Hi, I'm Rick Steves,
sailing beyond Europe this time. We're on the Nile, exploring the historic
and cultural wonders of Egypt. Thanks for joining us. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Egypt, while not in Europe, contributed to the foundation
of Western civilization. It's a crossroads where east
meets west, north meets south, and where ancient meets modern. As we'll see, it's a long story, and it continues to unfold. In Cairo, after admiring
one of the great sights of the ancient world,
we marvel at King Tut's gold... -Buy one, two free today.
Cheap, cheap. -...we haggle with a gauntlet
of eager merchants, venture into the back streets
local-style... and help chisel a tombstone. In Alexandria, we delve
into a vibrant market and smoke a shisha. In Luxor, we revel in the glory
of the pharaohs' temples and their hidden tombs. ♪♪ We hoist the sail for
an unforgettable felucca ride, then upgrade
to a river boat cruise and kick back while
enjoying timeless Nile views. Our finale -- the magnificent
ruins of Abu Simbel. In the southeast corner
of the Mediterranean, Egypt is one of Africa's
largest countries. The Nile River flows like
a green ribbon from south to north. After Cairo
and the pyramids at Giza, we tour Alexandria and Luxor. Then we cruise the Nile,
check out Aswan, and finish in Abu Simbel. ♪♪ Cairo, straddling the Nile, is the biggest city
in North Africa and the biggest
in the Middle East. It's the capital of Egypt and one of the leading cities
in Islam. With about 20 million people
in greater Cairo, it's bursting at the seams
and pulsing with energy. Cairo's downtown is modern
and can feel European. Streets, squares, and grand
buildings are reminders of the country's colonial past, from the 19th
and early 20th centuries. The riverfront throbs
with energy -- stately bridges
busy with traffic, fancy riverside restaurants, and towering
apartment complexes. The Nile is still the lifeblood
of the city, sprawling endlessly
on both sides. The heart of Cairo
is Tahrir Square. It's long been ground zero
for the people's spirit. If there's a demonstration
going on -- And there have been massive ones
in recent years -- it's likely here. In addition to its
political energy, the city's long been
a religious capital. ♪♪ Ever since the forces of Islam
swept across north Africa from Arabia in the 7th century spreading the teachings
of their prophet Mohammed, Cairo has been a leading city
in the Muslim world. ♪♪ And today, Cairo's known as
the city of a thousand minarets. Stepping into Al Hussein mosque,
like any neighborhood mosque, you'll find
a worshipful tranquility. It's believed that resting here
invigorates the soul. There's more intensity around
the adjacent shrine, believed to contain a sacred relic --
the head of Al Hussein ibn Ali, a grandson
of the Prophet Mohammed. In a mosque, men and women
worship separately. As praying can be physical,
with lots of bending over, it's considered more respectful
to allow woman their own space. I find that a respectful tourist is welcome to be
a part of the scene. ♪♪ Along with minarets,
you'll see church spires, especially in Cairo's
Coptic quarter. While Egypt is
predominantly Muslim, today about 10%
of the country is Christian. The Egyptian, or
"Coptic," Church actually predates Islam
by six centuries. Because they worship
in an orthodox style, stepping into a Coptic Mass
is like going back in time. The faithful believe
that when Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus escaped Herod
by fleeing to Egypt, this very spot
is where they took refuge. Later, in 43 A.D., it's believed
the Evangelist Mark came to Egypt and
established the Coptic Church. Mark was their first pope and the first in an
unbroken line of Coptic popes stretching back
nearly 2,000 years. The Coptic quarter
comes with high security. Throughout Egypt, travelers
will notice armed guards, security barriers, and
a high-profile police presence. These are reminders
of a pent-up tension in Egyptian society. They reveal the challenges
Egyptian democracy faces today. While many modern Muslims would prefer a separation
of mosque and state, others believe Egypt
should be ruled in accordance with a strict interpretation
of the Quran. Religious fundamentalism
is a challenge here as it is in America. Cairo is intense. I love traveling here, but I do it with safety
and sanity in mind. While prices on the street
may be cheap, if you want rich-world comfort,
you'll pay rich-world prices. I sleep in an
international-class hotel. It comes with
first-class security. I hope the future
will be more relaxed. But for now, I splurge
for the peace of mind. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ The people of today's Egypt
represent the latest chapter in a story
that goes back 5,000 years. Even if you don't understand its
long and complicated history, just observing how old
and new come together is rewarding to the traveler. Egypt's heritage goes back
twice as far as ancient Rome. And ancient Egypt --
that's what draws the tourists. ♪♪ The iconic sights of Egypt,
4,000 or 5,000 years old, are basically buildings
and art for dead people. Back then, they believed
you could take it with you, and your big challenge: to be sure your body
and your valuables survived the journey
into the afterlife. That's why, if you had
the power and money, you'd lock everything up
in a big tomb -- a pyramid. These are the most famous --
the Pyramids of Giza. ♪♪ But the oldest pyramid
is actually nearby at Saqqara, the tomb of the king
or pharaoh named Zoser. This structure, which marked
