Our NEXT stop in our cruise of Lake Nasser is the Kiosk of Kertassi. These famous six columns (two Hathor Papyrus at entrance, 4 slender Romanesque columns left standing) were probably built at the same time as the more famous Kiosk next to the temple at Philae. It was a small temple and kiosk suggesting that it was a station on a processional route by priests displaying Isis around Nubia.
We are going to take a little cruise on Lake Nasser.
Most of the time the cruises go up and down the Nile river but there are many sites to see along Lake Nasser. The most famous of which is Abu Simbel, which will be the END of our cruise.
Our first stop is at Beit el Wali: Built by Ramses II in Nubia, it was dedicated to four different gods in Egypt. Beit el Wali means "House of the Holy Man" so it is thought that there was probably a monk/hermit that lived there at some time.
There is a large amount of original color inside the temple but the Forecourt is the most interesting and unique to temples of that period.
Tour Egypt with Me!
The largest obelisk ever built, never got off the ground. It cracked as they were carving it out of the granite hills in Aswan. It would have been 42 Meters (137 feet) tall and weighed over 1200 tons. Imagine the engineering it would have taken to get this on a barge and float down river. Most believe it was built by Hatchepsut and destined for the Temple at Karnak.
Talk about AMAZING EGYPT there is a boat that was found on the Giza plateau that was buried during the time of the Old Kingdom Pharaoh's who built the Great Pyramids.
They have put it into a boat museum, cost about $20 extra to go in, but well worth it!
Imagine floating down the Nile River on one of these!
Just read an article in "Ancient Egypt" magazine that there is a new controversy over Amenhotep III and his co-regency with his son Amenhotep IV (Ahkenaten). It seems that IF they were CO-regents (ruled together) for 9 years then daddy would have had a part in the heresy of the Aten cult and even helped in the building and moving the capital to Amarna. The heresy was a belief in only ONE god as opposed to ALL the gods of Egypt. Ahkenaten was branded a heretic and his name was scratched off every building and all his statues broken, the city of Amarna was leveled and the stone used elsewhere. Probably second only to Ramses the Great, Ancient Egypt's wealthiest and most powerful pharaoh was Amenhotep III. You've seen the gold of King Tut (a minor king) can you imagine what was in the tomb of his grandfather! All that wealth was spent on the Amarna period, along with the good will of the priests ... so ended the 18th Dynasty.
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| Amenhotep III |
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| Amenhotep IV (Ahkenaten) |
I challenge you to try out this Ancient Egyptian Pose (mudras). Remember the Right Arm is always raised unless it covers the heart. This is an impossible pose for a human but that was not the purpose of the relief (found in the temple in Esna). This is a pose of a dancer (leg crossed) in jubilation (right arm lifted) giving an offering (left arm extended)
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