In November 2001, mere months after the deadly attacks in New York on 9/11, Otto Schmalz and his wife embarked on a journey to Egypt. With security being more stringent and fewer travellers venturing outside of their homelands, tourism in Egypt was down ninety percent, which made it easier to get a close look at the breath-taking monuments and temples. For fourteen days, Otto and his tour companions cruised the Nile for nine days as well as toured the remainder by bus and visited many temples along and away from that great river. It was an eye-opening experience to discover how advanced the ancient Egyptian empires were thousands of years ago. Rather than channelling their strength and ambition to conquering the world, the powerful Egyptians put their energies into building structures and artwork with their bare hands that had not been equaled anywhere else. From the massive pylons at the Luxor Temple to Abu Simbel and the Great Sphinx at Giza, Otto describes in detail the historical significance of the sites he visited during this incredible journey. He also relates his interesting interactions with the people (and some animals) that he came in contact with, from his knowledgeable tour guide to security guards to his colourful travel mates. To Abu Simbel and Back whisks the reader away to ancient Egypt and hopefully leaves them wanting to visit this incredible country in person.

In this lucidly written, beautifully illustrated book, Nigel Fletcher-Jones places the lower Nubian temples--from Philae in the north to Abu Simbel in the South--in their historical context, telling the story of the discovery of the Abu Simbel temples, and why and how they were moved, explaining what the Nubian temples teach us about ancient Egypt, which gods and goddesses were worshiped there, and the place of Ramesses II in the long line of ancient Egyptian kings and queens. Includes over 80 new photographs, diagrams, and maps.

Aswan is one of Egypt's most popular winter resorts.

This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. Heritopia investigates the meanings of the past in the present, focusing on Abu Simbel in Egypt and other World Heritage sites. It explores and resolves a number of paradoxes: the past is impossible to preserve for eternity; all preservation implies change; preservation of one site normally means destruction of others; threats are important in the creation of heritage, but at the same time heritage may become a threat and threats can become heritage themselves; heritage stands in contrast to modernity and is at the same time part of it; both the increase and the decrease of modernity create heritage; and finally, heritage may be global and local at the same time. Heritopia will appeal to students and professionals in heritage studies and related subjects such as archaeology, history, ethnology and museology.

"There are heroes among us, and Dr. Calvin Sun is one of them. Read this book." -Lisa Ling, journalist The Monsoon Diaries is the firsthand account of Dr. Calvin Sun, an emergency room doctor who worked tirelessly on the front lines in multiple hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing upon the lessons he learned from his adventures traveling to more than 190 countries in ten years, as well as from the grief he experienced as a teen when his father died, Dr. Sun shares his journey, from growing up as a young Asian American in New York to his calling first to medical school and then to the open road. He believes that the fight for a better world creates meaning when all feels meaningless, and he hopes that telling his story will help readers reframe this tragic moment in our lifetimes into possibility, with the goal of building a more empathetic society.

Provides practical advice on planning a trip to Egypt; describes points of interest in each section of the country; and includes information on restaurants, nightspots, shops, and lodging.

A new paperback edition of a best-selling anthology.

Written in the tradition of historians like Mary Beard and Stacy Schiff who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today. In a new era when democracies around the world are threatened or crumbling, best-selling author Kara Cooney turns to five ancient Egyptian pharaohs--Khufu, Senwosret III, Akenhaten, Ramses II, and Taharqa--to understand why many so often give up power to the few, and what it can mean for our future. As the first centralized political power on earth, the pharaohs and their process of divine kingship can tell us a lot about the world's politics, past and present. Every animal-headed god, every monumental temple, every pyramid, every tomb, offers extraordinary insight into a culture that combined deeply held religious beliefs with uniquely human schemes to justify a system in which one ruled over many. From Khufu, the man who built the Great Pyramid at Giza as testament to his authoritarian reign, and Taharqa, the last true pharaoh who worked to make Egypt great again, we discover a clear lens into understanding how power was earned, controlled, and manipulated in ancient times. And in mining the past, Cooney uncovers the reason why societies have so willingly chosen a dictator over democracy, time and time again.