TravelVideo's monthly antiquities news round-up. Containing...

• Night visits to Temple of Horus allowed as of New Year.
• Egypt restores world's oldest wall made of mud bricks.
• Mummy dating back to 6th dynasty in Saqqara discovered.
• Restoration project of el Gurna tombs.
• 20th dynasty tablet unearthed.

Antiquity News from Egypt January 2007, TravelVideo.TV, Ontario, Canada, January 11, 2007.

... as well as a promo reel of the animated "Princess of the Sun," the first adaptation of a book about the young Tutankhamun and Nefertiti.

Pic will get its world premiere at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids later this year, courtesy of distributor Good News Group...

Directed by Philippe Leclerc and with a release date of April 04, 2007.

Rendezvous offers wealth of French fare, Alison James, Variety International, Paris, January 11, 2007.

Not a trace remains of the Seven Wonders — with the exception of the Pyramids — of the ancient world.

Meanwhile, the New 7 Wonders Foundation, a privately funded organisation, carried out a survey and recently short listed 21 landmarks worldwide of which Seven Wonders of the Modern World will be nominated. The official declaration will be made in Lisbon, Portugal on July 7, 2007, i.e. on the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of the millennium. The 21 landmarks include the Coliseum in Rome, the city of Petra in Jordan, Stonehenge in England, the Great Wall of China, the Acropolis in Athens, Alhambra in Spain, the Kremlin and the Taj Mahal. The Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Sydney Opera House are among the modern candidates. Former UNESCO chief Fredrico Mayor has selected a committee to decide on the top seven. But there is controversy in the air as the Great Pyramids of Giza are on the list. Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni told the Middle East News Agency (MENA) that the Pyramids needed no proof of its status as a wonder of the world. "This competition is only an attempt to snatch the spotlight," the minister said, adding no one had contacted any Egyptian official for a meeting on this issue. Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass told MENA that the vote had "no legal, scientific, or official capacity".

Pyramids one of wonders of modern world as well?, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, January 16, 2007.

When beauty, charm, power and influence are combined in one person, what you get is Nefertiti, the wife of the 18th Dynasty ruler Akhenaten. In hieroglyphics, her name meant 'The beauty coming'. Her name wasn't just beautiful; she too was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman in Ancient Egypt.

When beauty, charm, power and influence are combined in one person, what you get is Nefertiti, the wife of the 18th Dynasty ruler Akhenaten. In hieroglyphics, her name meant 'The beauty coming'. Her name wasn't just beautiful; she too was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman in Ancient Egypt. Her husband, the first monotheist in history, bestowed upon her the title of 'heiress' in a clear reference to his wish to have her on the throne. According to inscriptions on the walls of temples in Akhetaten (now known as Tel el-Amarna), the capital city which Akhenaten established for the cult of Aten, Nefertiti was a lady of charm, sweet love, grace and happiness. Her head, exhibited at the Berlin Museum, is a masterpiece that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It is truly enchanting and aesthetically beautiful in a feminine way. The artist who carved that head achieved a delicate balance between the head itself, the crown, the neck and shoulders. Her almond-shaped eyes are warm, noble and full of grandeur, grace and serenity. A sweet smile play on those thin, delicate lips of hers. The sculpture must have been done when Nefertiti was about 30. Her characteristically long neck is graced by a painted collar, ornamented with coloured botanical designs. The bust is said to reflect the beauty and strength of a genuine Queen. According to a German Professor, her face has a look of spiritual power and intelligence. The bust was found by the German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt in the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose at el-Amarna. Nefertiti married Akhenaten when she was only 13. She bore him six daughters, three of whom were born when she was still in Thebes before they moved to Akhetaten. Her third daughter married Tutankhamun and later became Queen of Egypt. Nefertiti was of great support to her husband and helped him in his many official functions. Akhenaten was proud for his wife to be depicted in murals as the partner who assisted him in running the affairs of his kingdom. The idea of a woman being like the King's right hand was not quite acceptable at that time. But there is archaeological evidence to confirm this 'ruling partnership'. The experience Nefertiti gained in running the country enabled her to take over following the death of her husband. There is nothing to suggest that things went pear-shaped when Akhenaten passed away. Understandably, Nefertiti had to rely on the help of some of the best statesmen, especially the noble Ai. The sarcophagus of Akhenaten was destroyed in ancient times but the few fragments that have survived clearly indicate that Nefertiti was assigned to rule the country. She managed to maintain stability and to keep the throne within the family, by taking care of her stepson, Tutankhamun, who became her legitimate heir.

