Beyond the Beaten Path:
The Fayyum, Middle Egypt & Southern Upper Egypt

16 Days October 17 - November 1, 2009
Led by Professor Lanny Bell



Saturday, October 17: Depart New York in the evening on Air France.

Sunday, October 18: CAIRO: Our arrival into Cairo will be in the evening. Transfer to the Mena House Oberoi Hotel, situated on the Giza plateau.

Monday, October 19: CAIRO: After our introductory lecture, touring will begin at the Roda Nilometer, the sole surviving Cairo monument built under the Abbasid Caliphs in 861. It remained in use until the completion of the High Dam. We then continue to the Egyptian Museum, where we examine the objects that pertain to this special tour.
Meals: Breakfast

Tuesday, October 20: FAYYUM OASIS: An early departure, stopping first at the Ptolemaic town of Soknopaiou Nesos (Dime es-Siba’). Ringed by a high mud-brick wal, it is reached by a processional way of stone lions ending at the remains of its large temple. Following one of the world’s oldest paved roads, we arrive at the Old Kingdom quarries of Widan el-Faras. From here the basalt used for the pavement stones in the pyramid temples (e.g. Khufu), was dragged down the escarpment and loaded onto barges. We continue to the small, undecorated mid-12th-dynasty temple, Qasr es-Sagha, which is remarkable for its unique masonry of polygonal stone blocks. We then explore the important Greek and Roman site of Karanis (Kom Washim), which housed two limestone temples and a large agora. Lunch will be on the shore of Lake Qarun in the agriculturally fertile Fayyum Oasis. We will spend two nights at the new Helnan Hotel Fayyum. Most of our touring in this region will be done in 4 X 4 vehicles.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Wednesday, October 21: FAYYUM OASES: Our touring continues with the sites in and around the Fayyum Oasis. Qasr Qarun (Dionysias) was situated at the start of the ancient caravan route to the Bahariya Oasis. We will visit its Ptolemaic temple, which has been reconstructed to the second floor, and the remains of the bath and Roman Fortress dated to Diocletian. We then continue to Medinet Madi (Narmouthis), an important site for its temple built by Amenemhet III-IV in the late Twelfth Dynasty. This well-preserved complex also houses two Late Ptolemaic temples, with an avenue of Greek and Egyptian inspired sphinxes and wonderful lion statues, as well as other monuments. At Tebtunis (Umm el-Breigat) there is a temple complex dating from the time of Ptolemy I to Augustus. One of the largest Graeco-Roman towns, the first of innumerable papyrus scrolls was found here, enabling archaeologists to begin to understand the history of the Fayyum during this period. Our touring is completed today at the Coptic monastery complex of Naqlun, with a church called Deir el-Malak Ghobrial, decorated with fine, recently discovered 9th/10th century paintings.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Thursday, October 22: MINYA: Driving south to Minya, our touring begins at the Middle Kingdom rock-cut tombs at Beni Hassan, with their lively paintings of daily life and the small rock-hewn shrine of Queen Hatshepsut, Speos Artemidos. This small temple requires a half-hour walk. Before recrossing the Nile we will visit the scant remains of Antinoopolis, built by Hadrian in AD 130 to honor his drowned lover Antinous. The remainder of the day will be spent visiting Hermopolis and its necropolis at Tuna el-Gebel, with tombs decorated in mixed Egyptian and Greek style and animal catacombs of sacred baboon and ibis burials dating to the Graeco-Roman period. This site also preserves one of Akhenaten’s Amarna boundary stelae. Mercure Minya Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Friday, October 23: MINYA: We will spend the full day at el-Amarna, Akhenaten’s new capital, built around 1350 BC. Here Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertiti, espoused the worship of Aten, as he cast off the old religion and starting his own. The decorated tombs of his officials reflect his new beliefs in what is termed Amarna art, focused on nature and the life of the king and his court rather than the netherworld and resurrection. Much of the city, which once extended over 15 kilometers, is now buried in the sand. Our day will include visits to the Northern Palace and Tombs and the Southern and Royal Tombs.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Saturday, October 24: SOHAG: Today’s touring begins at the Mallawi Museum and the Meir Tombs. The Middle Kingdom tombs are vividly painted with scenes from daily life. We continue south to Sohag, visiting Akhmim, where an 11-meter-high limestone statue of Meritamun is displayed. We will also visit the Sohag Museum (provided it has reopened) and the 5th-century Red (St. Pshoi) and White (St. Shenute) monasteries, the latter having been built using white limestone removed from ruined Athribis. The recently restored 6th/7th-century wall paintings in the Red Monastery are particularly spectacular. We will spend this night at the simple El Safa Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Sunday, October 25: LUXOR: We continue to Abydos, where we will tour the Temple of Seti I, viewing the famous List of Kings and some of the most beautifully painted reliefs surviving from Pharaonic times. After visiting the small Ramses II temple, we drive south through villages of baked-mud houses and lush cultivated lands bordering the Nile to Dendera. We will tour the Temple of Hathor, named for the goddess of love, music and wine. On the roof of the temple is a plaster cast of the famous Zodiac of Dendera (original in Paris), one of the three circular representations of the heavens found in Egypt. After completing our touring we continue to Luxor. Meridien Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Monday, October 26: LUXOR: We will spend an extended morning exploring some of the rarely visited private tombs of the Theban necropolis on the West Bank of the Nile. We will also tour the restored Seti I Temple, at Old Qurna, and the Temple of Merenptah, the thirteenth son of Ramesses II. Opened to the public after thirty years of study and restoration by a Swiss team, the temple was largely built by reusing stone from the nearby Colossi of Memnon complex of Amenhotep III.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Tuesday, October 27: LUXOR: This morning we will travel out of Luxor to visit the Thutmoside and Ptolemaic-Roman temples dedicated to the god Montu, at el-Tod and Medamud. This afternoon we have requested special permission to visit the Precinct of Mut, which has been excavated by teams from the Brooklyn Museum in New York. We will also visit the Luxor Museum and the new Mummification Museum.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Wednesday, October 28: LUXOR: We return to the West Bank to visit Deir-el-Medina, where we will examine the village and private tombs of the workmen as well as the nearby Ptolemaic temple dedicated to Hathor, built over the remains of the New Kingdom chapels of the artisans. The afternoon will be at leisure to explore on our own or to revisit some of our favorite tombs and temples.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Thursday, October 29: ASWAN: Our full day’s drive to Aswan will permit us stops at sites those traveling by boat do not see. The decorated tombs at Mo’alla - Ankhtifi and Sobekhotep - depict scenes not usually found in major tombs. Elkab, home of the vulture goddess Nekhbet, is protected by very impressive ramparts, which enclose the ancient town and temples, all now in ruins. Nearby, the city’s rock-cut tombs include beautifully decorated tomb chapels; a series of small shrines extend into the desert towards an important north-south route. Lastly, we will stop at the ancient sandstone quarries at Gebel Silsila East. Old Cataract Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Friday, October 30: ASWAN: Our touring is completed with a visit to the Museum of Nubian Civilization, which displays artifacts relating to the history and culture of Egypt’s southernmost inhabitants, the Nubians. The fine exhibits take us from prehistory through the kingdoms of Kush and Meroe and to the Christian and Islamic periods. The remainder of the day will be at leisure to explore Aswan’s famous souks.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Saturday, October 31: CAIRO: This morning we fly back to Cairo to spend our last day pursuing our own interests. This evening we will meet for our farewell dinner at the hotel. Intercontinental Semiramis.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Sunday, November 1: Transfer to the airport for our Air France flight to New York.