The Holy Family in Egypt Introduction

Egypt is the cradle of human civilization: a fact hardly contested among authoritative historians. But Egypt also enjoys a focal geopolitical position, connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. On its land, migrations of people, traditions, philosophies and religious beliefs succeeded each other for thousands of years. Evidence of this succession is still visible in the accumulation of monuments and sites attesting to a uniquely comprehensive cultural heritage. Indeed, one of the phenomena which shaped Egypt's distinctive identity, and explains its pervasive influence on the then known world, was a dynamism that accommodated and re-formulated these successive cultures into one homogenous and harmonious Egyptian canvas. Egypt is one civilization woven of many strands, threaded by successive and intertwining eras; the Pharaonic, the Graeco-Roman, the Coptic Christian, and the Islamic eras.

Because the Egyptian people are the essential product of the "harmony in diversity", "otherness" has become an integral component of their awareness, a basic constituent of their national and cultural identity. This characteristic has yielded one important result: Egypt was, and still is, the land of refuge in the widest sense of the word, a place of tolerance and dialogue for peoples, races, cultures and religions.

On this land of Egypt, the first voice proclaiming the Oneness of God rang out in the 14th century BC through Akhenaton's monotheistic creed. Moses and Jesus lived in this same land. Later, Islam entered without conflict.

Before long, the world will be celebrating the birth of Christ, together with the birth of the twenty-first century, the third millennium AD. While sharing with the rest of mankind the celebration of this momentous milestone in the world's history, Egypt will have its splendid occasion to celebrate the dawning of the seventh millennium of the country's recorded history.

Some people in the outside world may not be aware of the special significance all Egyptians attribute to the fact that the Holy Family, when Christ was an infant, found haven in Egypt for nearly four years after their flight out of fear from the persecution of King Herod. Egypt's re-paving of the route the Holy Family followed it part of a comprehensive policy to revive, and give prominence to, all the religious landmarks which constitute the spiritual heritage of the one Egyptian civilization. With an eye on history, and Egypt's role in it, a nation-wide project is under way, under the leadership of President Mubarak, to restore and preserve this heritage. The aim is to generate a renaissance, in a temporal context, connecting the past with the present, providing, thereby, an impetus for the future.

To highlight but a few noteworthy examples of the many initiatives in this regard, I would refer only to the restoration work carried out on the Sphinx and now completed after ten years; the salvaging of Egyptian monuments of Graeco-Roman period off the shores of Alexandria; repairing the Hanging Church in Old Cairo, one of the oldest landmarks in Christendom in the orient, and the work of conservation carried out on the one-thousand year-old Al-Azhar Mosque as well as on all the other awe-inspiring edifices of Islamic Cairo in the heart of the capital.

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, guardian and defender of the national traditions of the Coptic Church, personally approved the text of the present book, mapping the route the Holy Family followed on its flight into Egypt, from Al-Farma in the north east of Sinai to Al-Muharraq Monastery in the southern Nile Valley. When the groundwork of this vast project is completed by the beginning of the third millennium, many of the believers in the One God, we all worship, and lovers of our civilization, will come to us. But the supreme objective of the present book, and of the project when completed, is enshrined in the two-fold message addressed to all Egyptians and the world at large simultaneously: that our country was, and will remain, a safe haven of co-existence and peace; and that the unity of the Egyptian people, both Moslems and Copts, is the backbone of the entity of the Nation-State of Egypt.

Dr. Mamdouh El-Beltagui

The Route of the Holy Family in Egypt

The Holy Family In Egypt

*The advent of the Holy Family to Egypt, seeking refuge, is an event of the utmost significance in our dear country's long, long history.

Moved by the spirit of prophecy, Hosea foresaw the flight from Bethlehem where there was no safe place for the Christ Child to lay his head, and the eventual return of the holy refugees from Their sanctuary in Egypt, where Jesus had found a place in the hearts of the Gentiles, when he uttered God's words: "Out of Egypt have I called My Son". (Hosea 11:1)

In the Biblical Book of Isaiah, the prophet provides us with a divinely inspired prediction of the effect the holy Infant was to have on Egypt and the Egyptians: "Behold the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt and the idols of Egypt will totter at His Presence and the heart of Egypt will melt in the midst of it". (Isaiah 19:1)

(An icon of St. Demiana - The Church of Abu Sefein, Old Cairo)

The authority of Old Testament prophecy, which portended the crumbling of idols wherever Jesus went, further foreshadowed the singular blessing to be bestowed upon Egypt, for its having been chosen as the Holy Family's haven, and upon its people for having been the first to experience the Christ's miraculous influence.

