Dahshur Necropolis – Historical Site

Dahshur is considered as an important part of the Memphis Necropolis, where Pharaonic kings built their pyramids. Dahshur Necropolis is located on the west bank of the Nile River, approximately 40 km southwest of Cairo city.

The Bent Pyramid - Egypt Vacation Tours
The Bent Pyramid

The importance of Dahshur Necropolis lies in reflecting two important stages of the architectural development used by the ancient Egyptian engineers in building the royal pyramids. These stages are shown in the Bent Pyramid and the Red pyramid until they managed and reached the first complete pyramid in the Pharaonic civilization. The first true pyramid is the Red Pyramid, which later led to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza (Cheops  Pyramid).

The Red Pyramid - Egypt Vacation Tours
The Red Pyramid

Dahshur Sightseeing: Dahshur site houses several historical attractions as the pyramids of King Amenemhat II and King Senusert III, dating back to the twelfth dynasty, the middle kingdom. Besides some tombs back to the high officials as the Vizier Sa-Iset, and members of the royal families as Kanefer tomb (the son of Sneferu) located on the east of King Sneferu pyramids (the founder of the fourth dynasty).

But the most famous sightseeing in Dahshur Necropolis is the pyramids of King Sneferu (the Bent Pyramid – the Red Pyramid) from the fourth dynasty, the old kingdom, and the Black pyramid of King Amenemhat III from the twelfth dynasty, the middle kingdom.

Dahshur Necropolis and its Countryside

Discover Dahshur Necropolis and its countryside with Egypt Vacation Tours experts. In Dahshur Necropolis and its countryside tour, you will be able to visit ancient Egyptian attractions and find out its local community by visiting its countryside.

In the countryside of Dahshur, you will allow you to discover the community of Dahshur by visiting a rural farm to relax and enjoy walking through farms, see several kinds of fruit trees, and have your lunch meal (local food of Dahshur). Finally, you will move to Lake of Dahshur. 

Dahshur Sightseeing The Dahshur site houses several historical attractions, such as the pyramids of King Amenemhat II and King Senusert III, dating back to the twelfth dynasty, the middle kingdom. Besides some tombs back to the high officials as the Vizier Sa-Iset, and members of the royal families as Kanefer tomb (the son of Sneferu) located on the east of King Sneferu pyramids (the founder of the fourth dynasty).

But the most famous sightseeing in Dahshur Necropolis is the pyramids of King Sneferu (the Bent Pyramid – the Red Pyramid) from the fourth dynasty, the old kingdom, and the Black pyramid of King Amenemhat III from the twelfth dynasty, the middle kingdom.

The Red Pyramid - Egypt Vacation Tours
The Red Pyramid 
The Bent Pyramid - Egypt Vacation Tours
The Bent Pyramid

Saqqara Necropolis – Historical Site

Saqqara is one of the most important cemeteries in Memphis Necropolis. It contains thousands of tombs (royal pyramids and mastabas). Among these tombs is the step pyramid of King Djoser, the oldest pyramid in ancient Egyptian civilization.

Let’s take a tour in Saqqara Necropolis

1 – King Djoser Complex and The step pyramid This complex belongs to King Djoser from the third dynasty, the old kingdom. The vizier, Imhotep, designed this complex to be the first complete stone building complex in the ancient Egyptian civilization.

This complex contains the burial tomb of King Djoser, the step pyramid. The step pyramid is the most conspicuous sightseeing of Saqqara. It stands 60 meters high and was constructed with six mastabas, so the researchers believe that this pyramid refers to the architectural development of the royal mastabas in the first and second dynasties.

2 – Unas pyramid Unas pyramid is owned by King Unas, the last king in the fifth dynasty. It lies southwest of the King Djoser complex. This pyramid is famous for containing the oldest Egyptian religious texts, the pyramid texts. It exists on the wall of the tomb chamber and is written in hieroglyphs with blue pigment. These texts aim to protect the dead in the afterlife.

3 – Teti pyramid Teti pyramid belongs to King Teti, the first king in the sixth dynasty. This pyramid is located on the northeast of the King Djoser complex.

