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The wonders of ancient Egypt have lured tourists for thousands of years; imprinted western art, decorative art, and literature; and enthralled millions since the 1922 discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb. In The Great Tours: A Guided Tour of Ancient Egypt, Egyptologist and curator Melinda Hartwig takes you deep inside the tombs, temples, palaces, and dwellings of the ancient Egyptians.

Using objects from Cairo's three great museums, trace 5,000 years of Egyptian history and culture, and the 31 dynasties that comprised ancient Egypt. Observe how the famous Narmer Palette set the conventions for Egyptian art, and see what a statue of King Khafre, the sphinx of Amenemhet III, Tutankhamun's golden throne, and Seti I's mummy can tell us.

Take the measure of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid, and marvel at the engineering and administrative feat of the pyramid's construction. Travel the pyramid's network of internal passages and funerary chambers, examine their ingenious architectural features, and observe how the burial chambers were sealed. Learn also about the royal necropolis complex that adjoins the pyramid.

King Djoser's Step Pyramid complex at Saqqara was a milestone in the development of monumental architecture. Learn how a traditional mastaba tomb was transformed into the famous Step Pyramid. Then travel the astonishing 37-acre complex, with its courtyards, chapels, palaces, temples, and underground tombs and galleries, highlighting their extraordinary architectural features and decor.

Now visit what many consider to be the Old Kingdom's finest mastaba tombs. Begin at the 5th-Dynasty mastabas of Akhethotep and Ptahhotep II, father and son viziers, focusing on the magnificent painted reliefs of daily life. Continue with the elaborate mastaba of Ti, an important 5th-Dynasty official, taking account of the superlative artistry, symbolism, and detail of the painted reliefs.

Learn about the spiritual revolution of King Akhenaten, and the monuments that bear witness to it. Begin with a look back at an earlier necropolis that influenced Akhenaten, that of Beni Hasan, containing some of the most beautiful painted tombs in Egypt. Continue to the capital city of Amarna, the setting for Akhenaten's religious reformation that focused on the sole worship of the sun god Aten.

Abydos, the ancient center for the worship of Osiris, is your next stop. Learn about the importance of Osiris in Egyptian cosmology as you visit the vast site, highlighting the Commemorative Temple of Seti I, with its breathtaking painted reliefs and mysterious interior rooms; the dramatic Funerary Temple of Ramesses II; and the site of Um el Qu'ab, burial place of the earliest Egyptian kings.

The resplendent Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak stands as one of the world's greatest religious monuments. Trace how successive kings, over 1,500 years, built structures here to celebrate their relationship with the god. Take in the splendor of the Hypostyle Hall and its massive columns with varied capitals, the Festival Temple, and other buildings within this truly awe-inspiring complex.

The Greek Ptolemies, foreign rulers of Egypt, built Egyptian temples to win the peoples' hearts and minds and legitimize their rule. As a prime example, explore the monumental Temple of Horus at Edfu, and the major festivals that honored Egypt's traditional religious beliefs. Also, visit the temple at Kom Ombu, with its hybrid decoration, a rare double temple to the gods Sobek and Haroeris.