A Miracle of Prophet Moses or a Chemistry Connection

Next to air, water is the most familiar substance on the earth and an adequate supply of water is essential to life. Whereas, the cycling of water serves to replenish our supply of fresh water, the importance of unpolluted and clean drinking water can not be underestimated as we could live without food for nearly a month but without water we would last only a few days. Accordingly getting a dependable supply of fresh water has long been both a necessity and a problem, the gravity of which may be realized from the well known case-history of Prophet Moses and his own people, the Israelites.

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt into the wilderness, he encountered a large dessert area where potable water was scarce.  While very many people know the Biblical and Qur’anic accounts of how Moses was commanded by Allah to strike a rock with his miraculous Asa (stick) for getting water to quench the thirst of his people, a peculiar incident at a place namely Marah, is less known. At Marah water was available but it was not potable due to its bitterness and slippery nature. Since the Israelites could not drink this water, they again made Moses pray Allah to make water potable for them. According to the accounts in Exodus, when Moses yielded to their request, he was commanded by Allah to get thrown a particular dried log of a dead tree into the said water body. When Moses made his people follow Allah’s command, the bitterness of water vanished soon and water became potable.

This particular incident may be taken as yet another miracle of Moses. Whatever, the actual and factual case might be from the religious point of view, the happenings at Marah may be analyzed from the chemical point of view and a plausible explanation might be given to purification process of water. The water at Marah, a dessert place, was probably alkaline and hence bitter and slippery in nature, the two important properties of an alkaline solution. In fact waters of dessert areas become alkaline as a result of solubilisation of salts of alkali and alkaline earth metals due to percolation of rain waters. Later on the waters, having these hydroxides, are concentration due to evaporation.

The said log was probably a large part of an old dead tree and had been bleached by the scorching heat of the sun in the dessert. Such bleaching could have oxidized the alcoholic groups in cellulose to carboxylic acidic groups and these acidic carboxylic groups served to neutralize the basic hydroxyl groups of alkaline water. Whereas it is simple acid-base chemistry which students, even at foundation level can understand today, at that time it was certainly not less than a miracle when people had no idea of science and technology. Nevertheless, not only chemistry connections were there but also Moses was commanded by none less than the Almighty to make use of both the chemistry connections and the available Technology at that moment for benefit of his people.

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Savanna Sharm, close to Shark’s Bay. The Shark’s Bay area is on the top of the list of property investments in Egypt and located idyllically in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt’s most renowned diving destination. Visit our Savanna Website; www.savannasharm.com

Gaza – Cranky Ban Ki Engages in Hanky-panky

The dust has settled temporarily in Gaza with at least one fact clearly established – a badly bloodied but unbowed or unrepentant Hamas still remains firmly entrenched in occupation and control of Gaza’s civilian population.

Its estimated terrorist army of 20000 fighters pledged to bring about the destruction of Israel has only been reduced by 500 at the most – perhaps only by 48 if you want to believe Hamas.

Whilst the Hamas arsenal of rockets and mortars may have been seriously depleted,  the ingenuity and determination of its political leaders and backers virtually guarantees full re-supply within six months – no matter what steps are taken by the international community to try to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza.

Doubtless this success – and the hatred engendered by Israel’s invasion – will encourage others in Gaza to join the ranks of this army that fights in mufti from houses, shelters, hospitals, schools and mosques  using the civilian population as human shields.

The price paid by Gazans in deaths, injuries, and property losses for Hamas continuing its rocket barrage of Israeli civilian populations after the end of a six months ceasefire in December has been catastrophic.

The temporary ceasefire now prevailing – and the conditions demanded by Hamas for its continued operation – make it highly likely that hostilities will be soon resumed again rather than permanently suspended.

Into this scene of chaos and at a conference on Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in Gaza held at Sharm El Sheikh on January 18 rides the United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon. His contribution at that conference is to tell those assembled:

“As the Secretary-General for the United Nations I have a broad responsibility to take care of   all humanitarian sufferings by the people in Gaza. I am going to dispatch early this week a     humanitarian needs assessment team to Gaza, organized and led by the United Nations and   together with the World Bank and other donor organizations, Within ten days I think we will     be able to make an assessment report and we will issue an urgent humanitarian flash appeal,  and within three weeks, we will be able to present an assessment report on early recovery and  essential repairs. I urge and certainly hope that the major donor countries will generously contribute to this appeal.”

Why would the Secretary-General not be urging the conference attendees to consider offering Gazans permanent resettlement – or at least evacuation – until the political situation in Gaza is finally determined?

It makes no sense to pour billions of dollars into the reconstruction of Gaza and the attempted rehabilitation of its traumatized citizens in situ with the more than likely possibility that the money spent will once again disappear down the tunnels still left untouched by Israel’s bombs or into the Swiss bank accounts of corrupt officials as has occurred so often in the past.

Gaza is a hell hole – and has been so for the last 60 years – whether occupied by Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. Its surviving residents have been subjected to inordinate suffering whilst political solutions have been vainly pursued during that time.

The population of Gaza is 1.5 million of whom 750000 are children. Offering them the chance of going to a safer haven permanently – or even temporarily – until an acceptable political solution is found seems to be a far better use of the billions of dollars that will be thrown to the wind in keeping the Gazans confined to Gaza and Hamas in control whilst that political solution is worked out.

The Secretary-General’s escape into fantasyland in believing a political solution could be soon achieved was revealed when he then declared:

“ …we urgently need to bring back this Middle East peace process on track. We have     already experienced sufferings and tragedies in 2006 in Lebanon, the situation in Gaza has     been a repetition of the failure of this peace process, this is a failure of political will, at the     level of people and at the level of leadership, all international community, particularly the     Arab countries, should fully support and encourage this peace process on track. As a member of the Quartet, I will fully participate in trying to help the Middle East peace process,”

The United Nations has been a sponsor of the Middle East process – the Roadmap – for the last 6 years. It has gone nowhere and is dead as a dodo.

Neither the Roadmap – nor the Arab Peace Initiative first proposed in 2002 – have any chance of succeeding whilst the Arab demands for their successful conclusion require Israel to cede every square metre of the West Bank and Gaza and allow millions of Arabs the right to emigrate to Israel.

In the meantime the Secretary-General has no better idea for ending the suffering of Gazans than letting them continue to live in Gaza to continue enduring the tribulations that have plagued them since 1948.

On the 6th January 2009 Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Vatican’s Council for Justice and Peace, said in an interview in the Italian online newspaper Il Sussidiario.net.:

“Defenceless populations are always the ones who pay. Look at the conditions in Gaza: more   and more, it resembles a big concentration camp,”

When the Allies encountered the remnants of European Jewry in the Nazi concentration camps at the end of World War 2 they opened the gates and set them free. Surely the Secretary-General cannot be so heartless as to deny Gazans the same opportunity to leave if they wish to do so.

