 ports of call Far at the world then strange fascinating lands back in us bid us rebel and their exotic splendors Come with us as we head for ports of call Egypt 7,000 year old queen of the Nile a land of sunlight and endless summer While Europe still remained in a primitive state When Greece did not yet exist and Rome was unheard of the pharaohs of Egypt knew enough about architecture to build pyramid-shaped tombs Which have stood in violet for 6,000 years? It was Egypt who gave us the foundations for astronomy Egypt that first perfected the art of sculpture and painting who taught us how to dye cloth weave linen and cotton Truly this land is a magnificent and lasting monument to the saying there is nothing new under the Sun We enter Egypt by way of Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile a gay modern city Swarming with people of every race and creed Taking a side trip from Alexandria to the Rosetta mouth of the Nile We pass a spot where in 1799 an event took place which was destined to open the magic portal of Egypt's past On his ill-fated adventure into Egypt Napoleon prepares to give battle to the Turks and orders some French as Doug in a soft soil of an Isle Delta Look here. What can this be here? Let me help you Covered with markings like writing it looks like Greek and then there are some little pictures like we have seen on the Pyramid I think Napoleon would wish you to give it to him. Oh, that's why Napoleon is coming toward us now Are you doing then another work you stand idle General Bonaparte we were digging even as the rest are doing and I dug up this stone Pierre here says I should give it to you. Let me look at it. You're right to give it to me Soldiers this stone has the wisdom of centuries written about it indeed. You did well very well Napoleon sent the Rosetta stone to Champollion famous Egyptologist who found that a record of honors bestowed on clear patriot They were written in Greek and Egyptian hieroglyphics Champollion knew ancient Greek by comparison. He was able to decipher the mysterious hieroglyphics Thus it is that the world today knows so much of the distant wonder and beauty of Egypt's past We can go up the Nile to Cairo by railroad or we can take one of the lazy native boats called Feluca's swan shaped delicately built sailing vessels which might have been used by Cleopatra herself Slowly Alexandria passes from view after many hours on the green turgid waters of the winding Nile. We reach Cairo Cairo seems more Turkish than Egyptian Failed with mosques and tombs of the various caliphs and KDs We wander for hours to winding streets packed with every kind of oriental type or visit the native bazaars If we prefer modern comforts We go to shepherd's hotel where we dance to the latest tunes and eat the finest European food Only a few miles away at Giza. We had transported into the din past to 4,700 years before Christ when Keops pharaoh of Egypt decided to immortalize his name I Keops king of kings make a proclamation When Osiris the father of the gods takes me across the black river of death I wish to be buried in a tomb befitting a king. I Order all my slaves to go to the stone quarries and cut out blocks Each one the size of three elephants Then I wish them to be dragged across the sands and built into the largest tomb in the world After 20 years of labor with the loss of three million lives the great pyramid was completed Near the great pyramid We can still see traces of the long low barracks where miserable slaves sank into exhaustion After the day of toil lifting the huge stone blocks weighing over three tons apiece Our native guide is anxious to take us through the great pyramid first We must climb about ten feet to the entrance See it is far off the ground to keep the floodwaters from entering Careful now the passage is very narrow. It slopes down You must not bump your head It's strange Electric lights in here. It seems almost sacrilegious many say that But no one would like to bump his head Feel those huge stone blocks. I don't see how they ever got them in place without a derrick About how many would you say there were in this pyramid? They say there are over two million of them in the great tyranny It is fearfully hot in here No air at all. The old kings did not wish to be disturbed We are in the room where the king was laid to rest All those centuries ago See There is the great stone sarcophagus Empty I thought the mummy might still be in there at last centuries ago These broken and stole all the treasures they even turned the sarcophagus upside down The king's body turned to dust and dashes We're standing in a room 7,000 years old It doesn't seem possible. It looks ageless like Egypt herself honorable sir Yes Egypt herself Ageless And here the great pyramid Stretched full length on the burning sands. We see the sphinx looking across the Nile with expressionless unseeing eyes Endlessly meditating whose gigantic portrait is this weird creature with its lion body and its human head 4600 BC Kauffre Pharaoh of Egypt Speaks I am coffee who sits on the right hand of Osiris God of the Nile Who was chaos that he should have a greater monument than coffee? I command you to build a statue of myself with the body of a lion cut in the solid rock It should be the largest in the world so that even when my sons and their sons have gone I will be known as coffee the mighty Foolish coffee few know now that the sphinx is your portrait But hundreds of thousands of us have looked at the sardanic subtle smile and have wondered what secrets it possesses Going still farther up the Nile we pass the Valley of the Kings a magical name Among the rocky cliffs that frown upon the Nile are narrow ravines up which we climbed to see the rock hewn tombs of other powerful Pharaohs Whose tomb is this? It is the final resting place of the most remarkable man that Egypt ever produced Aknoton the heretic Pharaoh who actually worshiped but one God Sacrilege cried the Egyptian priests of Anubis set who Bostis Opet Arman and all the hundred