Travel Notes·Egypt|Looking for the Lost Civilization
I finally made my way north and arrived in Lower Egypt.
The most shocking thing about the loss of Egyptian civilization is the loss of race and blood. In other words, where are the descendants of the talented people who built the pyramids, the Queen's Palace, the Valley of the Kings, and the Temple of the Sun? The capital, Cairo, and other cities are mainly an Arab world, which is the result of conquest after the seventh century AD; the second largest city, Alexandria, has so many white people, which is the result of European conquest. These people walking under the pyramid are actually outsiders like us, but they came a little earlier than us. The ancient culture of Egypt is unfamiliar to us, and neither is it to them.
——Yu Qiuyu
I received many warm reminders before visiting Egypt. In short, they told me to be mentally prepared and pay attention to safety.
Before leaving, I wrote a sentence in the memo on my phone:
I have said that it was Mr. Yu Qiuyu's words that gave me the desire to visit Egypt in my lifetime, so I must come to see her.
If we really only have a one-time relationship, then I want to see the glorious civilization, and I also want to see the lost civilization.
So, I went to Cairo and Alexandria in Lower Egypt and got four tickets worth remembering forever - in order to find the lost civilization.
The crystallization of wisdom beyond the imagination of the earth
●Constructed from about 2631 BC to 2498 BC
●The most mature representative of the ancient Egyptian pyramids
●Mainly composed of the Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Sphinx
●The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest existing pyramid in Egypt and is known as one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World"
I am no stranger to the word pyramid, but when I am actually standing on the land of Egypt and about to see it, I am still so excited.
However, it is not as mysterious as imagined.
At least you can see them from the hotel.
On the weekend, many Egyptians also came from all over to visit the pyramids.
On the endless yellow sand, with the blue sky as the curtain, a group of gray-white artificial mountains are like stars in the sky. This is the crystallization of the blood and tears of millions of ancient Egyptian slaves under primitive conditions.
The Great Pyramid is 146 meters high. The tower body is made of 2.3 million stones. Each stone weighs an average of 2.5 tons, and the largest one weighs 160 tons. Some scholars estimate that if these stones were chipped, a road one foot wide could be paved. , which can roughly circle the earth once.
There is no cement or other adhesive between the stones of the tower, but one stone is stacked on top of another. Each huge stone has been perfectly cut and polished for thousands of years. Even so, it is difficult for people to insert a sharp blade into the gaps between the stones.
It is said that it took 100,000 people 30 years to build it.
Except for the lion's claws, which are made of stone, the entire Sphinx is carved out of a huge natural rock. It has a history of more than 4,500 years.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, lions were the guardians of various mysterious places and the gates to the underworld. Because the Pharaoh wanted to become the sun god after his death, such a sphinx was built to guard the door for the Pharaoh.
The sunset in front of the pyramid does not seem tragic.
Because here, disappearance and fall create miracles instead.
The resting place of the soul of ancient Egyptian civilization
●The most famous and largest ancient Egyptian cultural relics museum in the world
●The purpose of construction is to prevent the excavated Egyptian national treasures from flowing abroad.
●Mainly focused on cultural relics from the Pharaonic period, it is also known as the “Pharaoh Museum”
The museum is a two-story red marble building decorated with white marble stone carvings, which is very exotic.
Planted in the courtyard are lotus leaves, representing ancient Upper Egypt, and papyrus, the world's oldest paper-making material, representing Lower Egypt.
The design of the museum entrance incorporates the characteristics of ancient Egyptian art: the outer outline of the door is a circular arch, and the niches on both sides of the arch have a European-style relief of the pharaoh. One of them holds a papyrus, and the other Holding lotus flowers, respectively symbolizing the north and south of ancient Egypt.
The two relief sculptures placed together here are full of profound meaning.
The first floor of the museum displays precious cultural relics from the Old Kingdom (2686 BC to 2181 BC) to the Roman rule in the fifth and sixth centuries AD in order of the development of Egypt's ancient history.
