Egypt – Travel & Temples

Hello Friends,

After I wrote the post about Queen Hatshepsut a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about Egypt and how I would like to travel there.

In the 1980's, I first learnt about the great engineering project to build the Aswan Dam. During the 1970's, it took the work of an international team to relocate the Temple of Isis on Philae Island to another island of solid rock and save it from being flooded by the new dam across the Nile River. I wanted to travel to Egypt to see the temple back then, but I wasn’t able to live that dream.

One day, I will travel to Egypt, the land of ancient wonders. This week, I have a travel video from an Australia television show called Getaway, which offers information on holiday destinations around the world.

The hostess in the video is Catriona Rowntree. She has been travelling for the show for 20 years. Her love of travel began in Egypt. She went there on a school excursion with her ancient history teacher. A classroom with a difference!

Catriona Rowntree Cruising Along the Nile
source: https://www.escape.com.au/

The video below is part 2 of 3 video episodes made about Egypt and Jordan. I selected it for Catriona’s visits to three different temples—Hathor, Isis and Edfu. Some of the temple footage is very brief.

Temple of Hathor

Temple of Hathor, Dendera.
Some visitors say there is a soft, sweet and loving atmosphere inside the temple.
source: Google Earth 

The Goddess Hathor is a reason to smile and be happy. She was associated with love, joy, beauty, dancing, singing and music. She was represented with cow ears. There are lots of images of her face near the top of columns.

Hathor, Cow Goddess, nurturing Mother
source: Google Earth

Her images were allegedly defaced by Christians in antiquity, to kill the spirit of Hathor. Her temple is one of the best preserved in Egypt and is a popular attraction today.

Vivid, turquoise blue color is featured in her temple which dates back to the Old Kingdom (thousands of years ago). She was the patron saint of turquoise miners. 

Inside the temple, Hathor columns and turquoise blue artwork
source: Google Earth

Hathor was also a Goddess of fertility, sexuality, nurturing, and a divine mother. The temple walls have information about the feminine principle, and help raise consciousness into the divine wholeness of creation.

People also visit the Temple of Hathor to see the melted granite stone steps leading up to the roof. The light bulb carving—did the ancient Egyptian have electricity a long time ago? The zodiac signs painted on the temple ceiling after Horus, derivative word, horoscope, Horus, god of sky, god of kingship. Finally, the site has the last remaining image of the famous Cleopatra standing with her son, Caesarion, who was fathered by Julius Caesar.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

After visiting the Temple of Philae, Catriona stays at the legendary Cataract Hotel which is famous for inspiring crime author Agatha Christie. She wrote, “Death on the Nile” while she stayed at the hotel.

Enjoy the travel video to Egypt!

Wishing you joy, beauty and happiness.

♥ Ashlyn