other gods that grotesque animal heads who took their endless toll of bloody sacrifices Finally in 1350 BC after a turbulent reign the people demanded that something be done to curb the sacrilege of the gentle Pharaoh Aknoton Opet the high priest of Anubis has an audience with Aknoton Well, I say to you Pharaoh Aknoton you have brought down the wrath of the gods on your head Your empire is falling to pieces your people grumble because you have taken their gods away from them You must give up this mad idea of yours to worship only the Sun Opet most noble one high priest of Anubis This is my answer No longer will my people offer blood sacrifices to gods with the head of jackals cats Lions and crocodiles These creatures are animals without souls. I'm not on be silent. Let's the God strike you dead There is but one God Aton the son the giver of life be warned almost noble Aknoton be warned of your people's hatred of you Oh Nefrotative Nefrotative yes, my lord You called me how often must I tell you not to call me your lord You are my wife. We are equals. Oh, it is hard to understand Aknoton You are the Pharaoh you were allowed many wives many God And yet you worship it one God and have married but one wife. I need but one God I want only one wife, but I have given you no son It is the will of Aton that we have no son Nefrotative What will happen to the religion? I've tried to give my people Why was I not born strong like other men? I must die before my work is completed. Do not say that, please Oh look, here comes the husband of our daughter Welcome to Aknoton. Welcome Aknoton Sanctified one do not throw yourself at my feet. I'm not a God. You are so strange Aknoton We have been taught that Pharaoh is sacred and you say I am not a God my boy I have something important to tell you. Yes when I die You will be Pharaoh of Egypt Pharaoh of Egypt. Yes You are my daughter's husband. I have no son There is only one thing I demand of you. I shall do anything you wish Promise me that you will worship only Aton God of the Sun I swear that I will not forsake the Sun. I promise you this Aknoton Aknoton dies and to that not on becomes Pharaoh. Oh death the high priest comes once more Bero to talk not on I have come as I said to hear your decision I do not know what to say hotel. You must decide I made a sacred promise to Aknoton that I would keep alive the worship of the Sun What of your people the barbarians in the east and west are taking your empire from you Everywhere that is unrest hatred the old Pharaoh's worship to many gods and then came up not on with his blasphemous ideas He was a gentle king. He never tortured his people never sent them into slavery Aknoton spirits will come back to torture me not turn spirit cannot come back The goddess said has committed him to everlasting labor because he refused to recognize her be warned by his fate Very well, I will give up out on noble to talk not and your people will rejoice I'm glad to make my people happy one other thing you must do what more do you want? I've betrayed the spirits of the dead no longer. Can you be called to talk not on in honor of the Sun? You shall be called to talk almond in honor of the earth God almond It shall be as you wish from now on I should be called to talk almond and Such was the beginning of to talk almonds rain The young Pharaoh who was destined 32 centuries later to be awakened from his eternal rest And his tomb was discovered by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor Century after century float along the twisting Nile which wound past fertile valleys Barren rock swept deserts haunted by vultures and jackals Magnificent estates of the rich nobles Alabaster temples to hundreds of gods all the splendor of ancient Egypt But the Empire fell to pieces and the long decadent period of the generation began Finally a strong nation Barbaric Persia swept over Egypt with his conquering hordes and she bowed her proud head to a new lord Kambises the Persian but not for long Kambises died Darius became king like a boat of lightning Alexander the Great 20 year old military genius from Macedonia laid siege to the world and conquered it 332 BC Alexander speaks people of Egypt. I have not set foot on your land as a conqueror But as a deliverer You have had the heavy yoke of Persia around your neck Now you shall be free to worship as you please I myself have come to the temple of Arman to receive his blessing Arman Divine one Tell me that I am indeed your son as my mother Olympia said Tell me that I am divine and immortal Give me a sign or divine Arman Alexander You have spoken truth You are my son then I Alexander by divine right king of Egypt Son of Arman who found the city it shall be named Alexandria When I die I will be buried here and my descendant shall rule Egypt as long as she endures And no sooner did ex Alexander's fever-ridden body breathe its last Then his general savagely divided his empire among themselves and murdered all his children Only one wish came true Ptolemy snatched Alexander's body from the grave and carried it to Egypt where he buried it in the temple of Arman There he founded the dynasty of the Ptolemies and his last descendant was a woman Destined to be even more famous than Alexander himself Cleopatra will be trade her country to the Romans in 30 BC But do not judge me too severely when you hear those harsh words At 17 I saw my rightful throne snatched from me by my brother Ptolemy. I was a woman I could not lead an army But Julius Caesar the great Roman could lead an army. I made him fall in love with me It was not hard. He was 56. I was 17 He gave me back my throne. I went to Rome with him Alas that was my great tragedy the beginning of my downfall a Rome was the greatest city in the world and I was queen of one small weak country I might have been Caesar's wife had they not murdered him. I had to return to Egypt alone unhappy disappointed And then I met Mark Anthony. I Loved him for his bravery. I admired him for his power Together we might have ruled the