The international outcry at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza should ensure that a large number of countries would be prepared to offer themselves as a permanent or temporary haven for Gazans. The money spent in rehousing and rehabilitating  the new arrivals in those host countries would be infinitely more better spent than being poured into Gaza and would make the provision of assistance to those refusing to move much easier to implement.

Hamas might seek to restrain the evacuation of the population preferring to hold them as hostages in pursuit of their fanatical drive to eliminate the State of Israel. The United Nations should not be deterred in ensuring Hamas is not allowed to prevail and frustrate this vital humanitarian objective.

The Secretary-General needs to act with firmness and authority. More of the same is simply not good enough.

History Of Chemistry And Impact Of The Atomic Theory

The earliest practical knowledge of chemistry was concerned with pottery, and dyes; these crafts were developed with considerable skill, but with no understanding of the principles involved, as early as 3500 B.C. in Egypt and Mesopotamia. The basic ideas of element and compound were first formulated by the Greek philosophers during the period from 500 to 300 B.C. Opinion varied, but it was generally believed that four elements (fire, air, water, and earth) combined to form all things. Aristotle’s definition of a simple body as “one into which other bodies can be decomposed and which itself is not capable of being divided” is close to the modern definition of element.

About the beginning of the Christian era in Alexandria, the ancient Egyptian industrial arts and Greek philosophical speculations were fused into a new science. The beginnings of chemistry as it was first known, are mingled with occultism and magic. Interests of the period were the transmutation of base metals into gold, the imitation of precious gems, and the search for the elixir of life, thought to grant immortality. Muslim conquests in the 7th century A.D. diffused the remains of Hellenistic civilization to the Arab world. The first chemical treatises to become well known in Europe were Latin translations of Arabic works, made in Spain c.A.D. 1100; hence it is often erroneously supposed that chemistry originated among the Arabs. Alchemy developed extensively during the Middle Ages, cultivated largely by itinerant scholars who wandered over Europe looking for patrons.

In the hands of the “Oxford Chemists” (Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, and John Mayow) chemistry began to emerge as distinct from the pseudoscience of alchemy. Boyle (1627-91) is often called the founder of modern chemistry (an honor sometimes also given Antoine Lavoisier, 1743-94). He performed experiments under reduced pressure, using an air pump, and discovered that volume and pressure are inversely related in gases. Hooke gave the first rational explanation of combustion—as combination with air—while Mayow studied animal respiration. Even as the English chemists were moving toward the correct theory of combustion, two Germans, J. J. Becher and G. E. Stahl, introduced the false phlogiston theory of combustion, which held that the substance phlogiston is contained in all combustible bodies and escapes when the bodies burn.

The discovery of various gases and the analysis of air as a mixture of gases occurred during the phlogiston period. Carbon dioxide, first described by J. B. van Helmont and rediscovered by Joseph Black in 1754, was originally called fixed air. Hydrogen, discovered by Boyle and carefully studied by Henry Cavendish, was called inflammable air and was sometimes identified with phlogiston itself. Cavendish also showed that the explosion of hydrogen and oxygen produces water. C. W. Scheele found that air is composed of two fluids, only one of which supports combustion. He was the first to obtain pure oxygen (1771-73), although he did not recognize it as an element. Joseph Priestley independently discovered oxygen by heating the red oxide of mercury with a burning glass; he was the last great defender of the phlogiston theory.

The work of Priestley, Black, and Cavendish was radically reinterpreted by Lavoisier, who did for chemistry what Newton had done for physics a century before. He made no important new discoveries of his own; rather, he was a theoretician. He recognized the true nature of combustion, introduced a new chemical nomenclature, and wrote the first modern chemistry textbook. He erroneously believed that all acids contain oxygen.

The assumption that compounds were of definite composition was implicit in 18th-century chemistry. J. L. Proust formally stated the law of constant proportions in 1797. C. L. Berthollet opposed this law, holding that composition depended on the method of preparation. The issue was resolved in favor of Proust by John Dalton’s atomic theory (1808). The atomic theory goes back to the Greeks, but it did not prove fruitful in chemistry until Dalton ascribed relative weights to the atoms of chemical elements. Electrochemical theories of chemical combinations were developed by Humphry Davy and J. J. Berzelius. Davy discovered the alkali metals by passing an electric current through their molten oxides. Michael Faraday discovered that a definite quantity of charge must flow in order to deposit a given weight of material in solution. Amedeo Avogadro introduced the hypothesis that equal volumes of gases at the same pressure and temperature contain the same number of molecules.

William Prout suggested that as all elements seemed to have atomic weights that were multiples of the atomic weight of hydrogen, they could all be in some way different combinations of hydrogen atoms. This contributed to the concept of the periodic table of the elements, the culmination of a long effort to find regular, systematic properties among the elements. laws and rules were put forward almost simultaneously and independently by J. L. Meyer in Germany and D. I. Mendeleev in Russia (1869). An early triumph of the new theory was the discovery of new elements that fit the empty spaces in the table. William Ramsay’s discovery, in collaboration with Lord Rayleigh, of argon and other inert gases in the atmosphere extended the periodic table

Investing in Your Holiday Home Abroad

To many, owning a holiday home abroad is nothing more than a dream; a luxury which is the prerogative of the rich and famous or of bank robbers. It’s hardly for the likes of ordinary folk like you and me, is it?

Not so! If you investigate the possibilities of joining well over 250,000 other Britons and buying your own holiday home abroad, you could be very pleasantly surprised at how affordable it actually can be, and with property prices currently low but set to rise in many resorts overseas it could represent a real opportunity and provide you with a very high return on your investment.

With expert advice to help you secure exactly the right property, it’s really not difficult to buy a home overseas, be it for holidays, retirement or investment. There are some very attractive deals on offer. With some, you may only have to pay as little as 15% deposit, with nothing else to pay for three years and with 85% mortgages available, together with free packages for furniture of the highest quality! If you choose your advisers carefully, those people in the know will guide you every step of the way and ensure that the entire experience is stress-free and enjoyable.

Just imagine the sheer joy of having 300 days of sunshine a year virtually guaranteed; balmy temperatures, no grey skies and an umbrella as rare as hens’ teeth. Think how it would be to enjoy fabulous views of beautiful mountains and clear blue skies from the balcony of your luxury furnished apartment, ski chalet, villa or penthouse, and to be within just a few minutes walk of a pristine, white sandy beach or a superb golf course with all the amenities.

So what would be your fancy? A townhouse on the coast of Spain with its amazing beaches and intriguing culture? Or for a relaxed and informal lifestyle with great food, exciting nightlife, magnificent scenery and almost constant sunshine, you’d have to go a long way to beat a property in Crete. There again, have you considered Egypt, another very attractive option for investors? Definitely a country of the future, its wealth has traditionally come from oil, but this may well change as many predict that tourism will forge into the lead.

