Why not combine a Nile trip with learning more about Pharaonic life and traditions and also seeing Karnak Temple and Tutankhamen's tomb without going to Luxor? You can do this by visiting the Pharaonic Village located in el-Bahr el-Azam Street, Giza, your destination being a complete replica of an Ancient Egyptian village. The concept of the 'Pharaonic Village', as envisaged by its founder, the distinguished engineer diplomat, late Dr Hassan Ragab, was to show life in an ancient Egyptian village around 2000 BC. The village was originally developed as a papyrus plantation. In 1966, following many years of research, Dr Ragab had rediscovered how the ancient Egyptians made paper from the papyrus plant, which had become virtually extinct in Egypt. He acquired a large strip of land known as Jacob's Island and used it to grow papyrus. The work on the village started in 1977; canals were dug and waterways were made in the island. The Pharaonic Village was inaugurated in 1984. The Nile journey into the village begins with sailing in a large open boat taking the visitors thousands of years back into the past, their time trip aided by the five thousand trees that surround the island, blocking out views of the modern world outside from the island. The trees planted are weeping willows, sycomore figs and date palms; trees easily identified in tomb paintings as part of everyday ancient Egyptian life. The recorded voice of the guide describing what you see helps the visitors to imagine the life at that period. There are statues of gods and goddesses like Neilos, the river-god of Egypt, the god of the afterlife, the underworld and the dead Osiris and Isis, a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Also represented are Amun, the local deity of Thebes, Akhnatun, a monotheistic pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty who ruled for 17 years, and the great Ramses II who ruled Egypt for 67 years. People wearing Pharaonic clothes re-enact the crafts and occupations of this Pharaonic era including using bricks in building their houses, making glass of different colours, the mummification process which take 40-70 days, sculpting statues, carpentry, perfumery and making paper from papyrus. The Nile journey culminates in wine-making. One is then astonished to find a replica of the central part of the Karnak Temple complex. "Welcome to Luxor!" says the guide Marwa Abdel-Rahman, smiling. This replica enables the visitor to examine the detail of this astonishing temple complex. There is another reconstruction of a nobleman's house. It was known by his chariot in front of the house and the garden in which there must be papyrus plants and the sycomore fig tree. Opposite is a peasant's home, in which there is only one room for all the family. The housewife sits most of the day grinding grain. The most stunning replica in the village is that of Tutankhamun's celebrated tomb. Dr Ragab and a team of archaeologists, engineers, and architects, together with specially selected Egyptian craftsmen, used the notes of Howard Carter, the archaeologist discoverer of the original tomb, to faithfully reproduce the entire tomb, down to the tiniest piece of treasure that had been placed with the boy king. Once the visitor enters the tomb, which is air-conditioned, decending the 16 steps like those in the real tomb, will experience the same thrill of excitement felt by Carter and Lord Carnarvon, when they first entered the tomb in 1922, after six long years of searching. Most of the replicated artefacts made for the replica tomb were made entirely by hand using the same techniques that had made the originals, as Dr Ragab insisted that the replicas be made as indistinguishable from the originals as possible. Many of these artefacts took years to create at enormous cost, but every single item is reproduced from the silver and gold jewellery to the great golden throne to the alabaster canopic jars. There are many museums in the village, such as that devoted to mummification, which demonstrates all the stages of this ancient Egyptian art. Another represents the Islamic era, which includes photos and models of Al-Azhar Mosque, Al-Quds, Mohamed Ali Mosque and other Islamic sites, as well as intricate Arabesque work. There is also the Coptic museum which tells the story of Christianity in Egypt. The Modern Egypt exhibition includes statues and stories from the reign of Mohamed Aly Pasha from 1805 until the July 23 revolution in 1952. This museum is very rich in exhibits as it has a fascinating royal décor, an account of 52 notables of this era (khedives, sultans, kings, politicians, artists, intellectuals etc.) with 38 busts and more than 150 photos and portraits. There is a museum dedicated to former president the late Gamal Abdel-Nasser including his personal belongings. It is filled to the ceiling with black and white photographs of the late president in the company of major politicians such as Yasser Arafat and Fidel Castro, and celebrities like boxer Mohamed Ali. A glass case contains Nasser's old radio and fragments of a moon rock immobilised in a plastic bubble, which was given to him as a present by America. The late Anwar el-Sadat, who became president of Egypt on Abdel-Nasser's death in 1970 and ruled until his assassination in 1981, is the subject of another museum. It presents an overview of his life and accomplishments and displays his personal belongings from his toothpaste and toothbrush to his nightshirt and wedding photos. The visitor can wear pharaonic costumes and take photos dressed in them and also buy beautiful souvenirs.
The Pharaonic Village, 3 el-Bahr el-Azam Street, Giza is open daily from 9am to 5pm and tickets are available at the entrance.