4 – High Officials Tombs Saqqara houses several tombs or mastabas belonging to the high officials from the old and new kingdoms. The old kingdom tombs are as Mereruka, Kagemni, Ptah-Hotep family, and Mehu. The new kingdom tombs are as Horemhep, Maya, Tia, and Merynieth.

These tombs distinguish by containing depictions showing the daily life activities of the ancient Egyptians. These tombs refer to the high position of those persons and the increasing of their power at that time.

5 – Serapeum of the sacred bull Apis The Serapeum is the cemetery of the sacred animal of the god Ptah, the Apis bulls. It contains rock-cut underground burial chambers to bury the mummied bulls.

El Fayoum Oasis – Sightseeing of El Fayoum

El Fayoum Oasis is Located 100 kilometers southwest of Cairo. It is famous for its biodiversity and scenic destinations. Also, it distinguishes with containing various types of tourism as Archaeological, tourist, rural, recreational, and environmental.

In El Fayoum, you will be able to enjoy visiting historical and archaeological buildings, the waterfalls and the natural beauty, natural reserves, doing sandboarding and Safari, and entertaining doing activities.

The name of El Fayoum Oasis  In the Pharaonic period, this place was called (pa yam), meaning (the sea), referring to the sea existing in that place. In the Greco-Roman period, this word became (pa yum). Then in the Coptic period, it was changed to be (fa yum). Finally, after the Arabs entered Egypt, they added (El) to be El Fayoum.

The history of El Fayoum Oasis  El Fayoum has a great position throughout history, but its golden age was during the middle kingdom in the 12th dynasty as it became the capital of ancient Egypt under the name (Itjtawy). Besides, it was the center of worshipping the god Sobek, taking the crocodile shape.

Kings of the 12th dynasty set up many reform projects in El Fayoum as reclamation of lands, construction of dams, and the cultivation of many crops.

It also had a great history during the Greco-Roman period as it was famous with Fayoum Portraits.

Fayoum Portraits - Egypt Vacation Tours
Fayoum Portraits 

Sightseeing of El Fayoum Oasis  As we said, El Fayoum Oasis distinguishes by containing various types of tourism. So let’s go on a tour to know more about these sightseeing:

1 – Lahun Pyramid: It belongs to King Senusret II of the 12th dynasty. It was built of mud bricks and coated with limestone.

2 – Hawara Pyramid:It belongs to King Amenemhet III of the 12th dynasty. It AKA the Black Pyramid due to using black mud bricks in its construction.

3 – The Valley of the Whales or Wadi El- Hitan: It is considered as one of the Egyptian heritage sites by UNESCO in 2005. Wadi Al-Hitan is famous for containing fossil remains Archaeoceti, mapping the evolution of the whales from a land-based to an aquatic mammal.

Wadi El- Hitan - Egypt Vacation Tours
Wadi El- Hitan

4 – Wadi El-Rayan

5 – Lake Qarun

6 – Qasr Qarun or Qarun Palace

7 – Karanis City

8 – Tunis Village

9 – Gabal El-Medawara and the magic lake

Tuna El-Gebel in Al Minya Governorate

Tuna El-Gebel Necropolis is an important historical site in Al Minya Governorate. The ancient Egyptians considered it the center of worshiping the god Thoth or Djhuty, the god of wisdom and knowledge in ancient Egyptian civilization.

Let’s have a tour of Tuna El-Gebel Necropolis in Al Minya Governorate. Firstly, you should know about the history of this city. It is believed that the first use of it was during King Akhenaten’s period, when he transferred the main capital of ancient Egypt from Thebes to Akhetaten, near Tuna El-Gebel. The evidence for that they found a boundary stele depicting King Akhenaten with his wife Nefertiti and his daughters worshipping the god Aten.

Stela of king Akhenaten- Egypt Vacation Tours
Stela of king Akhenaten

But the golden age of Tuna El-Gebel was during the Greco-Roman period, as it was the necropolis of Ashmonin city. It houses approximately 60 burial houses depicting a mixture of ancient Egyptian art and Greco-Roman art.

  • Tomb of Isadora is one of these tombs. Isadora has a dramatic story as she is called the first martyr of love due to her drowning in the Nile River while crossing to meet her fiancé. Her father lamented her with a poem. You can find it in the tomb.
Tuna El-Gebel - Egypt Vacation Tours
Tomb of Isadora

Tomb of Petosiris is another tomb belonging to the high priest of the god Thoth during the Ptolemaic period. What is impressive about this tomb is it was designed as a temple. You should visit it.

