Spain & Portugal Travel Part IX: Valencia

Spain & Portugal Travel Part IX: Valencia

Valencia

Day 9     Tuesday, 30 October 2018

On this day, we were going to visit Valencia.

In the morning, we left Hotel Port Elche in Alicante where we stayed the previous night and travelled 165 km north-east to Valencia. The journey would take 2 hours.

Valencia

Valencia is a large city of 800,000 inhabitants.

When we arrived at Valencia, we visited a modern place known as “Arts and Sciences City”.

Map showing the location of Valencia

Arts and Sciences City, Valencia

In 1957, Valencia City experienced a disastrous flood when the water of River Turia overflowed and flooded the city. Later, the river was diverted elsewhere and the dry river-bed in the city was converted to a unique, modern place known as “Arts and Sciences City”.

Plan of Arts and Sciences City

Arts and Sciences City has buildings built in modern architectural style designed by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela. Each building has one or more functions.

The plan of the place below shows the locations of the following buildings, Museum of Sciences, Agora, Umbracle and Hemisferic to name a few.

Plan of Arts and Sciences City

Some of the modern buildings are described below.

Museum of Sciences(Museo de les Ciencies)

Museum of Sciences looks like a whale skeleton built in 2000. It is an interactive museum that has three floors of different Science exhibits.

Museum of Sciences

Agora

Agora built in 2009 looks like a flower-bud and is used for many activities, including concerts, exhibitions, conventions and sports.

Agora

Umbracle

Umbracle built in 2001 looks like a bridge that is 320 metres long and 60 metres wide. Below it is a road but its top is a garden. The garden has more than 1000 plants of different species and sculptures, too.

Umbracle

Umbracle

Hemisferic

Hemisferic looks like an eye with an eyelid was built in 1998. It houses an IMAX cinema, planetarium and laserium.

Hemisferic

Hemisferic

Bridge of the Dam of the Gold(El Pont de l’Assut de l’Or)

This bridge was built in 2008 over the dry river-bed of River Turia. It is supported by a 125 metre high tower and cables.

Bridge of the Dam of the Gold

The photo below shows part of the Arts and Sciences City.

Part of Arts and Sciences City

Sculptures in Arts and Sciences City

There are several sculptures of different forms and sizes all over Arts and Sciences City, including the two shown below.

Bronze Sculpture

A bronze sculpture in a pool of water. It is known as “Mixed Feelings” which was created by a British artist, Anthony Cragg.

Bronze Sculpture

White Fibre-Glass Sculpture

Anthony Cragg created another sculpture that is made of fibre-glass and known as “Untitled”. It is erected in another pool of water.

White Fibre-Glass Sculpture

Modern Buildings near Arts and Sciences City

From the Arts and Sciences City, a visitor can see some modern residential buildings nearby, including the ones shown in the two photos below.

Modern Building

A Cluster of Modern Buildings

Journey to Valencia Old Town

When we were on our way to the Valencia Old Town from Arts and Sciences City, we passed by two landmarks, Valencia Bullring and the North Station as described below.

Valencia Bullring

Valencia bullring(Plaza de Toros de Valencia) was opened in 1859 and has a seating capacity of 12,000. It is built in Neoclassical style and looks like the Colosseum in Rome.

Valencia Bullring

The North Station(Estacio del Nord)

This attractive building is the main railway station of Valencia. It is built in Neoclassical style and opened in 1852.

The North Station

Serranos Gate

When we reached the Valencia Old Town, we got down from our coach and walked a short distance to the town.

On the way, we saw was an imposing gate of the town known as Serranos Gate.

There were twelve gates with walls round the old town built in the 14th. Century to protect it from foreign invaders. But now only two are left and a few parts of the old wall remain.

Below is the Serronos Gate that we came across and it is kept as a monument.

The Front of Serranos Gate

The Back of Serranos Gate

The Side of Serranos Gate

Central Market(Mercado)

Soon we arrived at the centre of the town and saw the largest market in Valencia. Known as Central Market or Mercado, it was built in Valencian Art Nouvema style at the old open-market site from 1914 until 1928.

Central Market

Facade of Central Market

Writer and Wife Visited Central Market

Interior of Central Market

Stalls in Central Market

The market is large and has over 100 stalls selling fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, wine, souvenirs, etc.

Below are some photos showing different stalls at the market.

Meat Stall

Fruit Stall

Vegetable Stall

Cheese Stall

Wine Stall

Souvenir Stall

Historical Buildings

Coming out of Central Market, I saw some historical buildings in front, including two buildings described and shown in the photos below.

Stock Exchange Building(Llotja de la Seda)

Stock Exchange Building that looks like a castle is in front of Central Market. Built in Valencian Gothic style in the 15th. Century, it was the main trading centre in Valencia. Besides, it housed a marine merchant tribunal and prison for merchants who could not pay their debts in the olden days.

Now the building is a monument and tourist attraction.

Stock Exchange Building

Church of St. John(Santos Juanes)

Near the Stock Exchange is a church, Church of St. John. It is a Roman Catholic church built in Gothic style in the 16-17th, Centuries. It replaced the 13th. Century church that was burnt down in 1592.

Church of St. John

Church of Catalina

Having visited Central Market, we walked to a public square called Royal Square(Plaza de la Reina).

As we were walking to the square, we saw a church, Church of Catalina which is a Roman Catholic church. It was built in Gothic style in the 13th. Century. Adjacent to the church is a bell-tower of five levels with a hexagonal base. It was built in Baroque style between 1688 and 1795.

Church of Catalina

Royal Square(Plaza de la Reina)

When we were in an open space known as Royal Square, we noticed that it was a busy business-place surrounded by Cathedral of Valencia, Octagonal Bell-Tower, restaurants, shops, hotels, etc.

Royal Square

Virgin Mary Square

Then we walked to another open space nearby called Virgin Mary Square. In this square, there are two well-known historical buildings, viz. Cathedral of Valencia and Basilica of Our Lady of the Abandoned(Virgen de los Desamparados).

Virgin Mary Square

The photos below show the two historical buildings in Virgin Mary Square.

Cathedral of Valencia or Saint Mary’s Cathedral

Cathedral of Valencia or Saint Mary’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church built in Gothic style in the 13th. Century. There is a tall, octagonal bell tower built behind the church.

Cathedral of Valencia

“Door of Irons”, the Main Entrance of the Cathedral

Basilica of Our Lady of the Abandoned(The Virgen de los Desamparados)

A basilica built in Renaissance-Baroque style is close to Cathedral of Valencia. It was constructed from 1652 until 1666.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Abandoned

In the centre of Virgin Mary Square there is a fountain known as Turia Fountain that represents River Turia of Valencia.

Turia Fountain

On the upper level of the fountain is a bronze statue of Neptune, a Roman god, relaxing and enjoying the flowing water. He is surrounded by eight bronze statues of naked women pouring water out of their jugs on the lower level. They represent the eight irrigation channels in agricultural lands of Valencia.

Turia Fountain

Lunch in Valencia Old Town

When we left Virgin Mary Square we went to a Spanish restaurant, La Cigrona Restaurant, in the Valencia Old Town to have lunch.

La Cigrona Restaurant

Food for Lunch

Below are two photos showing some of the food we ate at the restaurant.

Salad

Roasted Chicken

Next Destination

After the delicious meal in Valencia, we left for another destination which was Barcelona, 350 km in the north-east and the journey would take 4 hours.

On arrival in Barcelona in the evening, we went to a Chinese restaurant, Rio Azul Restaurant, to have dinner and then stayed at a hotel, Sercotel Ciutat da Montcada, for a night.

We would be visiting the heritage sites in Barcelona on the following day.

Rio Azul Restaurant

Sercotel Ciutat de Montcada, Barcelona

Previous(Granada) / Home / Next(Barcelona)

Places visited during Spain & Portugal Tour(22 Oct-02 Nov 2018):

Toledo   Madrid   Salamanca   Porto   Lisbon   Seville   Cordobo  Granada   Valencia   Barcelona

Spain & Portugal Travel Part V: Lisbon

Spain & Portugal Travel Part V: Lisbon

Lisbon

Day 5    Friday, 26 October 2018

On this day, we left Porto in the morning and travelled to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, which is 320 km in the south and the time for the journey would be 3 hours 30 minutes.

Map showing location of Lisbon

Maria, the Lisbon Tour-Guide

When we arrived at Lisbon, Maria, a local tour-guide welcomed us and brought us round to see a few historical landmarks.

Jeronimos Monastery, Belem, Lisbon

The first historical landmark Maria brought us to see was Jeronimos Monastery which was a few hundred metres from River Tagus in Belem, Lisbon.

The monastery was constructed in 1506 and completed 100 years later. The construction was started by King Manuel I of Portugal(1469-1521) and funded by taxes on goods imported from overseas.

The monks of the Order of Saint Jerome at the monastery gave spiritual guidance to sailors during the “Age of Discoveries” and prayed for the King Manuel I’s soul.

Jeronimos Monastery

Writer and Wife visited Jeronimos Monastery

Southern Entrance of the Church of St. Mary, Jeronimos Monastery

The monastery has a church, Church of St. Mary, adjacent to it. The southern entrance of the church is beautifully decorated with statuettes of saints.

