Things to Do in Kelowna & Okanagan Valley

Built as a tribute to the Lower Nubian sun god, Mandulis, Temple of Kalabsha is one of Egypt’s numerous ancient and historic structures and a prime destination for travelers looking to step back into the country’s incredible past. Built during the rule of Augustus around 30 BC, Kalabsh is known for its ornate stone carvings and ancient records inscribed on the temple walls. The temple was moved to its current location at New Kalabsha in 1970 and is in close proximity to the Kiosk of Qertassi and Beit al-Wali.

Dating from 180BC, this is an unusual temple because it is duplicated, mirroring itself on either side of a central axis. This is because it was dedicated to two gods: Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world along with Hathor and Khonsu, and also Horus, and each needed their own set of rooms. Sobek was the crocodile god so, of course, crocodiles were mummified for him. Some of the hundreds that have been discovered nearby are now on display in the temple.

Time, the Nile River, earthquakes and later builders taking the stone for other buildings, have all taken a toll on this building. The surrounding town of Kom Ombo is now home to many of the Nubians displaced by the flooding to make Lake Nasser.

The Tekka Center in Singapore’s Little India area is an ethnic food center and shopping mall offering a range of day-to-day goods at rather inexpensive prices. Built originally in the 1910s, the center underwent relocation and then a few renovations, but now stands as a clean and colorful shopping complex where one can buy anything from groceries to souvenirs and other trinkets.

The center is distinguished by its flamboyant façade, segmented into blue, green and beige sections across a modern and busy looking structure. It was reopened with air-conditioning in 2009, making for a more pleasant experience in an otherwise sweltering city.

Depending on what entryway you use, there are different sections of the center offering mixed ethnic cuisine, especially Chinese and Indian, at its various hawker stations, but it is also a place to run errands, with loads of great tailors, hardware shops and even religious shops selling traditional supplies such as incense robes and other offerings.

The vast Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari rivals the Pyramids as one of the great funerary monuments of the ancient world. Built into the towering cliff face which shelter the Valley of the Kings on the other side, it rises on three enormous terraces connected by ramps, each level marked with a colonnade of stark, largely unadorned square pillars.

Its namesake was one of the few female pharaohs of ancient Egypt, who not unfairly called her monument “Splendor of Splendors”. However, much of the construction dated from earlier rulers, starting with Mentuhotep II in 2050 BC. Numerous sphinxes and other statues have since disappeared, making the whole structure appear even more monolithic. 

The cool stone interior provides welcome relief from the pitiless heat of this region, and features well-preserved wall reliefs and hieroglyphics, some in brilliant colors.

The largest of Luxor’s temples, Karnak was one of the most sacred sites in ancient Egypt. It marked the ascendancy of Thebes (present day Luxor) as the capital of the New Kingdom, with construction beginning in the 16th century BC. Most subsequent rulers tinkered with the complex so it represents a great crash course in different pharaonic styles.

The major site here is the Temple of Amon, the largest place of worship ever constructed. There the Great Hypostyle Hall, which was once roofed, dwarfs visitors with its dozens of colossal columns reaching 25 yards (23 meters) into the sky.

Other highlights include the serene sacred lake, gargantuan statues of rulers and gods, as well as the best selection of obelisks in Egypt.

Tempel Synagogue dates from around 1862 and was built by Krakow's Reform Jews. It is the only still functioning synagogue in Kazimierz, the Jewish area of Krakow which had its population decimated during World War II. The building is a Neo-Classical style with Moorish interiors. It was badly damaged during the war when the Nazi's used it to store ammunition, but it was repaired and services resumed after the war.

These days services are only held a few times a year, but the synagogue remains a place of worship. It also hosts concerts of Jewish and classical music. it is worth seeing for the contra st between the austere facade and the brightly decorated interior of gilded woodwork and ceiling, lit by stained glass windows.