Take a Time-Travelling Tour through Egypt's Five Millennia of History

Nowhere in the world shows off the old and new like Egypt. One of the cradles of civilisation, the country is home to an astonishing number of archaeological sites spanning multiple millennia of human history. Archaeologists continue to unearth new discoveries, and Egypt has a growing number of modern museums to display its finds, so history buffs are in their element in Egypt, no matter their era of interest.

Return to Egypt's ancient origins: the pyramids

New evidence suggests the ancient Egyptians used water to wet the sand in front of sledges, reducing friction and aiding the transportation of massive stones for the Pyramids of Giza (Photo: Getty Images) 

The Pyramids of Giza, featuring iconic sights like The Great Sphinx lying at the foot of the Pyramid of Khafre, are the only surviving wonder of the ancient world – even 5th-century Greek historian and writer Herodotus was impressed by their scale.

But the three main pyramids at the Giza Necropolis are not the only ancient structures worth seeing. Further south on the plateau that rises above Cairo on the western side of the River Nile are some even older pyramids. The necropolis at Saqqara remains a rich excavation site, and the Step Pyramid of Djoser was the first ever built in Egypt. Marvel at the ancient Egyptians’ other early attempts at pyramid construction at Dahshur’s Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid.

For an unbeatable view of the Pyramids of Giza, book a stay at Marriott Mena House, Cairo – it’s so close to these historic structures that it’s actually located inside the gate of the Giza complex. Waking up to the majestic view of the pyramids from your hotel room’s balcony is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Witness the legacy of the Golden Age: the inspiring New Kingdom

Luxor, once known as Thebes, houses the stunning Karnak Temple, the world's largest religious complex. Its ancient allure continues to attract visitors fascinated by Egypt's rich history (Photo: Getty Images) 

Fast forward some five centuries to the New Kingdom, a high point of art and architecture in ancient Egypt. The New Kingdom pharaohs moved their capital from Memphis, near the Giza Plateau, to Thebes, today's Luxor. Split in two by the Nile, Luxor is a treasure trove of temples on its eastern side, seen by the ancient Egyptians as the ‘land of the living’, and tombs on its western side where the sun sets, considered the ‘land of the dead’.

A few kilometres north of downtown Luxor, wander amid a forest of towering columns at Karnak, one of the largest religious complexes in the world, before walking along the Avenue of the Sphinxes – started in the New Kingdom but opened to travellers only in 2021 – to Luxor Temple.

On the other side of the Nile, take a sunrise hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings before seeing it at ground level later in the day. The stone tombs in the Valley of the Kings are covered from floor to ceiling in brightly painted hieroglyphs and portraits of pharaohs and gods. The Tomb of Seti I (KV17) is the most extravagant of the bunch, but more famous pharaohs, including Tutankhamun and Ramses II, were buried here too.

Luxor is within day-tripping distance of Hurghada, a lively resort town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, where you can stay at Sheraton Soma Bay Resort – an excellent option for families with tons of child-friendly amenities and activities – or at Hurghada Marriott Beach Resort, nestled in the heart of lively Hurghada.

Get a glimpse of Greco-Roman Egypt: the riches of Alexandria

Alexandria offers astonishing historic sites such as Pompey's Pillar, a Roman triumphal column that is one of the largest monolithic columns ever erected (Photo: Getty Images) 

As ancient Egypt’s fortunes declined, it was conquered in successive waves by competing neighbouring empires: the Kushites from Nubia, the Libyans from the west and the Assyrians and Persians from the east.

When Alexander the Great arrived in 332 BCE, he was hailed as a liberator. Instead of dominating ancient Egyptian culture, Hellenistic heritage became part of the mix. Rulers reigned as pharaohs, and the new city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast became the capital. The time of the Ptolemaic pharaohs ended with the famous defeat of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony by Octavian in 30 BCE, and the Romans ruled until the arrival of the Muslim Arabs in 641.

Today, Alexandria is still the best place to find artefacts from this era. Check out the city’s Graeco-Roman Museum and the underground catacombs at Kom El Shoqafa, which are decorated with a fusion of mythology, such as the jackal-headed Egyptian god Anubis wearing the gear of a Roman soldier. But that's not all, the Alexandria Library in Egypt, a modern homage to its ancient predecessor, stands as a beacon of knowledge and cultural exchange, housing a vast collection of books and promoting intellectual pursuits in the heart of the historic city.

After a busy day of sightseeing, relax at the waterfront Sheraton Montazah Hotel in the quieter northern stretches of Alexandria. Swim in the pool or from the large sandy beach, and stroll through the lush grounds of the next-door Montazah Gardens, home to a 19th-century royal palace.

Discover Egypt’s Christian history: an iconic monastery

Egypt's desert harbours many ancient Christian monasteries, such as St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula (Photo: Getty Images)

Christianity has deep roots in Egypt, which has the largest Christian population in the Middle East. Cradled at the foot of soaring mountains, St Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula was completed in 565 CE under the order of Byzantine ruler Justinian I. St Catherine’s is the oldest continuously lived-in Christian monastery in the world, and it contains the burning bush claimed to have been seen by Moses.

A popular excursion is to climb Mt Sinai (also known as Jebel Mousa, or Mt Moses) to watch the sunrise and then explore the monastery afterwards. St Catherine’s Monastery is located in a remote part of the Sinai interior, but you can stay at the blissful Sheraton Sharm Hotel, Resort, Villas & Spa in Sharm el-Sheikh, where all rooms have views of the Red Sea, or the delightfully secluded Le Méridien Dahab Resort, which can organise activities such as snorkelling, kitesurfing and camel trips.

Cairo also has a fascinating clutch of sites associated with the Copts, Egypt's indigenous ethno-religious Christian community. These include the Hanging Church and the Coptic Museum, found in the neighbourhood fittingly called Coptic Cairo.

Enter the modern era: Cairo then and now

Cairo's Khan El Khalili, one of the world's oldest markets, entices with its vibrant atmosphere and labyrinthine alleys, offering an array of traditional crafts, spices, and cultural experiences (Photo: Getty Images) 

The largest city in Africa and the Middle East, Cairo is a wonderful patchwork of history, where each of the ruling sultans, caliphs and presidents has left his mark. The Mamluk Sultanate, in power from 1250 to 1517, embellished its capital city with rich architecture that remains today. 

Cairo is nicknamed the ‘city of a thousand minarets’, and many beautiful mosques and madrasas (theological schools), such as the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, welcome visitors. Ornate gateways, especially Bab Zuweila, lead to the labyrinthine lanes of the medieval-era market of Khan el-Khalili, which still bustles with traders and travellers.

Cairo never sits still, and the city showcases its history in modern museums, including the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, unveiled in 2021, and the Grand Egyptian Museum, slated to open in 2024, which will house all of Tutankhamun’s treasures in one place for the first time.

Overnight in a historic site in its own right at the Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino, built as a palace for Khedive Ismail Pasha in 1869 for the opening of the Suez Canal. The hotel retains the grand arched entryway and other architectural features and has a sublime location on Zamalek, an island on the Nile. 

For a hard-to-forget experience drenched in luxury, consider a stay at the St. Regis Cairo. This breathtaking hotel is situated on the banks of the Grand Nile River, offering memorable views that will leave you spellbound. With over 233 meticulously crafted rooms with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, guests are privy to panoramic vistas of both the serene Nile River and a glimpse into Old Cairo's timeless beauty. 

Published: January 30, 2024