WE HAD NEVER TRAVELLED THIS FAR SOUTH BEFORE!
The Nile River, with a flow rate of 2,830 cubic meters per second and a total length of 6,650 kilometers, is the second-longest river in the world. It rises in the East African Great Lakes region in Burundi, spreads abundance across the lands it touches, continues north, and finally forms the Nile Delta near Cairo. Along this long journey, it brings prosperity to more than one hundred million people before reaching the Mediterranean. During our GOYA, we travelled south from Alexandria to Aswan, partly along the river and partly on it.
We have now reached the third article, in which I will describe our Upper Egypt GOYA. I must admit that I am not entirely sure where the story will lead, because Egypt, especially ancient Egypt, contains countless mysteries.
The name “Misr” in Arabic is written with the letters Mim, Sad and Ra. Egyptians refer to their country as “Misr” and some interpret these letters symbolically: Mim representing hardship, Sad representing patience and Ra representing prosperity. According to this interpretation, the letters correspond to the three major phases of Egyptian history. The first is associated with hardship, the second with patience and the third with prosperity. In reality, however, the word “misr” in Arabic simply means a large and spacious land. It was used in this sense by Muslim Arabs after the conquest. In Western languages, the name Egypt comes from the Coptic heritage of the ancient population through the word “Aigyptos.” It has no relation to the Turkish word for corn.
Egypt is a country that cannot be fully explored or described in a single visit. From time to time, we asked our guide political and cultural questions about the country. One question was: “Ancient Egypt seems to have disappeared suddenly. Its monuments remain, yet its people do not. Throughout history many nations and dynasties have ruled Egypt. Which of these do you feel you belong to?”
Our guide Dalya replied: “I am Egyptian, not Arab.” For example: https://www.quora.com/In-terms-of-ethnicity-do-Egyptians-view-themselves-as-Egyptians-or-Arabs
EGYPT TRIP FIRST STOP: ALEXANDRIA:https://muratulker.com/en/egypt-trip-first-stop-alexandria/
MUMMIES, PYRAMIDS, HORSES, CAMELS:https://muratulker.com/en/mummies-pyramids-horses-camels/
Dalya’s mother is Turkish and she speaks Turkish fluently. She was born and educated in Egypt and is married to an active Egyptian general. When I looked further into this topic, I saw that there is a lively public debate in Egypt about it. For example, on Quora, a well-known question and answer platform, someone asked: “Ethnically speaking, do Egyptians consider themselves Arab or Egyptian?” and many people contributed their views.
Do you think it’s absurd or meaningful to ask this question to a nation and state aspiring to lead the Arab world?
Those who defend this thesis say, “No. We are not Arabs. Even though Egyptian minds have been brainwashed by many governments to think so, and even though Sadat’s government went as far as renaming the country the Arab Republic of Egypt, that’s not the case.” They explain it in different ways. Let’s pick three: genetics, history, and culture.
Genetic: Many studies have been conducted on the genetic history of modern Egyptians. The findings suggest that Egyptians are not of Arab descent. Here are some links for reference: DNA analysis proves that Egyptians are not Arabs – Egypt Independent
National Geographic’s DNA Analysis Concludes that Egyptians are Only 17% Arab
History: The majority of Arabs who came to Egypt were soldiers; at no point in history did Arabs migrate to Egypt en masse. However, we do know that the pharaonic lineage migrated out of Egypt. When you compare the sheer size of the Egyptian population with that of all other Arab peoples, it doesn’t even warrant further commentary. There was no genocide against the Egyptian people either.
Language: Doesn’t the fact that Egyptians speak Arabic prove that Egyptians are Arabs? However, speaking a language doesn’t change where you’re from! Even genetics doesn’t work that way. When I learned German in high school, it didn’t change my genetic makeup or turn me into a German. Did the Umayyads Arabize Egypt? Mexican natives learned Spanish, Indians learned English, and even use it as an official language, but just as this doesn’t make them Spanish or English, speaking Arabic doesn’t make Egyptians Arab.
