[texasbluebell]

Very interesting. And they must be especially irritated that we have a pleasure palace named for one of their temples.

[swarthyguy]

Actually LUXOR is way preislamic, pre christian, ruins from antiquity. They were old even when the Greeks and Romans got there.

FWIW, if the threat to Vegas is for real, I don't think its the city, but the Hoover Dam.

[StillProud2BeFree]

Actually you'd be surprised at the hatred many of the Islamic fundamentalists have for the early Egyptian culture. They see the ruins as relics of a polytheistic society, and something to be despised. Statues abound in the ancient Egyptian ruins. But statues are viewed as idols, and are prohibited in the fundamentalist interpretations of Islam. Remember what the Taliban did to the ruins of the ancient Buddha at Bamiyen in Afghanistan?

This is why if you go into a mosque, you won't see any statues, or paintings of religuous scenes like you'll see in our churches (from the great cathedrals down to the little church on the corner). Instead you'll see stylized caligraphy. Most of the censors in the Islamic counties won't even allow films with actors/actresses playing any of the major figures of Islam's past, especially Mohamed.

Goodness I got off the subject here! Oh well, maybe it will come in handy for a trivia question LOL!