Southern Entrance of the Church

Western Entrance of the Church of St. Mary

The western entrance of the Church of St. Mary is also beautifully decorated with statuettes of saints.

Western Entrance of the Church

Interior of the Church of St. Mary 

The nave in the church is long and the ceiling is high.

Interior of the Church

St. Mary Chapel in the Church

There is a chapel in the church that is dedicated to St. Mary. The worshipers believed that St. Mary brought back the sailors home, safely, during the “Age of Discoveries” from 15th. until 17th. Century.

St. Mary Chapel in the Church

Tombs of Great Portuguese Figures

In the church there are tombs of famous figures and royal members, such as the tombs of  Vasco da Gama(1460-1524) who discovered a sea route to India in 1498, Luis Vaz de Camoes(1524-1580) who was a famous Portuguese writer glorifying the triumphs of Vasco da Gama, King Manuel I(1469-1521) and King Sebastian(1557-1578) to name a few.

Tomb of Vasco da Gama(1460-1524)

Tomb of Luis Vaz de Camoes(1524-1580)

Archaeological and Maritime Museums

In the west wing of Jeronimos Monastery is a long building that houses the National Archaeological Museum and Maritime Museum now.

Monument to Discoveries, Belem, Lisbon

Then we left Jeronimos Monastery and went to see a huge monument erected on the riverbank of River Tagus in 1939. It is a few hundred metres from the monastery.

It is known as Monument to Discoveries created in memory of the brave Portuguese navigators who went overseas to discover new foreign lands in the 15th.-17th Century period.

It looks like a caravel, a Portuguese traditional ship, carrying the Portuguese people to new foreign lands in South America, Africa and South Asia.

Monument to Discoveries

Close-up of Monument to Discoveries

Maps of Portuguese Discoveries

On the floor in front of the Monument to Discoveries, there are two large maps. One is showing the places and years in America and Africa, and the other South Asia discovered by the Portuguese navigators in the 15th.-17th. Century period.

Portuguese Discoveries in Africa

Portuguese Discoveries in South Asia

View of the Monument to Discoveries, 25th. April Bridge and Statue of Jesus the King

Standing at a spot on the bank of River Tagus, a visitor can see three main structures, viz. Monument to Discoveries on the left, 25th. April Bridge over River Tagus and large, white Statue of Jesus the King in the distance on the right.

Monument, Bridge and Statue

25th. April Bridge

The 25th. April Bridge is a 2277 metre-long suspension bridge that looks like the one in San Francisco in California. It has two decks. The upper deck carries six car-lanes and the lower one carries a double track railway.

When the bridge was opened in 1966, it was called Salazar Bridge. Then in 1974 it was renamed “25th. April Bridge” in commemoration of the Carnation Revolution. The revolution was a military coup organized by the Military Forces Movement to overthrow the authoritarian regime of Estado Nova on 25th. April 1974.

Tower of Belem

A 30 metre-high fortress was built on an islet in River Tagus in Belem in the early 15th. Century to protect Lisbon from being invaded by Spain or France. Built in Portuguese Manueline style, it is known as Tower of Belem or Tower of St. Vincent. Owing to the deposit of soil in River Tagus, the fortress is now seen to be on the bank of the river.

In 1983 Tower of Belem was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its important role it played in the Portuguese Age of Discoveries.

Tower of Belem

Sunset at Belem, Lisbon

It was sunset when we were going to leave Belem, a historical maritime place in Lisbon.

Before we left Belem, we had a last look at the river-mouth of River Tagus in the west. In the distance, we saw a silhouette of a larger fortress against the colourful sky at sunset. It is near the port of Lisbon.

Sunset at Belem

Fortress of Sao Juliao da Barra

That fortress is known as Sao Juliao da Barra. In 1556 King John III of Portugal(1502-1557) ordered the fortress to be constructed at the mouth of River Tagus to protect the Lisbon port and city from being attacked by foreign invaders.

Soon we left Belem for dinner and stayed at a hotel for a night, Hotel Leziria Parque, in Lisbon.

Hotel Leziria Parque, Lisbon

Next Destination

We would be going to Seville in Spain the following day. It is 450 km south-east of Lisbon and the journey would take 4 hours 30 minutes.

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Places visited during Spain & Portugal Tour(22 Oct-02 Nov 2018):

Toledo   Madrid   Salamanca   Porto   Lisbon   Seville   Cordobo  Granada   Valencia   Barcelona

Spain & Portugal Travel Part VI: Seville

Spain & Portugal Travel Part VI: Seville

Seville

Day 6     Saturday, 27 October 2018

On this day, we left Lisbon in Portugal in the morning and headed for Seville in Spain which is located 450 km in the south-east. It might take 4 hours and 30 minutes to reach the city.

Map showing the location of Seville in Spain

Lunch at Badajoz, Spain

After travelling over two hours from Lisbon in Portugal, we stopped at Badajoz in Spain for lunch at a restaurant known as El Chozo Extremeno. Badajoz is about 226 km east of Lisbon and near the Spain-Portugal border.

El Chozo Extremeno Restaurant

One of the Dishes

Grilled chicken with potato was one of the dishes served at the restaurant.

Grilled Chicken at the Restaurant

Photos of Tourmates for Group Album

At the restaurant, I had the chance to take photos of all my tourmates, as shown below.

After lunch in Badajoz, we continued our journey to Seville in the south-east, another 210 km to go.

Manuel, the Seville Tour Guide

When we reached Seville, it was late in the afternoon and we met Manuel, a local tour-guide. Fearing that the Seville Cathedral might close soon, we walked together to the cathedral, quickly.

Manuel, a Seville tour-guide

Seville Cathedral

When we reached the cathedral, we were relieved to be told that we had enough time to see the cathedral.

Seville Cathedral or Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, a Roman Catholic church, is the largest Gothic Church, and 3rd. largest church in the world. It was built from 1401 until 1528 on the site of a Moorish mosque retaining some Moorish parts of the old mosque.

Seville Cathedral

Plan of Seville Cathedral

Doors of the Cathedral of Seville

Cathedral of Seville has several large doors such as Door of Conception, Door of Assumption and Christopher Columbus Door or Prince Door, to name a few.

Below are photos showing the three mentioned doors.

Door of Conception

Door of Assumption

Christopher Columbus Door or Prince Door

Giralda, the Bell Tower of Seville Cathedral

Adjacent to Seville Cathedral is a tall bell tower that is known as Giralda.

Giralda was converted from a Moorish mosque’s minaret and is 105 metres high. Visitors can go up the tower to have a breathtaking view of the old town of Seville.

Giralda, the Bell Tower

Courtyard of Seville Cathedral

In front of Seville Cathedral is a courtyard which is full of orange trees that make the place shady and cooling.

There is an exit door known as Door of Forgiveness or Pardon which is opposite the Door of Conception of the cathedral.

Door of Forgiveness or Pardon

Outside the Door of Forgiveness or Pardon

The outside of the Door of Forgiveness retains the Moorish features of the former mosque.

Outside Door of Forgiveness or Pardon

Interior of Seville Cathedral

We entered Seville Cathedral through the Door of Conception.

The interior of the cathedral is large. Its length is 117 metres, width 76 metres  and the height of the ceiling 42 metres.

Large Interior of the Cathedral of Seville

42 metre-high ceiling

Stained Glass Windows

There are some colourful stained glass windows that make the interior of the cathedral beautiful but sombre. They were made between 16th. and 19th. Century.

Photos below show some of them each depicting a religious scene.

Chapels in Cathedral of Seville

There are 80 chapels in the cathedral. Some have altarpieces that are stunning as shown in the photos below.

Main Chapel(Capilla Mayor)

Main Chapel has the most awesome altarpiece. It is a large gold-gilded, intricate, Gothic woodcarving that depicts 45 scenes of the lives of Christ and Virgin Mary.

Main Chapel(Capilla Mayor)

Chapel of St. Mary

This chapel has a silver altar and a painting of St. Mary.

Chapel of St. Mary

Chapel of Crucifixion

This chapel has an altar of a wood-carving of Christ crucified on a cross.

Chapel of Crucifixion

Chapel of the Virgin

This chapel has an altar of Virgin Mary surrounded by statuettes of saints.

Chapel of the Virgin

Tombs of Important Persons in the Cathedral of Seville

There are several tombs in the Cathedral of Seville belonging to some Spanish kings, royal members, important religious figures and navigators.

Below are photos showing some tombs in the cathedral.

Tomb of Christopher Columbus

The tomb of Christopher Columbus is the most eye-catching one in the cathedral. His tomb is held aloft by four figures. These figures are allegoric representing the four Spanish kingdoms during Columbus’ life, i.e. Castile, Aragon. Navara and Leon.

Christopher Columbus(1451-1506) was an Italian explorer who discovered America in 1492. His four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean were sponsored by the Spanish kings. When he died in 1506 his was buried in Seville Cathedral.

Tomb of Christopher Columbus

Tomb of Cardinal Sir Juan Cervantes(1380-1453)

Another tomb in the cathedral is that of Cardinal Sir Juan Cervantes(1380-1453). Born in Seville, he was made a Catholic Church’s cardinal in 1426 by Pope Martin V(1369-1431).

