The glories of ancient Egypt have lured tourists for thousands of years, imprinted western art, decorative art, literature, and popular culture, and have enthralled millions of people across the globe for centuries.

In these 24 richly detailed lessons, Egyptologist and curator Melinda Hartwig walks you through an extraordinary range of the most stunning sites, taking you deep inside the pyramids, tombs, temples, palaces, and homes of the ancient Egyptians. In discovering the world of ancient Egypt, you'll study features of its culture, such as:

Pharaohs and Pyramids—Across six lessons, uncover the origins of the Egyptian pyramid, the symbolism of its form, how the pyramids were built, and by whom;

Wondrous and Mysterious Texts—Delve into ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs and cosmology by studying the Amduat, which richly illustrates the journey of the sun god through the 12 hours of the night;

Mystical Rituals and Festival—Among key religious rites that you'll study, relive the events of the royal Opet festival, where elaborate temple rituals regenerated the pharaoh and the god Amun;

Majestic Temples and Tombs—Explore the Great Temple of Amun-Re at Karnak, with its towering pylons, obelisks, and temples; the vast memorial temple of Amenhotep III, with its colossal statues of the pharaoh; and witness the discovery of the golden treasures of Tutankhamun's tomb; and

Astonishing Glimpses of Ancient Life—Learn in detail how the ancient Egyptians lived, prayed, and died, at sites such as the workmen's village of Deir-el-Medina and in the tombs of New Kingdom officials that have superlative painted scenes of family life, hunting, and agriculture.

In The Great Tours: A Guided Tour of Ancient Egypt, you'll discover a complex and powerful people whose spellbinding monuments, brilliant ingenuity, religious cosmology, and vision of the afterlife continue to intrigue and dazzle the world.