In the lobby on the first floor, the most eye-catching is the largest statue in the Egyptian Museum - the group of colossi of Amenhotep III.
The Colossus is 10 meters high, even higher than the museum's entrance, because it was already here before the museum was built.
The "Khafra" statue unearthed in Giza, Egypt, is a model of the early sculpture art style of ancient Egypt. The carving art at that time was very developed, but it must follow certain precepts, which archaeologists call the "frontal law": the pharaoh looked straight ahead, with a beard symbolizing authority under his chin, his arms close to his body, and his hands placed With your knees together, make a fist with your right hand. The quiet expression and solemn posture maintain the majesty and sanctity of royal power, reflecting permanent dominance. The condor Hors is located behind the Pharaoh's head, with its wings spread, protecting the Pharaoh.
The "Prince Rahotep and His Wife Nophlet" statue group represents the significant distinction between men's skin color and women's in ancient Egyptian art, and has an important position in the history of art.
The statue of "Capel" (meaning village chief) which is said to have scared people to death.
It is famous for its natural and expressive appearance. You can see the old village chief’s double chin, neck fat and beer belly. In particular, the copper eyelids are inlaid with white quartz and crystal stones, making them full of soul.
Scribe Statue - Cross-legged "Scribe" on 200 Egyptian pounds.
In ancient Egypt, scribes were a profession with a high social status. Because they could write, they were an important element in the operation of the entire country's bureaucracy.
Sitting cross-legged with a papyrus scroll unfolded on the knees for writing was the standard form of ancient Egypt until the end of the dynasty.
The second floor of the museum is a special exhibition room. Including the coffin room, mummy room, jewelry room, painting room, funerary objects room, prehistoric relic room, Tutankhamen room, papyrus room, etc.
Papyrus paintings hang on the walls of the stairs leading to the second floor.
See a 3,500-year-old mummy with your own eyes.
On the lid and inside of the human-shaped coffin in which the mummy was stored, there were paintings of the deceased's patron saint or scriptures.
If you muster up the courage to take a closer look, you will see that their facial features are clear, and perhaps their souls have really not left.
The ancient Egyptians firmly believed that the soul would not die after death, but would still be attached to the corpse. Therefore, they attached great importance to the preservation of corpses, and mummification gradually became a trend.
Mummification is quite complex and the entire process takes 70 days. After the corpse was washed, the brain was removed from the nasal cavity and the internal organs were removed from a small incision in the abdomen and stored in a funeral urn for permanent preservation.
The intestines, stomach, liver, and lungs of the mummy will be put into four jars. The chest and abdominal cavities will also be completely processed (because the internal organs of the human body contain a large number of bacteria and are most susceptible to decay) and then stuffed with antiseptic spices to express respect for the deceased. of respect.
However, the human body contains five internal organs, but only four internal organs were dug out and put into jars. Only the mummy's heart was not removed.
Because the ancient Egyptians believed that the heart is the seat of the soul and records all the good and bad deeds of a person's life. It will be analyzed as data during a death ceremony in the post-mortem judgment.
In the Egyptian view of life and death, people need to be judged on their way to the underworld after death. The "Book of the Dead" mentions that when an individual dies, Anubis, the God of Death, will bring a steelyard and use the feathers of the God of Truth to weigh the heart. If the heart is heavier than the feathers, it means that the deceased was greedy and committed many evil deeds. , his heart will be taken out and thrown to the waiting monster Amit to be eaten (Amit's shape is: the mouth of a crocodile, the upper body of a lion, and the lower body of a hippopotamus. These three animals are the most ferocious animals in Africa. ). If the heart of the deceased is eaten, he cannot be resurrected. If the heart is lighter than a feather, it means that you were kind and fair in life, did not cut off the Nile water, did not steal other people's property, etc., and can enter reincarnation and be resurrected.
The treasures of Ebo's museum are undoubtedly Tutankhamun's golden mask and golden coffin.