Culture: In recent centuries, Egyptian culture has actually been more influenced by Turkish culture than by Arab culture. Speaking of which, are you familiar with Arab culture? Let’s take Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest Arab countries, and compare it with Egypt. In everyday life, from music to clothing, the cultures are very different, and of course, the way people speak and social norms are also very different! For a thousand years, Egyptians have been greatly shaped by Islamic culture—first by the Arabs and later by the Turks, who held significant influence as ruling powers. The dynasty running Egypt, Muhammad Ali’s dynasty, they were Turkish; but in fact, the British set up today’s modern Egypt. The Ottomans, that is, the Turks, constituted the ruling class of Egypt for a long time. Lots of Egyptians I know trace some Turkish blood. Funny thing, everyone often claimed their grandmother was Turkish. Made me think, why not their grandfather? Later, I figured out: for Egyptian families, marrying the daughters of Ottoman officers on temporary duty in Egypt and thus being connected to the Turks was indeed a matter of pride. And I wondered, how much did they influence social life and culture?
In short, Egyptians have their own unique heritage, and they’re simply Egyptians. Now, let’s keep moving on our journey. Now, let’s keep moving on our journey.
Luxor City
The flight from Cairo to Luxor took 30 minutes. Luxor, a small city in southern Egypt with a population of around 1.5 million, is home to the famous Karnak and Luxor temples, as well as the Valley of the Kings. As soon as I arrived, I made a GOYA to various types of sales points of ours in different regions, in which the penetration, availability, and display standards were sufficient. In short, the team achieved the desired distribution success across all Egyptian cities. As a matter of fact, the reason I wanted a GOYA to Luxor, despite already leading the sector in Egypt, was because I believed our distribution and sales success in Cairo and nearby areas, where most of the consumption takes place, was not sufficient. After all, being the leader is tougher than getting there; just like Mustafa Kemal Pasha said during the War of Independence: “There is no defense line but a defense territory, and that territory is the whole of the motherland.”
In Luxor, we boarded a boat that would take us on a tour of the temples from Luxor to Aswan. I came up with the idea of a Nile cruise on this boat after an Egyptian investor I met in Sharm during the Covid pandemic offered, ‘Come spend a holiday on my boat.’ And I’m glad to do so. Our three-story boat had six comfortable, luxurious cabins and a kitchen on the lower deck, a master cabin and lounge with a saloon on the middle deck. The upper deck was completely dedicated to enjoying the view and sunbathing. The helm and helmsman were also here. In fact, as long as the weather conditions permitted, as well as our route, we had a chance to unfurl our mainsail.
The boat’s luxury also included its serene atmosphere. It was so quiet because we were being towed by a tugboat ahead of us, which meant we didn’t have a motor running. This was really comfortable, but navigating a busy, fast river like this required some extra skill. Our boat was very comfortable and furnished in an oriental style. Especially the master cabin seemed as if it was decorated for the last Egyptian King, Farouk. The luxury standard included more staff than the number of guests.
Rixos, with its tourism investments in Egypt, offered extra Turkish cuisine through its dedicated team. Fortunately, we had collectively decided to limit ourselves to just two meals a day as a precaution.
Now, we were going to cover a distance of over 200 km by boat.
The Nile River, with a flow rate of 2830 cubic meters of water and a length of 6650 km, is the second-longest river in the world. It originates in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, specifically in Burundi, and flows northward, spreading fertility across the country. It finally forms the “Nile Delta” near Cairo and, after bringing prosperity to over 100 million people, empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
Temples, Worshiping Dung Beetles, and the Unfinished Obelisk…
Karnak Temple
The first temple we visited was Karnak Temple. Before diving into Karnak Temple, I should share some insights gathered from reading and our guide’s explanations.
Ancient Egyptian mythology encompasses all the myths originating from ancient Egypt, depicting the deeds of Egyptian gods and serving as a way to understand the world within their beliefs. The beliefs originating from Egyptian myths are an important part of ancient Egyptian religion. Myths form the essence of ancient culture, used in Egyptian writings and art, especially in short stories, ritual texts, funeral ceremonies, and temple decorations. Temples in ancient times were once vibrant with color, but nowadays, their colorful elements are preserved only in select locations. Imagine colors that have not faded for thousands of years; commercially, that would be incredible.
In Egyptian culture, the central narratives revolve around events among their numerous gods, totaling around 2,000 in mythology. Some prominent figures include Heka, the god of magic and medicine; Hathor, the goddess of music, dance, and intoxication; Neith, the goddess of war; Amun, the god of sun and air; Horus, the god of the sky; and Anubis, the god of mummification, among others.
In Egyptian mythology, there are creatures like Aani, the dog-headed monkey; the Griffin, a mix of lion and eagle; Medjed, a type of whale shark; and the Sphinx, with a human head, lion body, and hawk wings. How much these myths still affect Egyptian culture today is worth exploring. Indeed, our superstitions, such as tying a cloth, avoiding urinating at night, sacrificing animals, and pouring lead to repel the evil eye, trace back to ancient pagan beliefs from Central Asian shamanism.
