The Madinat Habu is the place where king Ramesses III decided to build his funerary temple. It is located on the western bank of the Nile River in Luxor city.

We know from inscriptions at sandstone quarries in Jabal Al-Silsila (north of Kom Ombo) that King Ramesses III ordered 300 workers to cut stones for constructed Habu temple from this quarry.

The design of Habu temple 1 – There is a massive wall surrounding the temple complex. This wall has an unusual gate called the pavilion gate. This gate distinguishes with its unique style, as it takes the style of the Syrian migdol fortresses. On this gate, there are depictions showing king Ramesses III in his wars in Syria.

2 – After passing through the open court, you will reach the pylon of the temple. Also, on the pylon, there are scenes for king Ramesses III in battles, as he appears smiting his enemies in front of the ancient Egyptian gods.

On the back of one of the two towers of the pylon, the king is depicted while he was in his journey and hunted the oxen.

3 – Then you will enter the first open court. The walls of this court are decorated with scenes depicting the wars against Syria and Libya.

4 – Then the second open court. It houses scenes depicting religious feasts, as the feasts of the gods Sokker (the god of the underworld) and the god Min (the god of fertility). In these festivals, the king appears giving offerings to the ancient Egyptian gods.  Later in the Christian times, this court was transferred to be a church.

5 – The first Hypostyle: there was an earthquake that occurred in 27 B.C. that caused damage to this court. This court is surrounded by 16 shrines.

• The first shrine is dedicated to King Ramesses III.
• The second shrine is dedicated to the god Ptah.
• The fourth shrine is dedicated to the boat of the god Sokker.
• The seventh shrine is dedicated to the sacred boat of the god Amon Ra.
• The fourteenth shrine is dedicated to the sacred boat of King Ramesses II.
• The fifteenth shrine is dedicated to the divine boat of the god Montho.
• While the other shrines are used as a store for the temple supplies.

The second and the third Hypostyle halls are similar, as they contain 8 papyrus columns in 2 rows.

At the end of the third hypostyle hall, there is the holy of the holies of the temple, as there are three gates leads to the main god of Thebes (Amon Ra – Mut – Khonso).

The Great Sphinx of Giza Plateau is one of the landmarks of Giza Plateau. It belongs to king Chephren or Khafre, the founder of the second pyramid at Giza Plateau. The Great Sphinx was carved directly out of the bedrock and was made of one single piece of limestone in Giza Plateau. It dates back to the fourth dynasty, the old kingdom. There is a temple in front of the statue called the Sphinx Temple.

There are many questions about who destroyed the nose of the sphinx. There was opinions said that Napoleon who destroyed during his campaign in Egypt, but the researches proved that the Egyptian historian al-Maqrīzī wrote in the 15th century that the nose was destroyed by Sa’im al-Dahr.

What does the word of sphinx mean? The Sphinx is a mythical creature taking the shape of the human head and lion’s body. The word Sphinx is a Greek word derived from the ancient Egyptian word (Ssp Ankh), meaning the living image. So we can say that the Sphinx statues are a metaphor for the physical and mental power of the living king, as the physical power can be noticed in the lion’s body, while the mental power can be noticed in the human head of the king himself who wearing the royal headdress.

While in the Arabic language, it is called Abu Al Hol. It is thought that it is derived from the ancient Egyptian word (Pr hol), meaning the house of the lion, or it is called by the Arab, meaning father of terror.

The Dream Stela The Great Sphinx has captured the imagination of travelers and explorers for millennia, even in ancient Egyptian times, as it became a symbol of the sun god.

There is a Stela was discovered in front of the Great Sphinx is called the dream Stela belonging to king Tuthmosis IV dating back to the 18th dynasty, New kingdom.  It is an inscribed granite slab.

King Thutmose IV put this Stela between its front paws of the Great Sphinx due to a sacred deal between him and the Sphinx when he was a prince; as he claimed that he saw the god in his dream and the god said to him if he removed the sand buried the Sphinx up to its shoulders, he would be the king. That was political propaganda for the king, and he documented that on this Stela.

