Egypt, 1950s

you look at this Spinx crouched on the earth its great face Carter and you know this is Egypt you are in the ancient empire of the kings called pharaohs who built these great figures to glorify their gods and goddesses these same kings were Builders too of Great Pyramids which served as tombs in their transition to the celestial Life After Life here on [Music] Earth but Egypt is more than Sphinx and pyramid Egypt is predominantly the Nile greater even than the Amazon and the Mississippi the longest river in the world flowing 4,000 mil from its Headwaters in the heart of Africa northward to the Mediterranean almost 1,000 miles through Egypt itself the lifeline of national prosper it for the Nile is all things to Egypt a main Highway of travel and commerce a source of sustenance to enrich the soil the cradle and tomb of many civilizations along its [Music] banks here on the West Bank in the Valley of the Queens is where we begin our journey into Egyptian history a glimpse of antiquity through the ruins and relics of a civilization that flourished here more than 3,000 years before the world knew of such a place as America and indeed of an epic in the story of humanity when most of Europe was still a Dark Continent inhabited by Savage tribes visualize from these columns these hieroglyphics and stylized figures the Splendor that must have been the tombs of the Nobles in their Heyday four Millennia ago [Music] still on the West Bank of the river but farther north come to the Valley of the Kings and the City of the Dead sight of a great Royal tomb here was made the greatest discovery of Egyptian archaeology King tatang whose tomb was opened in 1922 to disclose a treasure of relics from Egypt's golden age of [Music] antiquity we have crossed to the East Bank of the Nile before us stands the Temple of luxar on Earth some 50 years ago from the accumulated dust of the past 30 centuries here again we lift the veil of time seeing in these Lotus Bud columns reminders of an ancient Glory when the all powerful pharaohs of Egypt ruled most of the then civilized [Music] world within walking distance is the great Avenue of the ramhead sphinxes that lead to carac City of grandeur in the time of Egyptian antiquity this is the site of the Great temple of the sun god amanra close to the Temple of his goddess wife and their Moon God Son konu these gigantic statues make us feel like little people in the miniature World perhaps with Imperial premeditation to remind the world how Mighty were the Pharaohs in their lifetime as rulers of the Egyptian Empire [Music] note the Monumental Majesty of this Noble colonade these ancient drawings and hieroglyphics still show traces of their original Brilliance telling of a way of life our modern world can never know all we do know is that every grain of sand on every block of stone is a dramatic page out of the story of mankind the tmy gate leading to the wonderfully preserved Temple which the Pharaoh tmy third dedicated to Horus the hawk-headed god a thousand years after the rames [Music] dynasty during the Golden Age of the Pharaohs there were many more obelisks at Carnac than we see here today you can see one in Rome taken by Julius Caesar and another in Paris taken by Napoleon as trophies of military conquest we have come north from Carnac to the Dinara Temple here too we see the amazing staying power of Egyptian drawings and carvings against the erosion of time this Temple was dedicated to huther goddess of love known to the Greeks as Aphrodite to the Romans as Venus these walls are inscribed with data of that historic epic including name and it is interesting to note that this is one of the last temples of ancient Egypt designed and built in the reign of the Pharaoh tmy 11 father of Cleopatra from a distance they looked like two giants seated upright in the fertile Valley of the Nile they are the famous colosi of mman originally each was carved from one huge block of stone and placed on guard before a royal Temple long since vanished into the graveyard of the ages 20th century Egypt is a composite of the old and the new here we see an example of the past in agraculture the water wheel it was invented by the Greek mathematician aramides and represents one of the earliest manifestations of ancient mechanics old yes but not primitive since it is an effective method of raising water from underground pools or spill-off to arable land with the completion of the Big Dam the Egyptian farmer will be supplied with an increasing abundance of water for [Music] irrigation we happen on a roadside scene that is a picturesque reminder of Rural Life Through the Ages this is the vegetable produce of The Good Earth on its way to market the garden variety crops cultivated by the Egyptian small holding Farmers known as Fahim [Music] we have come to the far south of Egypt to Bear witness to a dream of the pharaoh's come true finding a way to control the annual fall and Rise of the Waters of the Nile this is the modern Miracle of Egypt the building of the new Aswan Dam it will create the world's