Tomb of Petosiris - Egypt Vacation Tours 1
Tomb of Petosiris

The third attraction in Tuna El-Gebel is the Catacombs of Ibis. As we said, Tuna El-Gebel was the center of worshiping the god Thoth, so it contains catacombs to bury its sacred animals like baboons and ibises.

Al-Alamein City in Marsa Matrouh – the World War II

Al-Alamein city is located west of Alexandria in Marsa Matrouh governorate. It has a great history, especially during World War II, making it an important attraction for many people around the world.

Let’s learn about the history of that city. The most ancient monuments in Al-Alamein City date back to the Greco-Roman period.

But the glory of Al-Alamein City was during World War II as two battles occurred there. These battles were a milestone in Egyptian history. 

These two battles occurred between Britain and Axis troops (Germany and Italy). The first one was from August 31 to September 7, 1942, while the second was from October 23 to November 4, 1942. The British Army achieved victory in both wars.

  • Al-Alamein Museum displays the two battles of Al-Alamein city through some photos, maps, and some of the weapons used by troops in these wars. 
  • The Commonwealth cemeteries are for burying the soldiers from many countries who were killed during the two battles of Al-Alamein City. It is good to mention that there are other Commonwealth cemeteries in Egypt in Salah Salem in Nasr City.
The Commonwealth Cemetery - Egypt Vacation Tours
The Commonwealth Cemetery

Kindly submit on the Al-Alamein City day tour. You may find the name of one of your family members among the soldiers in Commonwealth cemeteries. 

Giza Necropolis – Historical Site

Giza Necropolis is located on the west bank of the Nile River, where the west bank is dedicated to burying the dead people according to the ancient Egyptian beliefs.

Giza Necropolis or Giza Pyramid Complex contains nine royal pyramids of the fourth dynasty, old kingdom as the great pyramid of King Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Besides, the Great Sphinx, the guard of the royal cemetery.

1 – Khufu Pyramid or Cheops Pyramid Although this pyramid did not fulfill its purpose, which was the protection of the king’s corpse, it immortalized his name throughout history. Khufu pyramid was listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by Antipater of Sidon, because of the genius of ancient Egyptians in both engineering and design fields that appears in its construction. It is the oldest of the Ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence.

The burial chamber was placed in the middle of the pyramid, housing the sarcophagus of the king. The burial chamber is topped up with five relieving chambers for relieving pressure on the burial chamber.

Khufu’s pyramid complex consists of a valley temple, now buried beneath the village of Nazlet el-Samman. Then the valley temple was connected to a causeway leading to the mortuary temple.

The establishment of this pyramid took 20 years, but the whole complex took 30 years.

2 – Khafre Pyramid or Chephren Pyramid The complex of King Khafre is considered the most complete complex in Giza Necropolis, as it contains the valley temple, the causeway, the mortuary temple, and the king’s pyramid. There are several statues of King Khafre were discovered in a well on the floor of the temple by Mariette in 1860.

3 – Menkaure Pyramid or Mykerinos Pyramid The complex of King Menkaure contained the valley temple, the causeway, the mortuary temple, and the king’s pyramid. The pyramid is the only element that remains until now but without its limestone casing. There are several statues of King Menkaure that were discovered in the mortuary temple.

4 – The Great Sphinx of Giza Plateau The sphinx takes the shape of the human head and lion’s body. It is owned by king Khafre. It is the guard of the royal cemetery according to ancient Egyptian beliefs. The statues of the sphinx refer to the physical and mental power of the living king.

the Great Sphinx - Egypt Vacation Tours (2)
the Great Sphinx

5 – Solar Boat Museum In 1954, Kamal El Malakh discovered beside the pyramid of Khufu a wooden boat made from cedar.

The aim of this boat was transferring the corpse of the king from the east bank of the Nile River to his final destination on the west bank, the bank of the dead.

Solar Boat Museum - Egypt Vacation Tours
Solar Boat Museum

Port Said City – A Coastal Destination

Port Said city is one of the most important cities in Egypt, after Cairo and Alexandria. It is a coastal city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, It is considered the entrance of the Suez Canal from the north.

