Welcome to Egypt

Egyptology is a new word for me. I learned this from the Discovery Channel during their feature of the ancient and modern history of Egypt. When I thought of Egypt, what comes into my mind is dust. Haha... In my mind, there is nothing in Egypt except the pyramids, the mommy, the dessert and the heat of the sun. I was of course wrong. There are also hotels there, I just learned. With that being said, the thought of those explorers and archaeologists sleeping on the sand was already replaced with interesting picture of a great Egypt. So, I did some homework and gather the things about Egypt.

1) Pyramids. Of course, this should be first on the list. The gigantic 3D triangular structure in the middle of Giza is one of the remnants of the ancient Egypt. Of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is the only that still exists. These pyramids were constructed as tombs for Pharaohs and their upper class consorts and families. But why on earth is the pyramid in the shape of a ‘pyramid’? One theological principle said that pyramids were designed of having its narrow side pointing the sky so the dead’s soul could ascend directly into the heaven.

2) Mummies. Yes, you read it right. Creepy? That’s what makes it interesting. It is the mummification actually that what I wanted to point here. But since I have already pointed here about mummies, may it be suitable to give justice to it. It is just a corpse whose skin and internal organs have been preserved by exposure to chemicals, low humidity, vacuum, or extreme coldness. Mummification on the other hand is the process of making mummies. The concept of this process was at first unintentional. The heat, the sand and the lack of moisture in Egypt were the things that contributed to this process.

 

3) Sphinx. Other than the pyramids in Egypt, another mysterious structure worth to visit is the Sphinx. Until, no one has ever known its origin and where it came from. It actually looked like a lion with a human head. Generally, this mythological figure was believed to serve as temple guardian. Is it not worth to find out?

These are only three of those that stirred my imagination. What about the famous Nile River, the Valley of the Kings, the Egyptian Museum, the Necropolis of Sakkarah, the Siwa Oasis, and much more? That is why the science of Egyptology was born. I think, I’ll have in my list Egypt as one of the places to visit before I die.