Exploring Egypt: 10 Intriguing Ancient Monuments to Visit

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Apart from the challenging desert, Egypt holds many historical remains of ancient civilizations. One of the most notable is the Great Pyramid of Giza, a pyramid-shaped building that holds unsolved mysteries.

But apart from the Giza Pyramids, Egypt houses many other ancient monuments to visit. Check out the list:

1. Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is an iconic Egyptian symbol. The Great Pyramid, built by Pharaoh Khufu, is the largest and oldest of the three in existence. This pyramid has always been included in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

2. Sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza, a colossal limestone statue of a recumbent sphinx located in Giza, Egypt, likely dates to the reign of Khafre. The Great Sphinx is one of the largest statues in the world, measuring approximately 240 feet (73 meters) long and 66 feet (20 meters) high. This statue shows the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh.

3. Karnak Temple

The Karnak temple complex in Luxor dates back more than 1,000 years. This building is the largest and most important religious complex in ancient Egypt. The site covers more than 2 square kilometers. In the center is the Temple of Amun, which was considered the home of the gods on earth.

4. Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is a magnificent monument built over centuries. Most of these temples were built by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC) and Ramesses II (1279–1213 BC). Also known as the Southern Sanctuary, its main function is during the annual Opet festival, when the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu are brought from Karnak, along the Sphinx Road, and reunited here.

5. Valley of the Kings

The ancient Egyptians built hidden underground mausoleums for the pharaohs. Housing the most famous collection of tombs, the Valley of the Kings, is located on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor. 

6. Abu Simbel Temple

Abu Simbel, the site of two temples built by the Egyptian king Ramses II (reigned 1279–1213 BC), is now located in Aswan, southern Egypt. The four enormous statues of Ramses in front of the main temple are emblematic of the majesty of ancient Egyptian art.

7. Temple of Hatshepsut

Located beneath a massive cliff near the west bank of the Nile, the Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as Deir el Bahri, was dedicated to the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. Designed by an architect named Senenmut, this temple has distinctive features including long, colonnaded terraces, some of which are 97 feet high, courts, and halls. The temple reliefs depict the story of Hatshepsut's birth and the trading expedition to Punt.

8. Edfu Temple

Edfu Temple is dedicated to the falcon God Horus. This temple depicts ancient Egyptian mythology and religious practices. The temple was built between 237 and 57 BC. Edfu, a city in Egypt, is a settlement and burial site from around 3000 BC.

9. Philae Temple

Philae Temple is an island-based temple complex in the Nile River between the Aswan Low Dam and the Aswan Dam, in southern Egypt. Since early Egyptian times, this island has been sacred to the goddess Isis. The earliest known building is that of Taharqa (reigned 690–664 BCE), the Cushite 25th Dynasty pharaoh.

10. Saqqara Complex

Saqqara is part of the necropolis overlooking the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, 24 kilometers southwest of Cairo. Saqqara Complex houses the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, the earliest pyramid structure known in the world. 

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