Being at the center point of thousands of years of dynastic change and structures being built, Egypt has such a large wealth of archaeological discoveries and finds that continue to be discovered now and will be far into the future. The Egyptian museum of course has become the largest possessor of pharaonic pieces, larger than any other in the world. This is to be expected but what they also have in the same vein as the rest of the treasures, but a little more known, are the remnants of Tutankhamen’s tomb. It is because of such a sordid history and mystery surrounding those particular pieces, that tourists have their attention diverted to it from all corners.

The current location of the museum has been its resting spot for over 100 years now. Prior to that many of the structures relics had to be moved from its prior facility in 1878, in Boulaq, to a facility in Giza because of some unexpected flooding that destroyed much of the property. Originally situated near the Ezbekeyah Gardens, it started out small until their benefactors deemed it too small to house further exploratory finds, and went on with building a larger facility.

Divided into two floors, the antiquities are arranged in such a fashion, that one would progressively go back in time and lineage of dynasties the further down the line they went. Level 1, the first floor, has many pieces of currency from all corners of Egypt and its many areas, as well as some from around the world at the time. New kingdom artifacts and tablets are housed here as well, items which typically are much larger than the coins and many pieces of papyrus lining the walls and display areas.

Start out in the beginning and enter, travel through to the beginning of an empire. The Egyptian museum is indeed a journey back in time.

The Nile currently in Africa is one of 5 rivers that has flowed north out of Sudan since ancient times. Many an era has seen the source of the waters become obscured, or the pathway it takes totally obstructed or changed, creating a completely new river system. People throughout ancient times as well were perpetually trying to find the source of the Nile and its life giving qualities, but even the Greeks and Romans were unable to penetrate that far to discover the course of the flowing water.

It had mystique, it was a seemingly never ending flow of water that expanded beyond the horizon. It solely kept thousands of years of the Egyptian civilizations alive and strong, being considered one of the greatest empires known to man. And, still, to this day explorers are constantly desiring to find more and more about the source of the river itself. Documentaries and films by explorers and companies are periodically filmed still, all in the quest to discover every last bit of knowledge about this ancient giver of life, known as the Nile river. Maybe someday, we will know it all. But, that’s also what humanity has been saying about this rivers mysteries since the dawn of time.

Consisting of a few structures, the complex covers an ample space of land. The Great Pyramid, known by some as the pyramid of Cheops, is the central focal point of the complex when remembered by many. There exists a smaller pyramid of Khafre South West of the Great pyramid; While the Sphinx, the great massive animal and human combined. A few hundred meters beyond Khafres tomb, exists the pyramid of Menkaure. Amongst these mainstays and very visible structures exists a scattered grouping of smaller pyramids, queens pyramids, Valley types, and causeways.

Existing as the only structure showing any of its original casing of polished limestone, Menkaures Pyramid is the most intact. Khafres facility has a grouping of the stones at its Apex, still retaining some of that renowned limestone casting. The great pyramid became, in Hellenistic times, a popular location, gaining it status as one of the 7 wonders of the world.

People also think that the pyramids are off in this remote portion of desert, unable to be traveled to without extensive travel; but they would be wrong. That was something happening with their popularization during the Nineteenth century and many of the photographs that came out of that era. They didn’t show anything of the surrounding area, and only showcased the complex itself. It is actually in, and part of the largest city in Egypt, Cairo.

All of the pyramids at the Great Pyramid location, Memphis, Dashur, and a few others were declared a World Heritage Site. That means, it is a precious complex, of value to the entire world, declared so by the UN. The Giza Necropolis holds some of the most ancient civilizations secrets, and as such should be revered and protected.

Located just before the Nile delta, upon the banks of the Nile itself, Cairo spreads its urban glory. It is divided into many small Governorate ares, ruled by different political and economic classes. The famed Cairo university known world wide, resides in the Giza Governorate area while Cairo is home to the Ain Shams university. East of the river lies the oldest part of the city, and when referring to Cairo itself, many people are often speaking of Greater Cairo, the multi-sectioned set of small governments. The actual urban population if the are itself reaches up to 17 million or so.

Climate wise, the vicinity of the city and surrounding areas is a cross between a Mediterranean styled climate, and that of a desert climate. Making sense, due to its sea side influence on the water, and its submersion into the desert lands upon the northern section of the great Nile River. Wind storms are more that frequent, and clouds of dust from the surrounding Sahara desert can be seen blowing their way through the city at varying times. The effects of the Valley on the city give it its unique crossbreed of weather systems and climates.

Along with Giza, Cairo is the regions center for medical care and holds the most advanced and best facilities for treating ones health needs. Minus a few practices, its superiority is held as the top provider region wide.

Egypt only has two seasons to content with, where most other places typically have four seasons. Egypt experiences a mild winter between the months of November and April and a painstakingly hot summer from May to October. It’s said that one can tell the difference in the seasons because of the variations in the daytime temperatures and from the changes in the wind, the wind can be perhaps the one most devastating factor in Egyptian climate.

Along the coastal regions temperatures tend to range between on average minimum of around 14 degrees Celsius (55F) in winter time to around 30C (87F) average maximum in summer time. Inland the desert areas climate can range from 7C (47F) at night to 43C (108F) during summer days. During winter these temperatures change and fluctuate depending on many factors. Typically many of the inland cities only see around 80 millimeters of precipitation a year, whereas coastal areas get the most rainfall that averages around 200 millimeters a year.

Most of the inland cities in Egypt, like Cairo and Alexandria have to contend with humidity and sea breezes, but some areas also can go years without seeing a drop of rain. Usually some places only see slight traces of rainfall and many places are left praying and hoping that rain would come to water crops and give water to the residents of the cities. There are times when cities will experience sudden downpours, which can devastate a city because the downpour will usually result in flash flooding.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Egyptians have to also contend with Khamsin… more commonly know as wind…which can arrive as early as March and can last till around May. This Khamsin can carry very large amounts of sand and even dust from the desert into the cities which leads to devastation for citizens. These sand storms can contain winds up to 140 kilometers per hour, causing temps to raise unexpectedly and as high as an extra 20 degrees in just two hours. Sand storms are very dangerous for residents because they can continue for days, making life extremely difficult for citizens to live. Illness can occur from sand storms as a result of days of brutal winds and even damage to homes, infrastructures and crops can leave local Egyptians with a sense of unease and sadness.