On the east bank of the Nile River near Luxor city, Karnak Temple sprawls over 1.2 million square meters. It consists of three main sacred areas dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. The Amun precinct alone covers 61,000 square meters, with the Great Hypostyle Hall occupying 54,000 square meters. Karnak Temple is said to have served as Egypt’s religious hub for approximately 2,000 years, though I’m not entirely sure what that implies exactly. Over time, Egyptian temples have been looted, demolished, and shaken by earthquakes. What we see today are restored sections.
The decoration of Karnak seems to involve more engraving than bas-relief. The Hypostyle Hall reportedly boasts around 134 columns. Karnak is adorned with about 8,000 votive offerings, 450 statues, and nearly 10 sphinxes. Inside Karnak Temple, numerous obelisks stand, with a similar one found in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square.
Parts of Karnak Temple were used as a church during Coptic rule. There is also an ancient mosque within the Karnak Temple complex, built on top of the temple because over the past thousands of years, the temple was buried underground, and people settled, unaware of what lay beneath their feet.
One of the things that surprised me greatly was the sacredness of the dung beetle in ancient Egypt. Even today, people circle it hoping their wishes will come true; I witnessed this at Karnak myself; how humbling!
The ancient Egyptian name for the dung beetle was “cheperer.” For the Egyptians, this beetle was a symbol of life and resurrection. This belief stemmed from the beetle’s ability to sense the Nile flood early and move away from the water. Clever beetle!
Luxor Temple
Our second stop was Luxor Temple. Built by Pharaoh Amenhotep III around 1350 BC, the temple was later expanded with various additions throughout different civilizations, including chapels, churches, and mosques.
Compared to Karnak, it is smaller in size, surrounded by palm trees, with nice lighting that comes on at sunset. One can wander among colossal columns, intriguing wall decorations, and large statues.
Papyrus Museum
The next morning, after breakfast, our guide Dalya escorted us to the Papyrus Museum, where she demonstrated how papyrus is made. She explained that the lotus flower represents Northern Egypt, while papyrus represents Southern Egypt. After all, it is hard to miss abundant traces of both papyrus and lotus flowers while touring the temples. Following the lesson on making paper from papyrus, we examined souvenir versions of Egyptian wall art made from papyrus. What caught our attention most was what Dalya, our guide, likely referred to as the world’s first wedding invitation made from papyrus.
Valley of the Artisans
Our next destination was the village known as the “Valley of the Artisans,” once inhabited by the workers who constructed the tombs. This place, in Arabic Deril-Medina, meaning “city monastery”, seemed very interesting to me. More than 400 skilled craftsmen and their families lived in this village to construct the pharaohs’ tombs and pyramids, the information of which comes from papyri discovered by archaeologists. The village consists of a main street with 70 houses and around 50 additional structures surrounding it.
The houses were rather rudimentary compared to today’s apartments: they consisted of a reception room, a second room, a study, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a downstairs, with a flat roof terrace. Colored plastered walls adorned the houses, with various personal items, jars, and grain grinding mills found in the kitchens. They have also created a model of these houses. Three tombs belonging to the villagers can be visited: Pashedu, Inherkhau, and the most beautiful one, Sennedjem. The tombs were a bit cramped, and even though it was early April, the weather was quite hot. I only visited one of them, with the tomb walls featuring very colorful depictions. I have attached a video of the village model.
Temple of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut, pronounced in English as “hotchickensoup,” reigned in Ancient Egypt between 1479-1485 BC during the golden age of the 18th Dynasty. She is renowned as the first known female pharaoh in history, celebrated for her courage in assuming a traditionally male role. Queen Hatshepsut, an extraordinary figure, brought about a prosperous era in Ancient Egypt marked by significant commercial and architectural advancements, despite being perceived as militarily weaker. Her temple complex, rising in Upper Egypt, stands as the most striking funerary complex built since the Old Kingdom, noted for its intricate detail.
The temple structure includes three large terraces connected by staircases and ramps. Particularly noteworthy are the drawings carved into the walls, including depictions of the divine birth of Queen Hatshepsut. The temple is considered one of the most significant religious centers of Ancient Egypt.
In Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple, located on the second level, there is the Chapel of Anubis. Anubis, the god of funerary practices and care of the dead, is depicted with the head of a jackal.