How about an apartment in South America’s largest country, Brazil? Home to more than 180 million people, this economically developing country with a very low cost of living is becoming increasingly popular with investors and would appeal to anyone with a sense of adventure and a love of excitement, be it a trek through the wild rainforests, a visit to the lively cities or partying at the famous Rio de Janeiro carnival.

Those with a fascination for history could not fail to be smitten by beautiful Bulgaria, with its immaculate beaches, sparkling clear lakes and rivers, magnificent mountains, gorges and natural hot water springs. It’s an enthralling country, rich in ancient monasteries, churches and mosques and with folklore traditions dating back more than thirteen centuries. Furthermore, as an investor, Bulgaria will offer you real value for money.

If your yen is for a superb climate, colourful culture and friendly people, you’d find Turkey hard to beat. With miles and miles of dramatic coastline, beautiful seas and pine-clad mountains, it’s little wonder that it’s become so incredibly popular with tourists, and with its current property boom, there’s never been a better time to invest in a Turkish holiday home.

A holiday home in the former British colony of Malaysia could well prove to be a lucrative investment for you. It’s a wealthy country with a very bright future and a property market looking increasing buoyant, due in part to the influx of investors from nearby Singapore and Hong Kong. Owing to its proximity to the equator, it enjoys a fabulous, year round tropical climate and boasts some of Asia’s best beaches.

If you’re not looking to retire abroad just yet, why not let your property work for you by renting it out during the holiday season? There are many emerging markets with a lower cost of living than in the UK, offering high rental and capital growth potential. Even the recent problems in the global economy, such as the credit crunch and increases in the cost of living don’t seem to have made a dent in people’s appetite for travelling abroad. The future’s looking much brighter for ‘buy-to-let’ investments and don’t forget, today’s cheaper and more frequent flights to many of the popular resorts are making the whole package much more attractive and affordable for everyone.

So you see, you don’t actually need to rob a bank. There are far easier and more legitimate ways of turning your dream into a reality…

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Muburaks Billions

The Social Network on the Internet was used to seize power from a government, but the deposed president and his family are said to be worth up to – 100 billion, though only billion was openly confirmed.

Hosni Mubarak loudly declared, “Not to commit myself to what I cannot implement, hide the truth from the people, or be lenient with corruption and disorder,” when in 1981 he took over the reins of power in Egypt. This followed the assassination of his boss, Anwar Sadat.

Sadat’s half-brother and his sons were jailed and made to pay heavy fines during a crackdown on profiteering. Several dozen high up members of Sadat’s inner circle were slapped with criminal charges for misusing their power, alongside other corrupt practices.

However, over the following 3 decades, Murbarak, his family and close circle of advisers, enhanced themselves, as friends were copiously rewarded, while enemies were severely reproved.

A large amount of the family’s fortune is reported to be invested in upscale real estate and in offshore bank accounts in Europe. This is over and above homes in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, where the president and his family sat it out as his resignation was announced to the worldwide community. They also own property in the upscale Cairo district of Heliopolis and have a six-story mansion in the Knightsbridge area of London, a home close to the Bois de Bologne in Paris and two yachts and property in Beverly Hills, alongside a network of companies.

Some of the wealth is also thought to have been obtained through partnerships with foreign companies, who are required by law to give an indigenous partner a 51% share in any Egyptian operation. “According to this law, any multinational company needs to have a local sponsor, who usually goes through members of the family, or powerful people in the ruling party,” Aladdin Elaasar, the author of ‘Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future’ says.

An Egyptian-U.S.A. businessman claims “His sons also ensured that businesses that wanted to operate in Egypt had to pay from 5 percent to 20 percent commission to a company formed by Gamal Mubarak.”

Mohammad Ghanam, the most senior official to defect in decades in 2005, fled to Switzerland and commenced a campaign to get Mubarak placed on trial for corruption and human rights abuses, in Belgium’s International Court of Justice. “The Mubarak era will be known in the history of Egypt as the era of thieves,” said Ghanam, former chairman of the legal research unit in the Egyptian Interior Ministry. “Mubarak’s official business is the looting of public money, and we find that the super-corrupt, ultra-delinquents have attained state posts; extreme corruption and treachery throughout the land has caused the current condition of our country”.

In 2007 Ghanam was arrested by the Swiss government for ‘dangerousness’. His brother, Ali, in the U.S.A., claims he has been unable to speak to his brother for more than two years and blames the Mubarak regime for the detention.

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In this blustery January weather, there’s nothing better than having a fantastic summer holiday to look forward to, but where to go? You’ll want somewhere so hot it’ll make your skin tingle, somewhere where you won’t get bored and can shop until you drop, should you feel the need to. But where should you go that will incorporate all of these oh so important factors?

1. Turkey – No matter which region you visit in Turkey, there’s no escaping its overwhelming sun. With temperatures soaring up to 40ºC during peak season, you’ll certainly get what you wished for here. If shopping is your thing, you’re in for a treat. With weekly markets selling everything from traditional carvings to designer handbags, you can grab yourself a bargain when you get into the haggling game with the locals.

2. Morocco-For a beach based sun trap, head to the fantastic, purpose built resort of Agadir. With golden sands which stretch for miles laden with comfy loungers making lazing around hard to resist. The up and coming contemporary harbour is lined with boutiques and on completion, will be the centre of all’s attention. For a shopping trip to remember, grab a taxi and head to the Grand Souk where you’ll get lost in the cluster of market stalls, selling everything imaginable and products that you could’ve never imagined!

3. Greece-Every island in Greece is blessed with sun soaked beaches, sparkling, refreshing waters and authentic local tastes. For something for everyone, head to the stunning, tourist trap island of Corfu. With the old town offering traditional shops specialising in the jewellery market and the beaches supplying white knuckle water sports, you’ll have plenty to keep you entertained until the sun goes down. As the evening draws nearer, sample one of many sumptuous restaurants then head to the nearest traditional taverna, or for the wild at heart, a bar street lies just around every corner where you can dance the night away.

4. The Red Sea-Egypt supplies a host of resorts around the Red Sea offering perfect beach holidays mixed with phenomenal dive sites for those who dare to venture the depths of the deep blue sea. Sharm El Sheikh is home to exquisite hotels, funky bars and beaches galore. Probably one of the busiest tourist resorts in Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh’s capital Naama Bay swarms with tourists looking to take away a piece of the local culture, whether that be buying locals materials, dabbling in a puff of shisha or buying a pipe to take home with them. This busy resort can offer something for everyone, so whether you want to spend your time exploring the underwater world, meandering your way around a good market or lazing along the sun drenched beaches sizzling under the sweltering sun, Sharm El Sheikh is a definite must.

5. Egypt-Holidays to Luxor attract holidaymakers worldwide to discover the fascinating antiquities which lie in this history dwelt destination. So many types of holiday can be had here, from lazy days around the pool to cruising the Nile on a beautiful ship. There is so much to do in such little time, so expect a jam-packed holiday. Visiting the Karnak Temple, the Valley Of The Queens and the Temple Of Luxor are all a must and can be booked through any respectable tour operator. To see such magnificent grandeur of architecture is breathtaking and will leave you dumb-struck for the duration of your stay. There are some beautiful properties to choose from here so do your research and choose wisely.