largest artificial Lake it will supply abundant electric power throughout the nation and by use of reservoir Waters it will convert vast desert areas into fertile soil for Farm cultivation here at Abu simbel 20th century engineering has roots that run deep into Egyptian history for the stone Effigies and temples of Ramsey the Great suddenly find themselves victims of modern progress doomed to Extinction under the man-made flood that will cover this entire area when released by the great new dam under construction at Aswan the solution a giant undertaking in logistics removing these archaeological treasures and setting them up where they will be preserved for the world as they have been through the past 3,000 years and more this then is what is going on now at Abu simel the replacement to High Ground of Priceless relics of [Music] antiquity a Vista of Scenic Beauty along the Nile and in the foreground the white marble Villa of a gracious lady Widow of the late aaan on the hilltop nearby stands the imposing mosum of the KH through the doors to the doed interior here inomed for all eternity is the Pure White sarcophagus in which he [Music] rests North to the Mediterranean and the city founded by a World Conqueror in 332 BC and named in his honor Alexandria this is the statue erected in grateful memory to Ishmael Pasha ruler of Egypt a century ago builder of Public Works including the Suz canal Alexandria today is a metropolis in the mainstream of contemporary existence but as we absorb the flavor of this city it may add interest to recall some of the people who shaped its history Scholars like uid and Archimedes soldiers like Caesar Napoleon and one of the great ladies of all time Cleopatra Queen of Egypt this heroic statue memorializes Muhammad Ali founder of the last ruling Dynasty ended by ex king faruko that led to the present United Arab Republic in the days of the monarchy the montaza palace was the summer residence of Egyptian royalty today it serves the public as hotel casino and Historical Museum in ancient times Alexandria was one of the great sea ports of the Mediterranean arrival of Carthage Rome and Constantinople in size importance and volume of Commerce through the centuries and the fluctuating fortunes of War Alexandria declined in power and Prestige only to rise again restored to its Eminence as one of the chief ports of the entire Mediterranean area today its modern Harbor linked by rail to Cairo and the Nile Valley handles most of Egypt's foreign trade kite Bay Fort this historical Islamic Fort was built in the 15th century ad on the same site as the ancient alexandrian Lighthouse one of the Seven Wonders of the World [Music] on the highest spot of the city stands pompy's pillar erected by the Roman prefect or governor in 302 ad when Alexandria was an Egyptian Outpost of the Roman [Music] Empire as we travel east from Alexandria we come upon what appears to be a ship sailing through the sand dunes of the desert an optical illusion of course this is the SU Canal one of the world's greatest man-made waterways it extends more than 100 miles joining the Mediterranean and the Red Sea we Traverse the bank of this Crossroads of the world and realize that along its entire length here is a canal without a single lock yet it can accommodate oceangoing ships of any size each year it Services about three times the tonnage of the Panama Canal handling more than half of all the sea commerce between Europe and the Far [Music] East ancient Egypt in the jet world of today the old and the new meet here one of the great centers of air travel this is the international airport at Cairo completely modern and servicing some 30 major airlines worldwide [Music] this fountain on a tiny island in the Nile is our introduction to the City of Cairo our first visit is to the new tower from whose vantage point we view the city proper Cairo founded in the year 969 and by Christian Reckoning soon to celebrate her thousandth birthday Cairo capital of the United Arab Republic and the largest city on the continent of Africa does this look like a city a thousand years old it depends on where you are here in aler square the answer is no yet even here there are occasional reminders of an age-old and honored way of life this is 20th century Cairo but still Egyptian style one of the travel world's most palacial hot Hots as modern as tomorrow with all the apperences of contemporary life and luxury on the Nile stands a building that is only and solely of today cairo's television and radio Center broadcasting regular programs in Arabic English French as well as other languages it could be Paris on the same it it is of course Cairo on the Nile within its own Civic boundaries we find this an ambivalent City new contemporary and old historic we are looking at modern Cairo business center of the nation a metropolis of more than 4 million people a Cosmopolitan City much of the industrial and cultural sophistication of London New York Rome Berlin and other great cities of the world across the square is cairo's famous opera house in front stands