Archive for April, 2008

Agora, filmed on the island of Malta, takes place in Ancient Egypt. Rachel Weisz will star as Hypatia, an astrologer/philosopher battling to save “the collected wisdom of the world” as religious riots flare and threaten the fabled Library of Alexandria. Max Minghella will also star as her slave, along with Oscar Isaac and Michael... »

Dr. W. Benson Harer Jr., of Seattle, an OB/gyn by profession and an amateur Egyptologist by passion, learned about a case of female genital herpes from a centuries-old medical text written on papyrus. Examining photos of papyrus scrolls, records of a mummy autopsy and clay figures, Harer has found indications of herpes, chlamydia and... »

Marine fossils in the limestone blocks that make the Pyramids and other famous monuments indicate that ancient Egyptians carved those blocks and transported them to the building sites, according to a new study. The researchers analyzed the mineralogy, as well as the chemical makeup and structure, of small material samples chiseled from the Sphinx Temple,... »

I have added an interactive map of Egypt in the website. This makes it much easier for future travelers to locate the most popular places to visit in the country, with plenty of information and sightseeing tours you can choose from and book directly on the site. Please click on the link below: http://www.all-about-egypt.com/egypt-tourist-attractions.html »

In her Luxor News blog, Jane Askar posts that there is now a big sign at the airport stating the taxi fares to the various hotels on the East Bank. Usually, you need to agree the rate before stepping into an Egyptian taxi, but now you are informed that from the Luxor Airport to... »

One of three royal Macedonian burials excavated in 1977 by archaeologists working in the northern Greek village of Vergina may actually belong to Alexander the Great’s half brother. If proven, some of the artifacts found in the tomb—including a helmet, shield, and silver “crown” are probably those of the great general himself, since his... »

If more Egyptians remember and honor their wondrous past, a better Egypt is in the future. Such is the belief of the Heritage Conservation Think Tank, a project co-founded by Hassan Shehawy, 21, and Sherif Abo Al-Hadeed, 23. Tired of waiting for government action, the two men are strengthening cultural identity through educational programs and activities... »

Shaun Greenhalgh, the convicted master antiquities forger who deceived museum experts into buying an obviously fake Amarna statue has been sentenced to pay £363,000 to the Bolton Museum. His elderly parents, both in their eighties have also been charged and found guilty. The statue was authenticated by experts at Christie’s and the British Museum as... »

A new museum located in front of the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan will exhibit forty mummified crocodiles, from the smallest specimens, 1.5 meters long, to the real giants of almost five meters of length. Crocodiles were worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. The god Sobek, for whom the Temple of Kom Ombo is... »

An all-Egyptian archaeological team, the first of its kind in the Valley of the Kings, has discovered that the tomb of pharaoh Seti I, the largest tomb in the valley, is bigger than originally believed. Giovanni Battista Belzoni, a charismatic circus man turned explorer and egyptologist, discovered the tomb of Seti I, father of Ramses... »