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Monuments and sites

Many wonders of ancient Egyptian civilization remain standing after more than three millennia. These monuments are some of the most popular and enduring landmarks for tourists from all over the world. Archeologists and adventurers have dedicated their lives to finding stories of these great temples, statues, tombs, and the pharaohs that built them. Below you’ll find a list of 11 of the greatest ancient monuments Egypt has to offer.

Djoser decided that his tomb would be at Saqqara, near the royal capital Memphis where he lived. The Step Pyramid was originally a mastaba tomb, an underground burial chamber with ground level rooms above to store gifts and offerings to the pharaoh.

MONUMENTS AND SITES

The Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon are two 20 meters tall representations of pharaoh Amenhotep III. The sitting statues were part of his mortuary temple that was destroyed over time. The Colossi now form part of the Theban Necropolis on the east bank of the Nile at Luxor.

The Colossi are composed of large, heavy pieces of stone that lie on the top of each other without using mortar to bind them. The Colossi stone were restored numerous times, including by Roman Emperor Septimius Severus. More recently, they have been endangered by pollution and wear, so are being supported to limit further deterioration and prevent them from tumbling down. Memnon comes from the Greeks, who honored their hero of the Trojan War by renaming the monument after him.


The Valley of The Kings

Many different tombs of the elite from this period have been discovered in the desert valley, ranging in size from single coffins to elaborate underground tombs housing entire families on their journey to the afterlife.

The most famous tomb from the Valley of the Kings is that of the boy King Tutankhamun, found intact by British archeologist Howard Carter in 1922. Later pharaohs such as Horemheb and Ramesses II (both buried close by) tried to have Tutankhamun removed from Egypt’s histories, which meant robbers and adventurers were unable to disturb his tomb for almost 3500 years.




Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu was built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the period covering Egypt from the death of Alexander the Great to that of Cleopatra and Rome. Edfu is dedicated to Horus, the god of kings and the sky, and his consort Hathor.

Edfu fell into disuse as a temple during the latter stages of the 4th century due to the rise of Christianity and the Church’s need to stamp down on paganism. The hypostyle hall was burnt badly by arson, and many reliefs defaced. Edfu was eventually built over by villagers and nearly buried.