EGYPT  2001:

I was very interested in visiting the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut because I recently saw a program on TV about its restoration before leaving for Egypt.  Although the program was full of good information, I learned a great deal more from actually being there and listening to Fathy's story of the Queen and her temple.  This temple was beautiful in person.  It is currently under reconstruction and much of it is blocked off to the public.  Tourists were not allowed on the top level of the temple because of the reconstruction.  Inside the columns was an amazing example of the original paint on the walls.  The pictures below of the blue colored ceiling with gold stars in this temple is a good representation of what the ceilings in most Egyptian temples looked like.  The fourth picture from the bottom is of Egyptian stone cutters cutting stones in the same fashion as the ancients did in order to provide an authentic restoration.

This paragraph is not meant to scare any one away from visiting Egypt, but it is a true story of the worst terrorist attack on tourists in Egypt.  Before leaving the temple, Fathy gathered our group around in a circle and told us a terrible story of events that happened only a few years ago in the exact place we stood.  He began by telling us that he received a call one day asking to give a group a tour of Queen Hatshepsut Temple.  For some strange reason he said he could not do it that day.  It turns out that several tour groups and guides were at the temple that day when a group of about five terrorists parked and began walking up the steps of the temple with machine guns.  I would like to emphasize that before this attack, security was very very low, so the terrorists simply killed the one guard at the bottom before proceeding up the stairs.  When the first gun shots were fired, some tourists began running for their lives, while others froze in fear.  The honorable tour guides stayed with their groups and stood in front of them to protect them.  When the terrorists reached the top of the stairs with their machine guns drawn, they told the remaining tourists to line up in a group.  They also told the tour guides to get out of the way of the tourists.  The tour guides refused and the terrorists hosed them down with bullets before massacring the group of tourists.

The Egyptian police and army were notified of the attack and took action immediately.  The caught up with and killed all but one of the terrorists.  This one escaped to South America, but was found and killed later.  The first day the temple reopened for tourism after the attack, Fathy had a group of tourists with him.  Because of the attack, other groups and guides were frightened to go to the temple, but Fathy cautiously brought his group to the temple to pay their respects to the deceased tourists.  The news got around about Fathy's group and when he arrived, a large group of Egyptian citizens came to greet them.  The Egyptians made a human circle around Fathy's group as they ascended the stairs.  They made the circle to make the new group feel safe.  Fathy, his group, and the Egyptians all assembled that day on the same place we stood to pay their respects to the tourists and the guides who died just a few days earlier.

As I mentioned earlier, when the attack took place, security at this temple and most others was very low.  After this attack, the Egyptian government hired many more soldiers and police to guard the tourists and prevent an event like the one mentioned above from ever happening again.  As you can see in the first picture, the armored police truck is there along with many armed guards to provide protection for the tourists.  It would be nearly impossible today for a group of terrorists to do what they did a few years ago.  Remember that when traveling in Egypt, do not fear the soldiers and police with machine guns, and do not become angry when they search your bags.  These precautions are for your own safety and security.