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Have Your Cake and Eat it

I’d be the first to defend Britain against its harsh critics. I’m very proud of our British heritage and really wouldn’t want a permanent base anywhere else. But I must concede that our unpredictable climate does leave quite a lot to be desired. I can remember last summer, when my wife and I planned a barbecue for family and friends. All morning we were looking anxiously at the black, threatening clouds, wondering ‘will it, or won’t it…’? Well of course it did. The rain teemed down all afternoon, the barbecue wouldn’t light and we all had to resort to the kitchen, crammed in like sardines, trying to cook dozens of sausages and burgers in the oven. It just wasn’t the same.

Imagine how wonderful it would be to have a retreat in a place where clear blue skies and sunshine are virtually guaranteed and where rain is a rarity, rather than the norm. For me, when I just want to get away from it all for a while, the answer would be a holiday home abroad. A pipe dream? Not necessarily. These properties are not all nearly as expensive as you might think. Some can be bought for less than many of us would spend on a new car. And the investment potential can be considerable.

But where to choose?

Bulgaria is becoming increasingly fashionable with tourists all over Europe and property there is now acknowledged as one of the finest emerging investment opportunities in south east Europe. This intriguing, historic country boasts clear blue lakes and rivers, magnificent mountains and gorges and natural hot water springs. The unspoiled beaches, hospitable people and superb cuisine combine to make this an ideal choice for a home away from home.

Enjoying a current property boom, Turkey also offers outstandingly good investment potential. With miles of spectacular coastline, deep azure seas, pine-clad mountains, rich culture, fantastic climate and welcoming people, it’s little wonder that it’s become so popular with the millions of investors and tourists who visit its coast each year.

Egypt, too, is fast becoming a favourite destination for those who favour a country steeped in ancient history and with a climate that is hot and dry. With a high build quality and very low property prices, Egypt and its Red Sea Riviera are presently a very appealing option for investors. Other compelling factors include the prospect of excellent capital growth and an already solid and ever-expanding ‘buy to let’ market. In short, Egypt represents a great investment opportunity.

If you fancy looking further afield, what about beautiful, lively Brazil, a country of amazing diversity, marvellous weather and with an economy that is thriving and set to become one of the world’s largest? Brazil has some of the world’s best beaches and the favourable exchange rate and excellent capital growth result in more and more investors buying property there.

For those whose taste is for the ultimate in cosmopolitan, you could do no better than to consider the south east Asian country of Malaysia with its incredible blend of eastern and western cultures. If you choose to buy a property here, there’s every chance that you’ll be making a sound financial investment. Malaysia is so close to the equator that you’ll also have the benefit of a year round tropical climate.

For me, Spain, with its fabulous landscape, fascinating culture, kind winters and glorious summers has always appealed and I can understand why so many tourists flock there year after year. I can picture it now… a classically designed villa with a stunning mountain view and a balcony overlooking a large, landscaped garden and swimming pool, just minutes away from a golden, sandy beach. Investing in a property here represents excellent value for money. The cost of living is very much lower and it’s only a short flight away from the UK. In fact, shopping around on the Internet, you can probably find quite cheap fares available at any time of the year.

So, for those of us dyed-in-the-wools who could never bring ourselves to leave these shores forever but who hanker after a place in the sun, it is possible to have our cake and eat it. And not a soggy barbecue in sight…

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The Red Sea resorts gain popularity with overseas investors

Over the course of the past year, the overseas property market has seen considerable changes in its dynamic, with large numbers of investors moving away from the more traditional property markets such as Dubai, Spain and Bulgaria. Whilst these markets have experienced painful depreciations in the overall value of property, the emerging property markets around the Red Sea resorts, have not only held their value, they have in fact been appreciating at a considerable rate.

As with so many overseas property markets, the foundation of its growth and continued success is based around a robust, and rapidly increasing market for tourism. Whereas twenty years ago the majority of the major resorts around the Red Sea where little more than extended fishing villages, today resorts such as Sharm El Sheikh, El Gouna and Hurghada are major international tourist destinations where large numbers of tourists from all over the world visit each year.

Far from being inaccessible, these larger resorts are today well served by large international airports, where charter and low cost airlines fly into on an almost daily basis. With prices of travel within the traditional Euro zone destinations increasing due to currency fluctuations, the better value for money represented by non-Euro destinations such as Egypt are becoming increasingly attractive for European investors. It would be fair to say that this increased level of low cost airline routes from the major European and Russian travel markets has been integral to the increased demand for property in the Red Sea resorts in recent years.

Such has been this growth in demand for tourism in the region, that not only have the more established resorts increased in size, but new fledgling resorts have also risen to prominence. Whereas ten years ago few people cared to travel to the Southern Red Sea destinations of Marsa Alam and Berenice, today they are amongst the most popular amongst tourist destinations, being serviced by new airports and infrastructure. Indeed it is these new resorts which are proving of most interest to both investors and developers, who are keen to capitalise on the considerable opportunities on offer in the Southern Red Sea region.

As a result of this increased demand for property in the Red Sea resorts, a large number of superb new developments have been announced in recent years. Resorts such as Hurghada, Sahl Hasheesh and Marsa Alam have all witnessed an expansion in property development in the past twelve months, with new projects being built for the purpose of attracting increased levels of overseas investment into the region.

For people thinking of investing in property overseas, Egypt is certainly worthy of consideration. The key factors such as increased accessibility through low cost flights, and the already low cost of living in the region are likely to see a steady increase in demand for property in the Red Sea for the foreseeable future.

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The Top 10 Sights in Cairo

No holiday in Egypt would be complete without a stay in Cairo, and the good news for visitors to this amazing country is that many of its top sites are easily accessible from the capital. If anything, the problem is that there are just too many of them – it can be a little hard to judge what the must-sees are, so if you only have a limited time, this ‘Top 10 Sights in Cairo’ guide is a must for your luxury holiday in Egypt; whatever type of holiday you choose:

10. The Manial Palace

Said to have been built for Prince Mohammad Ali between 1899 and 1929, the Manial Palace became property of Egypt in 1955. Nowadays, the structure (a mixture of Ottoman, Moorish, European rococo and Persian architecture) houses a museum containing artefacts dating from medieval times all the way up to the 19th century. As well as history buffs, the museum’s gardens will appeal to plant lovers, as it contains a selection of rare tropical plants and incredible palms.

9. Museum of Islamic Ceramics

Another converted palace, this museum offers a fascinating collection of antiques from the various Islamic periods of the country’s history. Originally, the collection was housed in the National Library, but as the collection has expanded, its current location gives the beautiful exhibits more space. Being a former palace, the building itself is stunning, and as the labels of each artefact are in both Arabic and English, anyone interested in Islam or art should find this a fascinating highlight of their holiday in Egypt.

