Egypt video

luxor market

2007-09-26T03:19:00.000+02:00

The street markets of Luxor, Egypt are very colorful places, with lots of great bargains, friendly people, goats wandering around and many unusual things to see, along the banks of the Nile.

Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor are the latest cities to get on board Egypt's fast-moving roll-out of Wi-Fi hot-spots.

2007-09-02T17:15:00.001+03:00

The tourist destinations of Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor are the latest cities to get on board Egypt's fast-moving roll-out of Wi-Fi hot-spots.

Although prices in these places will be expensive, they are considerably cheaper than the current alternatives in local tourist hotels.

Under a USAID-sponsored project, "While in Egypt Stay Connected," tourist destinations in Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor are serving as pilot cities for Wi-Fi deployments. In each city, sixteen Wi-Fi access points swathe tourist areas. Visitors purchase prepaid Internet access cards for about US$6.74 an hour.

Although hotels in Cairo have been offering Wi-Fi, there has until this point been little in the other two tourist destinations. Cairo's Marriott with its relaxing courtyard garden offers a 24 hour access card that lasts three months for US$30 and it is always full of people using laptops. What they might lose one way, they gain by users paying for their premium price drinks.

In Luxor, Wi-Fi covers a 5 km stretch of the Nile Corniche, connecting users in outdoor cafes and on Nile cruise ships at 256K. Connectivity even extends into Luxor and Karnak temples, allowing the novelty of instant messaging while seated in a 4000-year-old monument. Also benefiting from Wi-Fi coverage, connected users can logon from pedestrian areas in Sharm el-Sheikh's Naama Bay, or even a chaise longue along a beach promenade.

Before this roll-out, there were only a very small number of hot-spots. The cost of rolling out the hot-spots has been paid for by different equipment vendors: SR Telecom in Luxor and Redline and Colubris in Sharm el-Sheikh. The Luxor hot-spots are run by Telecom Egypt's ISP TE Data and the Sharm el-Sheik operation by local ISP Egynet. Both ISPs paid the equipment installation costs.

There is no revenue split with site owners because the networks are outdoors and the ISPs have done all the aerial site leases themselves. However, they are selling the pre-paid scratch cards to vendors at a small discount.

Connected tourists, who travel with laptops or other Wi-Fi devices, have greater income and are bigger spenders when on holiday. According to research carried out by the project, 15% of UK tourists take a laptop and 30% of Germans.

This USAID project aims to boost tourism revenues by establishing Egypt as a "connected' destination, with Wi-Fi and 3G Internet attracting visitors who prefer to visit a country with fast and easy data access. It is part of a wider initiative to persuade local hotel owners to accept credit cards and put in place online booking procedures.
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Hot-spots in these destinations will add to Egypt's already burgeoning hot-spot culture. In Cairo there are a great deal of places offering free access including coffee shops, Macdonalds and a local chain called Cilantro. In each of these places, you will see a mix of tourists, expats and locals working away on their laptops.

Interestingly, these include people using Skype with headsets as PC to PC calls are legal in Egypt. One local visitor reported that the bandwidth was of sufficiently high quality that he was able to use the SIP client on his

Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor are the latest cities to get on board Egypt's fast-moving roll-out of Wi-Fi hot-spots.

2007-09-02T17:15:00.000+03:00

There may have been a second Sphinx, claims Egyptologist

2007-08-31T17:54:00.000+03:00

Cairo, Aug 31: Two Sphinxes existed on the Pyramids Plateau, according to a new study by Egyptologist Bassam El Shammaa.

El Shammaa said the famed half-lion, half man statute was an Egyptian deity erected next to another Sphinx, which has since vanished without a trace.

This theory, however, is in contradiction to the general belief that a single colossal statue functioned as a guard to the pyramids.

El Shammaa said the idea of two Sphinxes is more in line with ancient Egyptian beliefs, which were mainly based on duality.

"The pyramid texts recovered at Saqqara, especially from the Wanis Pyramid, contain descriptions of the ancient Egyptian conception of how the universe was created. Basically, this concept underlined the belief in duality," El Shammaa said.

"Whenever we have to deal with the solar cult, we should speak of one lion and one lioness facing each other, posing parallel to each other or sitting in a back-to-back position.

"The double avenue of the ram-headed Sphinxes fronting the first Karnak pylon and its counterpart of human-headed Sphinxes at the Temple of Luxor emphasize this duality, alongside other indications like the double crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, Isis, Osiris, Habtoor and Horus," elaborated El Shammaa," he said.