his tomb, is a "step pyramid." Dating from around 2600 B.C., it's a century older than its
more famous sisters at Giza. This first-ever towering
stone structure is more than
just a grave marker. With an innovative stacking
of layers, it provided a new way
to glorify a king -- creating a stairway to eternity. ♪♪ A visit to Cairo's
Egyptian Museum helps bring the country's
many ancient sights to life. Along with the Grand
Egyptian Museum at Giza, this museum shows off
the best collection of ancient Egyptian art
anywhere. The core of the collection, art
from the age of the pharaohs, dates from about 3000
to 1000 B.C. Nearly everything filling these
old halls is funerary art, art designed to help save
the souls of the pharaohs -- statues filled with symbolism,
written prayers, and offerings
to deal with the gods and help assure a happy
transition into the afterlife. ♪♪ This ancient art
is so well-preserved because most of it was
hidden away for 4,000 years, dark and dry, in tombs. This portrayal of geese
from 2500 B.C. is perhaps the oldest
surviving painting. ♪♪ This "seated scribe"
recalls the importance of the educated elite in the court
of an often-illiterate king. And this couple,
a husband and wife, was also found in a tomb. It's all art for the dead, locked up until rediscovered
in modern times. Many mummies patiently
await your visit. Ancient Egyptians
preserved bodies through a complex process
of mummification in hopes that the soul could re-inhabit
it in the next world. And the coffins were
elaborately painted with an inventory of things
that, hopefully, would accompany the body,
and with prayers, to be sure all went as planned. The art looks essentially the
same from century to century. A remarkable thing about
ancient Egyptian art and society as a whole was its stability. For 2,000 years --
from 3000 to 1000 B.C. -- relative to other times
and other cultures, very little changed. ♪♪ Religion permeated
Egyptian society. As long as things were going
reasonably well, the gods were happy,
and it was status quo. Every year the Nile would flood, bringing water and fertile silt
to the land. When the gods are happy,
the people have food, and you don't change things. And the pharaoh
was considered a god. If your leader is a god,
you question nothing. You obey the rules. Things stay the same. Akhenaten was the one exception in a 2,000-year line
of conformist pharaohs. Rather than the same,
predictable idealized features, Akhenaten had his own
voluptuous looks, from a strangely curvaceous body to big, sensuous lips. Ruling around 1400 B.C., he was considered
history's first monotheist. Akhenaten replaced all the gods
of the Egyptian pantheon with one all-powerful being, the sun god,
whom he called "Aten." In reliefs from the reign
of Akhenaten we see Aten, the sun,
shining down on everything. During the time of Akhenaten, people were portrayed looser,
more intimately. Casual family scenes -- must be from the time
of Akhenaten. ♪♪ As always, I appreciate
the services of a guide, so I'll understand the symbolism
and know what to look for. So, we're joined by my friend
and fellow guide, Marwa Abbas. She explained how lots of
ancient hieroglyphic writing on papyrus survives, and how it helps us
better understand the mysteries of the pharaohs. -Papyrus is made out of the stem
of the plant papyrus, which is hammered,
and then it is woven, and then we press it
in a pressing machine or stones to get those beautiful papers. These are the hieroglyphs, one of the most ancient
written languages because of which
we understood a lot about the civilization
of ancient Egypt. So, these are beautiful
paintings of the afterlife. Even in the afterlife, they were
trying to bribe the gods and deities in order to
help them in the afterlife path. Even here in front
of the judge Osiris is a big offering pile
of lotus, onions, oxen leg, as well as breads
and vegetables. -Anything to make the god happy.
-Anything to make him happy. -The son of Akhenaten
was Tutankhamen, perhaps the most famous pharaoh. A highlight
of the museum's collection is a section filled
with King Tut's treasures, from his splendid coffin to his jewelry. This is exquisite. -It is a beautiful piece
of the jewelry of Tutankhamen
around the year 1300 B.C. made out gold, turquoise,
lapis lazuli, and you can see the beautiful
symbolism over here where you can see the scarab, the sign of existence,
as well as the sun disc. The cobra is wearing the crowns
of upper and lower Egypt as well as the ankh,
symbol of life. The ancient Egyptians
used to mummify their bodies and also mummified their organs. King Tutankhamen
around the year 1300 B.C. had his organs inside
this beautiful alabaster box, and that was also inside
a wooden gilded beautiful box that had the surroundings of the
four goddesses for protection. So it was always
about protection. ♪♪ -The mask of Tut
looks like his face so his soul could recognize him
on his journey to the afterlife. Placed over the head
of his mummy, it was 24 pounds of gold, with a cobra and a vulture
to symbolize the united kingdom of both Upper and Lower Egypt,
which Tut proudly ruled. ♪♪ After the museum, Cairo's
characteristic old quarter is a colorful celebration
of today's Egypt. Khan Al-Khalili is the megamall
of medieval bazaars. 600 years ago,
it was a caravanserai -- a stop on a caravan trade route. Then, when the Ottoman Turks
took Egypt, it became a bustling
Turkish bazaar. Today it's a stop
for every tour group, and the merchants
are standing by... -How are you?