Tomb of Cardinal Sir Juan Cervantes

Other Tombs

Other important Spanish figures were buried in a special place in the Cathedral of Seville

A Spacial Burial Place in the Seville Cathedral

Priceless Paintings

There are many priceless paintings in the Cathedral of Seville. Some are displayed in rooms and others in chapels, as shown in the photos below.

Paintings in one of the rooms

Paintings: “Baptism of Christ” & “Vision of St. Anthony of Padua”

In a chapel, there are two paintings on a wall. The top painting shows the “Baptism of Christ” and the bottom one the “Vision of St. Anthony of Padua”.

“Baptism of Christ” & “Vision of St. Anthony of Padua”

Painting: “Saints Justa and Rufina”

In another chapel, there is a painting of  “Saints Justa and Raufina”. They were martyred for refusing to worship the image of Goddess Venus.

“Saints Justa and Rufina”

Later, we came out of the Seville Cathedral and spent some time looking around outside the cathedral.

General Archive of the Indies

We saw a white building that looks like a palace.

It was built in Spanish Renaissance style in the 16th. Century and known as General Archive of the Indies. It houses important documents of the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines.

General Archive of the Indies

MetroCentro Tram System in Seville

Then we saw a modern tram arriving at the station near the Cathedral of Seville.

There is a MetroCentro Tram System running a distance of 1.4 km from Plaza Nueva to San Bernado. There are 3 stations in between them, including the station near the Cathedral of Seville.

MetroCentro Tram System

Tourists arriving at Seville

Horse-Drawn Carriages

In the area around Seville Cathedral, we saw many horse-drawn carriages carrying tourists.

Horse-drawn carriages are in demand by the tourists in Seville. It is a convenient means of going round the old town to see historical buildings, monuments and gardens or squares.

Horse-drawn carriages

Tour Group Photo near Seville Cathedral

One photo was taken near the Seville Cathedral for the tour group album, as shown below.

Seville Bullring

Having visited the Seville Cathedral and the area around it, we walked to a Seville bullring nearby.

Seville Bullring has a 12000 seating capacity near the cathedral. It is known as Plaza Real Maestranza built in Baroque style from 1749 until 1765. The regular bullfighting season is from March until September, annually.

Seville Bullring

Bronze Statue of Bullfighter

A bronze statue of a bullfighter can be seen outside the bullring. It is a statue of Curro Romero(1933-2018) who was a well-known Spanish bullfighter. He started his professional career at the age of 21 and retired at 66.

Statue of Bullfighter

Another Tour Group Photo in Seville

Another photo was taken in front of the Seville bullring, Plaza Real Maestranza, for the Tour Group album.

Hotel Sevilla Congresos, Seville

After visiting the cathedral and bullring, we went for dinner and stayed at a hotel, Hotel Sevilla Congresos, for a night in Seville.

Next Destination

The following day, Sunday, 28 October 2018, we would be going to Cordoba which is 141 km east of Seville. The journey would take about 2 hours.

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Places visited during Spain & Portugal Tour(22 Oct-02 Nov 2018):

Toledo   Madrid   Salamanca   Porto   Lisbon   Seville   Cordobo  Granada   Valencia   Barcelona

Spain & Portugal Travel Part VII: Cordoba

Spain & Potugal Travel Part VII: Cordoba

Cordoba

Day 7     Sunday, 28 October 2018

On this day, we were going to visit Cordoba. We left Hotel Sevilla Congresos in Seville in the morning and travelled 141 km east to Cordoba. The journey would take 2 hours.

Map showing the location of Cordoba

On arrival at Cordoba in the morning, we went to see a Roman bridge.

Writer and wife at Roman Bridge

Roman Bridge of Cordoba

The Roman Bridge of Cordoba was built in the 1st. Century B.C.. It is 247 metres long and 9 metres wide crossing River Quadadquivir.

Roman Bridge of Cordoba

Mosque-Cathedral in the Distance

From the bridge an ancient Roman Catholic church can be seen in the distance. It is commonly known as Mosque-Cathedral.

Mosque-Cathedral on the right in the distance

Mosque Becoming Roman Catholic Church

A mosque was built in the Muslim Umayyad Dynasty(929-1031). Later it was converted to a Roman Catholic church when a Spanish Catholic monarch , King Ferdinand III(1199-1252), captured Cordoba in 1236. It is therefore known as Mosque-Cathedral.

Mosque-Cathedral

Mosque-Cathedral seen from Courtyard of Orange Trees

Back Wall of Mosque-Cathedral

Cordoba Main Gate or Roman Bridge Gate of Cordoba 

The old town of Cordoba has a large, high gate that looks like the triumphal arch known as Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Located near the Roman Bridge, it was built in Renaissance style in the 16th. Century replacing the old one. It was the main gate into the old town and is known as Roman Bridge Gate. The wall connected to the gate is already gone.

Main Gate or Roman Bridge Gate

Bell-Tower of Mosque-Cathedral

We entered the old town of Cordoba through the gate and visited the Mosque-Cathedral.

The cathedral has a bell-tower. It was converted from a mosque’s minaret when Cordoba was captured by a Holy Roman Catholic monarch, King Ferdinand III, in 1236.

Bell-Tower of Mosque-Cathedral

The Main Gate of Mosque-Cathedral

Mosque-Cathedral has retained many parts of the former mosque, including the main gate, walls and the building.

Main Gate of Mosque-Cathedral

Wall of Mosque-Cathedral

Almodovar Gate 

Near the Mosque-Cathedral there is a partial wall with a gate known as Almodovar Gate. It was built during the Muslim rule in Cordoba(920-1031).

Almodovar Gate 

Cordoba City Walls

Walls were built round Cordoba Old Town during the Muslim rule in Cordoba(929-1031) during the Umayyad Dynasty. Now we can see some remaining parts of the wall.

Old Walls in Cordoba Old Town

Sandstone Wall

An old remaining wall that is not restored exposes its sandstone blocks in the Cordoba old town.

Old Sandstone Wall

Lunch at Restaurante China Town

Before we continued walking to the next landmark, Tendillas Square, in Cordoba Old Town, we stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant, Restaurante China Town.

Restaurante China Town

Writer’s Lunch

After lunch, we  walked to the square, Tendillas Square. On the way, we saw a church called St. Nicholas Church.

St. Nicholas Church, Cordoba 

St. Nicholas Church is a parish church. It was built in Gothic-Mudejar style in the 13th. Century after the end of the Muslim rule in Cordoba in 1031. Later in the 16th. Century, it was changed to Baroque style.

St. Nicholas Church

Bronze Statue of an Unknown Lady

Then we came across an interesting bronze statue of an unknown lady reading a newspaper, as shown in the photo below.

Statue of an Unknown Lady

Roman Temple

Later, we came across the location of a Roman temple.

Roman temples were built  around 50 A.D. in Cordoba. One was discovered in 1950s in the old town and columns were erected to show its location, as shown in the photo below.

Location of a Roman temple

Tendillas Square

Soon we came to the largest square in Cordoba known as Tendillas Square.

It is a public place where social and political activities are carried out, frequently.

Located in the centre of the busy business area of the Cordoba City, it is surrounded by large buildings, including Union and Phoenix Building owned by an insurance company of the same name, Casa Colomera built for the counts of Colomera in 1928 and House of Enriquez Barrios built for the mayor of Cordoba, Enriquez Barrios(1913-1916), in 1928.

Tendillas Square

Casa Colomera and House of Enriquez Barrios

Equestrian Statue of the Great Captain

Erected in the centre of the square in 1927 is an equestrian statue of the Great Captain, General Gonzalo Fernandez(1453-1515).

Gonazal0 Fernandez was a Spanish general and statesman who led successful military campaigns during the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars. Owing to his military victories and widespread popularity, the Spanish people called him “El Gran Capitan” or the “The Great Captain”.

Equestrian of “The Great Captain”

While walking away from the Tendillas Square, we came across a few old churches, as described below.

Church of St. Paul, Cordoba

Church of St. Paul was built in Baroque style in the 14th. Century dedicating to St. Paul.

In 2006, it became a minor basilica.

Front Gate to Church of St. Paul

Facade of the Church of St. Paul in Baroque Style

Interior of the Church of St. Paul

Chapel of Christ and Virgin Mary in the Church

Basilica of the Oath of St. Rafael

This minor basilica in Cordoba was built in the 18th. Century. It was built because St. Rafael(an archangel) promised Father Roeles that he would protect the city in 1578.

Facade of Basilica of the Oath of St. Rafael

Side view of Basilica of the Oath of St. Rafael

Church of St. Lawrence(San Lorenzo)

Church of St. Lawrence was built in the Romanesque-Gothic style between 1244 and 1300. It has a bell tower and a large rose window.

Church of St. Lawrence

Church of Our Lady Grace

Church of Our Lady Grace was the last church we saw in Cordoba. It is a Roman Catholic church built in Baroque style in the 17th. Century. It was founded by San Juan Beautista de la Concepcion(1561-1613) who was a religious and ascetic writer.

