Egypt, a country that connects North Africa with the Middle East, has a history dating back to the time of the pharaohs. Millennial monuments such as the colossal pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Karnak temple in Luxor, rich in hieroglyphics and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings rise along the fertile Nile valley. The capital Cairo, houses Ottoman buildings such as the mosque by Muhammad Ali and the Egyptian Museum which exhibits a collection of ancient objects.