Egypt Study Travel

2008-2009

Marymount College

ID 180 D: Comparative Cultures: The Middle East, Focus on Egypt (2 units - Fall 08)

ID 279 Study Travel: Egypt  (1 unit -Winter 09)

Travel date: January 7- 21, 2009

Egypt: Land of Wonder and Intrigue

(Tentative Itinerary)

Your destination is Egypt, the center of the most advanced civilization on earth for a period of three thousand years. Fly over the Atlantic Ocean, then over most of the European continent and the blue Mediterranean Sea, before landing at Cairo International Airport.  Meet your courier and transfer to your centrally located hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax or to start exploring. You may want to visit President’s Sadat’s tomb and the Unknown Soldier Memorial, or one of the many mosques and museums in Tahrir Square area, most of which are within walking distance of each other.

Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Starts your full-day guided tour of Africa’s largest metropolis with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiques, including the section filled with glittering treasures of King  Tut, the child-king. This museum is the world’s unrivaled warehouse of Pharaonic Artifacts.   Then go with your guide to Old Cairo. Where the Coptic Christian community established a thriving intellectual center in the Middle Ages. Visit the Coptic Museums outstanding collection of art works and the “Hanging Church” (El Mu’allaqa) built forty feet above ground level.

Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Start the day with an unforgettable excursion (flights included) to the huge sandstone temples of Abu Simbel, located some 180 miles south of Aswan.

When the Aswan High Dam was being built in the1960s to contain the erratic floods of the Nile, UNESCO worked to preserve monuments that stood on the river’s banks below the water line of the future lake. Reconstructed block by block on high ground above its original site, the complex of Abu Simbel is truly a sight to see along with the monumental temples of Ramses II and his queen. 

Upon return to Aswan, we will make a quick stop by the turn-of-the-century Old Dam and the 1970 Aswan High Dam, then transfer to your hotel in Aswan for a relaxing afternoon. 

In the early evening, we will visit the Nubian Museum, which tells the story of the “Land of Gold”. This unique museum, opened in 1997, celebrates the culture and the civilization of the Nubian region from prehistoric times to the present and is considered to be one of the most important museums in Egypt. It houses over 3,000 objects among which is a statue of Ramses II (1304-1237 BC), and monumental pieces from Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Islamic and Coptic periods.  In the evening, you will have free time to visit the city of Aswan and enjoy its unique character and bazaars.  

Overnight in Aswan.

Transfer to your luxury cruise ship which will take you on a four-night journey down the mighty Nile River.  This morning’s excursion takes you to the granite quarries, and obelisk which never quite made it to completion. Then sail to the island of Agilka, between the two dams, to visit the Temple of Isis rescued from the submerged island of Philae.

In the afternoon, board a felucca and sail across the Nile to Kitchener’s Island “and may be to a Nubian Village) and its Botanical Gardens, where a variety of exotic birds and primates enjoy the lush tropical setting.

The remainder of the day is free to spend as you wish shopping or relaxing in Aswan.

Lunch, dinner, overnight abroad ship.

This morning, your cruise ship will start it journey down the Nile. Our first stop is Kon Ombo to visit its twin temples dedicated to the crocodile-headed god Sebak and the falcon-headed god Horus. Second stop will be a visit to the Temple of Horus in Edfu. built in the time of Cleopatra, about 2,000 years ago, this temple is recent by Old Egypt standards and beautifully preserved.

This afternoon, savor the unfolding panorama as you sip a beverage on the sun-deck of your cruise ship, bound for Edfu and then Esna.  See white-clad farmers with donkeys, camels or water buffaloes work their fields. Admire the desert, ever-present on the horizon beyond the palm trees.

Breakfast, Lunch, dinner, overnight aboard ship.

Today, enjoy a guided tour focusing on the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens on the west bank of the Nile, where generations of pharaohs and nobles were buried in great splendor in crypts cut into the cliffs. Sixty-two royal tombs have been discovered so far including tomb of Tutankhamun (nearly inviolate when discovered in 1922) which you will visit today.

The two Colossi of Memmon at the funeral temple of Amenhotep III have tempted famous visitors throughout history to carve their names on the pedestals. Find the Roman emperors’ graffiti!

In the Valley of the Queens, you will visit Queen Nefertari’s tomb, the most beautifully decorated tomb of that necropolis. Nefertari was Ramses II first and favorite royal wife. The wall paintings in her tomb are so beautiful and so fragile that only 150 visitors are allowed in each day.

