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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Pyramids and the Cities of the Pharaohs is the most fascinating episode of the Great Cities of the Ancient World series--and the most entertaining. The 75-minute virtual tour spans many centuries, beginning in the north with the pyramids of Giza and Saqqara, built around 3000 B.C. The journey then continues south along the Nile to Memphis, Thebes, Aswan, and Abu Simbel before returning north to Cairo and Alexandria, where the last pharaoh, Cleopatra, was defeated by the Romans in 30 B.C. Along the way, structures such as the Sphinx, the Temple of Ramses, and the now-destroyed lighthouse at Alexandria are resurrected to their ancient magnificence with the aid of computer graphics that fill in the missing pieces and intricate artwork that once adorned them. The video's tour guide, narrator Edmund Purdon, provides the historical background of each city, spicing it up with amusing trivia such as an ancient Egyptian sandwich recipe (ingredients include coriander, mint, and cheese) and the fact that dentists of the time doubled as hairdressers. The video is an excellent overview of the wonders of ancient Egypt, both visually and factually, but beware--by the time it's over, you'll be tempted to book a Nile cruise and see these marvelous places for yourself. --Larisa Lomacky Moore
From the Back Cover
The land of the Pharaohs rises from the sand through the work of Egyptologists, historians, and video artists.
Before Rome's Caesar, Greece's Pericles, and Moses's exodus from Egypt, the Pyramids were already old. Egyptologists and video artists take us back 5,000 years to view the awakening of Egypt--a civilization that created colossal structures with simple tools and massive man power. What sort of people built these structures? Egypt is an amalgam of two things: the constancy of the Nile and the labor of its people. The reconstructions in this video recapture the splendor of Egypt including two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids and the (Pharos) lighthouse at Alexandria. Marvel at 25 historical re-creations, including the Temple of Luxor, Temple of Ammon at Karnak, Temple of Ramses, the step Pyramid at Saqqara, and the Great Temple of Abu Simbel with its four statues of Ramses II. In a culture where dying was made into a rite, this video reveals the magnificence of Egyptian life before death.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase
This program packs much information into its well thought-out presentation. The video opens with the narrator reminding the viewer just how old "Ancient Egypt" is: The "Old Kingdom" dates back 3000 years before the time of Christ, when other civilizations in the Med were neo-paleolithic at best. This underlines just how impressive this civilization was..and remains. As one might expect, all the major sites are visited: Giza, Luxor, Abu Simbel, Alexanderia, with excellent computer imagery recreating what the original appearance of these monuments may have been. The program also shows the viewer some glimpses of Egyptian life such as food, housing and clothing. The video concludes with a discussion of, naturally, the Ptolemy's most famous resident of Alexandria Cleopatra VII ("Cleopatra" in the video). However, while the site of the lighthouse is visited and recreated, none of the recent research on the palace now under water was included (in fairness possibly due to the discoveries being made after production). Overall, this would be a great value, except for the production itself. On my copy, the narrator's voice is recorded in a very annoying reverb that seems to be intentional. If this was intended to convey the scale of the constructions the viewer is watching-it fails. Provided you can get past the narrative -this is a great intro to Egyptology.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This is a good video, very informative. It compares favorably with, for instance, National Geographic and Reader's Digest videos. The computer recreates of the ancient structures are good. When superimposed on the modern grounds, you can see it's artificial because the lighting is wrong. It would be nice if all ancient structures that can be restored and rebuilt are done so.
This video puts much emphasis on the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza having been built by the ancient Egyptians. Not everyone believes that.
The video could have had normal color footage, instead of that faded black and white footage for the ancient everyday scenes.
This series of 3 should also be available on DVD.
This video puts much emphasis on the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza having been built by the ancient Egyptians. Not everyone believes that.
The video could have had normal color footage, instead of that faded black and white footage for the ancient everyday scenes.
This series of 3 should also be available on DVD.
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