How can I take your money? -...eager to charm you
into a little shopping. -Welcome. Just have a look here. Everything is free.
Welcome to Egypt. -Today, 100% discount,
because today my birthday. -Buy one, two free today.
Cheap, cheap. -No money, no honey. No cry. -The hustlers can be intense
and annoying... or fun, depending
on your approach. -Hello, my friend!
Hello! Good morning. -Dive in, with a sense of humor. Bargaining is expected
in Egyptian markets. Treat it as a game. Never feel sorry for,
or obligated to, the merchant. If you see something you like, show some interest and see
how low you can get the price. -Here, your size. -Maybe 5 dollars. -Big size, you know.
-[ Laughs ] -Give me 5 dollars.
Okay, give me 5 dollars. Come on.
OK, you can buy it. -Cairo's a fascinating clash
between traditional and modern, religious and secular,
east and west. While its chaos can be
exasperating, it can also be
a rewarding challenge for the adventurous traveler. I find that simply venturing
a few blocks away from the tourist-friendly
bazaar... suddenly, the tourists are gone, and I'm swallowed up
in a completely local scene. Wandering through the colorful
market streets here in Cairo's Islamic quarter, you feel that
it goes on forever. Three-wheeled"tuk-tuks
"weave through the action. [ Horn beeps ] I love to hop in one
for a quick joyride. There's something
strangely graceful about this chaotic dance
of careening vehicles, merchants, and pedestrians. ♪♪ Exploring the Islamic Quarter
creates a montage of memories. It's a commotion of activity. Everywhere you look, something
you've never seen before is happening. Somehow, bikers balance
rustic racks of bread. Craftsmen inscribe
marble tombstones with verses
from the Holy Quran -- "The peaceful soul,
after a blessed life, will finally rest in heaven". With a little effort, you'll find it can be easy
to become part of the scene. In this shop, a man spins
delicate strands of flour that will become a favorite
local pastry,"kanafeh". The classic street food here
is"koshary": lentil, rice, pasta, garlic,
and tomato sauce, all mixed together
into a quick and cheap treat. [ Metal utensils banging ] The distinctive clanging
stokes local appetites. ♪♪ And small bakeries
are steadily producing hot balloons of pita bread, destined to be filled
with falafel. Bread is subsidized by the
government to make life easier for people struggling
to feed their families. ♪♪ Walking through neighborhoods
like this, you gain an appreciation
for how just making ends meet is a daily struggle for millions
in a teeming city like Cairo. I make a point to explore
a variety of neighborhoods. Here in Egypt,
like almost anywhere, there's a big gap
between rich and poor. In the relative cool
of the evening, the prosperous streets
of downtown are filled with window shoppers
and thriving eateries -- clearly a world for Egypt's
more privileged class. ♪♪ And gated social clubs
in a place like Egypt provide a refuge where the wealthy
can live in a parallel world, protected from the gritty
reality of the streets. My friend Tarek, who runs
a successful tour company, has invited me out
for the evening. Tarek grew up as a member here,
he met his wife here, and today their children enjoy
this privileged environment almost daily. These clubs have something
for all generations -- birthday parties, playgrounds,
competitive sports. Adults can retreat
to the no-kids zone to play a quiet game of croquet with friends they've been
socializing here with since childhood, or just to watch
from the peaceful terrace. We finish our evening just down
the street at Tarek's home, joining his family for dinner. So, how do you say -- In France,
you would say, ""bon appétit"." -"Bon appétit".
-In Arabic? -"Bailhana' walshifa'".
-"Bailhana'"-- -"Bailhana' walshifa'". -"Bailhana'"--
-"Bailhana' walshifa'". -That's very difficult.
"Bon appétit". [ Laughter ]
-It's easier. -I think so. Heba, this is so beautiful. Can you give me please a tour of
this beautiful Egyptian meal? -Sure. This is moussaka.
-Okay. -This is the stuffed
vine leaves. -Stuffed vine leaves.
-Okay, and this is okra
with tomato sauce. -Okra. Nice.
-Very delicious, and this is Egyptian beef
with onion sauce, and this is of course, rice. This is"rokak". -"Rokak". What is"rokak"? -It is some kind of pastry
stuffed with mincemeat. -And --
-And tzatziki. -Tzatziki.
So we have moussaka -- -Common between us
and the Greeks, yes. -I was going to say, moussaka,
stuffed grape leaves, and tzatziki.