You’ll also visit Queen Hatshepsut’s beautiful and inventible rock temple at Dayr El-Bahri designed by her talented steward. This masterpiece rises in three broad, columned terraces from the desert floor against a backdrop of sheer limestone cliffs. The temple’s ancient Egyptian name, Djeser Djesern, means “most splendid of all.” Hatshetsup was the only queen to assume the title of Pharaoh.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, overnight aboard ship.

This morning, prepare to check out from your Cruise Ship, then visit the Temple of Luxor, located in the heart of the modern downtown. Marvel at the colossal colonnades which lead you to the main entrance. This is said to be the most beautiful cult temple in Thebes.

Then, follow the Avenue of Sphinxes (which originally extended for more than a mile!) to the enormous Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever built by man.  This evening, enjoy the optional sound-and-light show at the Karnak Temple.

Overnight in a Hotel in Luxor.

Energetic travelers may want to arise before dawn for a visit to Mount Sinai, the Biblical Mount Horeb where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. In the company of a Bedouin guide, you will walk in the footsteps of Moses as pilgrims have done for centuries, using the 3, 750 steps of stairs of Repentance. These steps were carved out of the rock by the monk doing penance. A winding camel trail offers a more gradual ascent (for a small fee, you can actually ride the camel for a part of the climb!) After an estimated three-hour hike, you’ll arrive on the 7,500-feet-high summit in time to watch the sunrise. Plan on about two hours for the descent: many use trail to go up and the stairs to come down.

Then visit the fortified Monastery of St. Catherine’s, which is one of the jewels of Western Civilization. Begun in the 6^th century AD, this extraordinary sanctuary is set on the site of Moses’ Burning Bush and is surrounded by walls 40 to 200 feet high. For most of its 15 centuries of history, the monastery was accessible through one small opening at 30 feet above the ground and reachable by a system of pulleys. As a result, the fortress withstood countless assaults.

The monastery contains remarkable works of art from the Middle Ages to the 19^th century, including Greek and Russian Icons, Arab mosaics, oil paintings and sacerdotal ornaments. Its collection of illuminated manuscripts is the second –largest in the world after the Vatican’s.

Later in the day, on our way back to Sharm, we will stop by beautiful city of Dahab “meaning gold” known for its golden sand beaches and bazaars.  Continue your journey to the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula and the seaside resort of Sharm El Sheik.

Dinner and overnight in Sharm El Sheik.

                Enjoy an excursion to Ras Mohammed National Park, which encompasses part of the Red Sea coast, with its sand dunes, limestone out-crops and a rich expanse of coral reefs are considered to be among the most beautiful in the world and attract divers from all over.

Fauna ranges from desert gazelles to the astounding variety of fish which grace the coral reefs, If you’ve never tried underwater exploration before, you’ll gave to try it here. 

Dinner and overnight in Sharm El Sheik.

                This day is free for exploration on your own in this lively resort, You may want to spend some time at the beach either relaxing, swimming or snorkeling.  Later in the day,  transfer to Sharm el Sheik’s airport for an evening flight to Cairo.

Overnight at Hotel in Cairo

This morning’s guided excursion takes you to view the Saqqara Step Pyramid, the first large monument to be constructed entirely of stones.

This afternoon, a guided excursion to Giza brings you closer to the wondrous pyramids, including the 700 foot-tall Great Pyramid of King Khufu (Cheops), and, of course, the Sphinx itself, erected around the year 2,540 BC, and visit to the Sun Boat Museum.

Lunch, dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Drive through the bustling streets of the largest capital in Africa to the Islamic section of Cairo, dominated by the Citadel begun by Saladin in the 12^th century, which you will visit. A visit is also included to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, known for its marble-and-alabaster decorations and silver domes.

You will also pass by the Mosque of Al Azhar, established in 972 AD by the Shi’ite Fatimid conqueror, Gawhar. The name is derived from Fatma Al Zahra, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad. The mosque has been extensively restored over time. Note the architectural features such as the minaret of Qaytbay.  We will visit also mosques of El Rafiaa & sultan Hassen.  Our day will conclude with a visit to Khan el Kalili bazaars, well-known for its fine leather goods, silver and gold jewelry, in-laid and carved wood objects, spices, copperware and carpets. Practice the fine art of bargaining!

Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

The desert sands glide by and disappears under the wing if your airplane as you head back to the U.S. Within the past fortnight, you have traveled thousands of years and almost as many miles! Arrive home later today, eager to share your discoveries with family and friends.

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Last modified: July 29, 2008