Esna city was one of the most prestigious cities in ancient Egyptian history and the Greco-Roman period. Esna city houses many historical destinations, but the most important temple there is Esna Temple.

Who is the god Khnum? The god Khnum is one the most major gods in ancient Egyptian myths, as it is believed that he is the god of creation. Khnum appears in ram-headed with a human body or a lion body, as the avenue of rams in Karnak Complex.

The history of Esna Temple The establishment of the temple started from King Tuthmosis III reign in the 18th dynasty, New kingdom. The construction of the temple was completed during the Greco-Roman period.

The temple appears in a hall of columns with 24 pillars taking the shape of lotus floral and palm. On both sides of the entrance of the temple, there are chambers by the priests of the temple as storerooms.

Most of the depictions in the temple show the Roman Emperors giving offerings to the god Khnum and other gods and goddess of the temple, as Neith, Heka, Satet, and Menheyet.

This temple was considered a sacred place in ancient Egyptian civilization, as there were strict rules for entering the temple like dressing linen clothes, washing the hands with natron salt, and cutting the fingernails and toenails.

In addition, Esna city is famous for its barrage bridges and Esna lock that was built on the Nile River by the British in 1906.

Faiyum Governorate is considered one of the most significant and diverse tourist destinations in Egypt. It distinguishes with its natural beauty, historical, and cultural importance at the same time. Faiyum contains most of the tourism types, as it houses historical attractions dating back to the pre-dynastic period, ancient Egyptian civilization, Ptolemaic, and Roman times. Besides, its scenic nature reserves as Wadi El Rayan and the Valley of the Whales or Wadi El Hitan. Also, it includes rare types of flora and fauna.  In addition, the Heritage attractions like Tunis Village.

Tunis Village or Izbat Tunis lies in the western-most part of the Faiyum Governorate. It overlooks the southwestern part of Qarun Lake. It is considered one of the most important heritage tourism destinations and fabulous sightseeing in Egypt. This village is famous for pottery making, reflecting the Tunis community.

The role of Evelyne Porret in changing the lifestyle of the community of Izbat Tunis The history of this village started with a small house built on a hill. This house is owned by Mohammed Ibrahim Wali and his Tunisian wife. It was a small community depending on farming.

In 1962, the Egyptian poet Sayed Hegab and his wife, Evelyne Porret came to Tunis Village. Evelyne Porret was a Swiss potter. She noticed that this village is populated by farmers. Those farmers saw the potteries of Evelyne Porret and admired them. So in the 1960s, she decided to collaborate with the Egyptian architect Wissa Wassef, who has trusted the artistic of Tunis village.

Then in the 1980s, she established a Pottery School for advancement in this community, satisfying their desire and developing their skills. As a result of community efforts and Evelyne Porret, this village became a heritage tourism destination.

Over the last thirty years, Tunis Village attracts many famous foreign and Egyptian artists, painters, and architects to live in it and build their own houses there. No doubt that the surrounding environment has an essential effect on this success, as the village surrounds by wonderful green gardens along the shores of Lake Qarun providing tranquility. This makes many tourists visiting Tunis Village for relaxing and enjoying this natural beauty. That leads to establish hotels and restaurants in the village to accommodate those tourists.

The Festival of Pottery For encouraging community production, Tunis Village holds a social occasion every year by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and the Fayoum Tourism Authority for pulling in tourists, especially those interested in cultural and human heritage. This fest is called Tunis Pottery Festival. This celebration of pottery and handcrafts began in December 2011.

Through the fest, there are some habits is occurred as desert safaris and horse riding, and watching a bird on the shores of Lake Qarun joined by guides.

The success of the Pottery School gained fame until Evelyne Porret founded several exhibitions in Cairo and abroad of Egypt, in the Gulf Area, and Europe.

The Valley of the Queens is located on the western bank of Luxor city. This valley was dedicated for burying the wives of kings, who were buried in the Valley of the Kings.

This valley was discovered by Schiaparelli in 1904. It houses almost 81 tombs for queens, princes, princesses, and several members of the nobility of the new kingdom, the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties.  It was known in ancient Egyptian language with Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning “the place of beauty”.