-Yeah. -A Greek would say,
"That's"my"food." It's Egyptian, also? -We cook it differently.
-Okay. There we go. Thank you."Shukran". So, is it normal for children
to speak English and Egyptian? -Actually, if they're
in international school. -Yeah. And your kids go to
an international school. -Yes, American ones. -Sometimes on Friday
or Thursday, we watch on the TV, Netflix, we choose an English movie.
-You can choose, Egyptian or English?
-Yeah. -Family movie! -Family movie! Every Thursday
night is family movie. -And, Heba, what do you wish
for your daughters, to be successful
and to be happy? -Mm, to have good faith, good education as well,
to be open-minded, self-confident.
-Beautiful. I think you're on
the right road. I think you're
on the right road. [ Chuckles ]
-I hope so. I hope so. -That's lovely. ♪♪ Cairo sprawls. It's a jam-packed city
of over 20 million. Massive blocks
of apartment flats spring up, many violating building codes, to congest
the ever-growing suburbs. Driving through
half an hour of this, we finally reach the desert and the sight that draws
most tourists to Egypt -- the Pyramids at Giza, one of the most recognizable
scenes in all of tourism. Towering before us are the tombs
of three great kings, or "pharaohs." These monuments were built
to mark and to protect the bodies of fabulously wealthy
and powerful pharaohs. They spent a good part
of their lives and their kingdom's wealth
building huge pyramids, which served as lockers for whatever they wanted
to take into the afterlife -- their bodies, their treasures,
even their favorite pets. The pyramid
of the pharaoh Cheops is the only survivor of the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World. This grandest of all pyramids,
700 feet long on each side, was built
2,500 years before Christ. ♪♪ The neighboring pyramids are likely those of
Cheops' son and grandson. The smaller ones? They're for the wives
and daughters. Experts guess that with 10,000
laborers hard at work, it took 20 years
to build the pyramid of Cheops. According to my abacus, that's 200,000 man-years
of hard labor. Workers dragged over 2 million
huge stones up ramps, eventually constructing
this 450-foot-high monument. In their day,
the pyramids were encased in a shiny limestone veneer. I sure hope
Cheops was satisfied. ♪♪ Long, secret corridors, originally blocked
by sliding stones, lead to the tomb chamber deep
in the center of each pyramid. Climbing this passage, you marvel at the design
and the audacity of the project. Finally, reaching
the burial room, you're hit by the thought
that this was the most sacred and precious chamber in the ancient world,
silent for 4,000 years -- until the arrival of tourism. This is it: the center
of this massive pyramid. The pharaoh's mummy was put
in this stone sarcophagus. The sarcophagus is bigger
than the passageway, so this must have
been here first, and then the pyramid
built around it. This huge chamber was filled
with treasures. A little shaft was designed
into the pyramid to provide an escape passage
for the soul of the pharaoh. For the pharaoh, the most
important treasure was his soul, which needed to be free
for the ascent to the afterlife. ♪♪ Back outside,
complementing the scene, is the mysterious Sphinx. As old as the pyramids, it was carved out of
a piece of hard rock that stuck above
the limestone plateau. ♪♪ With the body of a lion
and the head of a king, or god, it came to symbolize both
strength and wisdom as it faces east
and the rising sun. ♪♪ But we're heading north, down
the Nile to Egypt's second city, which lies on
the Mediterranean coast. Alexandria is one of the great
cities of the Mediterranean. It was Egypt's capital
for almost 1,000 years until the Muslims came
in the 7th century. Not as big as Cairo,
it faces the Mediterranean, has milder weather,
and feels a bit more European. Alexandria is a thriving
port town with a busy harbor. Fishermen, as they have
since ancient times, harvest the sea
to help feed the city while taking advantage
of this safe haven. The harborfront corniche is
lined with cafes, restaurants, and people out
enjoying the scene. Strolling here in the cooler
hours of the early evening, you appreciate
the inviting ambiance. ♪♪ This beach-side café
has a relaxed vibe, not unlike other Mediterranean
towns I've enjoyed. ♪♪ Alexandria can feel spirited,
young, and progressive. In fact, this city
helped spearhead Egypt's Arab Spring Revolution
back in 2011. The populace is an intriguing
blend of conservative, modern, religious, and hipster. The city has a chaotic energy exceeding anything
I've experienced in Europe. With the constant beeping
of passing traffic, its center is a carnival
of commercial life. Scenes like this are why
many come to Egypt and why many don't. ♪♪ This urban commotion literally
sits upon lots of history. But -- apart from this ancient
Roman theater, which dates
from the 4th century -- very little survives. It's mostly destroyed,
in the sea, or buried under today's city. ♪♪ Alexandria was named
by Alexander the Great, who founded it in 331 B.C. It became one of the great
cities of antiquity with a population
