Mini Egypt Park

On our second day of stay at Tia Heights Hotel, I looked at the map and discovered that Mini Egypt Park that we were passing on our way to the hotel from the airport is a well-known sight in the area, and it was located a couple of miles away from the hotel. Therefore, we decided to pay a visit there before starting the exploration of the country.

I used Uber application on my phone to order a taxi, and we reached the park quickly at a reasonable taxi fare. You can see 25 times reduced replicas of 60 most famous Egyptian sights: the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, historical buildings, and famous landmarks.

Karnak Temple, Luxor

At the replica of Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is a large ancient Egyptian temple located on the east bank of the Nile. Luxor was founded in 1400 B.C. It was known as “the southern sanctuary”. There are six great temples: four on the left bank (known as Goomah, Deit-el-Bahn, the Rasesseum and Madinet Habu) and two on the right bank (known as Karnak and Luxor).

Karnak Temple is the world’s largest ancient religious site. It represents the combined achievement of many generations of Egyptian builders. Most of the work in Karnak was done by the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1570-110 B.C.).

The Temple of Karnak consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples and several outer temples located about 2.5 kilometers north of Luxor. The Hyposite Hall with its area of 5,999 square meters is one of the most famous structures of Karnak. The Hall contains 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows.

Hatsepsut Temple: Hatsepsut means Foremost of Noble Ladies. She wad the fifth pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt in 1508-1458 B.C. Hatsepsut is the first great woman in history of whom we are informed.

Abu Simbel Temple

Visiting Mini Egypt Park

Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel, a small village in Nubia, southern Egypt, near the border with Sudan. They are situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km southwest of Aswan. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century .C.

At the Pyramid of Giza

Visiting the miniature Sphynx

The Pyramids at the park_2

Fun at the Pyramids

The replicas of the Great Pyramids caught my eye. I did what other visitors did: some fun photoes.

Rosetta Stone was found in 1799. It was inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Mamphis in 196 B.C. during the Ptolemaic dynasty in the name of Ptolemy V. The top and the middle texts are in Ancient Egyptian. These texts use hieroglyphic script and Demotic script respectively. The bottom script is in Ancient Greek. Rosetta Stone proved to be the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. If fact, it opened a window into the ancient Egyptian history.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo contains the world’s most extensive collection of pharaonic antiquities. The museum began functioning in this building in Tahrir Square in 1902. It had been built for the purpose of the museum and is the world’s first purpose-built museum edifice.

Queen Hefert and Rae Hetep statues were discovered by Marit Pasha at the tomb of Rae Hetep in Mido in 1871.

Rae Hetep was the son of King Senefro. The word Nefert means beautiful.

The Ramesseum Temple was built by Ramses the Great as a funerary temple in 1304-1207 B.C. It was dedicated to God Ra. It is located across the River Nile in the Thebean necropolis. Most of the temple is in a very bad condition or in ruins.

The statue of an Egyptian write is one of the most famous and most accurate statues that reflect the cultural life and its importance in Ancient Egypt. The statue is in Louvre Museum in Paris.

Trajan’s Temple, a hypaethral temple, is one of the largest Ancient Egyptian monuments standing today at the island of Agilkia. It was constructed by the Roman Emperor Trajan. Originally, it was built on the island of Philae, near the Aswan Dam, but was transported to Agilkia in the 1960ies by the UNESCO to save it from being enveloped by the rising waters of the Nile due to the construction o the Aswan High Dam. The 15x20-meter temple is 15.85 meters high. Its four by five columns each carry different lavishly structured composite capitals that are topped by 2.10-meter-high piers.

Pompay’s Pillar stands in Alexandria. The locals call it Amoud el-Sawan – the Column of the Horsemen. The column has two Sphynx. The Pillar is the tallest ancient monument in Alexandria. Its height is approximately 25 meters, and its diameter is nine meters. It was made of the red Aswan granite. Pompay’s Column was built in honor of the Emperor Diocletian.

The Roman Amphitheater is one of the symbols of Alexandria. It was built in the 4th century A.D. and wa in use until the 7th century A.D.

Kom Ombo Temple is an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic dynasty in the Ancient Egyptian town of Kom Ombo. Some additions to it were later made during the Roman period. The site of Kom Ombo hosts the Ptolemaic Temple of Herwer (Haroeris) and Sobek, as well as a smaller, Roman period temple to Hather, and a Nilometer. The temple was started by Ptolemy VI Philometor (180-145 B.C.) at the beginning of his reign and added to by other Ptolemys.

Temple of Edfu is an ancient Egyptian temple located on the west bank of the Nile in the city of Edfu. It is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. The temple was dedicated to Horus the Falcon God. It was built on Ptolemaic period between 237 an 57 B.C. The temple of Edfu became a center for tourism in Egypt thanks to its high state of preservation and archaeological significance. Today it is a frequent stopover for numerous riverboats that cruiser the Nile.