Let’s learn more about the history of Port Said City Port Said City was constructed after the foundation of the Suez Canal by Ferdinand De Lesseps to be the entrance to this canal In 1855, the international committee chose the name of Port Said to be the name of this new city, It is divided into two words. The first one is (Port) for referring to it as a coastal city, while the second word is (Said), who is Khedive Said, the ruler at that time.

Let’s take a tour of Port Said Port Said houses several attractions as its port, the second largest port in Egypt, the Suez Canal Authority Building, the Old Lighthouse, the Obelisk of Martyrs, and the Base of the Statue of De Lesseps.

  • The Old Lighthouse of Port Said was established by Khedive Ismail in 1869 to guide ships passing through the Suez Canal. This lighthouse is considered the oldest concrete lighthouse in the world.
Lighthouse of Port Said - Egypt Vacation Tours
Lighthouse of Port Said

Suez Canal Authority Building was founded in 1895, and it distinguishes with its unique Islamic architectural design. It is the first building built on the shores of Port Said city. It is used as the headquarters of the authority and the administration of the Suez Canal and monitoring the passage of ships from/into the Suez Canal. The Obelisk of Martyrs is a memorial established in honor of the martyrs who were killed in the battles of the tripartite aggression during the Suez War. The Base of the Statue of De Lesseps was built in 1899. Port Said revolutionaries removed the statue of De Lesseps from its base after their success in preventing French, British and Israeli armies from entering Egypt on December 23, 1956, so this day became the national celebration day of Port Said.

Our team always seeking to please you Kindly submit on Port Said day tour and shore excursion tour to enjoy this amazing city.

Dakhla Oasis – The Western Desert

Dakhla Oasis in the Western Desert is one of the seven Egyptian oases. It is located in the New Valley Governorate, between Farafra and Kharga Oases. It is famous for housing beautiful verdant gardens of dates and olives.

The history of Dakhla Oasis 1 – Dakhla Oasis has a great history. Some specialists think that during Prehistory, nomadic hunter-gatherers began to settle almost permanently in the Dakhleh oasis in the period of the Holocene.

2 – It did not have a great position during the Pharaonic period.

3 – During the Roman period, there is a monastery is called Deir el-Hagar or Monastery of Stone in the English language. This monastery was established by the Roman Emperor Nero and was dedicated to the Theban triad (Amun-Ra – Mut-Khonsu).

Deir el-Hagar - Egypt Vacation Tours

4 – During the 12th century, the Qasr ad-Dachla was built. It is a fortified Islamic town housing Ottoman and Mamluk buildings founded by mud brick.

Qasr ad-Dachla - Egypt Vacation Tours

Beni Hassan in Al Minya Governorate

Beni Hassan Necropolis is an important historical site in Al Minya Governorate. It is located on the east bank of the Nile River.

The importance of Beni Hassan Necropolis in Al Minya Governorate The golden history of Beni Hassan began during the middle kingdom in ancient Egyptian civilization, as local rulers and military ‎leaders built their tombs there. It houses approx. 39 carved tombs in a limestone hill. These tombs reflect the power of the high officials at that time.

To know more about these tombs: These tombs are distinguished by their decorations presenting the daily life of ancient Egyptians, especially sports as wrestling, violent warfare, and military training.

Let’s tour these tombs: 1 – Kheity tomb: Kheity was a governor of the Nome during the 11th dynasty, the first intermediate period. The scenes in this tomb show the daily life activities, such as hunting in the deserts and soldiers playing some sports. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched a virtual reality tour for the Kheity tomb.

2 – Baqete III tomb: Baqete III was the father of Kheity. He was the governor of the nome during the 6th dynasty, the old kingdom. The scenes in this tomb depict the same theme of other tombs in Beni Hassan Necropolis, but the different depiction is showing Baqete III in battles taking place in the 6th ‎dynasty.

3 – Khnumhotep tomb: Khnumhotep was a governor during king Amenemhat III period in the 12th dynasty, middle kingdom. Like other tombs, this tomb has depictions of daily life activities and military training during the Middle Kingdom. Besides, it includes the biography of Khnumhotep. It is written in 222 columns.