of several hundred thousand. Queen Cleopatra ruled Egypt
from here -- when the city rivaled Rome as a cultural
and intellectual capital of the Mediterranean world. And it's here that St. Mark
introduced Christianity to Egypt establishing what, to this day, is the "Coptic,"
or Egyptian, church. Ancient Alexandria was home to two of antiquity's
greatest sights, neither of which survive -- a huge library,
and an awe-inspiring lighthouse, one of the wonders
of the ancient world, built in around 300 B.C. ♪♪ Imagine the lighthouse
which stood at the mouth of the harbor. It was so tall
that light from its fire could be seen from
30 miles out at sea. After guiding ships from
across the Mediterranean safely into port
for 15 centuries, in about the year 1300,
an earthquake hit, and it tumbled into the sea. Today, a 500-year-old
fortress marks the spot. In fact, it's said that many of
the stones from the lighthouse were dredged out of the sea
to help build it. ♪♪ While the ancient lighthouse guided friendly ships
in to Alexandria, centuries later, this fort
was designed to keep enemies, like the Ottoman Turks, out. And Alexandria was famously home to perhaps the greatest library
in the ancient world. No ship was allowed to dock here without giving up its books
to be copied. Tragically,
about 2,000 years ago, that amazing repository
of knowledge was burned and destroyed. Today, its legacy survives
in the city's modern library. Built in the year 2001, walls are inscribed
with characters of the world's languages
through the ages. An inviting gathering point
for Alexandrians, the library feels promising,
perhaps offering a chance to see the next generation
of this country's leaders. The interior is welcoming
and airy, with space for hundreds of readers
to sit in its main reading room. History has been harsh
on the city, with its population shrinking
to a low of around 10,000 in the 18th century. Then, in the 19th century, when it welcomed
enterprising foreigners from around the Mediterranean, Alexandria enjoyed a resurgence, becoming one of the liveliest
ports on the Mediterranean. The corniche was lined
by fine Art Deco buildings from the early 20th century. And grand European-style
boulevards graced the city. Today, Alexandria's century-old
European grandness is fading. Caked in this generation's grime as the city's population
has exploded, it's become a thoroughly
Egyptian metropolis of over 5 million. The cityscape includes a gritty
yet somehow beautiful commotion of towering and densely
inhabited apartment flats that face the sea,
glowing with every sunset. ♪♪ For me, no visit to Alexandria
is complete without venturing into
its ramshackle market district. While you can buy
just about anything in these thriving
and exotic streets, there's also
a strong sense of community that naturally comes
with such population density. And, to better enjoy
this convivial scene, I'm joined
by my Egyptian friend, Tarek, in a classic"shisha"joint. As I've done in Turkey and
elsewhere in the Middle East, I occasionally enjoy
this traditional and very social form of smoking. -Nice, huh? -This is a beautiful scene.
It's easy to relax here. -So relaxing,
comfortable, peace. -A lot of people
in the United States, they say this would be a
"hookah" or a "hubbly bubbly." What is this in Egypt?
-"Shisha". It's called"shisha". Yeah, and few people now call it
hookah, hubbly bubbly,"nargile". -Is it some tobacco,
or what are we smoking? -It's a tobacco flavored
with different tastes. Could be apple,
strawberry, mint -- Too many. -If I smoke and smoke and smoke,
will I get dizzy? -If you spend like two or
three hours, you will get dizzy. This is one --
Finishing one of those is like finishing
two packets of cigarettes. -[ Coughs, laughs ]
-[ Laughs ] Sorry! Sorry. [ Laughs ] But the people aren't doing it
all the time. We do it casually.
Lets us vent out, be casual, socializing,
you know, talking with friends. We do it with close friends.
We vent out and talk. -Yeah.
-And have fun. -While clearly Tarek could spend the rest of the evening
right here, we've got some exploring to do. A short walk is filled
with cultural serendipity. And we'll start with dessert. It's hard to walk by this place without enjoying
at least a taste. -Absolutely. And delicious. -That looks great.
What are these? -This is"sawabe' Zainab",
"Zainab's fingers." -Zainab's fingers? -Mm. -"Shukran". -Thank you."Shukran". -Mmm. -The key to this kind
of sightseeing -- have a curious spirit, have fun, and explore. These guys are
way too fast for me. ♪♪ The entire neighborhood is
an endlessly fascinating market, and it's open late. There's fresh bread... ♪♪ ...very fresh poultry... ♪♪ ...olives straight
from the desert... ♪♪ ...and something
I noticed everywhere -- friendly and inviting people. I know about six words
of Arabic, but it didn't stop the smiles. You can get whatever
you need around here, including a quick trim
before dinner. ♪♪ Okay, we've worked up
an appetite. And Tarek knows
a great place for fish. There's no menu --
just point to what looks tasty. That looks good, yeah.
-Freshly caught today. -Oh, that looks good. Okay, I think that's good. Alright? Thank you.