Anubis is seated on a small pedestal throne. Although the colors in most temples have often faded, it’s still possible to imagine their original vibrancy. The mineral pigments used by the Egyptians were more durable than plant-based ones, which explains their longevity.
The statue of Osiris stands in front of one of the columns on the third level of Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple. Osiris is the god of fertility, resurrection, and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology. He is typically depicted wrapped like a mummy, holding a scepter, and symbolizing his control over nature. This statue of Osiris reflects the delicate features of Queen Hatshepsut, wearing the Double Crown of Egypt and a ceremonial false beard, symbols of divinity.
At the entrance and exit of each temple, small markets have sprung up, where thankfully our products take pride of place. The situation was no different at the Temple of Hatshepsut. As I’ve mentioned before, we lead with our Ülker and McVitie’s brands in the Egyptian market. These small markets offer all sorts of souvenirs. But remember to bargain; you often end up paying half of the initially quoted price. Interestingly, you’ll find many counterfeit football jerseys of famous players for sale as well. Football is as beloved in Egypt as it is in our country.
Valley of the Kings
We entered the Valley of the Kings with our guide, scanning our tickets. It’s said that there are 62 tombs of pharaohs here, and with the ticket price paid, you can visit only three tombs. Following our guide’s recommendation, we just visited the tomb of Ramses IX. Excavations are still ongoing, and as they uncover new finds, the count of tombs keeps going up.
Dating back approximately 500 years from the 16th to the 11th century BCE, this valley served the kings and nobles of the New Kingdom. The Valley of the Kings, with its tombs including that of Tutankhamun and dozens of other fascinating monuments, is truly an astonishing place.
During the reign of Ramses, the Valley of the Queens became the burial place for the pharaohs’ wives. Most of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings were constructed using limestone and typically consist of three corridors, an entrance hall, and a burial chamber carved deeper underground. These underground tombs were difficult to rob due to their secrecy. To protect against thieves, priests during the 21st Dynasty moved the remains of many pharaohs here. The construction of a tomb reportedly took about 6 years.
Now on the 6th day of our Egypt trip, we are progressing towards Esna by boat. Along the way, we had another unique experience in Esna: The Lock Gate. This is a kind of dam system designed to regulate the flow of water at different levels of the river. To ensure uninterrupted navigation on the river, the pool, acting like an elevator, raises the boat inside when filled with water, and lowers it when the water is emptied. The exceptionally large hotel-like cruise ships barely fit into these two pools, and the operations are swiftly executed. That night, after waiting for a few hours in line, we managed to get into the pools. While my friends were sleeping, I climbed onto the deck and watched this interesting technical event in detail. Experiencing such a thing at midnight was quite fascinating.
We spent the night in Esna, and after breakfast the next morning, we visited the Temple of Edfu.
Temple of Horus
Edfu is located 60 km north of Aswan. The Temple of Horus is considered the city’s most significant temple and is believed to have been constructed during the 2nd Intermediate Period. The construction of the inscriptions, reliefs, and additional structures in this temple took 180 years. The Temple of Edfu resembles traditional Egyptian temples of the New Kingdom. Some Greek elements, such as the birth house of the royal family (Mamisi), have also been added.
The entrance area consists of a courtyard and a chapel. The walls of the Mamisi are decorated with reliefs depicting the divine birth of Horus, held by the goddess Hathor and the god Khnum, as well as reliefs showing other gods associated with pregnancy and childbirth.
Another remarkable feature provided in the temple is the Nilometer. This device, which measures the flooding of the Nile, consists of a well and a channel/tunnel leading to the Nile River. Priests would descend into the well to measure how many steps the water had risen.
Kom Ombo Temple
After visiting the Temple of Horus, we set sail by boat to the city of Kom Ombo. In the evening, there was again an open buffet on the boat, but now our portions had shrunk considerably due to both the heat and exhaustion. After all, we decided to retire early. While it’s not very early in the morning, we hit the road around 9:30-10:00. Now, it’s time for Kom Ombo Temple, and we’re nearing Aswan.
The word “Kom” means “small hill” in Arabic, and in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, “Ombo” translates to “gold,” hence “Golden Hill.” Interestingly, during that era, silver was less abundant and considered more valuable than gold.
