Touch ancient history in modern-day Egypt: spectacular country is a vast, open-air museum.ONE OF THE great travel adventures foe many is Egypt, one of the oldest continuous civilizations in the world and one of the few places where one can truly touch ancient history. Last year more than six million visitors made the journey, over 35,000 with Canadian passports. Officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, it is tucked away in the northeast corner of the African continent and it is easily accessible from Canada. Its modern tourist infrastructure guarantees we can visit with Ramses II Ramses II known as Ramses the Great (flourished 13th century BC) King of ancient Egypt, 1279–13 BC. His family came to power some decades after the reign of Akhenaton. or Queen Nefertiti, or the infamous Cleopatra VII “Cleopatra” redirects here. For other uses, see Cleopatra (disambiguation). Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ , in the same comfort and with the same tender loving care that they enjoyed. Egypt's climate consists of only two seasons--no Fall colours here--winter lasts from November to March and summer from April to October. The winters are cool and mild, the January minimum and maximum temperatures varying between 11 and 18 C at the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. July in Cairo can average 29 C. The north-flowing Nile River Nile River Arabic Bahr al-Nil River, eastern and northeastern Africa. The longest river in the world, it is about 4,132 mi (6,650 km) long from its remotest headstream (which flows into Lake Victoria) to the Mediterranean Sea. , at 6,600 kilometres, is the longest river in the world. Amazingly, it has no significant tributaries in Egypt. North of Cairo, the Nile Delta The Nile Delta (Arabic:دلتا النيل) is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads is 160 kilometres long and 240 kilometres wide. The Nile Valley and Delta, and numerous scattered oases support all of Egypt's agriculture and more than 99 per cent of its population. Not surprisingly, including the mega-city of Cairo with its population of 17 million, 47 per cent of Egypt's population live in the Delta, Egypt is truly a vast, open-air museum, with recorded history Recorded history can be defined as history that has been written down or recorded by the use of language, whereas history is a more general term referring simply to information about the past.[1] It starts in the 4th millennium BC, with the invention of writing. stretching back to 3350 BC. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo houses the world's most valuable collection of its kind. It is unique in its presentation of the whole history of Egyptian civilization, especially the Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman periods. There are more than 100,000 items on display, 1,700 taken from the 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamen, including the magnificent solid gold mask that covered the Pharaoh's head. (In contrast to the exciting King Tut find in 1922, the 4,500-year-old Pyramid of Cheops, the largest pyramid ever built, has never yielded the burial chamber of its famous resident. The final resting place of Pharaoh Cheops, who ruled From 2560 to 2532 BC, is still a mystery.) Don't miss the incredibly well-preserved mummy of Ramses II who reigned in the 13th century BC. Egypt is also a destination where the ancient and the modern cross our path almost at every turn. The state-of-the-art, five-star cruise ships glide effortlessly along the same river where familiar biblical history was enacted, then re-enacted with Charlton Heston in the title role. This is the river where a young mother hid her baby in the bulrushes so that he might escape the Pharaoh's murderous edict A decree or law of major import promulgated by a king, queen, or other sovereign of a government. An edict can be distinguished from a public proclamation in that an edict puts a new statute into effect whereas a public proclamation is no more than a declaration of a law against Jewish male babies. Providentially prov·i·den·tial adj. 1. Of or resulting from divine providence. 2. Happening as if through divine intervention; opportune. See Synonyms at happy. rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, raised in the palace, and educated as a prince of Egypt, Moses was groomed by God to lead the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. The colossal, recumbent recumbent /re·cum·bent/ (re-kum´bent) lying down. re·cum·bent adj. Lying down, especially in a position of comfort; reclining. Sphinx sphinx (sfĭngks), mythical beast of ancient Egypt, frequently symbolizing the pharaoh as an incarnation of the sun god Ra. The sphinx was represented in sculpture usually in a recumbent position with the head of a man and the body of a lion, at Giza and the amazing Temple of Karnak (described as "a great historical document in stone"), stand in