-Delicious. -Good. Alright. "Bailhana' walshifa'"! What is the fish?
What am I eating here? -This is "denise"
from the Mediterranean. -Okay. And then -- -This is fried calamari
from the Mediterranean, too, and fried prawns. -We dip our bread in this
and that? What is this one? -That's tahini.
That's baba ghanoush. -This is tahini?
-Tahini, yes. -I just go --
-Of course, yes. -Mmm. And then,
what is this over here? -Baba ghanoush.
-Baba ghanoush. I've heard that word, yeah.
-Yes. -It's made of eggplant,
many herbs, and dill. Dill makes it beautiful. -Mmm. Oh, I like that.
Different than the tahini. So, what is this one? -This is fried eggplant
with hot chili. -So fried eggplant, tahini,
you find this in many countries in the Mediterranean
-Absolutely, and each country
will claim it's "ours." You find this in Tel Aviv --
-So, Israeli, Turkish, Greece. -Turkish. -So today we claim
this is Egyptian. -This is Egyptian,
from the Mediterranean. -The Mediterranean region shares many delicious
and similar dishes. What country wouldn't
want to claim this as their national cuisine? But, tonight,
it's definitely Egyptian. While Alexandria sits
at the delta, where the Nile flows
into the Mediterranean, we're heading south,
skipping Cairo this time, about 500 miles
upstream to Luxor. Luxor, straddling the Nile, was for many centuries
the capital of ancient Egypt. It's famed
for its tombs and temples, which were mostly built
between 1500 and 1000 B.C. These were the glory days
of the pharaohs. From their palaces here, they
proudly ruled a united kingdom, Upper and Lower Egypt together. Luxor is a standard stop
on the tourists' itinerary. While a city of about
half a million people today, Luxor feels like a tourist town
with its riverfront hotels, shops, and ancient temples
gathered along the Nile. The riverbank is lined
with characteristic boats ready to ferry sightseers
to a world of ancient sights. Popping into its busy market,
you find a colorful bazaar that serves both locals
and tourists. The friendly welcome
is a reminder of how important tourism is
for Egypt's economy. The souvenir I take home -- memories of so many vivid
snapshots of humanity. With the smells, the colors, the
faces, and the rich heritage, just lingering here is sensual, a Luxor highlight. While I generally avoid the touristy horse carriages
in Europe, here, they function as taxis
and feel more authentic. And it's cheap and easy
to simply hire one for a clip-clop joy ride
around town. ♪♪ Luxor's charming
riverfront promenade welcomes strollers enjoying
the cool of the early evening. As the sun sets, we appreciate
the timeless beauty of both Luxor and the Nile. ♪♪ The Luxor Temple is particularly
dramatic at twilight. Standing in the middle
of the city, it's evocatively floodlit and welcomes visitors
in the evening. The towering front wall
proclaims the power and greatness of the pharaohs. This grand entry was marked
with a pair of soaring obelisks. Both still stand --
this one here, and its sister
in far-away Paris. This holy complex was built
around 1300 B.C., nearly 1,000 years before
Ancient Greece's Golden Age. Egypt's temples were not
places of public worship, but sites of sacred mysteries, where priests and pharaohs
huddled privately with the gods. Reliefs show pharaohs wooing the
gods with rituals and offerings. While the temple may have been
dedicated to the gods, it seems all the statues
celebrate the great pharaoh, Ramses II. Egypt's ultimate king, Ramses ruled for 66 years and did a lot of building. The sheer size of the complex with its forest
of massive columns leading to huge squares
is a testimony to Ramses' power to get things done. ♪♪ Evening's a great time to visit. Under the stars, people wander,
learning and dreaming, wonderstruck at the
achievements of ancient Egypt. Luxor's other great sight -- another magnificent
temple complex -- is best enjoyed
early in the morning, beating the heat and crowds. An avenue of battered sphinxes leads to the awe-inspiring
main entrance, heralding the Temples of Karnak. Karnak was the most important
place of worship in all Egypt. Back when Luxor
was Egypt's capital, this sprawling complex
of temples was dedicated to
the grandiose holy family, a trinity of gods --
Amon, Mut, and Khonsu. It was built over many centuries throughout this
"New Kingdom" period, when most of the great
and famous kings ruled. ♪♪ The Great Court is the largest
single area of the complex. It was used once a year
for an elaborate festival feast celebrating fertility -- fertility of the land,
the people, and the kingdom. The Great Hypostyle Hall,
with over 100 columns, is one of the grandest
religious structures ever built. ♪♪ Its forest of columns
represents papyrus plants, bulging stems
and flowering capitals, each elaborately carved
and once brightly painted. The many columns
of this vast hall once supported a stone ceiling. You can measure the
architectural sophistication of a society by the distance
it can span between columns. This was the best they could do
3,000 years ago. The columns were fat
and close together, making the gap easier to span. Imagine what it took
to build all this. They had to design it,
quarry the stones, stack them, smooth them,
carve them, paint them -- all for the glory
and favor of the gods. Consider the depth
of the faith -- This was not for the public.
