Traveling to Egypt

In my itinerary planning I make sure we see the Giza Plateau, the solar boat, and depending on which of the pyramids is open that day, we go inside one. We also visit the Cairo Museum at a leisurely pace. It can easily enrapture one for days! The highlights here of course are the tomb articles of Tutankhamen (18th dynasty) , the mummies room where we are able to view the faces of the pharaohs from the New Kingdom (from the valley of the Kings) and some of the most magnificent pieces of art from the dawn of time. We have our own Egyptologist accompany our group for the entire trip. My groups are small so we are able to listen and learn from him without huge numbers of people jockeying for a good position! The amazing pieces of art are strewn about this antique building. There are rooms that hold priceless pieces from the tiniest hairpin to the massive colossal statues that soar to the upper floors! I understand that the new museum to be located in Giza, might be completed by 2011.

We also visit the famous Khan Khalili originally built in 1382. It is an amazing warren of alleys, stores and shopkeepers and an overload of the senses!

Not to be missed is the El-Fishawi cafe where we stop for a Turkish coffee!

Our group goes to the Old Cairo section to the Mohammed Ali Mosque and the Citadel where we have a superb view of the city. The old city also contains several ancient churches and synagogues that date back to ancient times.

We devote an entire day to touring the west bank of the Nile. Our drive in a private air conditioned mini-coach takes us to the sites of Sakkara and Memphis and Dashur. Here we encounter the precursors of the great pyramids. The Step Pyramid of Sakkara is the oldest stone building in the world. It was designed and built by the later deified architect Imhotep for his pharaoh Zoser. The outer walls of this site are as pristine and elegant as the day they were built. Later pyramids were constructed a bit further south in Dashur. Only recently opened for visitors, these intermediate pyramids show the progression of their building skills. Generally thought to have been the product of the pharoah Snefru, the Meidum pyramid, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid show the improvements in their skills. The Giza pyramids are the direct result of these early builders

We also visit the ancient administrative capital of Memphis. There is not much visible today, but a reclining colossus of Ramses II (19th dynasty) and an alabaster sphinx that is thought to be of the Pharaoh Hatshepsut (18th dynasty). Of course, we are able to visit a rug factory/school where lovely works of weaving are on display and available for purchase! We also include a visit to the Papyrus Institute to view the creation of the paper and the artists re-creating the art works of the ancients.

Our group then departs for Luxor (ancient Thebes). I have always fondly thought of this town as a picturesque village, but discovered on my last visit a beautiful city of over a million people! It sits along the east bank of the Nile River with a long corniche for walking, dining and shopping options. The "cabs" so ubiquitous in Cairo, are horse and buggies in Luxor. Quite a relaxing way of viewing this lovely town! There is a night market here with coffee shops that will captivate everyone. This was the religious capital in pharaonic times, and the temple of Karnak alone is 200 acres. A visit here and the neighboring Luxor Temple can easily take a full day or longer.

Across the new bridge, is the famous western bank. We try to visit this early in the day before the heat soars to over 100 degrees! The Valley of the Kings awaits with all of its uncovered secrets and its many hidden ones. Several of the tombs of the kings are like palaces underground. The paintings and carvings display some of the most beautiful Egyptian art still in place. There are also many mortuary temples on this side of the river, most notably Deir el Bahri - the temple of Hatshepsut. In my last visit here, I discovered that the upper level has been opened for visitors! I think this is one of my most favorite buildings. The colossi of Memnon are located here as well. There is currently an archeological dig at this site. I just attended a lecture on the site by Egyptologists Dr. Hourig Sourouzian and Dr. Ranier Stadellmann on their progress here and their need for funding! (Donations can be made to the World Monuments Fund for MTA III )

We also visit the Ramesseum and Medinet Habu which are more amazing temples.

Luxor is where we typically board our Nile Cruise for a 4 night trip to Aswan. The ship acts as a floating hotel and we dock at various cities for overnight stays. Crossing the locks at Esna is always an exciting experience. One of our stops is in Edfu where we see a fairly intact Ptolemic temple with the famous statue of Horus. Another stop is in Kom Ombo. This little village has seen several improvements since I last visited. There is a Nubian Village that is not to be missed along with the Temple here. (also of the ptolemic period).

Aswan is our last stop on the ship. Here is another "village" of over a million people! The mostly Nubian population here has wonderful handcrafts and music. There is a very nice Nubian Museum for viewing ancient Nubian art. We look at the Aswan High dam and see the immense Lake Nasser created behind it. There is also a beautiful Ptolemic temple raised from the rising waters of the dam called Philae Temple. It is located on an island in the center of the Nile and makes for a wonderful visit.

A trip to Abu Simbel in the very southern reaches of Egypt is not to be missed. Raised from the flood waters back in the sixties, this rock temple was built by Ramses II.

There is so much to see and do in Egypt, but the most appealing part of any visit here is the welcoming we receive from the Egyptian people. They are warm and friendly to visitors, and in particular love to see Americans coming back. My fondest memories are always of the new friends I make whenever I can return. If people cannot travel with me on my group departure, I always make sure that they experience the same trip with their own private Egyptologist.

I have joined ARCE (American Research Center in Egypt) and find there are many people who have been captured by the magic of this country and its history. It is open to the public and they need our support to keep the preservation efforts going.

To book your trip to Egypt or to join me on my next escorted tour, contact me at my phone number or email address below.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mary Marlowe
503.546.1087 - direct
866.740.1087 - toll free
Email: mm@jbatravel.com

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