Church of Our Lady Grace

Restaurante China Town, Cordoba

Having seen the landmarks in Cordoba Old Town, we went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant, Restaurante China Town, in the town.

Hotel Macia Condor, Granada

After lunch we left for Granada which is 208 km away and the travelling time would take 2 hours and 30 minutes.

On arrival at Granada, we checked in at a hotel, Hotel Macia Condor.

Dinner at a Granada restaurant, El Tempo del Flamenco

In the evening we left the hotel and walked over 500 metres to a restaurant known as El Tempo del Flamenco for dinner and Flamenco show.

The interior of the restaurant was small and looked like a cave that was white-washed. There was a semi-circular stage in front for the Flamenco show.

Flamenco Show Stage

Sumptuous Dinner

Tour group were enjoying the sumptuous dinner at the restaurant before the show started.

Dinner at El Tempo del Flamenco Restaurant

Dinner before Flamenco Show started

Food for dinner provided by the restaurant

Hard-rock Bread

Salad and Slices of Sausage

Chicken Meat

Fried Eggs with Slices of Bacon

Fried Mixture of Potato and Eggplant

Flamenco Show at the Restaurant

After the sumptuous dinner, the Flamenco show started with a handsome man singing a traditional Flamenco song to the accompaniment of the sounds from guitar, cajon drum box and clapping.

Solo Flamenco singer

Flamenco Dancing

Then ladies in Flamenco dresses took turn to dance. They danced with expressive movements of their arms, bodies and legs. Their legs stomped on the stage, rhythmically.

A Solo Flamenco Dancer

Another Solo Dancer

Two Flamenco Dancers dancing together

A Solo Flamenco Guitarist

After enjoying the Flamenco show, we walked back to the hotel, Hotel Macia Condor, and retired for a night.

Change of Coach Drivers

First Coach Driver, Sergio

When we arrived in Cordoba City, we had to bide farewell to our first coach driver, Sergio. He had driven us, safely, from Madrid to Cordoba to see heritage sites for four days.

Saying goodbye to Sergio, the first coach driver

Second Coach Driver, Juan

We welcomed our second coach driver, Juan, who would drive us from Cordoba to Barcelona which was our final destination for the last four days in Spain.

Welcoming Juan, the second coach driver

.Garden of Triumph and Monument to the Triumph of Virgin

On the following morning of Monday, 29 October 2018, I walked 200 metres from the hotel, Hotel Marcia Condor, to a garden.

It is a large garden known as Garden of Triumph(Granada).

Garden of Triumph and Monument to the Triumph of Virgin

Past History of Garden of Triumph

Originally, the garden was a large Arab cemetery in the 13th. Century. Later, it was reduced in size when part of it was urbanized in 16th. Century due to increase in population.

The garden was used as a place for execution of Spanish patriots during the French rule from 1808 until 1813, and it remained so until 1840.

In the 19th. Century the garden was beautified and a tall monument known as Monument to the Triumph of Virgin was erected in its centre.

Next Destination

Then we travelled to Alhambra Complex, a historical heritage site on the outskirts of Granada.

Previous(Seville)  / Home / Next(Granada)

Places visited during Spain & Portugal Tour(22 Oct-02 Nov 2018):

Toledo   Madrid   Salamanca   Porto   Lisbon   Seville   Cordobo  Granada   Valencia   Barcelona

Spain & Portugal Travel Part VIII: Granada

Spain & Portugal Travel VIII: Granada

Granada

Day 8     Monday, 29 October 2018

On this day, we were going to visit some historical sites in the outskirt of Granada City.

Map showing the location of Granada in Spain

Ramon, a Granada tour guide

In the morning, we left Hotel Macia Condor in Granada City and headed to a hilly region known as Alhambra on the outskirts of the city.

Ramon brought us to a historical site known as Alhambra Complex.

Ramon, a Granada tour guide

Alhambra Complex in Granada, Spain

Alhambra Complex consists of three main parts, i.e. Alcazaba Fortress, Generalife Garden and Generalife Summer Palace.

Diagram showing the Alhambra Complex in Granada

Alhambra Complex Visit

Our tour-manager, Jeff Lee, bought tickets for us to enter Alhambra Complex. Then we f0llowed the guide and walked for several minutes to a fortress, Alcazaba Fortress,  built during the Muslim rule(1230-1492).

Entrance to Alhambra Complex

Part of Alcazaba Fortress wall

On the way to Alcazaba Fortress, we saw part of the fortress wall on a high ground.

Part of Alcazaba Fortress wall, Alhambra Complex

Tower of Justice, the main entrance to Alcazaba Fortress

To reach Alcazaba Fortress, we entered the main entrance to the fortress known as Tower of Justice.

Tower of Justice, the main entrance to Alcazaba Fortress

Charles V Palace

While walking to the fortress, we stopped at a palace, Charles V Palace.

Tour group walking to Charles V Palace, Alhambra Complex

Charles V Palace was built for a Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V(1500-1558), in the 15th. Century. But he had no chance to stay at the palace as it was completed in the 20th. Century.

The palace now houses two museums, viz., Museum of Alhambra and Museum of Fine Arts of the Nasrid Dynasty(1230-1492)

Palace of Charles V

There is a circular courtyard in the centre of Palace of Charles V.

A circular courtyard in the centre of Palace of Charles V

Alcazaba Fortress

Then we walked on and, finally, we arrived at Alcazaba Fortress.

The fortress located on a small plateau overlooking Albaicin City is large and its facade has two tall, majestic-looking towers.

It was built in the 13th. Century by the Muslim rulers who made it as a military stronghold and their residence, too.

Facade of Alcazaba Fortress

Wide Ramparts and Tall Watch-Towers

The ramparts of the fortress are wide and a few watch-towers are very high.

There were some soldiers in one of them watching the visitors below, while we were there.

Wide rampart and Tall Towers of Alcazaba Fortress

Tallest watch-tower of Alcazaba Fortress

Writer and wife at Alcazaba Fortress

While my wife and I, together with our tourmates were at the fortress, we were awe-stricken by its immense size.

Besides, the sights of the Albaicin City, agricultural land and the Sierra Nevada mountain range seen in the distance from Alcazaba Fortress were breathtaking.

Writer and wife at Alcazaba Fortress

Breathtaking Sights from Alcazaba Fortress

Albaicin District

Albaicin’s agricultural land

Sierra Nevada Mountain Range

St. Mary Church, Alhambra

Later, we left Alcazaba Fortress, passed  Charles V Palace again and came across a small Roman Catholic church, St. Mary Church. It was built on a demolished mosque site in the 15th. Century

St. Mary Church

Ruins of Living Quarters for Soldiers

Further down the road from St. Mary Church, we saw a place where remains of the living quarters for soldiers during the Muslim rule were preserved.

Remains of living quarters for soldiers

Generalife Garden

Soon, we came to another part of the Alhambra Complex, i.e. Generalife Garden.

It was created in the 13th. Century during the Moorish or Muslim rule.

The garden is shady and cooling, and its trees are neatly trimmed.

It is a garden that is well-taken care of.

Entrance to Generalife Garden

Manicured Generalife Garden

Sight of plants in Generalife Garden

Part of Alhambra Complex

As we were walking away from the garden to the Summer Palace of Generalife, we saw the part of Alhambra Complex where we had visited Alcazaba Fortress, Charles V Palace and St. Mary Church.

Part of Alhambra Complex

Summer Palace of Generalife

Soon we arrived at the Summer Palace which was for the Muslim rulers during the Nasrid Dynasty (1230-1492).

To enter the palace, we walked up a narrow stairway and saw a garden in front of the building.

Entrance of Summer Palace of Generalife

Long Garden and Islamic Calligraphy

The garden is long with walls round it. In the middle, there is a long rectangular pond with small fountains. On the inner walls of the porch of the palace, Islamic calligraphy has been written.

Summer Palace of Generalife

Islamic Calligraphy

Shady Path in Generalife

Later, we left the Summer Palace of Generalife, walked along a shady path and exited the Alhambra Complex at a gate where a road went down to Albaicin City.

Shady Path in Generalife

Exit Gate of Alhambra Complex

Albaicin Town

As we were walking down the curved, narrow and steep road from the gate to Albaicin Town, we noted that three storeyed old buildings were on both sides of the road.

Albaicin Town was inhabited by the Moors during the Nasrid Dynasty(1230-1492). It still has some of the Moorish features, e.g. narrow, winding roads, Moorish buildings and traditional trades.

Narrow, Winding Road

Busy Albaicin Town

Albaicin was declared as a UNESCO World heritage site in 1984.

Some of the streets in the town are wide and busy.

A Typical Street in Albaicin Town

A Busy Street

Estrella Oriental Restaurant, Granada

In the afternoon, we left Albaicin Town and went to Granada Old Town to have lunch at a Chinese restaurant known as Estrella Oriental Restaurant.

Restaurante Chino, Granada

Some food served at Estrella Oriental Restaurant, Granada

Fried Chicken

Fish Fillets

Slices of Cucumber

Fried Egg

Hotel Port Elche, Alicante

After the delicious lunch, we left Granada and travelled 350 km east for 4 hours to Alicante. When we arrived at Alicante , we at Hotel Port Elche for a night.