stark contrast to the modern, welcoming, world-class hotels that make each touring day even more memorable. The Aswan High Dam Aswan High Dam Dam across the Nile River, north of Aswan, Egypt. Built 4 mi (6 km) upstream from the earlier Aswan Dam (1902), it is 364 ft (111 m) high and 12,562 ft (3,830 m) long. Differences with Gamal Abdel Nasser led the U.S. belongs in the 20th century. More than 110 metres high and with a crest length of 3,830 metres, it impounds the mighty 91-metre deep Lake Nasser, and yields enormous benefits to the economy of Egypt A series of International Monetary Fund arrangements, coupled with massive external debt relief resulting from Egypt's participation in the Gulf War coalition, helped Egypt improve its macroeconomic performance during the 1990s. . In 1970, for the first time in Egypt's long history, the annual Nile flood was controlled by humans. But the creation of the reservoir was not without pain. Some 90,000 Egyptian fellahin (peasant Farmers) and Sudanese Nubian nomads had to be relocated. It also necessitated the costly relocation of the temple complex of Abu Simbel, which, otherwise, would have been submerged. But it would be impossible to estimate what this engineering feat means to modern Egypt, in irrigation irrigation, in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. , in improving navigation above and below the Aswan, and in hydroelectric generation. Alongside this modern marvel, our tour guide reminds us of some reference points that belong in a very different era--in Old and New Testament times. It was in this land, over in the Sinai Peninsula that many believe God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush and, at Jabal Katrinah (the 2,642-metre high Mount Catherine), God delivered the Ten Commandments on stone tablets into his hands. Here, too, much later historically, Mary, Joseph, and their infant child Jesus, found hospitality and refuge for four years, until the death of Herod allowed a return to Nazareth. A thorough study of Egypt's long and dramatic history could take a lifetime. A painless alternative is to join Craig Travel's Treasures of Egypt tour, on which local experts help us to take 3,000 years in bite-size pieces. Historians divide the ancient history of Egypt The history of Egypt is the longest continuous history, as a unified state, of any country in the world. The Nile valley forms a natural geographic and economic unit, bounded to the east and west by deserts, to the north by the sea and to the south by the Cataracts of the Nile. into Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, spanning 30 dynasties and lasting to 330 BC. The Romans occupied Egypt From 30 BC to 395 AD and it was during this period that Christianity was introduced to Egypt by St. Mark. The granting of tolerance in 313 AD by the Emperor Constantine gave impetus to the development of a formal Christian church, and the ancient/modern city of Alexandria witnessed the labours of such early Christian leaders as Arius, Origen and Clement. An amazing kaleidoscope of images from ancient and modern times are to be found today in Egypt. Little wonder that they played host to more than six million visitors last year from all over the world. October 29-31 Victoria, BC The Christ of the Celts The following pages provide lists of nations or people of Celtic origin, arranged by branch of Celtic ethnicity or language grouping: Goidelic Celts
Led by Rev. J. Philip Newell, Writer Theologian for the Cathedral of The Isles, Scotland, former Warden of Iona Abbey, internationally acclaimed lecturer. * Who is Christ for us today? * Listening for the beat of God's presence in every moment. * A spirituality of God's presence in all creation. Please contact Rev. John Hogman, Fairfield United Church johnpgh@shaw.ca www.islandnet.com/~uccfair/events 250 384-3425 Celtic Pilgrimage: Saints on Wild Islands The joy of pilgrimage in spectacular, history-filled landscapes of Wales Wales, Welsh Cymru, western peninsula and political division (principality) of Great Britain (1991 pop. 2,798,200), 8,016 sq mi (20,761 sq km), west of England; politically united with England since 1536. The capital is Cardiff. , Ireland and Scotland. June 2005. Saints on wild islands--myths, mysteries and facts about Gildas, Ninian, Finian and other enigmas. September-2005. In depth exploration of these saints; with the option of following their steps into Brittany, NW France. In co-operation with the Centre for Study of Religion in Celtic Societies, University of Wales, Lampeter History When Thomas Burgess was appointed Bishop of St David's in 1803 he almost immediately identified the need to establish a College in which Welsh ordinands could receive a higher education. . Vanessa 250-414-0308. Email: islandpilgrim@canadac.com www.canadac.com/celtic/celticv Allan Waddell is a product developer with Craig Travel. |
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