He said ancient Egyptian records and mythology suggested that lightening destroyed part of the Sphinx, adding that this might be in reference to the second Sphinx, which was eliminated after a curse by the chief Egyptian deity.

"Utterance No. 600 says that Atum - the 'complete one' and creator god in ancient Egyptian mythology - created his son Shu and daughter Tefnut, shaping them as a lion and a lioness and placing each one on an extreme tip of the universe," he said.

"Shu was to take the solar disc between his jaws and hand it to his sister Tefnut who in turn would capture it between her jaws and by so doing they would achieve the full cycle of the sun," he added.

He said that cycle represented sunrise and sunset and the journey from life to death, and also accounted for the presence of two Sphinxes.

El Shammaa also pointed out the Dream Stela carved by Thutmosis IV, which he said, clearly depicted two Sphinxes.

"The inventory Stela exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo did the same. The display showed that King Cheops - builder of the Great Pyramid - had undertaken the task of restoring the damage to the Sphinx's neck caused by lightening," El Shammaa said.

"Examination of the Sphinx revealed that damage in its neck, matching the measurements mentioned in the inventory Stela, had been restored. But we also discover that, besides the Sphinx's neck, the lightening destroyed a sycamore tree as well as an object between the tree and the Sphinx whose remains have settled behind the Valley Temple.

"The Endeavor Satellite released by NASA over the Pyramids Plateau confirmed the finding. But it makes a lot of sense that lightening could have damaged the Sphinx because the statue was often depicted wearing a double metal crown that must have conducted the shock to the neck," he said.

He said the Pyramids of Giza predated the magical utterances recovered at Saqqara.

However, the lion deities were predynastic and mythological figures, which always appeared in duo inspired the building of the pyramids, he said.

"My own interpretation is that the miracle structures were dedicated to the lion deities that also ensured their protection. The demolished temple in front of the Sphinx's paws and the Valley Temple that stands next to the site of what we assume to be the second Sphinx are proof that those two statues were deities," he said.

"For some reason Tefnut has been cursed, as it is not uncommon in world mythology that the chief deity would curse one of the minor gods. The incident of the lightening that wiped out Tefnut must have been exploited by priests to justify her curse and the silence on her disappearance.

"Because they hunt from night to dawn, lionesses have been associated with moisture perceived by priests as destructive for temples and tombs and this is one reason they must have been banished.

"But I would also like to note that the monuments at the Pyramids Plateau are devoid of any hieroglyphic texts and they must have been a riddle for the Ancient Egyptians who lived after the era of the Old Kingdom," he added.

El Shammaa said the temples raised near the Sphinxes also came after the Giza Pyramids were built, further proof of the sacred status of these statues.

"At the end of the day our interpretation of mythology could be right or wrong. But we can't ignore the archaeological evidence existing at the site and the stelae. John Wilkinson (1797-1875), who depicted the Dream Stela in one famous painting, placed two hieroglyphic words under the second Sphinx, which meant 'shun,' or 'avoid'. This issue will always be shrouded in mystery," Daily News Egypt quoted him as saying.

hurghada

2007-08-18T20:02:00.000+03:00

Hurghada, Egypt, August 13, 2007 --(PR.com)-- The Egyptian tourist market is becoming alive with activity and Goldberg and Partners has partnered again with the biggest developer in the middle east to showcase their new 320 million meter project just north of Hurghada on the red sea coast of Egypt.

This development is going to have marinas, an x treme zone, shopping malls, and be the number one resort destination in the area.

In October 2007, the biggest and most luxurious development is coming to the market in the Hurghada area of Egypt, With pre release prices being the lowest and best time to enter the market, Goldberg and Partners are urging clients and investors to get in before the price rises that will inevitably occur.

The resort is going to be a showcase development and one that will be a legacy and highly beneficial attraction and asset to the community. Driving up the facilities and services offered to both local and international clientele.

With tourism on the rise and improved airline transportation links this luxury lifestyle project will be catching peoples imagination and interest for the forseeable future.

hurghada

2007-08-18T19:49:00.000+03:00

Hurghada was founded in the early 20th century, and until a few years ago, remained a small fishing village. But today, it has gone on to become the foremost tourist resort of the Red Sea coast and an international center for aquatic sports. If it takes place in or on the water you can do it here: windsurfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, but, above all, snorkeling and diving. The unique underwater gardens offshore are some of the finest in the world, justifiably famous amongst divers. The warm waters here are ideal for many varieties of rare fish and coral reefs, which may also be observed through glass bottom boats. This area has many fine accommodations, usually offering warm and efficient service. Restaurants are mostly along the main road. While in Hurghada, don't miss the museum and aquarium, with their complete collections of flora and fauna of the Red Sea.