The first queen buried in the valley was the princess Ahmose, the daughter of Queen Sitdjehuti and King Seqenenre Tao, who was killed in the wars of liberation against the Hyksos.

The main reason for choosing this place to be the Valley of Queens is unknown, but there are some opinions said that:

• Because this place is close to the Valley of the Kings, as in previous dynasties, queens were buried inside the royal complex, but in the Valley of the Queens, the tombs are separated.
• Also, it is close to Deir el-Medina or the village of workers, who work in the Valley of the Kings.
• There is a chamber dedicated to the goddess Hathor in this place.

The design of these tombs begins with a small chamber, a long narrow corridor with several side rooms, then the burial chamber at the end of the tomb. Its tombs were decorated with religious scenes and books of the other world, which are still impressively preserved.

Tomb of Queen Nefertari The tomb of Queen Nefertari or the tomb QV66 is one of the most fabulous tombs in the valley.  Nefertari was the beloved wife of Ramesses II. It was discovered by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904. This tomb distinguishes with its well-preserved depictions. When you visit this tomb, you will see poetry written by king Ramesses II for queen Nefertari in the burial chamber.

The tomb of the prince Khaemwaset Also, the tomb of the prince Khaemwaset is one of the most beautiful tombs in the Valley of Queens. Khaemwaset is the son of king Ramesses III. In this tomb, you will be able to notice the father’s care for his son, as king Ramesses III depicted while he is helping his son in crossing the gates and skipping the obstacles of the afterworld due to the young age of his son in front of several gods.

The temple of Kom Ombo is one of the most beautiful Egyptian temples dating back to the Greco-Roman period. It is located on the east bank as it is perched atop a picturesque bluff alongside the Nile River.

The meaning of word “Kom Ombo” Kom Ombo word is divided into two parts. The first part is (Kom), meaning in Arabic a hill, while the second part (Ombo) means gold. The word Kom Ombo means the hill of the gold.

The history of Kom Ombo Temple The temple of Kom Ombo dates back to the Ptolemaic period and its construction was completed during the Roman period. This temple was built on the ruins of an older temple dating back to the 18th dynasty, Hatshepsut reign. This old temple was called “Ber Sobek”, meaning the house of the god Sobek.

This temple distinguishes that it is the only temple dedicated to two triads. The first triad is Sobek, the crocodile god, his wife Hathor, and their son Khonsu, while the second triad is Horus, the falcon god, his wife Ta Senet Nofret, and their son Paneb Tawy.

The design of the temple The temple is built of sandstone brought from Jabal al-Silsila. As Edfu temple, this temple has the same plan of temples during the Greco-Roman period, as it consists of the traditional elements of the temple during the ancient Egyptian times, with adding some elements of the Greco-Roman time, as the mamisi (house of divine birth).

• A few stairs lead you to the gate of the temple. This gate has inscriptions depicting the Ptolemaic kings beating the enemies and giving offerings to several gods.
• After that, the pylon of the temple. It is greatly destroyed.
• Then the courtyard that surrounded by columns from three directions.
• Then the hypostyle hall. It contains depictions for the ancient Egyptian gods, Ptolemaic Kings and Roman Emperors presenting offerings for gods, and the inscriptions referring to the rituals of the construction of the temple.
• Then you will find some corridors housing depictions for Ptolemaic Kings and Roman Emperors presenting offerings for gods, but the most unique scene is the calendar.
• Then you will enter the inner part of the temple, the two sanctuaries or the Holy of Holies of the temple for the god Sobek and the god.
• Behind the sanctuary, you will find one of the most unique inscriptions in the ancient Egyptian temples. It is surgical instruments scene, that reflecting the great advances that the ancient Egyptians had made in the field of medicine. This depiction presents different medical tools as scalpels, suction caps, bone saws, and dental tools.

• Also, there is a chapel for the goddess Hathor. It is located in the North-Eastern part of the Temple. It displays three mummies of crocodiles representing the god Sobek.
• As well, you will see the Nilometer that was used to measure the level of water in the Nile River. It was built during the Roman period.
• Besides the temple, you will find the Crocodile Museum, displaying several mummies for the Egyptian crocodiles.