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Egypt Experience

November 2022
A photojournal of a journey around Egypt with Intrepid Travel. Read more
  • 19footprints
  • 13days
  • 178photos
  • 24likes
  • Egypt
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  • 19footprints
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  • 2.2kkilometers
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  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 2

    Cairo 1; Nat. Mus. Egyptian Civilization

    November 18, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We landed at Cairo Airport yesterday and had our first experience of the rush hour traffic here.....

    A free day today and we visit The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, NMEC; this is located in Old Cairo and overlooks the natural lake of Ain Sina. The Museum was officially opened last year (April 2021) and is a cultural hub that displays artefacts in the chronological order of Prehistoric, Ancient (the time of the Pharaohs), Greco-Roman (after Alexander the Great and then the Romans), Coptic (the Egyptian form of Christianity), Muslim and Modern Periods.. An excellent experience. The most well-known period is, of course, the Ancient Period, but modern Egypt is now 85% Muslim and 15% Christian.

    Most significant is the Royal Mummy Room on the lower level where Royal coffins and mummies moved here from the main museums and sites of Egypt to centralise them in one place; they are displayed in chronological order of the dynasties. No photographs allowed, but an amazing display.

    We visit the temporary Egyptian Textiles Exhibition and enjoy the views outside the museum building, including The Dye-House, the only preserved archaeological remains of an Islamic dyehouse in Egypt, and The Citadel of Cairo (aka The Citadel of Saladin), a medieval Islamic era fortification.

    A great start to our Egypt Experience!    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 3

    Cairo 2; The Giza Pyramid Complex

    November 19, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The Pyramids of Giza site is the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and on many a " bucket list"; hence the crowds on the day! There are three main Pyramids, but actually nine on the site, and date from 2,600 - 2,500 BC (Fourth Dynasty). They were originally covered in a white limestone casing.

    We start at the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek); the complex comprises the Great Pyramid itself (146m high and made from 2.3 million stone blocks!), three Queen's Pyramids and three boat pits (the stones were transported by water). We went inside to see the King's Gallery, comprising a sarcophagus of Aswan Granite; this is a narrow, hot, claustrophobic journey up and not for everyone! Glad we did it though!

    We then visit the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren in Greek), the son of Khufu. The Pyramid still has some limestone casing at the the top; access to the Pyramid from street level is guarded by the Great Sphinx down below.

    We drive past the third Pyramid (the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mykerinos in Greek)), the son of Khafre and the grandson of Khufu, to reach a panorama viewpoint for the whole site (we are not alone here).

    Next stop is the Great Sphinx; this is accessed via the Khafre Valley Temple. The Sphinx is the head of Khafre on the body of a lion, and magnificent. The Temple is interesting too, as the inside is encased with red granite from Aswan to protect it from flooding by the River Nile.

    A wonderful experience that is now off our bucket list!    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 3

    Cairo 3; The Egyptian Museum

    November 19, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The Egyptian Museum is also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and the Cairo Museum; it is the Middle East's oldest archaeological museum and houses many artefacts (including those from the tomb of Tutankhamun). It is located close to Tahrir Square; this is also known as Martyr's Square due to the many demonstrations that have been held there in the past.

    Our guide gives us a tour of the highlights of the Museum; some of these are described by the images here and the detailed captions with them.

    We also see The Mummy Room and the Tutankhamun Hall; photography is absolutely forbidden here, but we see many amazing things, including the gold funereal mask of the boy-king Tutankhamun.

    An excellent visit; note that in due course, the Egyptian Museum will be eclipsed by the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) which is scheduled to open in early 2023....    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 4

    Alexandria 1; Qaitbay Citadel / Corniche

    November 20, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We leave Cairo heading west, passing close to 6th October City (the date is a significant one for Egypt); this is still part of Cairo and here on the outskirts are may upmarket, gated communities. We now travel north into much greener countryside and reach Alexandria in 3 hours; this is the second largest city in Egypt and the largest on the Mediterranean Coast.

    Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and built under his orders, heralding the start of the Greco-Roman period of Egyptian history and becoming a centre of Hellenic civilisation.

    Qaitbay Citadel (aka The Fort of Qaitbay) is an important 15th century fortification system with a mosque inside it and is built on the foundations of the Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World); it is possible to scuba dive here and see some of Ancient relics that are kept under water for their protection.

    We explore the Citadel and then drive along the waterfront road to our hotel; this waterfront promenade is known as The Corniche and extends for 10 miles east from the Citadel along the curved bay to Montaza.

    Later on, we walk along part of The Corniche and see Stanley Bridge with its private access beach behind it; this bridge was the first on Egypt to be constructed over the sea. There are many restaurants and areas of entertainment on the beach side of The Corniche, as Alexandria is a very popular resort for Egyptian tourists.    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 5

    Alexandria 2; Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs

    November 21, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    The Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs were discovered by accident in 1902, when a donkey accidentally fell into the main access shaft during some construction work. Also known as the Necropolis, the Catacombs are one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages.

