EGYPT & THE ETERNAL NILE and PETRA
APRIL 6 - 26, 2008
EGYPT---------------------JORDAN
(Please click on any picture to enlarge it.)
APRIL 6-7
NEW YORK * CAIRO
EgyptAir Flight 986 left JFK at 6:30 pm and arrived in Cairo the next day at 11:30 am. The Odysseys guide drove us to Cairo's Semiramis InterContinental Hotel which is along the Nile.
My traveling companions on this trip were my U.P. classmates Heidi and René and his wife Imelda. We dined that night at a riverboat restaurant called Blue Nile and afterwards I scoped out the area near the hotel. Took pictures of some locals.
APRIL 8
EGYPTIAN MUSEUM * CITADEL OF SALADIN * KHAN EL-KHALILI BAZAAR
Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum with the most extensive collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world was first in our sight- seeing program for the day.The Place Riverboat Restaurant
Lunch was at another river boat restaurant called The Place and we were feted with local delicacies.Citadel of Saladin
Next was the Citadel of Saladin, a fortress with an Ottoman mosque, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha.
Khan el-Khalili
From there we went to the Khan el-Khalili bazaar where René bought a statue of the goddess Selket for Imelda.
Dinner that night was at the hotel's Thai restaurant which was pleasantly good.
APRIL 9
PYRAMIDS AT GIZA * MEMPHIS * SAQQARA
Pyramids at Giza
This morning we visited the Great Pyramid of Khufu, and the nearby Pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure at the Giza Plateau. Photos with Mohammed, our security guard...
Heidi on a camel.
The 43-meter long cedar wood funeral boat of Khufu was discovered in 1954, reconstructed and housed in a museum at the site.
The Sphinx which was buried under the sand for thousands of years stands guard in front of the Pyramids. It was carved almost entirely of one piece of limestone.Memphis
Next stop was Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, founded in 3100 B.C. Pictured are Rameses II, the alabaster Sphinx and the three ladies, and the limestone colossus of Rameses II
Saqqara
After lunch at a local restaurant, we visited Saqqara, a necropolis with the Step Pyramid, built by Imhotep for the burial of Pharoah Djoser during the 27th Century B.C. There was also a mortuary temple with hypostyle hall, the columns built to resemble the papyrus.
Dinner was at the hotel's Italian restaurant Pane Vino.
APRIL 10
ST SERGIUS * DAHSHUR * OPERA HOUSE
St Sergius
First stop this morning was the 5th century Coptic Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, also known as Abu Serga, in Old Cairo. It is traditionally believed that the church was built on the spot where the Holy Family rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. We also visited the Ben Ezra synagogue and the Hanging Church (el-Muallaqa)
Dahshur
Next stop was Dahshur, a royal necropolis.
Dahshur is known for the two oldest pyramids built for Khufu's father Pharoah Snofru: the Bent Pyramid...
...and the Red Pyramid, the world's first true smooth-sided pyramid.
Got a nice camel ride behind one of the Antiquities Police that guard the pyramids.
Prince of Egypt Restaurant, Saqqara
Lunch was at the colorful Prince of Egypt Restaurant in Saqqara.
With Hamet from the Prince Restaurant in Saqqara.Cairo Opera House
Back in Cairo for a free afternoon, I wandered through the city and checked out the Cairo Opera House, part of the National Cultural Center located in Gezira Island.
The predecessor of this opera house was the Khedivial Opera House (Royal Opera House), where Guiseppe Verdi's Aida had its world premiere on December 24, 1871, commissioned by Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt. It was built to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal but unfortunately it burned down on October 28, 1971.April 11
Cairo * Abu Simbel
We flew to Abu Simbel via Aswan...
...and boarded the 69-cabin riverboat Prince Abbas for a cruise of the 350-mile long manmade Lake Nasser.Abu Simbel
After lunch we explored Abu Simbel, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The massive twin temples, originally carved out of a mountainside during Rameses II's reign in the 13th century B.C., are monuments to himself...
...and to his queen, Nefertari. Both had to be relocated in the 1960s above the Aswan Dam to avoid submersion during the creation of Lake Nasser.
After dinner at the Prince Abbas, we went back that evening to the two temples for a dramatic sound and light show amid the massive statuary of Abu Simbel.April 12: Lake Nasser Cruise
Kasir Ibrim/Amada/Derr/Tomb of Penot
Like Abu Simbel, all the temples that will be visited along Lake Nasser had to be relocated to higher ground in the 1960s due to the creation of the lake.
This morning we saw from the boat the ruins of Kasr Ibrim. Next we visited the Temple of Amada, built during the reign of Tutmosis III and dedicated to the important gods Amun-Re and Re-Horakhty.
At the Temple of Derr, another of Rameses II's rock-hewn temples, one wall shows him making an offering to Amun-Re. Below, the tomb of Penot.
April 13: Lake Nasser Cruise
Wadi el-Seboua * Dakka Temple * Al-Maharraka
Wadi el-Seboua
The Wadi el-Seboua temple, built by Amenhotep III and enlarged by Rameses II, has an avenue of sphinxes, some of them have Rameses II's face.
