Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Daily Dispatches from Kemet

Historian Jabari Osaze will be posting daily descriptions of this year's African Genesis Institute trip to Egypt.  He's has been leading tours of historic sites in Egypt for the African Genesis Institute for over a decade.  Follow along to retrace the ancient footsteps of our African ancestor who gave civilization to the world.

It’s approximately 11 AM and we’ve just arrived in Cairo, Egypt.  We are all anxious to begin our odyssey searching for the wondrous achievements of out Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) ancestors.  This year, 16 people are partaking in “The Mysteries of Ancient Egypt Revealed” tour sponsored by the African Genesis Institute and the Center for the Restoration of Ma’at.  Today’s simple activities include checking in at the Le Meridian Hotel which overlooks the magnificent pyramids on the Giza Plateau and a dinner cruise on the Nile River.     

It’s fair to say that our 10 hour flight has left us in need of a good night sleep.  However, each and every person on our trip has also expressed excitement over tomorrow’s visit to see the Great Pyramid (pyramids called mr or mrkhut by the Ancient Egyptians).  Viewing the monument from the hotel with their own eyes has only left them with more questions.  Even our travelers with mobility issues are considering descending the narrow long passage into the burial chamber of the third mrkhut on the plateau.         
This is my tenth year of leading tours to Egypt.  I am quite concerned about reports of the looting of sites all throughout Egypt.  The revolutionary actions in Egypt over the course of the last year and a half have also allowed opportunist to both desecrate and steal ancient items.  Archaeological sites all over Egypt have reported looting and even artifacts like the bodies of King Tutankhamen’s grand-parents have been desecrated.  I wonder whether I’ll be able to receive more information on how extensive this problem is.  As groups of people of African descent like ours are continuing to visit important sites on the African continent to look for our ancient footsteps, I can only hope that these sites will remain intact until we’ve become powerful enough to assert the importance of our homeland.  These issues have left my head spinning.  That’s enough for now.  Tomorrow I’ll recount our tour of the magnificent mrkhuti (pyramids) on the Giza plateau. 

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