The city, historically serving as an advanced outpost near Egypt’s southern border, dates back to the time of the ancient pharaohs. Known as “Nubt” in ancient Egypt, meaning “City of Gold,” it retained its function through the Hellenistic and Roman periods despite name changes. The Greeks renamed it Omboi, while the Romans called it Ambo. Today, the city is renowned for its magnificent temple that still stands.
The temple is dedicated to the gods Sobek (the crocodile) and Horus (the falcon). It is also known as the “Crocodile House” (Sobek) and the “Falcon Castle” (Horus). There is significant archaeological evidence indicating settlement in the area since pre-dynastic times, with Old Kingdom tombs found nearby, but the current temple was constructed during the Hellenistic period after Alexander the Great, taking approximately 100 years to complete.
In the early days of Christianity, the temple was converted into a Coptic church, leading to the destruction of many reliefs and the removal of temple stones for use in construction materials.
In ancient Egypt, animals associated with gods were considered sacred and protected, receiving great respect. Upon their deaths, these animals received elaborate and expensive funeral ceremonies commensurate with their owners’ social status, and even temples were built in their honour. Many crocodiles have been found mummified in Egypt, presenting an exceptionally eerie appearance. At one time, numerous crocodiles roamed inside and around this temple. Over 300 crocodile mummies were discovered at the Kom Ombo Temple, and these mummies are now exhibited at the Crocodile Museum adjacent to the temple.
Kom Ombo Temple was reputedly known for its healing powers, and ancient Egyptians visited the temple for treatments.
On the evening of the 7th day, we continued towards our final destination, Aswan. After breakfast the next morning, we visited the Aswan Dam, which spans 3 kilometers in length and stands 11 meters tall, built with earth embankments. There was a buffet there mainly featuring local products, including our own. The owner recognized me, wanted to take a selfie, and asked how I found the arrangement/display. He said, “We’ve been waiting for you for three days.” After catching my breath, we turned in the opposite direction we had come from, allowing us to see more of the surroundings. The dam is truly a magnificent structure, built with the help of the Russians during the Nasser era. The story of its construction is a good example of how elements we sometimes call the “whole West” can be pragmatic and selfish. We faced similar challenges in the construction of the Keban Dam and the GAP project. I remember reading a report from Europeans arguing that the dams we built were a natural disaster and should even be abandoned.
The Unfinished Obelisk
The Unfinished Obelisk, now lying in the northern quarries of Aswan inside the city, would have been the largest and tallest obelisk ever constructed in ancient Egypt if completed. Unfortunately, it cracked and split while being carved out of its bedrock, leading to its abandonment. Thus, it serves as evidence of how this process was carried out. You can sense that the obelisk is almost buried within the granite rock and shaped by carving around it to extract it. Deep grooves were initially cut around it, into which tightly fitting wooden wedges were inserted. When these wedges were watered, they expanded, cracking and separating the stone. The numerous adjacent grooves created small fissures that formed the rock into the desired shape. Archaeologists believe that ancient Egyptians used dolerite, a harder rock than granite, to cut stone. To me, it seems like a lifelong task! However, these were things they could do to demonstrate a king’s power: building pyramids, erecting obelisks, and so on. Perhaps they intended to engage and organize the people, thereby feeding and guiding them more easily.
This unfinished obelisk is believed to have been started during Queen Hatshepsut’s reign in the 15th century BC and then abandoned. As you can clearly see from the pic, it has been sitting in the same place for exactly 3500 years.
The entire quarry is now an open-air museum.
There’s an excellent article in the Tübitak magazine that explains the purposes of obelisks and details their transportation methods. You can check it out here:
After the quarry, our path led us to a small market where we could shop for souvenirs and mementos. The spice shops were particularly fascinating. We even saw a handloom in action and snapped a photo with the weaver. Of course, I opted for yellow and navy-blue colors. 😊
And finally, here we are at the end of our Egyptian GOYA. Wouldn’t you visit the Sofitel Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan from the 19th century, where Agatha Christie was hosted by King Fuad? Everyone must have thought the same because there’s an entrance fee, but they waive it if you dine there.
It was a long but fruitful trip, albeit a bit exhausting. I can say we now have a better understanding of Egypt, its people, and its cultures, and we can distinguish between Ancient Egypt and Modern Egypt much better. I hope you found it beneficial, too. After all, you can’t do business without getting to know each other first. And if life’s purpose is to MAKEHAPPYBEHAPPY, why skip a GOYA?
This interview was originally published on June 19, 2024.
Note: This article, which is open sourced, can be cited by mentioning the author. Copyright not required.