Dakka and Al-Maharraka Temples
The Dakka Temple, dedicated to Thoth, was originally built by the Nubian king Akamani in circa 220 B.C. and construction continued through the Greco-Roman period.
The Al-Maharraka Temple was dedicated to the Greek god Serapis and Egyptian goddess Isis.April 14: Aswan
Kalabsha Temple * Aswan Dam * Sondos Papyrus * Old Cataract Hotel * Nubian Museum
Kalabsha Temple
This morning we disembarked from the Prince Abbas. We then visited Kalabsha Temple, a Roman Temple dedicated to Mandulis, a Nubian sky and solar god. It was built by Emperor Augustus.
High Dam Authority and Sondos Papyrus
We stopped at the High Dam Authority then to the Sondos Papyrus where I bought some papyrus paintings.
Old Cataract Hotel
Checked in at the beautiful Old Cataract Hotel, which has hosted Winston Churchill, Agha Khan, King Farouk, Lady Diana, and Agatha Christie. The hotel was featured in the movie "Death in the Nile".
Nubian Museum
We went to the Nubian Museum which houses thousands of artifacts, monuments, models and styles of Nubian heritage.
Chief Khalil Restaurant
Dinner was at a local restaurant which we reached by riding in horse carriages.April 15
Philae * Nubian Village * M/S Royal Lotus
Philae
Took a motorboat ride to the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis during the Ptolemaic period, now relocated to the island of Agilika.
Nubian Village
Next we visited a very interesting Nubian village where we had a quick lesson in Nubian alphabet...
...a stall selling spices in the marketplace...
...colorful clay figures...
...and a visit to a private home.Movenpick M/S Royal Lotus
We boarded the Movenpick M/S Royal Lotus, our floating hotel for four nights along the Nile.April 16
Felucca Ride * Marketplace * Kom Ombo
Felucca Ride
This morning we took a nice felucca (Egyptian sailboat) ride, ran by the Magdy family. They sold trinkets also while we enjoyed the ride.
Aswan Marketplace
Next we went to the local marketplace where I saw mounds of colorful spices, a meat shop, and even sat at a place where locals smoked the hookah, the Egyptian waterpipe.
Kom Ombo
The site of the ancient trading town of Kom Ombo on the great caravan route from Nubia is known for its double temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and to the falcon god Aroeres.Photos show the rare engraved image of Cleopatra VII, the crocodile god Sobek, and Rameses II making an offering.
Costume Party at the Royal Lotus
Tonight's entertainment was a fancy dress party and party-goers attended in traditional Egyptian galaya.
April 17: Nile Cruise
Edfu * Middle Eastern Belly Dancing and Whirling Dervish
Edfu's Temple of Horus
Edfu Temple, the best preserved and second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak, dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, was built from 237 B.C. to 57 B.C.
Middle Eastern Belly Dancing and Whirling Dervish
Tonight's entertainment included a belly dancer and a dervish whose whirling dance, though not originally intended as entertainment, has become a tourist attraction.
April 18: Nile Cruise
Hot Air Balloon * Valley of the Kings * Alabaster Factory * Karnak Temple * Luxor Temple
Hot Air Balloon
Took a boat ride to the west bank of the Nile and had an exhilirating ride on a hot air balloon very early this morning over the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.Valley of the Kings
Our ticket allowed us to visit three tombs, so I've decided to visit the tombs of Rameses I, Rameses VI, and Sety II. The tombs of Rameses II and Tut had very long lines.
Next we went to Deir el-Bahri to the female pharoah Hapshetsut's mortuary temple, Djeser-Djeseru, designed by Hatshepsut's lover Senenmut. It is colonnaded and surprisingly a very modern-looking structure. In 1997, 58 tourists and 4 Egyptians were massacred here by Islamic militants.Alabaster Factory
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Next we went to an alabaster factory. Photos show some alabaster carvers, the statue of Horus that I bought.Colossi of Memnon
These two gigantic sandstone colossi, which are located on the main road 1 mile from the river, represent Amenhotep III (1417-1379 BC).
They once stood in front of his mortuary temple that has since collapsed and was plundered for stone long ago. Although the faces and crowns have been eroded, the two colossi make a strange 64-foot high spectacle seated in the midst of the desert.Karnak Temple
Now we arrive at the vast Karnak Temple, dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut and Montu. Out of four precincts, only the largest Precinct of Amun-Re is open to the public. It is famous for its 134 massive columns arranged in 16 rows in the Hypostyle Hall. Construction began in the 16th century B.C. and about 30 pharoahs contributed to the buildings.
Row of giant statues of Rameses II.Photos below are: Rameses II with Nefertari at his feet, enormous columns, Hatshepsut's obelisk.