8. Pharaonic Village

Perfect for a family holiday in Egypt, the Pharaonic Village is an attraction that promises to take visitors back in time 3000 years to the days of the pharaohs. Although this may sound somewhat tacky in principal, it’s so well done and historically accurate that the venture manages to combine education with entertainment. It was 20 years in the making, but Dr Hassan Ragab and Dr Abdelsalam Ragab have achieved a truly impressive living tableau of the most renowned period on the country’s history – the perfect attraction for a family holiday in Egypt.

7. The Hanging Church

Another cultural highlight, the Hanging Church gets its name from its location – above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, with its nave suspended over a passage. It dates all the way back to the 3rd century, and with its marble pulpit, inlaid screens, icons and murals, it really is one of the most impressive churches in the entire city.

6. Khan el Khalili Market

Built all the way back in 1382, you can’t wander the market without being close to its memorable history. Before it was rebuilt in the 16th century, it was often used s the meeting place for subversive groups, and frequently raided. It remains one of Cairo’s most important shopping areas to this day. If delving through canvas covered stands, soaking up the atmosphere and working on your bartering is something that appeals, you won’t find better than here wherever you visit on your luxury Egypt holiday.

5. Giza Zoo

One of the few areas with plenty of greenery, Giza Zoo offers the perfect day out for a family holiday in Egypt. Over 100 years old, the zoo has a wide range of animals – many of them endangered. The zoo actually runs at a loss from its ticket prices, in order to allow the maximum number of citizens to enjoy its flora and fauna. It made headlines in 2002 when the first Californian sea lion to be born in the Middle East was birthed.

4. Cairo Tower

One of the iconic buildings of Cairo, the tower is a must for Egypt’s holiday makers. Standing at 187 metres tall, the granite tower ever dwarves the Great Pyramid at Giza by an impressive 45 metres. The best time to visit is in the evening, when it gets dark and the whole of Cairo is lit up beneath you. Visitors can also visit the tower’s restaurant (a favourite of the late President Gamal Abdul Nasser), with its rotating floor – which thankfully is almost unnoticeable.

3. The Citadel

One of the most famous spots in Egypt, and a holiday favourite, the Citadel houses a number of museums and ancient mosques. Rumour has it that the site of the Citadel was chosen by Saladin for it’s healthy air – and the unscientific way this was judged was by hanging meat all over Cairo. In the majority of spots, the meat went off within a hours, but in the Citadel it was fresh for several days! Taking a walk through here is like strolling through time, and visitors can see the capital’s key features from medieval times onwards.

2. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities

If you want to learn about Ancient Egypt you need to go to the source. With 120,000 items pertaining to the ancients, the museum is an absolute must for family holidays in Egypt. The legendary treasures from Tutankhamen’s burial are housed here, and are by far the most popular exhibit, but visitors can also expect to discover a vast selection of finds, including scrabs, sarcophagi, coins, papyrus and artefacts from throughout Egyptian history.

1. The Pyramids of Giza

Of course, it would be hard for any Egyptian attraction to replace the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the Pyramids of Egypt, located on the left bank of the Nile in Cairo are impressive today as they’ve ever been. The Giza Necropolis contains the Pyramid of Khufu (or Great Pyramid), the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, and of course the Great Sphinx is nearby too. A trip to the Pyramids of Giza is the must-see attraction for any luxury holiday in Egypt.

There is of course a lot more to see than just the 10 sights listed here, especially if you intend to go beyond the capital during your stay. If time is of the essence though, and you want to take in as much as possible then you can’t go wrong with any of the sights on this list, and your luxury holiday in Egypt should be an unforgettable experience.

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VEDIC CIVILIZATION THE PROGENITOR OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

In one of my earlier article, which I wrote probably a year back, I have mentioned about the similarities, that I came across, between the Vedic Civilization and that of the Egyptian Civilization. Even then I would like to enumerate a few of the striking similarities to keep my readers informed and hence it will be easier for them to understand the context of this article.

I was reading a book by Bob Bryer, a renowned Egyptologist, titled “The Murder OF Tutankhamun”. While reading the book I found that there were some very fundamental similarities between the then Egyptian civilization and that of the present Vedic civilization i.e. the Hindus living wherever they are.

The similarities can be enumerated as follows:

When Tutankhamen’s Father Akhenaten, the pharaoh, shifted his capital to a place called Amarna and erected a temple dedicated to the Sun god and naming the temple as The Karnak Temple. The sun god in the Hindu pantheon is an important deity and a temple dedicated to the Sun God is situated in the state of Orissa build in 1278 CE by Narasimha Deva. This temple is called KARNAK TEMPLE. We do see a similarity don’t we?

3         In the Egyptian phonetics the word “Wadi” prounced as waadi means beautiful valley, lush and green .  In the devnagri phonetics of which the language Hindi is a derivative  the word “Wadi” also means the same thing.

Seeing these similarities I had a mind to do a more or less detailed study of  these two civilization with an eye to the antiquity of the vedic civilization.

The two most important epics of the vedic civilization is the “Mahabharata” and “The Ramayana”. These two epics are not just a figment of somebody’s imagination but are in fact, FACTS that has been chronicled. The Ramayana is dated some 8000 years BC and The Mahabharata is dated to 5000 years BC. ( refer my articles on Ramayana and Mahabharata ). These dates do indicate that the Vedic civilization was a reality and a civilization that was thriving with all its majesty and grandeur all along the banks of Saraswati River, Indus River, and the Ganges. This civilization was technically very advanced. The vedic literature including the four Vedas and the Upanishads have volumes of scientific treatise known as “Kala”. There are in fact thirteen such Kalas written by various sages.

The first that needs to be mentioned is the encyclopedic Shastra which was called Akshara-Laksha. This was written by sage Valmiki. All kinds of mathematics including modern geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, Physics, Applied mathematics, mineralogy, Hydels, the methods of measuring air heat and even electricity, and geography are said to have been treated in this treaties. The next science of importance is the Sabda –Shastra written by Kandika Rishi which deals with sounds, echoes of moving and non moving objects in creation.It also deals with mechanically reproducing sound, measuring their pitch and velocity. Sage Sakatayana is the author of Lakshana Shastra which deals with the science of determinig the sex in animate and inanimate creation. Sage Kashyapa is the author of Shilpa Shastra and it comprises of 22 chapters.307 varieties of shilpas including 11 types of construction like Temples, Palaces, Hall, etc. Earlier writers on this subject were Vishwakarma, Maya, Maruti and Chayapurusha their thoughts have been incorporated in the above Shastra. The science of Metal called the dhatuvada was written by ashwini kumaras.In it are 7 chapters which deals with dhatus or the primary substances their combinations and transmutation. Alchemy or converting copper into gold etc has been described in this work.