    They comprise a series of tombs built on three levels and bodies were lowered down a central shaft by rope before being transferred to their tombs. They are thought to be for one family originally, as the highly decorated principal Tomb chamber comprises three sarcophagi with sealed lids (the bodies were inserted from below).

    In the courtyard, we visit The Tigran Tomb; this was moved here after its discovery in 1952 - the patterns in the decorations date back to the 2nd century BC!    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 5

    Alexandria 3; Bibliotheca Alexandrina

    November 21, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Alexandria was also home to The Library of Alexandria, the largest in the Ancient World. This is long gone, but the decision was taken in 1974 to reincarnate it as The Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It opened in 2002 and is now a major Library containing 8 million books, as well as being a Cultural Centre that hosts galleries, exhibitions and a museum of antiquities. It also houses The Sadat Museum, a permanent display dedicated to the life of President Sadat, which we visit.

    We stop at Carrefour in Alexandria to get provisions for our overnight train journey from Cairo to Aswan; we then set off back to Cairo. Living the dream!    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 6

    Aswan 1; Philae Island / Temple of Isis

    November 22, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Upon our arrival at Aswan, we transfer directly to the Riverside departure point for Philae Island and the Temple of Isis. The British built the first Aswan Dam in 1902 and this caused the Temple to be partially submerged; because othis unexpected consequence, prior to the new High Dam construction the complete Teple was relocated brick by brick to nearby Agilka Island and landscaped to match the original site.

    Constructed during Ptolomeic times in a fusion of Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles, The Temple of Isis has long fascinated visitors. Isis was the wife of Osiris, and the Goddess of Health, Marriage and Wisdom.

    Inside the Grand Court is the Sanctuary with a stone pedastal dedicated to Ptolomy III surrounded be incredible wall reliefs. After our tour, we continue to explore and walk round the rest of the island before taking the boat back to our tour bus and Aswan.    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    Day 7

    Aswan 2; Bazaar, Corniche, Nubia Museum

    November 23, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The Sharia al-Souk bazaar runs from the train station to The Corniche several blocks parallel to, and inland from, the river. This bazaar is regarded as the best in Egypt outside of Cairo, and we explore part of if from the Corniche end, enjoying the sights, smells and sounds.

    The Corniche is the finest in Egypt, less for the buildings along it than the superb views of Elephantine Island, the felucca sailboats on the River Nile and the sands of the Western Sahara on the bank behind it (see next post). We walk along it and pass the Ferial Gardens, Coptic Cathedral and The Old Cataract Hotel (see next post).

    We walk uphill to The Nubia Museum; completed in 1998, it provides an interesting introduction to Nubia and Nubian culture from 4,500 BC to the present day; it does not disappoint. The large grounds are the open air part of the museum and landscaped, containing a waterway and many interesting exhibits.    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    1
    Day 7

    Aswan 3; Felucca / Elephantine Island

    November 23, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Elephantine Island is the largest of a group of islands in the River Nile and form part of Aswan; we have great views of it from our hotel on The Corniche.

    The felucca is a traditional wooden sailing boat used in this part of the world and the group enjoy a ride on one around Elephantine Island, seeing many interesting things (see photo captions).

    We are dropped off at The Old Cataract Hotel and stop for a cocktail; Agatha Christie was based here for a while and wrote part of "Death on the Nile" in her room (now the Agatha Christie suite).

    We visit Elephantine Island itself in the evening; there are two Nubian villages here and we enjoy a Nubien feast at one of the houses; this included lentil soup, Egyptian Moussaka, fried chicken, tajin potatoes, rice, salt and Egyptian baklava to finish. Superb!    Read more

  • TravelerEgypt Experience
    1
    Day 8

    The Temples of Abu Simbel

    November 24, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    It is a three and a half hour drive to Abu Simbel from Aswan, and a very early start.

    The Temples of Abu Simbel were discovered as recently as 1813 because they were covered with sand blown by desert winds; they are located just 40km north of the border with Sudan on the West Bank of Lake Nasser. They were actually relocated to a higher level between 1964-8 to prevent flooding as the High Aswan Dam was scheduled to be completed by 1972.

    The Great Temple of Ramesses II was carved out of the mountain rock in the 13th century BC and is dominated by four colossal 20m tall statues of the Pharaoh as a display of power. We go in and enter the large hall with 8 columns and statues of him; the reliefs at the sides show Ramesses' prowess in battle. We then enter the Sacred Sanctuary, where Ramesses is with the triad of gods of the temple.

    Close by is The Temple of Hathor and Nefertari; this is smaller, but also has an impressive rock hewn facade of Ramesses, Nefertari and two of their children. We pass through the entry Hall to the Sacred Sanctuary.

    This is an amazing place to visit!    Read more

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