St.Catherine’s Monastery in southern Sinai, Egypt is located below Mount Catherine, the highest mountain in Sinai. It is considered one of the oldest monasteries in the world.

The university was founded on December 21, 1908. It is the second oldest institution of higher education in Egypt. It became a state institution in 1925.

The opera house is a part of Cairo’s National Cultural Center. It located on the southern portion of Gezira Island on the Nile in Zamalek District near downtown Cairo.

Cairo Tower in Zamalek District is a 614-feet-high free-standing concrete tower. Its partially open lattice-work design is intended to evoke a pharaonic lotus plant, an iconic symbol of Ancient Egypt. The tower used to be the tallest structure in Northern Africa for 50 years. Cairo Tower, one of the city’s well-known modern monuments, is sometimes considered Egypt’s second mot famous landmark after the Pyramids of Giza.

The White Sails statue is located in front of the Library of Alexandria in Al-Silsila Square in Azarita District of Alexandria. It was built by the Egyptian sculptor Fathi Mahmoud in 1962. The statue is a monster with a bull’s head and a body undulating as the sea embracing a beautiful woman resembling a mermaid. The statue implies the legend of the creation of Alexandria: an ancient story about the God and the sea, where the sea is in the form of a bull. The bull on the statue tightened his grip on a beautiful lady symbolling Alexandria.

The Naval Unknown Soldier’s Memorial in Alexandria is located in Mamshaya District. It is dedicated to those soldiers who died in the sea battles.

The German Cemetry, Al-Alamein

Italian Cemetry, Al-Alamein

The German Cemetery in El-Alamein, Matruh, was built in the shape of a fortress. It contains 4,213 German burials from WWII and 30 burials from WWI. There are also 31 casualties of unknown nationalities buried there.

El Montazah Palace was built by Khedive Abbas Helmy (1892-1914) along the Alexandrian coastline as his summer palace. It was his refuge when it became too hot in Cairo. The palace was designed in a pseudo-Moorish style and was given a Florentine twist with the addition of a tower modelled on one at Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio.

The Citadel of Qaitbay was built at the exact site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria. It was established in 1477 A.D. by the Mameluke Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qait Bay as the defensive edifice against the Turks who threatened Egypt at that time. The Citadel of Qaitbay in Aleandria is considered one of the most important defensive strongholds not only in Egypt, but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast.

Bab Zwella is a medieval gate in Cairo, which is still standing in modern times. It was also known as Bawabbat al-Mitwali during the Ottoman period. It is sometimes spelled as Bab Zuwayla. It is considered one of the major landmarks of the city and is the last remaining southern gate from the walls of Fatimid Ciro in the 11th and 12th century. Its name comes from Bb meaning “door” and Zuwayla, the name of a tribe of Berber warriors from the western desert, members of which were charged with guarding the gate.

St.George’s Church in Coptic Cairo if the main Greek Orthodox church of Egypt. It was built atop an old Roman tower and ajoins St.George’s Monastery. The church dates back to the 10th century (or earlier). The current structure was rebuilt after the Fire of 1904.

Sultan Hassan Mosque is a massive Mamluk era mosque and madrassa located near the Citadel in Cairo. In was built in 1356-1363. This mosque is considered remarkable for its fantastic dimensions and innovative architectural components.

Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque is also known as Alabaster Mosque. This Ottoman mosque is located at the summit of the Citadel of Cairo. The mosque was commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha in memory of Tusun Pasha, the eldest son of Mohammad Ali. The mosque was built between 1830 and 1848. It was the largest mosque to be built in the first half of the 19th century. The mosque looks very special with its animated silhouette and twin minarets.

El Refaie Moque is located opposite Sultan Hassan Mosque. It was built in 1869-1912.

Omar Makram Mosque in central Cairo is considered the most famous mosque in Cairo. It was established by Omar Makram Bin Husein Al Suyuti, who is considered a popular Egypt’s leader against colonialism and despotism.

Our Lady of Heliopolis Cathedral is located in Cairo’s Heliopolis. It is also known as Holy Virgin Basilica. It was established by a Belgian entrepreneur Baron Édouard Empain in 1910. Its construction was completed in 1913. The Basilica contains a Belgian organ installed in 1914.

Sheraton Hotel Hurghada is one of the remarkable landmarks in Hurghada. It was dedicated in 1963 by International Sheraton Hotels. The hotel is considered a starting point for tourism in Hurghada area.

Suez Canal Authority building, or the British Navy House, houses the administration of the Canal. It was built by Khedive Ismail on the bank of the Suez Canal in 1869. Its purpose was to serve in hosting and receiving the guests of Khedive coming from the whole world to visit Egypt under his reign.

At the Cairo Nile Bridge

The Egyptian Cross

We received this gift from the museum guide

The museum poster, a gift for us