Seven
Wonders of the World is something that all of
us are aware of; there are several man-made wonders all around the world and
these are prominent landmarks of a particular country. Say for example, when we
say France the first thing that comes to our mind is the Eiffel Tower. This
holds true for any country like the United States of America, United Kingdom,
India, Italy, etc. Every country has some unique landmarks; here are the top 10
man-made landmarks of Egypt listed in alphabetical order.
- Abu Simbel, Aswan
 |
| Statues illuminating when the sun rays is penetrating the sanctuary, Abu Simbel Temple, Egypt |
Abu Simbel or Abu Simbel temples refer to
two huge rock temples, namely, The Temple of Re-Harakhte
and Nefertari’s Temple of Hathor; these are located on the western bank of
Lake Nasser. The entire complex of the temples is part of the UNESCO World
Heritage Sites and is known as the Nubian Monuments. These are the most
magnificent monuments in the world. This is one of the top tourist attractions
of Egypt.
These temples were originally constructed
in the year 1244 BCE to commemorate the victory at the “Battle of Kadesh”; this
was then relocated to an artificial hill made from a domed structure in 1964
when the Aswan Dam was constructed. The entire relocation process took nearly 4
years. It is still possible to see where the blocks where cut.
The axis of the Great Temple or The Temple
of Re-Harakhte is positioned in a manner that on October 21 and February 21, the
rays of the sun would penetrate the sanctuary to illuminate all the statues
except one, which is Ptah, the god in connection with the underworld.
- Cairo Citadel, Cairo
 |
| Cairo Citadel, Egypt |
Cairo Citadel,
also known as Saladin Citadel or Mohamed Ali Citadel is a medieval Islamic
fortification. This was once believed to be a site that provided excellent
views of the city, but now a historic site with museums and mosques.
Lieutenant of Ayyubid ruler Salah al-Din
between 1176 and 1183 CE built this citadel; this was the royal residence
earlier for many of the rulers of Egypt. The citadel contains various museums
like Al-Gawhara Palace museum, Carriage Museum, National Military Museum and
the Police Museum.
Some of the mosques present in the Cairo
Citadel are:
- Mosque of
Muhammad Ali (therefore sometimes called the Mohamed Ali Citadel)
- Ottoman
Mosque
- Al-Nasir
Muhammad Qala’un Mosque
- Mosque of
Suleyman Pasha
- Egyptian Museum, Cairo
 |
| The famous burial mask of Tuthankamen made of solid 11 Kg gold at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo Image source: Wikipedia |
Egyptian Museum, also called the Museum of
Egyptian Antiquities has nearly 120,000 items in display and is definitely a
famous man-made wonder of Egypt. One can know a lot about Egyptian history from
these Egyptian antiquities. The museum has two floors; ground floor consists of
papyrus and coins collection and the first floor consists of the artifacts. The
coins are made of gold, silver and bronze and the artifacts include a lot of
large than life statues, tables, coffins, pharaohs, etc.
- Giza Necropolis, Giza
 |
| The pyramids of Giza Complex or the Great Pyramids at night, Giza Necropolis, Giza Image source: Wikipedia |
When we say Egypt the first thing that
comes up in our minds are definitely the pyramids; how can we leave the Giza
Pyramids? Giza Necropolis is indeed one of the man-made wonders of Egypt and is
a worth visiting travel destination. It is one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage
Sites and also one among the Seven
Wonders of the World.
There are three pyramid complexes and these
are collectively called as the Great Pyramids; they are Khufu’s pyramid
complex, Khafre’s pyramid complex and Menkaure’s pyramid complex. Apart from
these three pyramid complexes, there are The Sphinx and the Tomb of Queen
Khentkaues I.
- Karnak Temple Complex, Luxor
 |
| A panoramic view of the great hall at Karnak Temple Complex, Luxor |
Karnak Temple Complex is often referred as Karnak;
from the name, many think it is a temple. Karnak Temple Complex contains not
just temples, but also chapels, pylons, Great Temple of Amun, and a huge
structure that was begun by Pharaoh Ramses II.
This is the largest ancient religious site
in the world and the second most visited historical site in Egypt. There are
four main parts; however, the largest part called the Precinct of Amun-Re is the
only one open for the general public.
- Luxor Temple, Luxor
 |
| The view of Luxor Temple at night displaying the central corridor and the four colossi. |
It is the large ancient Egyptian temple
complex. In the Egyptian language, it meant “ipet resyt” and this means “the
southern sanctuary.” Southern
Sanctuary refers to the holy of the holies that is present in the southern
end of the temple. This was dedicated to Amun, Mut and Chons. There are chapels
built by Tuthmosis III and Alexander at the rear part of the temple.
- Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo
 |
| The minaret of Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo |
Mosque of Ibn Tulun is one of the oldest
and largest mosques (in terms of the area of land) in Cairo. This mosque is
atop a small hill called Gebel Yashkur. The style of the mosque is Samarran
style which is very common with the constructions of Abbassid. One can witness
one covered wall on all the four sides of the mosque with the largest being in
the direction to Mecca. All the homes built near the mosque were demolished
except for two oldest and best-preserved homes. Gayer-Anderson Museum is open
to public; this was actually two separate houses called “house of the Cretan
woman” that was later joined by a bridge constructed in the third floor.
- Nubian Monuments of Philae, Aswan
 |
| Isis Temple, Philae, Egypt Image source: Wikipedia |
Philae, a small island in the Nile River
and the Nubian Monuments of Philae are a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
most important thing of the island is its architecture, especially lots of
ancient monuments; one of the most ancient monuments is the remains of the
Temple Isis.
- Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Mount Sinai
 |
| A panoramic view of St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai |
Saint Catherine’s Monastery is yet again a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Egypt;
according to the reports from UNESCO, this is believed to be one of the world’s
oldest working monasteries. The entire area where the monastery is now is a sacred
place for people of three religions, namely, Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
The official name of the Saint Catherine’s
Monastery is “The Sacred and Imperial
Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount of Sinai.” It is believed that the relics
of Saint Catherine of Alexandria were transported miraculously by three angels.
There is a library in the monastery and this is the world’s second largest
library that consists of early codices and manuscripts.
- Saqqara
 |
| Step pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt Image source: Wikipedia |
Saqqara is a spacious and
vast burial ground that is designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wondering
why a burial ground is a man-made landmark and a heritage site? This site
consists the world famous Step Pyramid of Djoser and numerous other pyramids
and mastabas. It is said that when the sky is clear one can witness the Step
Pyramid of Djoser from the following places that are far from Saqqara:
- Gaza (17
Km North)
- Dashur (10
Km South)
- Cairo (40
Km)
When visiting Egypt, do not forget to pay a
visit to these man-made wonders of Egypt. These are the popular landmarks of
Egypt and I am sure you will love these places.