the statue of ibraim Pasha son of Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt under the Ottoman Empire more than a 100 years ago Cairo is a Muslim rather than a fonic city having come into existence centuries after the end of the fonic dynasties but the memorials to the ancient Egyptian kings are to be seen everywhere we have met this pharaoh before in the South near Aswan Ramsey II greatest builder of his [Music] time as might be expected at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo you will find the world's most Splendid Gathering of fonic Antiquities more than a 100 rooms full of ancient statuary in stone and precious Metals a treasure Trove of relics that Encompass the entire spectrum of historical interest from mummies preserved Through the Ages to Fabulous collections of Royal gems and jewels this only a fleeting glimpse of the Feast for the eyes that awaits your visit to this Museum Cairo for centuries has been the educational center not only of Egypt but of all Africa we are now on the campus of the University of Cairo one of four universities in the city including an American University of modern origin and Alazar a musk University founded in 972 the world's oldest with more than 40,000 students engaged in both Islamic and secular studies it hardly needs stating that the Islamic equivalent of the Christian church is the mosque house of worship for all [Music] Muslims two of the most famous in Cairo The Citadel and the mosque of Muhammad Ali are said to have been built at least in part by the labor of the Christian Knights captured by the sultan saladine during the Crusades of the 12th century and so numerous of the mosques large and small that if a devout Muslim prayed in a different one each day for a year he still would not get around to all the mosques of Cairo Cairo has many faces and here in the bizaar district we see her older Visage a sector of the city whose people retain the dress and customs of an earlier [Music] era here is where the foreign visitor finds the flavor and color of an exotic land you stroll through these streets and shops and become part of the meu in which you find yourself you pause perhaps for rest and refreshment and to observe the pageant of Old Egypt as it unfolds against the backdrop of modern times the artifacts you see interest you you see nothing quite like it back home so you stop to inquire to look listen and learn perhaps in the begin to buy and take home with you a little bit of [Music] Egypt you stop to watch an artisan at work he doesn't mind at all and you see him create a work of art in copperware delicate design rought with Mallet and molding Spike by the skill of high [Music] craftsmanship considering cairo's ideal weather conditions Sports of course are on an all the year round basis we're at the gazer sporting club's racetrack for a look and perhaps a bet on the sport of Kings pure Arab thads the best there is last turn and then into the home stretch [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] need anyone be told where we are this evening one of cairo's best nightclubs to see and applaud one of the finest dancers in all [Music] Egypt the lady is beautiful her form Exquisite her movement delicious in all its undulating Grace This Is The Moment of Truth in the art of the dance Egyptian Style [Music] for those who will visit this land of the Nile certainly one of the most memorable Impressions will be this display of exotic Grace and charm our camel Caravan and Route slow but sure the place Giza a short distance from Cairo this may well be the climax of our trip to Egypt seeing the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx known to all of us riding a camel for the first time is an adventure in itself but frankly we're glad we've [Music] arrived but before sightseeing gets underway there are pictures to take it's a group project including native dragan against an authentic Egyptian background this will be something to show the folks back home Egypt the pyramids and the Sphinx and look that's me up front it really is on a real live camel believe it or not and then alab be praised everybody off which turns out would be not so easy as you may find out for yourself someday we are on our way to one of the three Great Pyramids as you approach you begin to get an idea of its size [Music] overwhelming you stand before it in awe gaping up at its immensity and then you wonder how could they they do it human hands without the building equipment we have today 100,000 men working for 20 years dragging huge blocks of stone across the desert piling them up layer on layer until it was finished men did this more than 4,000 years ago to make a tomb for their King [Applause] [Music] and then the Sphinx of Giza one of the most renowned statues in the history of mankind a monument to the drama of antiquity the body of a lion crouched in the desert its face eroded by wind and sand its beauty untarnished this the symbol of Egypt Through the [Music] Ages welcome to the world welcome to the world welcome to the world a world [Music]