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple is reached through the avenue of sphinxes that leads to the First Pylon built by Rameses II. Originally there were six colossal statues of Rameses II four standing and two sitting but only two are left, both sitting.The temple was built by Amenhotep III in the 14th century B.C. Horemheb and Tutankhamun added columns, statues
and friezes. Akhenaten obliterated his father's cartouches and installed a shrine to Aten. Major expansion was done by Rameses II about 100 years after the first construction.
April 19: Alexandria
We disembarked from the Royal Lotus and flew to Cairo where we boarded a motorbus that took us to Egypt's ancient city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great. We checked in at the Montazah Sheraton, right across from the Montazah Palace on the Corniche, where we had nice rooms with balconies overlooking the Mediterranean.April 20: Alexandria
This morning we visited the ancient Roman Amphitheatre which was built in the 4th century A.D. It remained in use until the 7th century. In the
1960s the amphitheatre was discovered during construction of a government building.Our group picture with the Roman Amphitheatre in the background.
Next stop was the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, built in memory of the Royal Library of Alexandria which was founded during the reign of Ptolemy II in the 3rd century B.C. and lost in antiquity.
The Citadel of Qaitbay, built in A.D. 1477 by Sultan Al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay from the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, is a 15th century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean sea coast.
The 300-foot-tall Lighthouse of Alexandria, built in the 3rd century B.C. on the island of Pharos. It was still functioning when the Arabs conquered Alexandria in A.D. 642, but it was later damaged by earthquakes, and by 1349 it was in ruins; in 1480 Qait Bey’s fortress was built on the site.
Lunch was at Kadoura, a local seafood restaurant. I had stuffed tilapia with brown rice.
We visited next the Montaza Palace, built in 1892 by Abbas Hilmi Pasha, the last khedive of Egypt, was one of the palaces of the former Egyptian royal family (the descendants of Muhammad Ali).April 21
Alexandria * Bishoy Monastery * Farewell Dinner in Cairo
St. Bishoy Monastery
We left Alexandria this morning and visited in Wadi el-Natrun the 5th century Coptic Orthodox monastery of St. Bishoy, whose incorrupt body is preserved to this day.Farewell Dinner
We had our farewell dinner tonight at one of our hotel's restaurants. Some people will be leaving for home in the morning while others will go on to Jordan.
Here's a link to a beautiful video of the places we have just visited: http://youtu.be/SiiET2wVK6Q
April 22
Cairo * Amman
René and Imelda left for home while Heidi and I boarded a plane with the others to continue our trip to Jordan. We checked in at the beautiful Amman Kempinski Hotel.April 23
Amman * Petra
Amman
The original name of the city was Rabbath-Ammon, then changed to Philadelphia after the Ptolemaic ruler Philadelphus in the third century B.C. After being overran by different conquerors, it's name was returned to its Semitic origin of Ammon, or "Amman" around the year 635 after the conquest of the Arabian armies of Islam.
This morning we visited the Citadel known as Jabal el Qala
where we saw the Umayyad Palace built by Umayyad Caliph Hisham between A.D. 724-743 and the Temple of Hercules constructed during Marcus Aurelius' reign (A.D. 161-180).
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The museum in the Citadel contained priceless relics from Jordan's past including pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Next we visited the imposing Roman Amphitheatre, built under Emperor Antoninus Pius (A.D. 138-161), just down the hill from
the Citadel and connected to it via a long and deep hidden tunnel. Its 33 rows once seated 5000 spectators for performances and possibly also had religious significance.We stopped at a local restaurant to order shawarma, the Middle Eastern sandwich on pita bread with lamb, hummus, tomato and cucumber, which we ate on the bus on our way to Petra. We checked in at the Movenpick Resort which is right at the entrance to Petra.
April 24
Petra
To avoid the crowd and extreme heat, we were at Petra's gate as soon as it opened. Petra, "a rose-red city half as old as time," was the capital of the Nabataeans, Aramaic-speaking Semites and the center of their caravan trade. In 1985, Petra was designated a World Heritage Site.
I rode a horse to the entrance of the narrow gorge called Siq, guarded by costumed soldiers, and waited for the group who walked. At the end of the gorge was the most famous "Treasury" which was hewn into the sandstone cliff. It was also featured in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
The massive amphitheatre has actually been cut into the hillside. Almost enclosing it on three sides are rose-colored mountain walls.April 25
Kerak Castle * St. George Church * Mt. Nebo
We left Petra, drove through the historic King's Highway dating to Biblical times, and visited Kerak Castle, one of a chain of Crusader castles stretching from Turkey to the Egyptian border. Then we next stopped at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George which housed the amazing 6th century mosaic map depicting the Holy Land. Our last stop was Mount Nebo where Moses was said to have viewed the "promised land" but which he never reached.
We flew to Cairo from Amman's Queen Alia airport.
April 26
Cairo * New York
This amazing trip ended this morning when we took EgyptAir Flight 985 at 10:15 a.m. from Cairo to JFK.
Here are some pictures of the amazing people from the places we visited on this trip and also of the people I traveled with. My thanks to René and Imelda for some of the pictures.
To check my other travel blogs, please click on any trip listed on the uppermost right hand box above. Thank you for viewing my travel blog.