God's message, also delivered through the prophetic utterance of Isaiah, "Blessed by Egypt, My People" (Isaiah 19:25), was an anticipation of the coming of St. Mark to our country, where the Gospel he preached took firm root in the first decades of Christianity. For Isaiah goes on to prophecy: "In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt; and a Pillar to the Lord, at its border. And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt". (Isaiah 19:19&20)

According to the traditions of the Coptic Church, 'the alter' mentioned is that of the Church of Virgin Mary in Al-Muharraq Monastery, a site where the Holy Family settled for a period of more than six months; and the altar-stone was the 'bed' upon which the Infant Saviour lay. Al Muharraq Monastery is located, literally, "in the midst of the land of Egypt"…standing at its exact geographical centre.

*This text was prepared and revised by a cathedral Committee headed by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Sea of St-Mark. (1999)

As for the "pillar at its borders… which will be for a sign and for a witness.." surely there can be no more demonstrable, concrete proof of the fulfillment of the prophecy than that the Patriarchal See of the Apostolic Church in Egypt, established by St Mark himself, is situated in Alexandria, on Egypt's northern borders.

But the prophecy, knitting a perfect pattern of things to come, does not stop there. It continues, "Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and will make sacrifices and offering". (Isaiah 19:21). As Christianity in Egypt spread, churches were built throughout the length and breadth of the land, and the sites chosen were, primarily, those which had been visited and blessed by the Holy Family's sojourns. The New Testament records the fulfillment of these Old Testament prophecies as they unfold in their historical sequence.

( An icon showing the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt - Coptic Museum, Old Cairo)

"…behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him". (Matthew 2:13)

Joseph complied. A donkey was fetched for the gently Mother, still so young in years, to ride with her new-born Child in Her arms. And so they set out from Bethlehem on their pre-destined journey, the hardened old carpenter, who was Mary's betrothed, striding ahead, leading the donkey by its leash into the untracked paths of a wilderness dark as the desert nights, and unending as the months of never ending horizons.

Such an arduous journey it was, fraught with hazard every step of the way. In those far-off days, there were three routes which could be followed by travelers traversing Sinai from Palestine to Egypt, a crossing which was usually undertaken in groups, for without the protection of well-organized caravans, the ever-present dangers – even along these known and trodden paths – were ominously forbidding.

But, in their escape from the infanticidal fury of King Herod, the Holy Family – understandably – had to avoid the beaten tracks altogether, and to pursue unknown paths, guided by God and His Angel. They picked their way, day after day, through hidden valleys and across uncharted plateaus in the (then) rugged wastelands of Sinai, enduring the scorching heat of the sun by day and the bitter cold of the desert nights, preserved from the threat of wild beasts and savage tribesmen, their daily sustenance miraculously provided, the all-too-human fears of the young Mother for her Infant allayed by the faith that infused her with His birth.

And so they arrived, at last, safely, for God had pre-ordained that Egypt should be the refuge for the One who was to bring the message of peace and love to mankind.

The tortuous trails they followed in their passage across Sinai, and their subsequent travels within Egypt, are chronicled by Pope Theophilus, 23rd Patriarch of Alexandria (384-412 AD). He testifies, in his celebrated annals that on the eve of the 6th of Hathor (the Coptic month corresponding roughly with November), after long prayer, the Holy Virgin revealed herself to him and, after relating the details of the Holy Family's journey to, in, and from Egypt, bade him record what he had seen and heard.

It is a source which no Christian believer would question.

Besides, it is a virtual certainty that, at a time when happenings of a momentous or historical nature were transmitted by word of mouth from one generation to the next, the account of Pope Theophilus' vision confirmed the oral tradition of supernatural occurrences which accompanied the arrival of a wondrous Child in the towns and villages of Egypt some 400 years earlier.