Ashwini Kumar was a great rishi who also authored the Visha Shastra. This is also an exhaustive work where 32 different types of poison their properties, their preparation and their antidotes. The next in line is the science of fine arts which was composed by sage Bhima and this treatise is called chitra karma shastra. The uniqueness of this science was that students were taught to recreate a person after seeing a single strand of hair or nail. Highly advanced form of forensic science? Then there is the Mala Shastra which deals with gymnastics and sports necessary for preservation of health .

Sage Vatsyana has composed a work on Ratna Pariksha which means testing of gems. Sage Vyasa is said to have composed a work on artha shastra which had three chapters on ways of earning money legitimately. Sage agastya[agastya muni] is the originator of Shakti Shastra. Atomic fission and nuclear science formed a part of this science.

Yantra Shastra by Sage Bharadwaj explains 339 types of terrestrial vehicle,783 types of boats and ships and 101 types of airships by use of mantras Tantras and artificial means.

I have just mentioned a few of the Kalas only to impress upon my readers that this civilization was far more superior than any other inhabitation during that period. AND somewhere during this period there was a global catastrophe that compelled this civilization to shift base and somewhere during this period Egypt emerged. When we talk of Vedic civilization’s geographical distribution we do not put them in the political boundary of India as it is today. Vedic civilization extended from Iran in the west through Afghanistan Pakistan, India, Tibet, Nepal all the way to Burma and Java Borneo Sumatra archipelago in the East. Therefore it would not have been difficult for the large group of people to shift to Egypt from, let’s say, Iran. Now when the large group shifts to a new place and starts to settle what will change in them is their material culture as that is determined by the environment and the prevalent conditions. What will not change is the social organization, the rituals, the religious process, and the language.

The name Egypt comes from the word “Ajap” which in  Sanskrit is Ajapati which signifies Lord Ram as the most illustrious forbearer of the Aja clan. Aja was the grandfather of lord Ram. The word Ram means God and like the Vedic tradition where the rulers were considered as being representatives or descendants of God, the Egyptians also considered their Pharaoh as God or their descendants and their Pharaoh was also named as Ramesis I or II. Here I would like to mention one of the interesting fact about the sphinx. The pyramids have been dated as 3000 years BC and the Sphinx is dated to be 6000 Years BC. This means that when the pyramids were being made, the sphinx stood in front of them as a reminder of a civilization which was antique to them and full of intrigue.

Dr.S.K.Balasubramaniam in his book “Hindu Mythology as prehistory” says that the history of Egypt goes back to thousands of year in time to the period of Yayati who had two wives namely devayani and Sharmishtha. Yayati,by some forces of nature became prematurely old and was thus very depressed. He asked his Eldest son Yadu who was from Devayani to relieve him from his predicament by exchanging his youth with the old age. Yadu refused to do the needful and so did all other sons. It was Puru the youngest and the son from Sharmishtha who agreed to help his father. Henve he was crowned the sovereign of the world superceding his elder brothers. Purus decendants were the Puravas  later became known as the Pharaohs of Egypt who ruled over his father’s domain with the elder brothers as subject to him.

According to Count Biornsttierna in his book “The theogony of the Hindus” has lot of information on the Vedic culture in ancient Egypt. It says that the temples of upper Egypt are of greater antiquity than those of the lower Egypt and consequently the religion of Egypt, according to the testimony of those monument, came from India. The chronicles found in the temple of Abydos and Sias testify that the religion of Egypt proceeded from India. Professor Brugsh agrees with this view and in his book “The History Of Egypt” mentions, “We have a right to more than suspect that India, in 8000 Years BC, sent a colony of emigrants who carried with them their art and advanced civilization into what is known as Egypt. The Egyptians came according to their records from a mysterious land now known to lie on the shores of Indian ocean” In this context it will not be prudish on my part to say that 8000 years BC was the period when Lord ram ruled over the Indian subcontinent and that is why Egypt got its name from Lord Ram’s grandfather “Aja”.

In Nav Bharat Times ( A reputed news paper in India ) dated 18th April 1967 reported that in one of the excavation that was being conducted in the Egyptian Pyramid date 3000 years BC and engraved verse from Bhagawad Gita was found. The verse was “vasami jirnani yatha vhiaya” This means “as a person puts on new garment, giving up the old ones, the soul similarly accepts a new material body giving up the old and the useless ones”. This actually explains the ritual of the mummy making and the elaborate burial system in the Egyptian civilization where efforts are made to make the soul comfortable with all necessary things because they believed that the soul will need all these till it finds a material body. Reincarnation in short. Among the vedic people,The Hindus of today, each and every one believes in this concept. This find certainly boost the idea that Egypt was either a part of Vedic culture or was formed by the emigrants from India.

Professor P.N.Oak in his world famous book “world vedic Heritage” says that the Egyptians called India as the land of Punt or rather Pankht and regarded it as their divine land peopled by Punts meaning Pundits, sages, seers, and Gods. Further evidence of the Vedic roots of the Egyptian area, as mentioned in the book “ Proof of Vedic Cultures Global Existence” by Stephan Knapp, is noticed when we understand that Rama was spelled as Rham in the west. Later the “R” was dropped and consequently the African school text books asserting that Africans are Kushites ( Subject of Kush son of Ram ) mention Ham as the father of Kush. The twin brother of Kush was Luv and the region named after him was known in Sanskrit as Laviya, now pronounced as Libya.

Count Biornsttierna again says ,in the same book, “ on comparing the religious system between the Egyptian civilization and the Vedic civilization we are struck by theie resemblance to each other.The principal of trinity with that of unity, the pre-existence of the soul,its transmigration, the division of caste into priest, warriors, traders, and agriculturists are the cardinal points of both system. Even the symbols are same on the shores of The Ganges and The Nile. Thus we find the Lingam of the shiva temples of India in the Phallus of the Ammon temples of Egypt.  We find the lotus as a symbol of the sun both in India and in Egypt, and we find symbols of immortality of the soul both in India and Egypt. The power of rendering barren women fruitful is ascribed to the Temple of Shiva in India is also ascribed to the temple of Ammon in Egypt.”

Indian contacts with the Western world date back to prehistoric times. Trade relations, preceded by the migration of peoples, inevitably developed into cultural relations. Evidence of Indian contact with the ancient civilizations to her west, however is certain. Knobbed pottery vases came to Sumer from India and so did cotton. In the Akkadian tongue, Indian cotton was expressed by ideographs meaning “vegetable cloth.” Assurbanipal (668-626 B.C) cultivated Indian plants including the “wool-bearing trees” of India.  According to the Skandha Purana, Egypt (Africa) was known as Sancha-dvipa continent mentioned in Sir Willliams Jones’ dissertation on Egypt. At Alexandria, in Egypt, Indian scholars were a common sight: they are mentioned both by Dio Chrysostom (c. 100 A.D.) and by Clement (c. 200 A.D.) Indirect contact between ancient India and Egypt through Mesopotamia is generally admitted, but evidence of a direct relationship between the two is at best fragmentary. Peter Von Bohlen (1796-1840) German Indologist, compared India with ancient Egypt. He thought there was a cultural connection between the two in ancient times. There are elements of folk art, language, and rural culture of Bengal which have an affinity with their Egyptian counterparts and which have not been explained satisfactorily in terms of Aryan, Mongolian, or Dravidian influences. There are similarities between place names in Bengal and Egypt and recently an Egyptian scholar, El Mansouri, has pointed out that in both Egypt and India the worship of cow, sun, snake, and river are common.