It was only to be seen by the royals, the priests,
and the gods. Obelisks symbolically
connected earth with the gods. These are monolithic and carved out of a single
piece of granite. They were quarried about
100 miles south of here in Aswan and then shipped down the Nile. This one's been standing here
for about 3,000 years. Like church spires and minarets,
an obelisk marked a holy place. There are only about 60
in existence. A few still mark their original
Egyptian temples, but more decorate
the great squares of Europe, taken there through the ages
by European conquers. As you venture farther
into the complex, things get older and crescendo
in religious importance. Everything at Karnak
leads to a small chamber that marks the very heart
of the temple complex -- the Holy of Holies. This was the most sacred spot
in all of Egypt. On this pedestal sat a statue
of the top god, Amon-Ra. Amon-Ra was the god of Luxor, the god of empire,
Egypt's god of gods. ♪♪ The Nile still flows as it did
for the pharaohs -- the lifeblood of civilization
then, as today. Luxor's riverfront is busy
with boats, big and small. The traditional felucca,
long a hard-working cargo boat, now hauls vacationing tourists. Anywhere on the Nile,
I love a felucca ride. The hand-stitched canvas sail
artfully catches the breeze. Egyptian boatmen have been
sailing this river for thousands of years. Today, they expertly maneuver as tourists leave
every care behind, enjoying this scene, essentially unchanged
since the time of the pharaohs. ♪♪ Here, where the desert
meets the Nile, the lush ribbon of green is a reminder of
how fundamental this river is to all life in Egypt. ♪♪ ♪♪ As the sun sets,
palms become silhouettes, ensuring memories created
are never forgotten. ♪♪ Across the Nile from Luxor
are hills rich with some of Egypt's most
important ancient sights. While most sightseers
cross the river on a fleet of touristy shuttles, we're riding on the public
ferry with the locals. It's early morning, and these
people are heading to work. And we're heading for
the Valley of the Kings and the ancient tombs. To the ancient Egyptians,
it seemed logical to live on the east bank,
where the sun rises, and bury your dead
on the west bank, where the sun dies each evening. While the workers head off,
nearby the tourists arrive. While there are a few
independent travelers, Egypt favors group travel,
and most follow their guides to waiting buses
for their west-bank tour. The valley is blanketed with
yet-to-be-excavated ruins. Here, two lonely statues
herald a long-gone temple. And here, burrowed into
an arid mountain range, is the Valley of the Kings, where mummified pharaohs
hide out with their treasures, awaiting the eternity express. ♪♪ This valley was all about
protecting royal tombs. And so were the great
pyramids before it. It was to ensure
that all those valuables made it safely
into the afterlife. Ironically, rather than
protecting tombs, the pyramids were actually
attracting thieves. Again and again,
pyramids were looted and pharaohs were waking up in
heaven with absolutely nothing. By about 1500 B.C., pharaohs
stopped building pyramids and began hiding
their tombs instead. These tombs, buried deep
in the folds of this valley, proved to be more secure than the intentionally
high-profile pyramids. While around 60 tombs
have been excavated in the Valley of the Kings, far more have yet
to be discovered. ♪♪ The tomb of Ramses IV
was typical. It had a long ramp,
intricately carved and painted, leading to the burial chamber. ♪♪ This massive granite sarcophagus
was slid down the ramp. It protected the mummy
of the pharaoh. Slathered in hieroglyphs --
prayers and symbolism -- it was all designed to boost the pharaoh
into the next life. Jackals stand guard, and here, a god presents
two ankhs, the symbol of life. The burial chamber walls are
remarkably vivid for their age. Sealed away dry, dark, and
forgotten for over 3,000 years, they're beautifully preserved. Tourists can still clearly see Egypt's ancient elaborate
spiritual world. The most famous tomb in the
valley is of King Tutankhamen, AKA King Tut. Another long passage
leads deep into a chamber where you find more
well-preserved paintings surrounding an empty
stone sarcophagus. It was one of eight nesting
boxes and coffins that protected
the pharaoh's body. Remarkably, Tut's actual mummy
lies nearby. The ancient process
of mummification ensured that the body was there for the soul to inhabit
in the afterlife. And, you gotta admit, Tut doesn't look
a day over 3,500. While his reign was of
no importance historically and lasted only a few years, Tutankhamen is the one pharaoh
whose name we all know. That's because in 1922, this tomb was discovered
with its treasures intact. ♪♪ While pharaohs hid their tombs
deep in the mountains, they built
their memorial temples in public splendor,
in the open for all to see, so they'd be remembered
and worshipped through the ages. This is the Temple
of Queen Hatshepsut, the greatest woman pharaoh. In its day, around 1500 B.C., Queen Hatshepsut's monument
would have been glorious, surrounded by gardens and approached
by a grand sphinx-lined lane. ♪♪ The challenges of being a woman