Today, Hurghada is known as a party town, particularly among Europeans. Locals and others will tell you that life begins at night in Hurghada, with the many, many clubs. They are particularly frequented by the young, but certainly many others of all ages. One may often find a rousing party centered around the visitors from a tour group taking over the action of a particular bar. They are easy to find along the main street, along with loads of inexpensive and expensive hotels.
It is also a beach resort, where thousands of older Europeans and others come with their families to enjoy the sun and fun of private resort beaches, some all inclusive. Many of these hotels offer so many activities and facilities that one may never need to leave the resort. Often, the larger resorts have zoos, playgrounds, discos, bars, a number of pools and even small theaters.
Hurghada is also a city under development. Many new hotels and construction are taking place, and we can expect to see some great new hotels, restaurants and other facilities in the near future. Actually this is a busy section of the Red Sea in general. Safaga is just south of Hurghada, and Soma Bay with its beautiful Sheraton is even closer to the South. To the North is El Gouna, a highly organized resort community. Together, these communities and resort areas offer just about everything a visitor might wish for, from raucous parties to isolated scuba diving, with golf, bowling and fishing in between.
Islands near Hurghada offer all kinds of fun and excitement. Take a day trip to Giftun Island for snorkeling and a fish barbecue, or view the Red Sea from a submarine! When you're not in the sea you can shop in the boutiques, relax in the luxury holiday villages or visit the Roman Mons Porphyrites (mountain of porphyry) remains at nearby Gebel Abu Dukhan (Father of Smoke). Day-trips or safaris to explore the Red Sea Mountains by camel or jeep are also available. Other nearby islands and destinations include the Shadwan Island (Diving, snorkeling, fishing but no swimming), Shaab Abu Shiban (Diving, snorkeling and swimming), Shaab el-Erg (Diving, fishing and snorkeling), Umm Gammar Island (Diving and snorkeling), Shasb Saghir Umm Gammae (Diving), Careless Reef (Diving), Abu Ramada Island (Diving), Shaab Abu Ramada (Fishing), Dishet el-Dhaba (Beaches and swimming), Shaab Abu Hashish (Beaches, diving, snorkeling, swimming and fishing), Sharm el-Arab (Diving, swimming and fishing and Abu Minqar Island (Beaches and swimming).

Balloon Egypt - flying egyptology over Valley of the Kings

2007-08-15T14:03:00.000+03:00

An early morning hot air balloon flight over the valley of the Kings near Luxor.

hassn fathy ,gourna LUXOR -EGYPT the architect

2007-08-15T13:39:00.000+03:00

This film from the design Mahmoud Ahmed Abdel-Radi No one assisted as stated محمود احمد عبد الراضى +20105715292Dr Hassan Fathy, born in Alexandria in 1900, became one of the outstanding architects of his generation in Africa, demonstrating that it is possible to build for the poor and teching people to build for themself. Fathy taught at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Cairo University and served as head of its Department of Architecture. In 1981 he established the International Institute for Appropriate Technology in Cairo to develop and apply his approach. With the publication in 1973 of Architecture for the Poor (University of Chicago Press), Fathy's work came to international attention. This book, which has since become a classic, describes in detail Fathy's experience in planning and building the village of New Gourma, using mud bricks and employing traditional Egyptian architectural features such as enclosed courtyards and domed and vaulted roofing. Fathy worked closely with the people to tailor his designs to their needs. He taught them how to work with the mud bricks, supervised the erection of buildings and encouraged the revival of ancient decorative techniques. Although New Gourma remained uncompleted, due to bureaucratic red tape and other problems, it has been said of Fathy that he produced 'not only answers but inspiration; hist thought, experience and spirit constitute a major international resource.' In 1980 he received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and in 1984 the Gold Medal of the Union of International Architects. Dr Fathy died in Cairo in 1989.

Sinai Trip 2006

2007-06-23T21:56:00.001+03:00

The Hampton School trip to Sinai, Egypt in October 2006.
The music is a bit odd, but it seemed appropriate...
I hope nobody minds being in my video...

Mt. Sinai, Moses & the Exodus - Part 3 of 10

2007-06-23T21:54:00.002+03:00