More than just a beautiful woman, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, January 16, 2007.

Egypt has had a new plan to preserve the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings on the western bank of the Nile River in the southern city of Luxor, the official MENA news agency reported on Saturday.

According to the plan by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, touring times and duration will be limited and tour revenues will be funnelled into restoration projects of the tombs.

Meanwhile, the council has recently opened a visitors' centre at the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, over 700 kilometres south of Cairo.

According to local daily The Egyptian Gazette on Saturday, there had been no facility to provide visitors with the overall view of the Valley of the Kings and the expertise on individual tombs.

There was also concern that large number of visitors may damage the paintings and walls inside the tombs, which prompted the Egyptian government to formulated the project to address these problems.

The Valley of the Kings is house for 63 tombs, including 26 tombs belonging to Ancient Egyptian dynasties.

Having the tomb of Tutankhamun, the valley is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Egypt, attracting more than 2 million visitors annually.

Egypt increases efforts to preserve royal tombs in Luxor's Valley of the Kings, People's Daily, China, January 14, 2007.

A collection of rare maps of Africa, dating from 1530 to 1915, has been made freely available on the internet by Northwestern University in the US.

Curator David Easterbrook says the antique maps not only show the growing geographical knowledge of Africa but the progression of colonisation.

"Early cartographers had not visited or surveyed the land, so they had to do their best guesswork," he told the BBC.

All of the 113 maps can be examined in detail on the site or downloaded...

A quick search for ‘Egypt’ brings back twelve maps.

Web maps show old views of Africa, BBC News, UK, January 11, 2007.

cf. Northwestern University Library: 16th- Early 20th Century Maps of Africa, Northwestern University, Illinois, USA.

We arrived in Cairo late at night — tired from flying, but excited to be in the land of pyramids and pharaohs. But it would be a few days before we would really get to appreciate the history here. First, we had to learn how to survive. Being a pedestrian in Cairo is a bit of a gamble. You're putting your life on the line just by trying to cross the street.

There's a video game I used to play called Frogger that reminds me of this city. This time, I'm the frog — holding my breath and trying not to be chicken as I dart from lane to lane to get to the other side.

The traffic is just part of the city's soundtrack. It's a duet of hyperactive honking and the muezzins, calls to prayer five times a day. Eventually, silence becomes foreign.

First on the agenda, a trip to the pyramids...

Jewels on the Nile, Sophie Lui, Canada.com, Canada, January 06, 2007.

President Hosni Mubarak yesterday 14/01/2007 opened several projects in Luxor, including the Mubarak Egyptian Heritage Centre, Luxor's modernized railway station and the airport road.

The President was briefed on restoration projects for a number of ancient temples.

Mubarak approved the allocation of LE7.5 million for the 600-room international youth hostel...

Mubarak inaugurates tourist & service projects in Luxor, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, January 15, 2007.

Siwa appears at first as a sweet and innocent place deep in the desert which has just opened its eyes to the modern world and still let itself be amazed. Which is not wrong, the asphalted road opened first in 1984.

But the history goes deep beyond the earliest civilisations, to Palaeolithic times. In the first millennium BC, Siwa was famous with the ancient Egyptians, thanks to its oracle. The oracle was thought to be so true and powerful that it generated fear. During these times, Siwa was a wealthy place, well illustrated by the Gebel al-Mawta and its rich tombs. In early Islamic times, Siwa went into decline and sometime in the 13th century was down as little as 200. Today the population is on the rise, and has since long passed 20,000. Most live in the town Siwa, the rest are spread across over 10 smaller villages. How to go there From Cairo by bus from the International Bus Station (El Torgman) Fares vary between LE85 and LE165. From Marsa Matrouh by bus from the bus station. Tickets vary between LE30and LE95.

Siwa: the sweetest oasis, Mohamed Salah Attia, The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt, January 15, 2007.