The golden coffin is made of 204 kilograms of pure gold and is the most exquisite and greatest gold product in human history.
Young Pharaoh Tutankhamun died at the age of 18. After his death, the royal family used a three-layer coffin to bury his body. The National Museum of Egypt in Cairo houses the innermost and outermost coffins. The outside of the golden coffin is painted with colorful paint and the carvings are exquisite, which has a very high aesthetic value.
Tutankhamun was not allowed to take pictures in his room, only souvenirs were taken outside the door. From his diary, he had seen the most glorious treasures in ancient Egyptian civilization.
Standing on the second floor with the widest view, I can’t help but sigh:
There is probably no other country in the world that can fill an entire museum with just its own civilization like Egypt.
Past and present life witnessed by the Mediterranean
●Formerly known as the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancients, it was damaged by two major earthquakes in the 14th century.
●In 1480 AD, stones from the lighthouse ruins were used to build a castle at the original site of the lighthouse.
In 330 BC, the arrogant Macedonian king Alexander the Great captured Egypt and established a city named after him at the northwest end of the Nile Delta, on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. In the next 100 years, it became the capital of Egypt, one of the most prosperous cities in the world, and the largest and most important international transshipment port in the entire Mediterranean world and the Middle East.
The ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria are located on Pharos Island near Alexandria, Egypt.
Later, the new Egyptian rulers moved the capital to Cairo and the lighthouse began to fall into disrepair. In the great earthquake of 956 AD, the lighthouse was severely damaged. After this, two major earthquakes in 1303 and 1323 almost destroyed the entire lighthouse.
In 1480 AD, in order to prevent Turkish invasion, King Ketbe of Egypt ordered to use the stones from the lighthouse site to build a castle on the original site of the lighthouse, and named it after himself.
View of the Mediterranean Sea through the soldier's lookout window in the castle.
Outside the castle.
People behind the city wall look at the people in front of the city wall and look at the sea.
Today, Alexandria on the other side may no longer need the guidance of a lighthouse and the protection of a castle.
But she will not forget that this land has been waiting for Alexandria for thousands of years.
Rebirth from the ashes of the source of civilization
● was founded by Ptolemy I (about 367 BC-283 BC) and flourished under Ptolemy II and Ptolemy III
●One of the oldest libraries in the world, the first and largest comprehensive library in the ancient world
●Destroyed by two fires successively
●Rebuilt on the old site in 1995
It is said that the only purpose of building the Library of Alexandria was to realize the dream of a "collection of world knowledge". Therefore, kings of all dynasties have adopted all means for this purpose: ordering a search of every ship entering the port of Alexandria. As long as a book is found, regardless of nationality, it will be returned immediately. Enter the Library of Alexandria. Yatu quickly became the greatest library in early human history.
However, the two wars burned all traces of the source of civilization. Not even a stone was left.
The Alexandria Library I saw on the Mediterranean Sea is already very modern.
The external circular building tilted towards the Mediterranean Sea not only recalls the circular port in ancient times, but also reminds us of the appearance of the universe. It is both modern and has a strong sense of history.
The outer granite cultural wall is engraved with texts, letters and symbols of the world's 50 oldest languages, including Chinese characters.
The reading hall of the library was packed.
The reading hall is a 160-meter-diameter sloping building like an ancient Roman amphitheater, supported by 600 piles standing in an orderly manner.
The steel-framed glass roof and the square lenses on the column tops diffuse the incoming light and constantly change with the movement of sunlight.
I deliberately visited the oldest library in the world with my first book, which I wrote when I was twenty, and was fortunate enough to get the seal of the Library of Alexandria.
Civilization will never die, it will be succeeded by successive generations.
Relics are a form of power that once existed, but they are not real forces. When the power has disappeared, the culture carried by the relics actually no longer exists. And the greater the power of ancient times, the more sad this loss is. You see, the power of the pyramid is unimaginable, so the weakness of future generations is even more intolerable.