politician are nothing new. Hatshepsut claimed to be
the daughter of a god, but to prove her strength, she
had to declare herself "king." Determined to assert
her authority, her propaganda even showed her
dressed as a male ruler. ♪♪ Statues show the queen
wearing a beard -- a symbol of royalty. ♪♪ This multi-level temple
is fit for a god and surely must have inspired
great awe and respect. With ranks of imposing
statues of the queen, it's easy to imagine
public adulation for centuries after her death. Her formidable army
carried weapons, but also carried olive branches, the ancient symbol of peace. History's first great woman
ruler is remembered for a 20-year reign
of general peace and stability. ♪♪ A short venture beyond
the famous sights takes us into a timeless Egypt
untouched by tourism. The vast majority
of Egypt's 100 million people live along the banks
of the Nile. And most of them lead
traditional lives on land made fertile
by the river. Plowing with oxen... ♪♪ ...sowing seeds by hand... ♪♪ ...and harvesting their crops... ♪♪ ...they farm as they have
through the millennia. ♪♪ In some ways,
life along the Nile seems to have changed little
since the days of the pharaohs. The major difference --
the annual flooding, once essential
to nourish the soil with silt, has been controlled
by an enormous dam. Today, fertilizing
and irrigating the soil is the work of engineers
rather than the gods. With the Nile now tamed, farming in Egypt is possible
throughout the year. Luxor's a busy port
for river-cruise boats. Fleets of these provide
multiday Nile cruises which have become a standard
part of an Egyptian tour. We're riding one
farther upstream for a look at the most scenic
stretch of the Nile. As if on a floating
resort hotel, tourists enjoy the deck,
with its pool... the attentive service... and the views from their perch
atop three floors of staterooms. The trip upriver takes you
by natural beauty and seemingly ancient scenes interrupted only
by modern cruise boats. Long stretches pass by timeless
slices of Egyptian life as vacationers
have little option but to relax and live at the pace
of the steady boat heading against the current
of the fabled river. It's so peaceful until the tranquility
is broken by... pirates? Nope. They're eager
and enterprising salesmen who artfully tie up to the
surging riverboats to display, model, and haggle... -[ Shouting indistinctly ] -...selling their souvenirs
the hard way. ♪♪ Whether you buy anything or not, you can enjoy their
entertaining show afternoons on both the port
and starboard sides. ♪♪ As the sun gets low in the sky,
we enter the magic hour. Scenes crescendo in beauty as they glide gracefully
by either side of the boat. We pass patient fishermen... grazing cattle... farmers at work... children play... villagers do their chores... and minarets call all to prayer
as the sun sets. ♪♪ After two lazy days,
we reach the city of Aswan, the last major port
on the river. An ancient garrison town
famed for its granite quarries, today it's embraced tourism, taking full advantage
of its attractive riverfront. These days, Aswan is most famous
for its massive dam. It was built with Soviet
technology and money back in the Cold War. A game changer for Egypt, it tamed the Nile,
providing electricity and controlling the flow
of the once-erratic river. The dam created a huge
reservoir called "Lake Nasser." Its creation submerged many
towns and ancient treasures. But the most important temple
was saved. ♪♪ To visit that temple, tourists
catch a short flight from Aswan. It's an easy half-day side trip over one of the largest
man-made lakes in the world. ♪♪ The Temple of Abu Simbel, while originally built
by Ramses II in about 1250 B.C., was relocated here
only about 50 years ago. Abu Simbel was saved from
being submerged in the lake and lost forever
after an international outcry. Thanks to a heroic effort,
in 1968, this ancient temple
was cut into huge blocks and relocated to this spot, high and dry for at least
another 3,000 years. ♪♪ Four towering statues
of the powerful pharaoh stand sentinel at the entry. ♪♪ Ramses' wife
and some of his children, considered less important and,
therefore, smaller in scale, are at his feet. ♪♪ Inside, the central hall is lined with more
imposing statues of Ramses. They're surrounded by reliefs
showing off his power. Here, the pharaoh leads
his army into battle, riding his chariot, thoroughly
destroying his enemies. ♪♪ And finally,
in the sacred sanctuary, Ramses assumes his place
in the company of the gods. ♪♪ Admiring this one last
magnificent temple, you can't help but ponder
the rich and complicated 5,000-year story
of this civilization. I hope you've enjoyed
our look at Egypt. I'm Rick Steves. Until next time,
keep on travelin'. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪
Like many, I’ve long been a huge fan of Rick Steves, who’s been releasing travel videos for decades. I imagine people here are already familiar with most of what he covers, but it’s still interesting to see.
Also, are you able to pick out one big mistake they made?
Love learning about Egypt
Great (though brief) closeups of Yuya and Thuya's mummies!