The Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan

Located in a granite quarry in Aswan is the largest known ancient obelisk called the Unfinished Obelisk. It is said that obelisk was commissioned by Queen Hatshepsut. During the carving process, cracks appeared and the carving was abandoned. Had the obelisk been completed successfully, it would have been the heaviest obelisk ever at a weight of nearly 1100 tons.

The quarry has been cleared of debris and rubble ans is open to public. There are wooden walkways and steps to guide you along the quarry. You can get a birds eye view from the viewing area at the end of the unfinished obelisk. There is nothing much to see here though. The site is not for people with mobility issues. There is no shade either to escape from the heat. You can skip this if you are short of time. According to me it is an over-rated attraction and a waste of time and money.

The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities / The Egyptian Museum in Cairo

With around 1.2 lakh items, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo is the largest museum in Egypt. It is also called as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Not all items are on display though because of the lack of space. A new museum big enough to house all the items is currently being built. The current museum is located in Tahir Square.

The museum has two floors with the lower floor mainly for the large statues while the upper floor has the smaller items like jewellery, weapons, small statues and the mummies. The museum is divided into seven sections with the first one housing King Tutankhamun's treasures. The second section includes items from the Old Kingdom while the third section has items from the Middle Kingdom. Artifacts relating to the Modern Kingdom can be found in the fourth section while those from the Roman era can be seen in the fifth section. The seventh section is home to sacrophagi. There is also a separate section for the royal mummies which requires an additional ticket apart from the main entrance ticket. It costs 100 Egyptian Pounds and can be purchased from the ticket counter outside Room 1.

The most famous items on display are undoubtedly the items that were found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. You will find jewellery, weapons, vases and loads of items in solid gold. The most interesting one is the famous Gold Mask of King Tutankhamun. Photography is not allowed inside the museum and you have to deposit your cameras outside. Hence I have no pictures of the museum from the inside. All I have are some pictures taken from the outside.

It is wise to go with a guide because the signage in the museum is very difficult to read and not  descriptive either. Some sections did not have any signage at all. You would need a guide to show you the important pieces and explain the history attached to it unless you are very well versed with Egyptian history. Overall, a must visit while you are in Cairo.

Sand in a bottle - Egyptian Sand Art

On our visit to the Bedouin village, we got a chance to watch an experienced sand artist at work. These artists create beautiful pieces of art by filling glass bottles with coloured sand. The amazing part is how the sand takes shape into amazing pieces of art. It could be something as simple as your name or as complex as desert landscapes with camels. However, for the artist its a piece of cake. You just tell them what you want and they will have it ready in minutes. It was amazing watching the artist at work. He filled up different coloured sand in the bottle and gave it shape with a slender stick, packed the bottle tightly with sand and then sealed it off with glue. He said that there is no risk of shaking and you can carry it in your luggage without any worries.

This is one of the most common souvenirs that tourists take back home. Not just at the bedouin village, but in all tourist destinations in Egypt, you will find street sellers with their small stalls working away at creating different designs. We saw these street artist near the Giza pyramids and Sphinx and lots of them in Cairo and Hurghada as well.

It is not just a glass bottle with sand, but it is like a piece of Egyptian culture and history - one of the most common street art in Egypt.