——Yu Qiuyu
The roads in Cairo are mostly filled with old cars that should have been scrapped elsewhere.
White vans are also common taxis in Egypt and cost only 1 Egyptian pound per person.
There are many more types of transportation.
On the streets and alleys.
In the middle of the road.
There are still people living in the dilapidated houses with graffiti.
The four lanes on the road can accommodate six vehicles in parallel, so there are always traffic jams.
The desolate cityscape of Cairo.
Even at night, the sparse lights in the distance cannot hide its desolation.
As one of the top ten legendary railway stations in the world, Ramses Railway Station is always crowded and difficult to travel.
The interior structure of the train station is truly stunning.
Like a scene from an Indian movie.
Ride with the Egyptians to Alexandria.
First class ticket.
However, the name is not worthy of the name.
But if it's not first class.
The distance from Cairo to Alexandria is less than 200 kilometers, and the train takes almost 3 hours.
The taxi was very short and the tall driver looked funny sitting in it.
Our suitcases jolted all the way around in the trunk, which had to be opened.
There are almost no traffic lights on the main roads in Alexandria, and crossing the road is a life-and-death experience.
Passing by a hotel in Alexandria.
Of course, these are not as good as the small traders and hawkers under the pyramid who are always ready to "take advantage of the situation".
No one can pay attention to it, and no one who seems to have good intentions can believe it. Because if you are not careful, you will cause a "big event" worth $200.
By the light of the pyramids, many Egyptians made fortunes.
When I arrived in Egypt, there were soldiers and police everywhere, armed with live ammunition. Because in November 1997, terrorists killed 64 foreign tourists at once, Egypt's tourism industry collapsed, directly threatening the entire country's economy. Because tourism accounts for a large proportion of Egypt's national economy, other economic projects also depend on it.
Please note that the so-called tourism industry in Egypt relies on the ancient Egyptian culture thousands of years ago to attract the attention of others and feed future generations. What people can get away with are the relics of ancient culture. If they don't let them go, they won't get anything out of them. This is really pitiful. I wonder how those ancient giants hiding in sculptures and lying in tombs would sigh when they see that their descendants have no intention of making a living other than torturing themselves.
——Yu Qiuyu
The most disappointing moment for me in Egypt was probably when I was about to leave Luxor. The moment I got in the car and closed the door, a little boy outside the car window saw me in the car and shouted at me expressionlessly asking for one dollar.
I think of the deceitful traders and hawkers under the pyramid. They are all young people with sound hands and feet.
The development of tourism has made people who should be the pillars of the country become idle and idle. This is probably the loss of race and blood.
As the gentleman said, if the Pharaoh knew that future generations would act like this, his heart that had not been removed would probably feel a dull pain.
However, the end point of searching for a lost civilization must not be to leave with loss.
But to see hope in the search.
In the most famous mosque in Cairo, an old man with a white beard is praying devoutly.
I had the privilege of hearing the Quran recited.
At that moment, I really felt that my soul was so pure.
Perhaps God was also moved by this singing, and the sky cleared up after the rain.
Reflection of the mosque.
Wandering around Khalili Market, the largest open-air market in Cairo, businessmen said in naive Chinese, "Take a look, it's free."
They don't lie.
If the product you want is not available in this store, the boss will tell you "Sorry, I don't have it." Then he will take you to a store he knows where you can buy it, even if it is far away.
A narrow alleyway famous for its beautiful and elegant stone arcades.
A store that is both mysterious and dreamy.
It is said that the Egyptian novelist and Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz used to frequent the cafes in the market.
Then enjoy a cup of mango juice or hot chocolate at the cafe in the center of the market.
The perfume seller said in broken Chinese that there is only one Egypt, so don’t regret it.
After leaving Egypt, I realized what he meant by this sentence:
Maybe you will only come to Egypt once in your life, so please take everything you can with you.
If you had not come to Al-Azhar Park, it would be hard to imagine that there is such a clean and beautiful place in Cairo.
Even the city view has become much more beautiful.
