In the Footsteps of Alexandria - the Oracle of Amun at Siwa

My new tour of Alexandria and cairo then takes us deep into the desert to the edge of the great sand sea to ancient Siwa where Alexandra the great himself travelled to see the ancient Oracle of Amun.

See my website for more information of the tourthat commences on 15th May 2011, or contact me by email: neteroe@hotmail.com or skype:neteroe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF5_4gqhPp4

Radiant Rainbow Healing Jewellery for the Heart Mind Body & Soul

My friend Iris Meijer has created her own beautiful and unique jewellery called Radiant Rainbow, her original pieces of jewellery help heal and develop body, mind, heart and spirit - or attract love, abundance, positive energy and lots more! Each piece is an original that will belong only to you. To see more of her beautiful jewellery follow the link to see her current collection or commissioned pieces tailored to the specific requirements of the clients. Iris lives and works in Alexandria, and finds her source of stones from Egypt, these two pieces show the egyptian influence in her work, once completed the jewellry is posted off to start its work to help invigorate heal and bring love and abundance to the owner



I have my own piece of jewellry from Iris cllection, and I always wear it when I am feeling happy and want to stay that way, there are some nice "eyes" in this one, to protect me from the evil eye, there are pearls, butterfly's, lapis lazuli and moonstones in it.




You can view lots more of Iris jewellery on facebook
and her own comments on her work as she creates the individual pieces
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radiant-Rainbow-Originals-By-Iris/

Fort Qaitbey Alexandria with Iris Meijer & Caroline Dekker

Together with my friend and felow tour guide Iris Meijer we visied Fort Qaitbey, which is an amazing experience offering the real feel of the various layers of military dominance of Alexandria, this ancient defense stands on a narrow peninsula overlooking the sea on the eastern point of the Pharos Island. It was erected on the site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was known to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.




The Fort was built in the 15th century by the Sultan Al-Ashraf Abou Anasr Saif El-Din Qaitbay El-Jerkasy Al-Zahiry, He was a Mamluke who had come to Egypt as a young man. He became one of the most important Mameluke Sultans, and ruled for about 29 years. He provided the fort with a brave legion of soldiers and various weapons.



Throughout the Mameluke period, and due to its strategic location, the Citadel was well maintained by all the rulers who came after Qaitbay.

The Sultan Qansoh El-Ghoury increased the strength of the garrison, providing it with various weapons and equipment. It included a large prison made for the princes and the state-men who had obviously found disfavour with the sultan.



After the Ottoman Turks had conquered Egypt, they also maintained the fort and stationed it with infantry, artillery, a company of drummers and trumpeters, masons and carpenters.
As the Ottoman military became weak, the Citadel began to lose its military importance.

In 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte brought his expedition to Egypt and they took over the fort, and brought their weapons to the garrison.

When Mohammed Ali became the ruler of Egypt in 1805, he renovated the old Citadel, restoring and repairing its outer ramparts, and he provided the stronghold with the most modern weapons of the period.

In 1882 the British fleet bombarded Alexandria causing severe destruction to the fort, and it remained in ruins until king Farouk decided he wanted to have it restored.

Since then it has been a maritime museum and has been greatly improved by the work of the antiquities service.



To enjoy the history of Egypt with a Spiritual twist, please see either my own website or Iris website

www.caroline-dekker.nl
english website: http://www.freewebs.com/spiritualegypt
http://www.hiddenegypt.com/hidden_egypt.htm

Villa of the Birds at Alexandria

Whilst visitingKom el dikka ampithea we were also able to see the area that is known as the 'villa of the birds',it has tiny intricate mosaic tiles of beautiful birds,which are from the remains of a large villa that originally stood here dating to the reign of Hadrian. Like many roman residenes it had a stunning mosaic floor in the main room depicting various species of birds. This is known to be one of the best-preserved examples of a large Roman residence in Egypt. The villa was originally destroyed with fire, but large sections of the mosaic tile floor have been repaired and restored. We walked around a raised floor with over head shelter created to protect this beutiful workmanship.




see my Spiritual Egypt website for more information on tours and my work
http://www.freewebs.com/spiritualegypt
or my dutch website : www.caroline-dekker.nl