.Hotel Port Elche, Alicante

Next Destination

Our next destination on the following day, Tuesday, 30 October 2018, would be Valencia. It is 165 km in the north-east and the travelling time would be 2 hours.

Previous(Cordoba) / Home / Next(Valencia)

Places visited during Spain & Portugal Tour(22 Oct-02 Nov 2018):

Toledo   Madrid   Salamanca   Porto   Lisbon   Seville   Cordobo  Granada   Valencia   Barcelona

Spain & Portugal Travel Part X: Barcelona

Spain & Portugal Part X: Barcelona

Barcelona

Day 10    Wednesday, 31 October 2018

On this day, we were going to visit some heritage sites in Barcelona which has a population of about 1.6 millions, the second most populous city in Spain.

(Barcelona was the last destination of our Spain and Portugal tour.)

Map showing the location of Barclona

In the morning, we left Sercotel Ciutat de Montcada Hotel and went to visit a famous park known as Park Guell. It is on a forested hill, Carmel Hill, which is on the outskirts of Barcelona City.

Eusebi Guell(1846-1918)

The Park Guell land, originally, belonged to a rich Spanish entrepreneur, Eusebi Guell(1846-1918).

He commissioned Antoni Gaudi(1852-1926), a famous Spanish architect, to develop an estate on the land for the rich people of Barcelona, but the project failed.

Anyway, Gaudi had created a sensational garden on the land known as Park Guell, using Catalan Modernistic design and calling it Park Guell.

In 1923, Guell’s family gave the land away to the city.

Antoni Gaudi(1852-1926)

Park Guell

Park Guell is a large, beautiful garden created by Antoni Gaudi(1852-1926) from 1900 until 1914. The picture below shows the Park Guell.

Picture of Park Guell

Marianna, the Barcelona Tour Guide

When we arrived at Park Guell, a local tour guide, Marianna, greeted us and brought us round at Park Guell.

Barcelona Tour Guide

Forested Carmel Hill

It was raining lightly when we were at Park Guell.

Walking up Carmel Hill to Park Guell

Nature Square, the roof of Hypostyle

At the park, we walked up to the roof of Hypostyle Hall which is a flat open space known as Nature Square. It is a place where social and political activities are sometimes held.

Nature Square

Views of Guell Park from Nature Square

From Nature Square, visitors can see two different, unique buildings below, viz. Casa de Guarda that houses Park Guell Museum and Porter’s Lodge that receives visitors. The latter has a tall, cylindrical tower with a large cross atop.

Casa de Guarda and Porter’s Lodge

View of Barcelona City

Visitors can also see a panoramic view of Barcelona City and Mediterranean Sea beyond in the distance from Nature Square at Park Guell, as shown in the photo below.

Barcelona City and Mediterranean Sea

Antoni Gaudi’s Residence

Antoni Gaudi lived in a red house at Park Guell for 20 years from 1906 until 1825, as shown in the photo below.

Now it is a museum exhibiting his and his co-workers’ belongings, like furniture, paintings, sculptures, drawings and other objects.

Antoni Gaudi’s Residence

Hypostyle Hall

There are steps going up to the Hypostyle Hall. The roof of the hall is supported by 86 high, strong columns. On top of the roof is Nature Square, an open-air square.

Steps to Hypostyle Hall

86 Columns in Hypostyle Hall

Portico of Washerwoman

There is a covered walkway or portico near the Hypostyle Hall. As one of its pillars has a sculpture of a washerwoman, the walkway is therefore named as Portico of Washerwoman.

Portico of Washerwoman

Sculpture of a washerwoman on a pillar

Underside of Portico of Washerwoman

The underside of Portico of Washerwoman looks like the underside of a dinosaur.

Underside of a Dinosaur

Spiral Columns

Another part of the portico has spiral columns.

Spiral Columns of Portico

Sagrada Familia

After visiting Park Guell, we went to the centre of Barcelona City to see an awesome basilica that is known as Sagrada Familia.

Sagrada Familia in centre of Barcelona City

Plan of Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudi, too. Construction of the basilica started in 1882 and it is expected to be completed in 2026, taking 144 years to complete.

Sagrada Familia

Nativity Facade

The front of Sagrada Familia is known as Nativity Facade that is decorated with ornate sculptures depicting the scenes of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Nativity Facade

Lower Part of Nativity Facade

Lower part of Nativity Facade is decorated with statuettes of religious figures involved in the activities related to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Lower Part of Nativity Facade

Interior of Sagrada Familia

Interior of Sagrada Familia is large and high. Below are photos showing some parts of the interior.

Nave and Altar

Nave

West Transept

East Transept

Narthex

Stained Glass Windows

There are several stained glass windows in the cathedral, making the interior of the cathedral colourful and sombre. Each glass depicts a religious scene.

Stained Glass Window

Stained Glass Window

Stained Glass Window

Passion Facade

The back of Sagrada Familia is known as Passion Facade. It is decorated with statuettes of religious figures involved in the final short period of Jesus Christ’s life, i.e. from the time of the Last Supper until the time of the Ascension of Jesus Christ.

Passion Facade

Lower Part of Passion Facade

Peter’s Three Denials

Scenes of Crucifixion and Ascension of Jesus Christ

Glory Facade

The Glory Facade of Sagrada Familia Cathedral is still under construction and will be ready in 2026. The photo below shows the Glory Facade on the left handside of the Cathedral which is under construction.

Glory Facade Under Construction

Sunshine in Barcelona

It was good sunshine when we visited Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. Our young tourmates took the opportunity to enjoy the Spanish sunshine outside the cathedral.

Casa Mila designed by Antoni Gaudi(1852-1926)

Casa Mila is another building in Barcelona City that was designed by Antoni Gaudi(1852-1826). Built in Valencian Modernistic style between 1906 and 1912, it is now a cultural centre opened to tourists and used for conferences and other purposes.

Casa Mila(La Pedrera)

Then we left the spectacular Sagrada Familia and went to Barcelona Cathedral which is 2 km south of Sagrada Familia.

On the way, we passed by the Barcelona bullring.

Barcelona Bullring

Barcelona bullring, La Monumental, was opened in 1914 for bullfighting until 2012 when the law of banning the activity was introduced.

Since 2014 the bullring has been used for sports, concerts and circuses.

Barcelona Bullring

Barcelona Cathedral

When we reached Barcelona Cathedral, we had a look at its exterior only.

Barcelona Cathedral was built in Gothic style from 13th. until 15th. Century. Also known as Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, it was built in dedication to a young virgin, Eulalia, who suffered martyrdom during Roman times in Barcelona and her body is entombed in the crypt of the cathedral.

Barcelona Cathedral

El Reloj Restaurant

After seeing Barcelona Cathedral, we went to a Spanish restaurant nearby known as El Reloj Restaurant and had seafood for lunch.

El Reloj Restaurant

Some food served by El Reloj Restaurant

Fried rice with Seafood

Fish with Green Peas

Cake for Dessert

Then we moved on to the Barcelona Olympic Stadium(Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys) which is 6 km south-west of Sagrada Familia.

Barcelona Olympic Stadium

The entrance to the Barcelona Olympic Stadium looks like the triumphal arch, Arch de Triomphe, in Paris, France.

Triumphal Arch

Barcelona Olympic Stadium

Barcelona Olympic Stadium was built in 1927 with a seating capacity of 56000 for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona City. In 1992 it held the 25th. Summer Olympic Games.

Barcelona Olympic Stadium

Writer and wife at Barcelona Olympic Stadium

Having visited the Olympic Stadium, we moved on to another stadium which was for football. Located 8 km south-west of Sagrada Familia, it is known as Barcelona Football Stadium or Camp Nou

Barcelona Football Stadium or Camp Nou

It was opened in 1957 with a seating capacity of 100,000. It is the largest in Europe and 3rd. in the world. It has hosted many grand football competitions, including the final competition of the Summer Olympic Games in 1992, UEFA European competitions and FIFA World Cup.

When the stadium is empty, four large Spanish words in yellow on the seats can be seen, “MES QUE UN CLUB”, meaning “MORE THAN A CLUB”.

Barcelona Football Stadium

Exterior of Barcelona Football Stadium

Barcelona Football Club Players

Camp Nou is owned by a professional Spanish football club known as FC Barcelona which was founded in 1899. It is the most successful club in Spanish football. There are many great players in this club, including Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique who are playing, currently.

Below are photos of three of the FC Barcelona players.

Lionel Messi

Luis Suarez

Gerard Pique

Dinner and Hotel in Barcelona

In the evening, we left Camp Nou and went to the Chinese restaurant, Rio Azul Restaurant, again to have the last dinner in Spain.

Rio Azul Restaurant, Barcelona

After dinner we went back to stay at the hotel, Sercotel Ciutat de Montcada, for another night which is 7 km north of Sagrada Familia.

Sercotel Ciutat de Montcada Hotel

Next Destination

On the following day, we would leave Barcelona for home in Malaysia.

Day 11    Thursday, 1 November 2018

In the morning we left the hotel and travelled 20 km south to the Barcelona international airport known as El Prat Airport and checked in early. We would fly back home in Malaysia by the Royal Jordanian airplanes.