It’s even better to enjoy good food and great views in the best restaurants.
Compared to Cairo, Alexandria has a completely different feel.
Enjoy breakfast while looking at the Mediterranean Sea.
In Alexandria, the most common thing you see is people sitting by the Mediterranean Sea and blowing the sea breeze.
Spend time in twos and threes, or think about life alone.
When I traveled to the Red Sea, I said that only after seeing the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria did I know how quiet the Red Sea is.
Walk along the Mediterranean shore and let the wind blow your hair.
Mediterranean brides and stunning weather will forgive wild wind and waves.
Find a random beachside cafe and watch the locals smoke shisha.
Then enjoy a delicious and inexpensive lunch on tablecloths that are blown by the sea breeze at any time.
These experiences are great. It is enough to relieve my occasional disappointment during the journey.
But the best experience during my trip to Egypt was the warmth and kindness I felt from the Egyptians.
In Khalili Market, when we asked about the location of the restroom, a shop assistant enthusiastically took us to the restroom in a circuitous way. Without him, we might not have been able to find it for an hour.
On our last night in Cairo, we were going to take another look at the Egyptian Museum. An old gentleman told me that it would be better to come tomorrow and explained that he meant no harm and that he was a teacher.
In the buffet restaurant on the Nile cruise, the chef guy asked me my name, and he actually remembered it when he said hello to me the next day.
In the seafood restaurant, the cats lingering around us smelled fishy and made us restless. The old man at the table next to us kept silently chasing them away.
On the side of the road without traffic lights, we had difficulty crossing the road and asked two girls for help. The girls immediately took our hands and said to us ‘Don’t worry’ while leading us across the border.
On our last day in Alexandria, we went to a very famous local restaurant, but were told that it would not open until 2 hours later. We expressed our difficulty in leaving Alexandria soon. After knowing this, the boss readily agreed to cook for us immediately.
At the Alexandria train station, I asked a girl where the entrance was. The girl helped me pick up my luggage, buy my ticket, and didn't leave until she put me on the train.
During the more than ten days in Egypt, I heard "Welcome to Egypt" countless times, countless Egyptians warmly invited me to take photos, and I received the kindness and favors of countless Egyptian friends.
Egyptians say they like the Chinese very much because the Chinese are hard-working, punctual and willing to work hard.
But I think the Egyptians are also very worthy of liking.
Just because they are simple, kind and friendly is enough.
I think these qualities are the hope of this country and this civilization.
What's more, Egyptian civilization was not lost by them.
That’s why I can look up at the height of infinite wisdom and power under the Great Pyramid of Giza.
That’s why I was able to receive the blessings of the Sun God on the Aswan Dam.
That’s why I was able to catch a glimpse of the majesty of Ramses II at the Abu Simbel Temple.
So I was able to sit on the top of the boat and get close to the original Nubian village.
That’s why I was able to see the beautiful sunset on the Nile River cruise.
That’s why I was able to walk among the 134 stone pillars of the Karnak Temple in Luxor.
That’s why I can embrace the silence and blue in the Red Sea.
That’s why I was able to take pictures of the clear sky at the Kasbah Resort in Hurghada.
That’s why I can be on the Mediterranean side of Alexandria, blowing the sea breeze, and overlooking the miraculous ruins.
That’s why I was able to fall once again into the net of One Thousand and One Nights in Cairo.
There is an ancient Egyptian proverb: "Whoever drinks the water of the Nile will definitely return to Egypt again."
I think this is the Egyptians' oath to protect the civilization of their country.
Although I have never drank from the Nile, I hope that one day I will return to Egypt.
Next time, I will no longer want to see her past, but to see the new world created by the Egyptian people today that is comparable to the glorious ancient Egyptian dynasty.
If Pharaoh is resurrected one day, he must see that a group of hard-working and brave young people no longer worship him as a god, but they have a new and firm belief in Islam and live calmly and kindly.
No one can live in the past.
Go create a new world.
see once. Many thanks.
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