The Traversing By The Holy Family of Sinai Desert on Their Way to Egypt

THE HOLY FAMILY AT EL-ZARANIK AND FARMA

Ruins of Flousseya Church - El-Zaraniq, west of El-Arish

According to the sources of the Coptic Church, chief among which is the vision documented by Pope Theophilus, and recorded in the Coptic Senexarium the Holy Family proceeded from Bethlehem to Gaza, and then to El-Zaraniq (also known as Floussiat), some 37 kms west of El-Arish; then they threaded their way along northern Sinai until they reached Farma (ancient Pelusium) mid-way between El-Alish and present-day Port Said. It was their last stop in Sinai; and with the next leg of their journey they put the perils of the wilderness behind them.

( Ruins of Coptic Monuments - Farma.  Below: Ruins of Farma Church - Farma)

THE HOLY FAMILY AT BASTA TOWN

Tel Basta – or Basta – which they now enter, is a short distance from Zagazig, the main town in the Sharqiah Governorate about 100 kms north-east of Cairo. Here, Jesus caused a water spring to well up from the ground, and His presence caused the idols to crumble, as foretold by the prophets of old. The townsfolk, in consequence, turned malevolent and aggressive, whereupon the Holy Family turned their backs on the town and headed southwards.

The Holy Family At The Town of Mostorod

Steps of the Crypt - Virgin Mary Church, Mostorod, Kalyoubeia

In due course, they reached Mostorod (which came to be called, in those days, 'Al Mahamma') only about 10 kms away from Cairo. 'Al Mahamma' means 'the Bathing Place', a name given to the town because the Virgin Mary bathed the Christ Child and washed his clothes. It is worthy of note that, eventually, on their way back to Palestine, the Holy Family stopped once more at Mostorod and, this time, caused a spring to gush from the earth which still flows forth to the present day.

Interior of the Crypt

THE HOLY FAMILY AT THE TOWN OF BELBEIS

Veil of the Sanctuary - Virgin Mary Church, Belbeis

Virgin Mary Church - Belbeis, Sharqiah.

From Mostorod, the Holy Family made their way north-eastwards to Belbeis (ancient Philippos), back in Sharqiah Governorate, and at a distance of about 55 kms from Cairo. They rested there in the shade of a tree which came to be called, "The Virgin Mary's Tree'

THE HOLY FAMILY AT MENIET SAMANOUD

Having left their mark on Belbeis, the Holy Family set off in a north-westerly direction and, reaching the small township of Meniet Samannoud (known also as Meniet Genah), they crossed the Nile to the city of Samanoud (or Jemnoty) in the Delta, where the local population received them with a kindness and hospitality that earned them deserved blessing. There is in Samannoud, to this day, a large granite trough which, according to local belief, was used by the Virgin for kneading dough, and a water-well which the Christ Child Himself hallowed.

THE HOLY FAMILY AT SAKHA TOWN

Virgin Mary Church - Sakha, Kafr El Sheikh.

The Coptic name of the town, 'Pekha-Issous', (vernacularized to Lysous) means, 'the foot of Jesus'; for the Holy Child's foot-print was marked, here, in bas-relief on a rock. The rock was preserved, but hidden for centuries for fear of robbery, and only unearthed again 13 years ago.

The natural course of the Holy Family's journey from Samannoud to Sakha would have taken them through many of the towns and cities now lying in both the Governorates of Gharbia and Kafr El-Sheikh and, according to some folk traditions, through the Belqas wastelands as well.

Veil of Sanctuary - Virgin Mary Church - Sakha.

THE HOLY FAMILY AT WADI EL NATROUN

El-Sorian Monastery - Wadi El Natroun

Entrance to the Monastery Chapel.

Their trail from Sakha, is recorded in the documentation of Pope Theophilus' vision, and attested to by Coptic practice in the Christian era. For it was to Wadi el-Natroun (Natroun Valley) that they now came, after crossing the Rosetta branch of the Nile to the western Delta and heading south into Wadi el-Natroun (then called Al Asqeet) in the Western Desert of Egypt. In the earliest decades of Christianity, the desert expanses of Wadi el-Natroun became the site of anchoretic settlement and, later, of many monasteries, in spritiual commemoration of the Holy Family's passage through the Valley.

thankes new  by