Barcelona International Airport(El Prat Airport)

Tour group checking in at El Prat Airport

Departure for Home

Finally, at 3.35 p.m.(Spain time) we flew off from Barcelona by a Royal Jordanian airline to Amman in Jordan first. It took 4 hours and 25 minutes to fly from Barcelona to Amman which is 3186 km away.

Flight from Barcelona to Amman

Day 12    Friday, 2 November 2018

At Amman Airport we boarded another Royal Jordanian airplane that took us to Bangkok in Thailand which is 6836 km away. The plane took 8 hours and 10 minutes to travel that distance.

Flight from Amman to Bangkok

When the plane arrived at the Bangkok International Airport, some passengers disembarked. An hour later, we continued our journey on the same Royal Jordanian plane from Bangkok to KLIA(airport) in my country, Malaysia. The plane took 2 hours and 10 minutes to travel a distance of 1220 km to KLIA.

Flight from Bangkok to KLIA

Safe Arrival

After travelling for almost a day from Spain to Malaysia, we reached our home, safely.

Conclusion

That was our unforgettable, enjoyable tour in Spain and Portugal.

Acknowledgement

My wife and I would like to thank Chiu Travel Agency, Golden Destinations Travel Agency, Tour Manger{Jeff Lee), Spanish tour guides, Spanish coach drivers and last but not least our tourmates for making our tour a successful, enjoyable and memorable one.

Thanks to Jeff Lee

Previous(Valencia) / Home

Places visited during Spain & Portugal Tour(22 Oct-02 Nov 2018):

Toledo   Madrid   Salamanca   Porto   Lisbon   Seville   Cordobo  Granada   Valencia   Barcelona

Writer’s List of Foreign Countries Visited

Writer’s list of foreign countries that he has visited

The map below shows the foreign countries I, Choo Chaw(a Malaysian), have visited from 2003 until 2017.

Click on a country below to read about my travel there:

1.  AFRICA

a. Egypt Travel

      Egypt Travel Part I :Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum

      Egypt Travel Part II :Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon

     Egypt Travel Part III :Hot Air Balloons and Karnak Temple Complex

     Egypt Travel Part IV :Papyrus Paper-Making, Luxor Temple and Esna Lock

     Egypt Travel Part V :Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple and Galabia Party

     Egypt Travel Part VI :Abu Simbel Temples and Nubian Village(Elephantine Island)

      Egypt Travel Part VII :Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple

      Egypt Travel Part VIII:Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, Moon Beach(Ras Sudr), and St. Catherine

      Egypt Travel Part IX :Mount Sinai, Catherine’s Monastery and Sharm el Sheikh

     Egypt Travel Part X  :Sharm el Sheikh

     Egypt Travel Part XI :Cairo Food, Saqqara Step Pyramid Complex and Memphis

     Egypt Travel Part XII :Great Giza Pyramid Complex and Khan el Khalil Bazaar

b. South Africa Travel

      South Africa Travel Part I:       Air Flight from KLIA to Cape Town, Cape Town Shantytowns

      South Africa Travel Part II:      Table Mountain, Malay Quarter, Castle of Good Hope. A & V Waterfront

      South Africa Travel Part III:     Hermanus, Cheetah Outreach, Stellenbosch, Jewel Africa

      South Africa Travel Part IV:     Duiker Island of Seals, Cape Point, Boulders

      South Africa Travel Part V:       Cape Town to Johannesburg, Pilanesberg National Park(Game Drives)

      South Africa Travel Part VI:      Sun City, Union Buildings, Vootrekker Monument

      South Africa Travel Part VII:    Kruger Museum, Church Square, Melrose Museum, Carnivore Restaurant

       South Africa Travel  Final Part:  Gold Reef City: Gold Mine Museum 

2. AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

a.  Australia Travel 

         Part I: Melbourne/Mornington Peninsula/Phillip Island),

         Part II: Sydney 

b.  New Zealand Travel

          New Zealand Travel 

3. ASIA

a.  China Travels

      i. Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde Travel

           Part I: Beijing, Badaling

           Part II: Beijing, Tianjin, Chengde

      ii. China Relatives & Ancestral Places(Fujian Province)

            Part I: Parents’ China Relatives

            Part II: Hanjiang, Meizhou Island

            Part III: Putian

      iii. Hong Kong Travel

             Part I:  Hong Kong City Tour

             Part II:  Hong Kong City Tour

      iv. Macau Travel

             Macau City Tour

       v. Shanghai Travel

            Part I:  Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nanjing

            Part II: Nanjing Bridge, Shanghai City, Shanghai Expo, Hangzhou

      vi.  Shenzhou, Hezhou, Quilin, Zhaoqing Travel

             Part I: Shenzhen, Hezhou

             Part II: Quilin, Yangshuo, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen

      vii. Taiwan Travel

              Part I: Taipei

              Part II:  Checheng, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Sanyi, Yehliu, Jioufen

     viii.  Yunnan Travel

              Part I: Kunming, Jiu Xiang, Shilin, Dali

              Part II: Dali, Lijiang

       ix. Zhangjiajie Travel

              Part I: Tianmen, Zhangjia jie, Wulingyuan, Tianzi, Yuangjiajie

              Part II: Dragon King Cave, Shaoshan, Changsha, Macau

        x.  China Expedition 2013

              Part I: Thailand

              Part II: Yunnan

              Part III: Tibet

              Part IV: Qinhai

              Part V: Xinjiang

              Part VI: Gansu

              Part VII: Ningxia

              Part VIII: Inner Mongolia

              Part IX: Beijing 

b.  Indonesia Travels

           i.  Bali Travel       

           ii.  Batam Island Travel  

c.  Japan Travel 

            Part I: Osaka, Kyoto, Hamamatsu

            Part II: Owakudani Valley, Mt. Fuji, Tokyo

d.  Myanmar Travel

            Part I: Yangon, Bagan, Mount Popa

            Part II: Yangon, Kyauktan 

e.  Singapore Heritage Trails

            Part I: Chinatown, Little India

            Part II: Malay Heritage, Civic District

f.  South Korea Travel

             Part I:  Seoul, Jeju Island

             Part II:  Sokcho, Everland, Dongdaemum, DMZ, Seoul

g.  Thailand Travel: 

       i. Bangkok, Ayuthaya Travel

               Part I: Bangkok, Ayuthaya

               Part II: Bangkok

      ii. Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle Travel

                Part I: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, The Golden Triangle

                Part II: Maesa, Chiang Mai

      iii. Phuket Travel 

      iv. Part I: Thailand (from China Ezpedition 2013) 

h.   Vietnam

            Hanoi Travel

                   Part I: Hanoi, Halong Bay

                   Part II: Hoa Lo, Tam Coc, Hanoi

4.  Europe:

              a.  Western Europe Travel

                     Part I: Germany, Switzerland, France

                     Part II: France, Belgium, Holland, England

              b.  Eastern Europe Travel

                   Part I: Budapest(Hungary)

                   Part II:  Bratislava(Slovakia)

                   Part III: Vienna(Austria)

                   Part IV: Vienna II(Austria)

                   Part V: Brno(Czech Republic)

                   Part VI: Prague(Czech Republic)

             c. Italy Travel

                  Italy Travel Part I: Rome and Vatican City

                 Italy Travel Part II : Rome(continued)

                 Italy Travel Part III: Pisa and Florence

                 Italy Travel Part IV: Venice

                 Italy Travel Part V(Final): Verona and Milan

d. Spain & Portugal

Spain Travel Part I: Toledo

 Spain Travel Part II: Madrid

Spain Travel Part III: Salamanca

Portugal Travel Part IV: Porto

Portugal Travel Part V: Lisbon

  Spain Travel Part VI: Seville

Spain Travel Part VII: Cordoba

Spain Travel Part VIII: Granada

Spain Travel Part IX: Valencia

Spain Travel Part X(Final): Barcelona

 

5.  U.S.A. & Canada

           a.   East Coast: USA & Canada

                  Part I: Philadeiphia, Washington D.C.

                  Part II: Niagara Falls, Toronto

                  Part III: Colborne, 1000 Islands, Ottawa

                  Part IV: Montreal, Quebec

                  Part V: Boston

                  Part VI: New York

                  Part VII: Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

            b.   West Coast: USA

                    Part I: San Francisco

                    Part II: San Francisco, Monterey Bay, Las Vegas

                    Part III: Grand Canyon

                    Part IV: Las Vegas

                    Part V: Premium Outlets(S. California)

                    Part VI: Disneyland(Anaheim)

                    Part VII: Hollywood Walk of Fame(Los Angeles)

                    Part VIII: Universal Studios Hollywood

                    Part IX: Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park

THE END  (Home)

Egypt Travel Part I: Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum

Egypt Travel Part I: Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum

Egypt

Egypt is the second country after South Africa in the continent of Africa that I visited on 13 Dec 2017. It is a country that has an interesting history dating back over 4000 years ago and it was recorded in hieroglyphic writing on tombs and walls of ruined temples.