Recently, more definitive evidence suggesting contact between India and Egypt has become available. A terracotta mummy from Lothal vaguely resembles an Egyptian mummy and a similar terracotta mummy is found also at Mohenjodaro. In this context it is of interest to note that the Egyptian mummies are said to have been wrapped in Indian muslin. Characters similar to those on the Indus seals have also been found on tablets excavated from Easter Island. Of all the Egyptian objects and motifs indicating some contact between India and Egypt during the Indus Valley period, “the cord pattern occurring in a copper tablet in the Indus Valley and on three Egyptian seals is the most striking link between the two countries. Gordon Childe has said, “In other words, in the third millennium B.C. India was already in a position to contribute to the building up of the cultural tradition that constitutes our spiritual heritage as she notoriously has done since the time of Alexander.”

Neither historical events nor cross-cultural currents can explain the unique parallels in the myths and imagery of ancient Egypt and India. Walafrid Strabo (c. 809–849) German scholar has said: “The lotus flower, sacred to Buddha and to Osiris, has five petals which symbolizes the four limbs and the head; the five senses; the five digits; and like the pyramid, the four parts of the compass and the zenith. Other esoteric meanings abound: for myths are seldom simple, and never irresponsible.”  In fact, Hinduism’s pervading influence seems to go much earlier than Christianity. American mathematician, A. Seindenberg, has, for example, shown that the Shulbasutras, the ancient Vedic science of mathematics, constitute the source of mathematics in the antique world of Babylon to Greece: “The arithmetic equations of the Shulbasutras were used in the observation of the triangle by the Babylonians as well as in the edification of Egyptian pyramids, in particular the funeral altar in the form of pyramid known in the Vedic world as smasana-cit.”The flower so prolific in the imagery of both India and Egypt, grows out of the waters and opens its petals to be warmed by the sun: to be fertilized. From the earliest imagery in stone at Sanchi, of the first century BC in India, the lotus is associated with Sri, the goddess of fertility, who is later invoked as Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and abundance – being worshipped by Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus alike. The lotus is held in each hand by Surya, signifying the fertilizing powers of the sun as he travels through the universe.

In Egypt, the blue lotus appears in the earliest wall paintings of the VI Dynasty at the pyramids of Saqqara and in all funerary stelae. They are offered to the deceased, and held in the hand as thought they possess the power to revitalize them: to bring the deceased back to life. Carved out of blue lapis, along with the golden falcon and the sun that are the symbols of the god Horus, the lotus appears among the funerary treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamen.

The lotus then, becomes a leitmotiv, a symbol most apt since its links the waters with the sun, the earth to sky – signifying fertility and regeneration in both Egypt and India. For, it is the seed of the plant which spells out the cycle of birth-decay-death and rebirth that forms the essential pattern of belief in these two riverine and agricultural societies. In India and Egypt, the rivers Saraswati and Ganga and the Nile have brought sustenance to the land and nourished these civilizations which have survived five millennia. Both these rivers, the Ganga and the Nile, are personified and worshipped. They provide the dramatic backdrop against which myths and indeed created, to explain the topographic conditions of the land.

From its source in the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, the Ganga flows some two thousand five hundred kilometers, through the rich deltaic region which is known as Aryavarta, in the most densely populated area of India. Puranic myths recount the divine origins of Ganga, as she fell from heaven to earth in response to penance performed by the sage Bhagiratha: to bring the powers of water to an earth parched for over a thousand years. At the seventh century seaport of Mahabalipuram in south India, this epic theme is entirely carved out of a granite rock spanning almost fifty feet. A natural cleft in the rock allows the rain water to pour down in great torrents – as though this were the descent of a mighty river. Besides this cleft are carved the serpentine forms of the naga devatas (snake divinities), the sun and the moon, the gandharvas and kinnaras (celestial beings), the hunters and animals of the forest – all of them rejoicing in this great event where the divine rive is celebrated as the savior of all mankind. Here is a spectacular instance of the way in which myth is used to relate man to the environment. In this myth one senses an acute awareness of the ecological balance which needs to be maintained: of the vapors of the sea rising to the sky through heat, described in the myth as tapas, and then falling back to earth as the divine river, to flow down through the matted locks of Lord Shiva, on to the Himalayas, to flow back into the ocean.

As in India, so in Egypt, the river is personified in human form. A sandstone relief from the temple of Rameses II at Abydos depicts Hapi, god of the Nile, holding a pair of blue lotus stalks in his hands; suspended from the god’s right arm is the ankh, the symbol of life. Unlike the Ganga, the blue god of the Nile is male, but with one female breast to symbolize his role as nourisher – releasing the waters each year to provide sustenance to mankind.  The main presiding deity of the Egyptian pantheon is Osiris, like Yama, god of the dead, whose story of life, death and regeneration has been transmitted to us in great detail by Plutarch.  Some extraordinary parallels with the Osirian myth are found among the myths and images of India. Lord Vishnu lied recumbent on the bed of the ocean asleep, as indeed Osiris lied prostate and dead on a bier.  The Hindi word for cow means also “ray of illumination,” and in Egyptian lore a cow is sometimes depicted as the source of light in the sky.

Significant also is the fact that Lieutenant Speake, when planning his discovery of the source of the Nile, secured his best information from a map reconstructed out of Puranas. (Journal, pp. 27, 77, 216; Wilford, in Asiatic Researches, III).  It traced the course of the river, the “Great Krishna,” through Cusha-dvipa, from a great lake in Chandristhan, “Country of the Moon,” which it gave the correct position in relation to the Zanzibar islands. The name was from the native Unya-muezi, having the same meaning; and the map correctly mentioned another native name, Amara, applied to the district bordering Lake Victoria Nyanza.

“All our previous information,” says Speake, “concerning the hydrography of these regions, originated with the ancient Hindus, who told it to the priests of the Nile; and all these busy Egyptian geographers, who disseminated their knowledge with a view to be famous for their long-sightedness, in solving the mystery which enshrouded the source of their holy river, were so many hypothetical humbugs. The Hindu traders had a firm basis to stand upon through their intercourse with the Abyssinians.” (source: Periplus of the Erythrean Sea – W.H. Schoff p. 229-230).