world Anthony was weak where I bought him strong Because of a little quarrel with me he threw away our chances for the world Octavia Caesar that pale thin fellow won the battle of Actium. I No longer wanted Egypt. I no longer wanted love Anthony killed himself robber than give me up. What was left for me, but death. I had no country And so I died as I had lived Rule of Rome was Egypt's downfall governed by stern military leaders Taxed mercilessly to support the extravagances of the emperors. It was no wonder that Egypt fell an easy prey to the fanatical Mohammedans In 639 AD Omar conquered Egypt and made it part of his great Ottoman Empire Under Turkish rule the condition of the Egyptian people was indescribably wretched Extravagant sultans and KDs taxed the very necessities of life in order to support their magnificent palaces After the Sultan Ismail in 1867 sold England a controlling interest in the Suez Canal in order to pay his debts The British decided to step in they deposed Ismail and took over the government Lower Egypt accepted this humane rule with gratitude, but in Upper Egypt the Sudan it was a different matter 1883 Gladstone five minister of England has a conference between Victoria is then nothing we can do to stop this religious Fidatic from stirring up the Sudan. No, Your Majesty This man calls himself a Madi or prophet of Islam. He is great personal Magnetism people will die for him. He hates England He will do everything in his power to break our government Surely we have shown the people of the Sudan that we think only of their good When a downtrodden people come under the influence of a man like the Madi they're like so many cattle your majesty He appeals to their emotions We try to appeal to their good sense just last month We sent 10,000 British soldiers out there in that hot and grateful country to teach the Sudanese good sense What was the result utter annihilation? Colonel William Hicks murdered I am afraid that your policy of good sense is the wrong one for Sudan, Mr. Datsun Our only way to overpower the Madi is to find an Englishman with the same personal charm the same power of a man Same understanding well, Mr. Datsun Since you have come to that conclusion at last whom do you suggest that we send? I think that General Gordon would be the very man. Ah, yes General Gordon has a brilliant record. I believe they call him Chinese Gordon on the count of his ability to understand the workings of the Chinese mind Perhaps he might be equally successful with the Egyptians very likely Mr. Datsun I think this Chinese Gordon is the man for the Sudan You may give an order to have him dispatched to Khartoum immediately with all necessary soldiers and men for an extended campaign The Madi must be defeated for good and all And so magnetic brilliant Chinese Gordon begins his last adventure Arriving in the Sudan. He makes his headquarters at Khartoum and gives Muhammad Ali pacifying promises Two months of precious time go by Finally from London comes the answer who sent for me Gordon Pasha. Yes, Muhammad Ali I have news from my country. They will give us a bear to rule over us as you promised No, you have broken your word Gordon Pasha They do not want the bear because it was once a notorious slave hunt. You have broken your word Gordon Pasha You believe I could do that. You are an Englishman Gordon Pasha. Yes, I'm proud of it Will not have one word said against my cut I can no longer promise you and your garrison any support In fact, most of the tribes have already gone over to the Madi. Let them go You wish you may go too Mark my words Muhammad Ali England will come to my aid and you and your Madi will be wiped out forever Gordon is left with a small garrison of men at Khartoum to hold the city against the rebel tribes of the Madi Day by day his fate goes worse in vain. He telegraphs for help London seems to have forgotten Gallant Chinese Gordon and his little band of heroes three months go by four five March arrives with the Nile rising in its annual flood The Madi lay siege to Khartoum. In London action is finally taken and a small armed force under Sir Charles Wilson Is sent out to Egypt after desperate fighting they start up the Nile for Khartoum Meanwhile at the fort Nile is rising the fort is gradually sinking into the mud suffering suffering I cannot come to you Gordon Pasha I can no longer stand. We must strengthen the walls Crumbling to pieces the modest troops will be able to enter. I cannot come. Oh, he's finished poor etch I'm almost alone. Oh England England Where are you? He's entered the fort at last to arms to arms for God and St. George George's go up the stairs Gordon Pasha will be there. Take him prisoner so that we can drag him before the Madi. Go up the stairs Coming for me. Are they? Well, I'm not afraid to die. I'll go to them. I Am here You better put up the stairs Take me alive if you can Gordon Pasha. I take you prisoner. Take me prisoner. Hey Mohammed. I'll eat. Here is my Was the end of Chinese gone so Charles Wilson arrived at Khartoum two days late Not until 1896 12 years later did great Britain defeat Marism and regain the Sudan which he lost with the fall of Khartoum When Lord Kitchener finally raised the British flag over the residency in Cairo Egypt was freed at last from religious persecution But during those hundreds of years of oppression Something had happened to the land of the Nile a certain spirit had been whipped out of her the old striving for knowledge The ambition to know the secrets of the universe the long march toward complete perception of the power of thought All had disappeared Today from their lofty heights Pyramids look on as another civilization presses forward The inscrutable image of Coffrey the sphinx Stares down upon us as though to say in parting very well Remember Then come and go Civilizations rise and fall Empires are made and destroyed But no man knows my secret Egypt is Invite you to join us again next week at this time as we journey to another of the world's fascinating ports of call