Day 1  Wednesday 13 Dec 2017

Flying to Cairo from Singapore via Dubai

On 13 Dec 2017, my wife, brother, sister-in-law and I joined a group of 30 Singaporeans and flew on an Emirates airplane from Changi International Airport, Singapore, to Dubai and then another Emirates plane from Dubai to Cairo. The total distance was 9263 km and the flight-time taken was about 11 hours.

Arrival at Cairo International Airport, Egypt

On arrival at Cairo Airport, the tour group led by a tour manager, Yong Zheng, from Chan Brothers Travel Agency(Singapore) was welcomed by a young handsome Egyptian tour-guide, Khaled. We all boarded a coach and went straight to a famous fortress on a hill overlooking the City of Cairo. It is known as Salah el Din Citadel.

Salah el Din Citadel

Located on a low Mokattam Hill, Salah el Din Citadel was built in the period between 1176 and 1183 by Salah el Din to prevent the European crusade armies invading Cairo.

Pathway to the Fortress

To go to the fortress on the Mokattam Hill, we walked up a pathway. On the hill there are two large old mosques within the fortress, namely Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque and Muhammad Ali Mosque or Alabaster Mosque.

Al-Nasir Muhammad Mosque

Sultan Al-Nasir, a Mamluk sultan, built a royal mosque within the fortress in 1318 and it was named after him. The sultans of Cairo performed their Friday prayers at the mosque.

Muhammad Ali Mosque or Alabaster Mosque

Within the fortress there is a larger mosque known as Muhammad Ali Mosque or Alabaster Mosque. It was built in Ottoman architectural style between 1830 and 1848 by Muhammad Ali when he came to power. He built it in memory of his deceased son.

Domes

The mosque looks impressive as it has two tall minarets, a dome in the centre surrounded by four semi-circular ones and four smaller ones in the corners. Colourful motifs can be seen in the interior of these domes.

10 000 Worshippers

Besides, the interior of the mosque is beautifully and richly decorated. Its walls and pillars are covered with alabaster, hence it is also known as Alabaster Mosque.

The mosque can accommodate about 10 000 worshippers. It has become an attraction for visitors and school-children too.

Panoramic View of Cairo City

At the back of this mosque, a visitor can see a panoramic view of the city of Cairo. On the day of our visit, we saw the city shrouded in haze due to air-pollution caused by vehicles, open-air burning and fine particles blown from Sahara Desert in the west.

Soiree Restaurant

Soon we left the fortress and went to a restaurant, Soiree, in the city for a buffet lunch. Inside the restaurant two pieces of colourful mosaic art on a wall attracted my attention. One showed a few Egyptian merchants in their traditional costumes talking among themselves and another a milkman.

Tahrir Square

After lunch we went to the Egyptian Museum. On the way we saw a public square known as Tahrir Square and was told by Khaled, the local tour-guide, that it was very important to the Egyptian people as it was a place where political demonstrations were often held.

2011 Egypt Revolution

During the 2011 Egypt Revolution, over 200 000 protesters demonstrated in Tahrir Square for 18 days resulting in the resignation of the President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarack. Mubarack who was the 4th. President of Egypt(1981-2011) was alleged to have abused his power and committed corruption. He was arrested and put on trail a few times but he was acquitted in March 2017.

Egyptian Museum

Finally, we arrived at the Egyptian Museum which was heavily guarded by soldiers. We had to go through strict security check before entering the museum. Inside the building we learned about the ancient Egyptian history dating back over 4000 years ago.

About 120 000 Exhibits

Egyptian Museum has a large collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. About 120 000 of them are displayed on the ground floor and first floor.

Ground Floor

The ground floor has exhibits from the Archaic Period(3000 B.C.- 2700 B.C.) until the Roman and Byzantine Period(32 B.C. – 640 A.D.). The exhibits include coins, jewellery, statues, tables and coffins for mummies(scorphaguses).

First Floor

Displayed on the first floor are the artifacts from the last two dynasties of Egypt, such as those from some tombs of pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.  There are two rooms that have a few mummies of kings and other royal family members of the New Kingdom(1550 B.C. – 1077 B.C.).

Below are photos showing some of the ancient Egyptian exhibits in the museum:

 

King Tutankhamun

King or Pharoah Tutankhamu is the best known ancient Egyptian king in the world. It is because when his tomb was discovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, it was still intact and most of his items, over 5000 of them, were still in the tomb.

Special Room for King Tutankhamun’s Possessions

Some of the king’s objects are exhibited in a special room in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Unfortunately, taking photographs of his items in the room is not allowed.

Replica of Tutankhamun’s golden mask in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo

King Tutankhamun was born in 1341 B.C., became king at 9 years old in 1332, married his half-sister at 11 and passed away at 18 in 1323 B.C.. He ruled Egypt for about 10 years from 1332 B.C. until 1323 B.C..

Egyptian Deities

Ancient Egyptians worshipped many deities, as many as 114. Some of them are shown in the two pictures below.

They stopped worshipping them when Christianity and Islam spread to their homeland.

Ancient Egyptian Writing

The ancient Egyptians had a writing system that uses pictographic characters known as hieroglyphs. There are over 700 characters in the system. Some of them are shown in the picture below.

Jean Francois Champollion(1790 – 1832)

For many years no one knew how to read the hieroglyphic writing until 1822 when a Frenchman, Jean Francois Champollion(1790 – 1832 A.D.), was able to decipher it.

Rosetta Stone

There was a stone that was found near Rosetta Village(Rashid) by a French soldier in 1799. Known as Rosetta Stone, it has three kinds of writings , namely hieroglyphic at its top, demotic in the middle and Greek at the bottom. As Champollion knew the last two he deciphered the hieroglyphic writing in 1822, successfully. He found out that the hieroglyphs were phonetic representing the speech sound.

Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel, Cairo

After a long day of visiting two important places in Cairo, viz. Salah el Din Citadel and Egyptian Museum, we checked in at a hotel, Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel, in the city and stayed for a night. We would be flying to Luxor for more visits on the following morning.

 

Home / Next

Egypt Travel Parts I to XII:

Egypt Travel Part I :Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum

Egypt Travel Part II :Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon

Egypt Travel Part III :Hot Air Balloons and Karnak Temple Complex

Egypt Travel Part IV :Papyrus Paper-Making, Luxor Temple and Esna Lock

Egypt Travel Part V :Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple and Galabia Party

Egypt Travel Part VI :Abu Simbel Temples and Nubian Village(Elephantine Island)

Egypt Travel Part VII :Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple

Egypt Travel Part VIII:Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, Moon Beach(Ras Sudr), and St. Catherine

Egypt Travel Part IX :Mount Sinai, Catherine’s Monastery and Sharm el Sheikh

Egypt Travel Part X  :Sharm el Sheikh

Egypt Travel Part XI :Cairo Food, Saqqara Step Pyramid Complex and Memphis

Egypt Travel Part XII :Great Giza Pyramid Complex and Khan el Khalil Bazaar

Egypt Travel Part II: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon

Egypt Travel II: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon

Day 2  Thursday, 14 Dec 2017

Flying from Cairo to Luxor by Egypt Air

Early in the morning we left Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel in Cairo and went to the airport nearby. At the airport we took an Egypt Air plane and flew to Luxor which is about 500 km in the south.

Map showing the location of Luxor, Egypt

Tour group boarding an Egypt Air plane at Cairo Airport

Luxor Airport

After flying for about an hour and 10 minutes , we arrived at the Luxor International Airport.

We were going to spend two days in Luxor making a few visits and doing some activities.

The first place we visited in Luxor was the Valley of the Kings.

Valley of the Kings

Located on the west bank of River Nile near Luxor city, Valley of the Kings is a necropolis or cemetery for the kings, powerful noblemen and their family members of the New Kingdom(18 – 20th. Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). From 1539 until 1075 B.C., a period of about 500 years, those deceased were buried there. So far about 63 tombs have been discovered but most of the treasures belonging to them were looted.

The first king to be buried there was Thutmose I(1504 – 1492 B.C.) and the last one was Ramesses XI who died in 1077 B.C.

Photos of the Valley of the Kings

Entry Ticket to the Valley of the Kings

Visitors have to buy a ticket to visit the Valley of the Kings and it looks like the one below.

Shuttles

Shuttles will bring visitors to the valley which is several hundred metres away from the entrance.

Writer and Family

Writer, wife, brother and sister-in-law went to the valley together to see the tombs of well-known ancient Egyptian kings and nobles.

A Happy Family 

A happy family together with the rest of the tour group went to the Valley of the Kings.

Paths to the Tombs

There are paths leading to all the known tombs in the valley.

Tutankhamun Tomb

The most famous tomb was that of King Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun became king at the age of 9 in 1332 B.C. and ruled Egypt for 10 years before he died at the age of 18 in 1323 B.C. Nobody knows the exact  cause of his death. Many scientists thought he died of a disease.

Howard Carter

Tutankhamun tomb was discovered by an English archaeologist, Howard Carter, in 1922 and found to be almost intact. Most of his possessions were still in the tomb, including his golden mask that is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

“Curse of the Pharaoh”

8 of the 58 people who were present when Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb(sarcophagus) was opened died a few years later. Rumours of a “curse of the pharaoh” were spread by newspapers to boost their sales. Many of them lived a long life including Howard Carter who died in 1939 at the age of 64, 13 years after he and others discovered the Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

Entrance to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings

Tutankhamun Burial Chamber

The diagram below shows the burial chamber of Tutankhamun deep in the ground in the Valley of the Kings.