Modern scholars claim that Akhenaton was the worlds first known monotheist. However, the fact is, he was actually reviving an ancient monotheistic religious tradition. Unknown to most is the true nature of this religion. This religion was not only vedic, but was actually an indiginous Egyptian form of Vaisnavaism. Research has proven Akhenaton’s vedic roots through his familial connections to the Hurrian/Mitanni peoples. Everyone agrees that the Mitanni were a Sanskrit speaking and writing people and they worshipped the vedic gods. What is forgotten is the fact that Akhenaton’s father, his mother, and wife were all related to the vedic Mitanni. Thus, it is no surprise that Akhenaton’s religion has so many vedic similarities. The research of BhaktiAnanda Goswami has proven the Vaishnava nature of his religion. In ancient Egyptian religion, creation began from the form of NHRYN (Narayan) lying on the primordial waters. A lotus grows from His navel, and on this lotus appears the four armed and four headed Heliosphanes (Brahma) who speaks creation. Ancient Mediterranean Vaishnavism can be properly understood when we compare it to the authentic Vaishnava scriptural sources especially Bhagavad-Gita, and Srimad Bhagavatam, where the viratarupa (Universal Form) conception of the Supreme Lord is revealed. For example, Krishna’s self revelation in the “I Am” verses of the Bhagavad-Gita directly parallels the great hymns of HR-Heri of ancient Egypt. Therefore, ancient Egyptian religion considered HR-Heri the origin of all gods and deities. That is why they used the name HR-Heri or Asu (Vasu) along with deities considered to be aspects of Heri. Thus, the god of wealth was called KPHR/Kepe-Heri because in the Gita Krishna says “·I am Kubera”.At the age of eighteen years, he came into complete power of the Kingdom. It was at this time that he proclaimed his faith in One God-The Sun, which he designated by the name of Aton, ie. The Disk or Fiery Orb. He publicly proclaimed his faith in Aton, as the God of Gods. Some have claimed that as a Sun worshipper, Akhnaton was more of an Animist Nature worshiper rather than a devotee of a Supreme Godhead. However Akhnaton’s own words confirm that this is not the case. Akhnaton spoke of the Sun disk as being the Eye of Aton and a representative of Aton’s Power. In the Bhagavad Gita, the Sun is described as one of the unlimited eyes of God’s Universal Form. In the Brahma-Samhita the Sun is also described as the Eye of God. Akhnaton’s reverance of the Sun is properly understood in this context.

The symbol of Aton, as presented by Akhnaton, was an image of the Sun Disc with many sunrays extending out, ending in hands, in a kind of triangle shape. Some scholars have also pointed out that the shape of the Pyramids represents the Sun’s beams shining down to Earth, in a triangle shape, with the top being the Source and spreading out ever wider as it reaches the Earth. The similarity between Akhnaton’s Aton and Surya is indeed striking. The Sanskrit description of the Divine source of light corresponds perfectly with the picture of Aton given in the Egyptian King’s hymns.

The Puranas have a remarkable connection with one of the most important discoveries of the 19th century. In 1858, John Hanning Speke (1827-1864) – Speke was commissioned in the British Indian Army in 1844 – made the discovery that Lake Victoria was the source of the River Nile in Africa. Speke wrote that to some Indian Pundits (Hindu scholars) the Nile was known as Nila, and also as Kaali. Nila means blue and Kaali means dark – both apt descriptions for the Nile near its source. These are mentioned in several Puranas including the Bhavishaya. This went against the conventional wisdom, for Lake Victoria was unknown at the time. Sir Richard Burton, the leader of the Nile expedition, had identified Lake Tangyanika as the source. Speke, however, following upon the advice of a Benares (Varansi) Pundit, insisted that the real source was a much large lake that lay to the north. Following this advice Speke went on to discover Victoria. The Pundit had also told him that the real source were twin peaks as Somagiri, ‘Soma’ in Sanskrit stands for moon and ‘giri’ means peak, and Somagiri therefore are none other than the fabled Mountains of the Moon in Central Africa! The Pundit must have known all this. He published his book Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile in 1863.

The similarities of Egyptian civilization’s, science and religion with the Vedic knowledge are even more amazing than the ones mentioned about the Jews. Specifically,in the philosophical and religious field. The details of the temple worship practiced in Egypt are strikingly similar to Vedic temple worship, including the three sandhya meditations on the sun (Ammon-Ra, the main Deity in Egypt), the form of God as both male and female (Osiris/Isis, assimilated with the Sun and the Moon), the bathing, dressing and decoration of the Deity (with red cloth, still considered in India as the traditional color of cloth to be offered to Deities), arati with the offerings of food and incense, etc. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is an almost exact replica of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which is coming to us through the Yaksa Saivite Tantric tradition of Himalayas, which strongly influenced the Vajrayana Buddhism or Lamaism. Egyptian priests had a complicated knowledge about the various subtle bodies and astral traveling (as Tantric Buddhists do), and some bits of knowledge about yoga, too. Egyptian priests were strictly vegetarian (not even eating eggs), followed brahmacarya vows and abstained from intoxicants, and went through several initiations in order to practice their service. Meat was only consumed by them in later periods, and exclusively coming from fire sacrifices. (It is therefore very misguiding to say that Brahmins “became vegetarian” in a later period, after detaching themselves from their “origins” as Jews).

They were also in charge of medicine and astrology, and had an immense knowledge about both. Even the temple decorations used the lotus flower as a symbol of purity and beauty. The list could go on and on. Many ancient Greek scholars (including Plato, Pythagoras, etc.) traveled both to Egypt and to India to get their knowledge. While reading Plato’s and Pythagoras’ teachings, we find exactly the same Vedic knowledge explained in Greek language. Now we know from the Puranas that at the times of Parasurama avatara, the ksatriya kings of Bharata varsa were scattered all over the planet while fleeing the avatara’s killing wrath. We know that a group of such ksatriyas, followed by their family priests and retinue, reached ancient Egypt and established a kingdom there. Other groups settled in South America, Mesopotamia, Northern Europe, and in the lost continent of Atlantis mentioned by Plato and others. Striking similarities can be observed, for example the pyramids that can be found almost exactly identical in South America, Mesopotamia and Egypt. And which also resemble the large and high domes of the most ancient Vedic temples.

There are evidences galore that Vedic civilization was the precursor of all major civilization in the world. Similarities between the Egyptian civilization and the Vedic civilization and the evidence of the later being the progenitor of the earlier is but one example.

There are plenty of similarities between Vedic and Celtic civilization, between Vedic and Anatolian civilization, between Vedic and Mayan civilization etc. The question is the similarities between one and many.

Bibliography:

http://www.hinduwisdom.info/India_and_Egypt.htm

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/christianity’s_similarities_with_hinduism.htm

http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/connections/Judaism.php

Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global existence by Stephen Knapp

History of India by John Keay

Underworld by Graham Hancock

World Vedic Heritage By Prof: P.N.Oak

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