Egyptian elegance

SW looks at the land of pyramids

By Itsarin Tisantia
Photos courtesy of AP, EPA and Reuters

Located on the outskirts of the capital Cairo, the Giza Plateau is home to many famous ancient monuments, including the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids and the Great Sphinx (inset).

Egypt, or the Arab Republic of Egypt as it is officially known, is a transcontinental country covering an area of around one million square kilometres. Egypt has long been a popular country with tourists who enjoy the great number of ancient monuments and historical attractions there.

For Freeze Frame this week, SW looks at some of Egypt’s most famous attractions.

The Karnak Temple Complex in the city of Luxor houses a diverse range of ancient buildings, temples, pylons and statues.

First opened in 1902, the Egyptian Museum is situated in the heart of Cairo. The famous museum exhibits a collection of more than 100,000 ancient Egyptian antiquities.

The Abu Simbel Temples are two massive stone temples on the western bank of Lake Nasser. They were carved out of a mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC.

 

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Exercises

Read through Freeze Frame. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. Abu Simbel Temple is famous for its twin pyramids.

2. The Egyptian Museum was first opened in 1912.

3. Giza Plateau is located in the heart of Cairo.

4. The Nile is generally thought to be the longest river in the world.