Tomb of Ramesses II’s Sons

This tomb for Ramesses II’s sons is the largest in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. The pharaoh ruled Egypt from 173 B.C. until 1213 B.C. and had more than 160 children.

j. Tomb of Ramesses IX

Ramesses IX ruled Egypt from 1129 B.C. until he died in 1111 B.C.. His tomb is in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor.

 

k. Ramesses VII’s Tomb

Ramesses VII ruled Egypt from 1136 B.C. until he died in 1129 B.C.. He was succeeded by Ramesses III’s son, Ramesses VIII, who ruled Egypt for a year(1129 – 1130 B.C.).

l. Merenptah’s Tomb

Merenptah was the 13th. son of Ramesses II and ruled Egypt for 10 years from 1213 B.C. until he died in 1203 B.C..

 

Visit to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el Bahari

In the afternoon we left the hot and dry Valley of the Kings and went to the other side of the mountain where a mortuary known as Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut was located.

Entry Ticket to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el Bahari

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut was built at the bottom of the cliffs of Deir el Bahari close to the Valley of the Kings and on the west bank of River Nile in Luxor. It was built for Queen Hatshepsut, the Pharaoh of the 18th. Dyanasty who ruled Egypt from 1478 B.C. until 1458 B.C., and dedicated to the Sun God, Amun-Ra.

Queen Hatshepsut’s tomb is believed to be in the Valley of the Kings.

Photos at the Temple

Here are some photos taken at the temple site.

Panoramic View of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el Bahari, West Luxor

Tour Group at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

A Restored Sphinx at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Statues of Osiris at the entrance of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Ancient Egyptians believed that Osiris was the god of transition, resurrection and regeneration. Many large statues of that god can be seen in front of the temple.

Bark Hall Entrance of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Entrance to the Bark Hall of the Sanctuary of the Sun Deity, Amun-Ra, in the Mortuary Temple of  Hatshepsut

Bark Hall of the Sanctuary of the Sun God, Amun

The innermost Sanctuary of the Sun Deity, Amun

Panoramic view outside the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

View from the temple to River Nile in the background

Visit to Abd Shanab Alabaster Shop

After the visit to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, we went to a shop, Abd Shanab Alabaster, in Luxor town to learn about alabaster carving of ancient Egyptian objects.

Abd Shanab Alabaster

When we arrived at Abd Shanab Alabaster shop its workers showed us the method of sculpturing alabaster stones into ancient Egyptian objects and figures.

Then we entered the shop and were introduced to many ready-made products which were for sale. They were beautifully made with details. The photos below show some of them displayed in the shop.

Colossi of Memnon

Soon we left the shop and went to a bank of River Nile in town to board a cruise boat called Jamina. On the way we saw two giant statues, Colossi of Memnon. They were both statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, the 9th. Pharaoh of the XVIIIth. Dynasty(1550-1292 B.C.). They were found buried in the ground many years ago and restored with many missing parts.

Cruise Boats on River Nile

When we arrived at the bank of River Nile, we saw many cruise boats and we boarded one of them known as Jamina. We would cruise on that boat from Luxor to Aswan in the south for four days stopping at some cities to visit their historical sites.

(Continue in Part III)

Previous / Home / Next

Egypt Travel Parts I to XII

Egypt Travel Part I :Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum

Egypt Travel Part II :Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon

Egypt Travel Part III :Hot Air Balloons and Karnak Temple Complex

Egypt Travel Part IV :Papyrus Paper-Making, Luxor Temple and Esna Lock

Egypt Travel Part V :Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple and Galabia Party

Egypt Travel Part VI :Abu Simbel Temples and Nubian Village(Elephantine Island)

Egypt Travel Part VII :Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple

Egypt Travel Part VIII:Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, Moon Beach(Ras Sudr), and St. Catherine

Egypt Travel Part IX :Mount Sinai, Catherine’s Monastery and Sharm el Sheikh

Egypt Travel Part X  :Sharm el Sheikh

Egypt Travel Part XI :Cairo Food, Saqqara Step Pyramid Complex and Memphis

Egypt Travel Part XII :Great Giza Pyramid Complex and Khan el Khalil Bazaar

Egypt Travel Part III: Hot Air Balloon and Karnak Temple Complex

Egypt Travel Part III: Hot Air Balloon and Karnak Temple Complex

Day 3    Friday, 15 Dec 2017

Early in the morning, we left our cruise boat at Luxor City and went to a place near Del el Bahari where Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is located and oh the west bank of River Nile.

Tour group going off for hot air balloon ride at sunrise

Hot Air Balloons in the Sky

On arrival at the site, we saw several hot air balloons that were already flying in the sky.

Warming-Up

Before we got into a balloon basket, we warmed up first.

Gas-Burners

The balloon was filled with air and then heated by gas-burners to get the balloon upright.

Hot Air is Light

Gas-burners are used for heating the air in balloons to make them light.

Three Cylinders of Gas

Three cylinders gas are used for heating the balloon.

Large Basket

24 of us got into a large basket of the hot air balloon and soon we were going up in the sky, slowly.

Bakr, the Pilot of the Hot Air Balloon

The pilot of the balloon was Bakr from Hod Hod Soliman Company, Luxor. As we were flying over the fertile flood plain of River Nile and the historical Thebes Necropolis where graves of ancient Egyptian royal members and powerful nobles are sited, Bakr would point at the important sites below and beyond and tell the tour-members about them.

Bakr, the pilot of the hot air balloon

Hot air in the balloon makes the balloon rise

Panoramic View of the Thebes Necropolis, Luxor

The panoramic view of the Thebes Necropolis and fertile flood plain of River Nile was breathtaking.

Aerial View of Thebes Necropolis and Fertile Flood Plain of River Nile

Ruined Temples

There were a few temples which were already in ruin in the Thebes Necropolis. Among them was the ruined Temple of Ramesses III which we sighted.

Valley of the Queens

Looking further away we saw the Valley of the Queens where pharaohs’ wives were buried.

Fertile Flood Plain

The aerial view of the fertile flood plain adjacent to the Thebes Necropolis was spectacular. It was richly cultivated and inhabited by farmers.

Landing

After flying for more than an hour in the sky and enjoying the awesome sights of the place, we finally landed, safely, on an empty land which was a couple of km away from the site where we lifted off. Then we were each given a certificate from Hod Hod Soliman Company that stated that we had flown in a hot air balloon.

Exhilarating Feeling

While I was on the ground, my exhilarating feeling of flying in the hot air balloon lingered on for awhile.

Tour Members receiving certificates of successful hot air balloon ride

Visiting Karnak Temple Complex

After the unforgettable hot air balloon experience, we went to an ancient temple complex located about 2 km north of Luxor town.

Karnak Temple Complex

Karnak Temple Complex consists of some temples that were built several thousand years ago. The temples are already in ruin but restoration works have been on-going.

Temple of Ramun-Ra, the Sun-God

There is one, Temple of Ramun-Ra, that has been partially restored and opened to public. It was dedicated to the Sun God, Ramun-Ra.

Model of the Temple of Ramun-Ra in the Karnak Temple Complex

Old Photo of the Aerial View of Temple of Ramun-Ra

The Front of the Temple of Ramun-Ra

Entrance to the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Ramun-Ra

Statues of Ramun-Ra and his daughter, Meri-Amun, at the entrance of the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Ramun-Ra

134 Columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Ramun-Ra

Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut at the Temple of Ramun-Ra

Obelisks of King Tuthmosis I and Queen Hatshepsut at the Temple of Ramun-Ra

A Pylon of the Karnak Temple Complex is Under Restoration

A Ruined Temple at the Karnak Temple Complex

A Relief of the Temple of Amun-Ra

Egyptian Hieroglyphs in the Temple of Amun-Ra

Sondos Papyrus

After the visit to the Karnak Temple Complex, we went to a shop, Sondos Papyrus in Luxor City. It was selling arts on papyrus papers.

(Continue in Part IV)

Previous / Home / Next

Egypt Travel Parts I to XII

Egypt Travel Part I :Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum

Egypt Travel Part II :Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon

Egypt Travel Part III :Hot Air Balloons and Karnak Temple Complex

Egypt Travel Part IV :Papyrus Paper-Making, Luxor Temple and Esna Lock

Egypt Travel Part V :Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple and Galabia Party

Egypt Travel Part VI :Abu Simbel Temples and Nubian Village(Elephantine Island)

Egypt Travel Part VII :Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple

Egypt Travel Part VIII:Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, Moon Beach(Ras Sudr), and St. Catherine

Egypt Travel Part IX :Mount Sinai, Catherine’s Monastery and Sharm el Sheikh

Egypt Travel Part X  :Sharm el Sheikh

Egypt Travel Part XI :Cairo Food, Saqqara Step Pyramid Complex and Memphis

Egypt Travel Part XII :Great Giza Pyramid Complex and Khan el Khalil Bazaar

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